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LEGAL NOTICE

If you participated in the Ohio Department of Health Drug Assistance Program and a mailing in August 2017 containing your protected health information was mailed, provided, or sent for delivery to you, your ULJKWV PD\ EH D໤HFWHG E\ D FODVV DFWLRQ ODZVXLW A settlement as described below (“Settlement”) has been reached with Caremark, L.L.C. (“Caremark”), and Fiserv, Inc. and Fiserv Solutions, LLC (collectively, “Fiserv”) of a class action lawsuit alleging they wrongfully disclosed confidential, protected health information of certain participants in the Ohio Drug Assistance Program (“OhDAP”) in mailings that were mailed, provided, or sent for delivery in August 2017 (the “OhDAP Mailing”). OhDAP participants to whom the OhDAP Mailing was mailed, provided, or sent for delivery are entitled to compensation under the Settlement. The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (“Court”) authorized this notice in two cases, known as John Doe One, et al. v. CVS Health Corporation, et al., No. 2:18-cv-00238-EAS-CMV (S.D. Ohio) and John Doe v. CVS Health Corporation, et al., No. 2:18-cv00488-EAS-CMV (S.D. Ohio) (collectively, the “Doe Lawsuits”). What Is This About? The Doe Lawsuits claim that the OhDAP Mailing disclosed OhDAP participants’ confidential, protected health information in violation of Ohio law. Caremark and Fiserv dispute that they have done anything wrong and believe that they have complied with all applicable laws. The Court has not decided which side is right. Who Is Included? You are included in the Settlement if the OhDAP Mailing was mailed, provided, or sent for delivery to you. What Does The Settlement Provide? Under the terms of the Settlement, Caremark has agreed to pay the cash amount of $4,400,000 (the “Settlement Fund”) to settle and release claims arising out of or relating to the OhDAP Mailing, the alleged disclosure of protected health information in connection with the OhDAP Mailing, and/ or the facts and allegations in the Doe Lawsuits. The Settlement Fund will be used to pay all settlement payments to all Settlement Class Members, all settlement administrator fees and expenses, all attorneys’ fees up to one-third of the Settlement Fund (plus costs and expenses), and all service awards to the Class Representatives (which may be up to $14,000). The Settlement provides for two types of payments to Settlement Class Members who do not opt out of the Settlement: (1) Base Payment of at least $400 automatically provided (without the need to submit a Claim Form) to all Settlement Class Members for whom the Settlement Administrator has address information (this amount may be increased but never decreased); and (2) Payment of up to $10,000 for certain financial harm and $2,500 for certain non-financial harm, subject to a reduction depending on the total amount of damages claimed in valid Claim Forms received. How Do You Get A Payment? As long as the Settlement Administrator has a valid address for the person, Settlement Class Members who do not opt out will

automatically be sent a minimum payment of $400. To receive an additional payment for financial or non-financial harm, you must submit a Claim Form by December 20, 2019. Claim Forms are available from the Settlement Administrator. B

If you have not received a notice about the Settlement with a Class Member ID and a Claim Form through the mail but believe you are a Settlement Class Member, you MUST contact the Settlement Administrator immediately at www.OhioPrivacySettlement.com or by calling 1-833-253-8060 to receive any benefits under this Settlement.

If you receive in the mail a notice about the Settlement with a Class Member ID and a Claim Form, you will automatically be sent a check for at least $400. To receive additional compensation for financial and/or non-financial harm, follow the instructions in the notice and Claim Form. Additional information may be found by visiting www.OhioPrivacySettlement.com or calling 1-833-253-8060. What Are Your Options?

If you do not want to be legally bound by the Settlement, you must exclude yourself from it by December 20, 2019, or you will not be able to sue, or continue to sue, Caremark, Fiserv, or the State of Ohio (including the Ohio Department of Health and OhDAP) about the claims this Settlement resolves. If you exclude yourself, you will not get money from the Settlement. If you stay in the Settlement Class, you can tell the Court that you do not agree with the Settlement by objecting to it by December 20, 2019. This is only a summary of the Settlement. The full Notice of Settlement, available at www.OhioPrivacySettlement.com, explains how to exclude yourself or object and describes the released claims in detail. Who Represents You? The Court appointed several law firms to represent the Settlement Class. You can locate this information at www.OhioPrivacySettlement.com. If you want to be represented by your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense. When Will The Settlement Be Approved? The Court will hold a hearing on January 14, 2020, at 10:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve the Settlement, the request for payment of attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses, service awards to the Class Representatives, and the payment of the Settlement Administrator’s fees and costs. You or your own lawyer may ask to appear and speak at the hearing at your own cost, but you do not have to. Want More Information? If you want more information or want to review the Settlement’s terms, the Notice of Settlement and the Claim Form, or to inquire with the Settlement Administrator whether you are a Settlement Class Member, please visit www.OhioPrivacySettlement.com or call 1-833-253-8060.

www.OhioPrivacySettlement.com 1-833-253-8060 2

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat

CONTENTS

Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek

Upfront

Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Web Editor Laura Morrison Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Dott von Schneider Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Interns Alice Koeninger

Kerry Freaking McCormack, HB6, and the beloved, canâ€™t-miss, essential, fan-favorite Digit Widget, which is always the talk of the town

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Feature

Cleveland Heights gonna Cleveland Heights

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

SCENE with you with the Issuu app! â€œCleveland Scene Magazineâ€?

COVER PHOTO BY HANNAH LEBOVITS

UPFRONT KERRY MCCORMACK AIMING TO DECRIMINALIZE RTA FARE EVASION Photo Courtesy @CLEfortransit

CLEVELAND CITY COUNCILMAN Kerry McCormack confirmed late last week that a draft of legislation to decriminalize fare evasion has been prepared and is being reviewed by council’s lawyers. McCormack told Scene that he wants to make penalties for fare evasion on Cleveland’s Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) effectively the same as penalties for parking violations. His preference, he said, would be to reclassify fare evasion as a civil, rather than criminal offense. But if the state requires that fare evasion remain a criminal misdemeanor — that’s what the lawyers are checking on — he’ll settle for significantly reducing the financial penalties. McCormack told Scene he’s aiming for the end of this year or the beginning of next to introduce the bill to his council colleagues. While he has not secured co-sponsors, he said he’s not anticipating challenges on that score. Both councilmen Matt Zone and Basheer Jones have seemed receptive, for example. Zone joined McCormack at an event last week hosted by Clevelanders for Public Transit, the grassroots advocacy organization, in which the legislation was briefly mentioned. After riding the HealthLine from Public Square to University Circle, attendees gathered at ABC Uptown to discuss the travails of RTA’s flagship bus rapid transit route. Organizers asked the councilmen if they’d commit to working with CPT to decriminalize fare evasion and to restore signal priority along Euclid Avenue, which would give HealthLine buses priority over cars at traffic lights. Both councilmen agreed, and McCormack said that the legislation for fare evasion was already in draft form. Zone thanked the group for their persistent advocacy. “The best policies I’ve worked on in my years on council,” Zone said, “have come from advocates like you.” Justin Bibb, a young KeyBank corporate strategist and a fledgling member of the RTA board, was also on hand. CPT asked him directly if he would work to help restore “proofof-payment” and all-door boarding

on the HealthLine, two factors which would drastically speed up the route. Bibb said that he would. The slowing of the 11-year-old HealthLine and the consequent decline in ridership occasioned Thursday’s gathering, which was appropriately titled, “Healing the HealthLine.” In late October, 2017, Cleveland Municipal Court judge Emanuella Groves ruled that the proof-ofpayment fare collection method was unconstitutional. In that format, passengers purchase fare cards before boarding the bus and prove their payment by showing tickets to transit police. Groves ruled that having armed ofﬁcers check fares violated passengers’ constitutional rights to unreasonable searches and seizures. One way to solve the constitutional problem would be to have unarmed civilian employees checking fares ,(in the mold of a traditional train conductor), but RTA has instead returned to the fare enforcement method currently used on buses, in which all passengers enter via the front door and show their tickets to the driver, thus slowing vehicles. CPT has found that during rush hour, the advertised 28-minute trip from Public Square to East Cleveland’s Windermere Station takes

40 minutes. These delays have added more than 40 hours of additional service per weekday. Restoring proof-of-payment and all door boarding are both components of CPT’s Fair Fares platform. -SAM ALLARD

Griffin: Those Who Mess with City Council Will be ‘Dealt With’ Cleveland City Councilman Blaine Griffin gave a speech at last week’s city council meeting that he will soon wish he didn’t. The combative, elitist remarks once again fortified council’s “us vs. them” mentality when it comes to their constituents and will haunt the Buckeye-Shaker councilman if he runs for Mayor in 2021, as is widely assumed. Griffin’s floor speech was inspired by a voter rights forum hosted by the Ohio Democratic Party and the Service Employees International Union Saturday Oct. 19. It featured as a special guest Stacey Abrams, the voting rights activist and 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate. At the event, an SEIU member asked Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley to leave. Kelley eventually left, with Griffin and Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland trailing behind, after several heated

conversations. For Griffin, this “aggressive” encounter defiled the dignity of the high office of City Council. He said it was unlike anything he’d ever seen in his political life and that it was now incumbent upon the body to make a “profound statement” to the following effect: City Council and its elected members must be respected. It was an unintentionally violent, authoritarian speech. “We must protect this house,” Griffin said. “We’ve got to set a tone that nobody should ever mess with this body. These folks need us because we were duly elected and we put ourselves out there to work hard on behalf of the citizens, not them... The body of this council needs to be shown respect whenever we go anywhere. We need to send a strong message that when you mess with us, you will be dealt with.” Griffin’s speech was not only a grave political miscalculation — mayoral hopefuls must distance themselves from Kelley if they stand a chance — but also a basic misinterpretation of his role as an elected official. “You don’t have to respect me [or Kelley], but you have to respect this seat,” he said. “You have to salute, as they say in the army, the rank, not the person. You can detest me, but

Another Week, Another Cover Wrap Advertisement Dear Reader, Sigh. If you pick up a physical copy of this week’s issue, you’ll undoubtedly notice there’s another cover wrap advertisement. Blergh. The editorial staff’s feelings about these wraps are welldocumented at this point so we’ll save you the whole schpiel — short version: They are bad, they are dangerous, they are embarrassing even when, on the rare occasion, we might be on the same side of an issue. Yours in general discomfort, Scene’s Edit Staff

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

Photo Courtesy City of Cleveland

UPFRONT you have to respect the seat.” Though this is diametrically opposed to the “servant leadership” rhetoric popular among local electeds and CEOs at annual luncheons, the above can be interpreted as the true stance and one of the most deeply held convictions of city council members: that they are accorded automatic reverence by virtue of their position, irrespective of what they do. Griffin was railing against the Ohio Democratic Party, co-sponsors of the Saturday event, and even threatened to take matters to the Democratic National Committee — what??? — but the fact is, Kelley was asked to leave by a member of SEIU, not the ODP, for readily identifiable reasons: specifically, what he has done as city council president. Despite his recent efforts to rehabilitate his image, voters know and will always remember how hard Kelley has worked to suppress their voices, how effectively, on key issues, he has removed the public from the conversation. Saturday’s forum was about voter rights. Does

Kelley not understand how cruel and troll-ish his presence there no doubt seemed? City council has been the most anti-democratic force in Cleveland for the past several years. And while Griffin claimed that he “punches up, not down,” the actions of council leadership, to say nothing of his own speech, dramatized the contrary. The woman who asked Kelley to leave Saturday was SEIU member Lynn Radcliffe. She was at Monday’s council meeting and can be heard in the video of Griffin’s speech shouting in the background. She responded to Griffin’s remarks in a Facebook comment. “Voter suppression is a heinous act and we will not sit quietly,” she wrote. “We will check you, hold you accountable and ask you in private so not to embarrass you, and politely to leave our house and tell you why. But don’t have your cronies, like Blaine Griffin stand up in City Council and falsely accuse the Ohio Democratic Party allowing it to happen or any other Councilperson throwing sideways threats. As I very clearly and loudly said, in public, at the City Council meeting, where they’ve taken away the right of the public

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to speak, it was I, a member of SEIU District 1199, who asked [Kelley] to leave. There was not one ounce of aggression in my ask nor by my Union brothers who escorted him out. Stern and meant it, not aggressive. Guess you’re not used to politicians being held accountable for wrongful and oppressive actions. Well now you know. We don’t play.” Griffin, a peacemaker by disposition, will no doubt walk his comments back. He has already taken down the video of his speech on Facebook, and he responded to Radcliffe’s post congenially. “Thanks Lynn. We can agree to disagree,” he wrote. “I will not disrespect you Sis. But I am also going to challenge people when I believe there is a lack of decorum.” But again, Griffin will only challenge people for a lack of decorum directed at City Council members, to whom, remember, constituents must show respect or be dealt with. Griffin has not challenged a lack of decorum by his city council colleagues, neither the snide remarks directed at activists nor the unhinged, totally

DIGIT WIDGET 5,600 Total participants in the Vibrant NEO 2040 planning framework, a multi-million dollar effort that resulted in 2014 report which the Cleveland Rising summit has virtually ignored.

94, 99 Cavs’ opponents point totals in the ﬁrst two games of the season. (Last year, the Cavs’ ﬁrst three opponents scored 116, 131 and 133, respectively.)

~40 Workers to be hired, with an annual total payroll of roughly $ 5 million, by the London Stock Exchange’s “Elite Initiative,” a business development arm that has chosen Cleveland as its North American headquarters.

$507,214 Mean household income in Hunting Valley, Ohio’s wealthiest community, where residents are “obscenely conniving” (Brent

indecorous ravings of Ward 4 councilman Ken Johnson, directed at his own constituents. He’s punching down, in other words. -ALLARD

Federal Judge Rejects Anti-HB6 Request for More Time to Gather Signatures For legislation that has already passed the Ohio General Assembly and gotten the governor’s signature, House Bill 6 — the so-called energy bailout bill — sure has taken a winding road in its afterlife as law. The latest chapter: A federal judge has rejected a request by anti-HB6 group Ohioans Against Corporate Bailouts for more time to gather the 265,744 valid signatures it needs to land on the statewide ballot next year to repeal the law, which adds charges to Ohioans’ electric bills to prop up two nuclear plants and two coal plants while scrapping some renewable energy standards in the state. OACB missed an Oct. 21 deadline to submit those signatures, falling 44,000 short, but it says that’s because it experienced interference from proHB6 groups and had to wait 38 days for the state’s attorney general to approve its petition language. But that may not quite be the end of the story. The anti-HB6 group could see the Ohio Supreme Court assess some of its claims. U.S. District Judge Edmund Sargus Jr. issued a ruling last Wednesday rejecting OACB’s request on the grounds that it wasn’t in the federal court’s jurisdiction and that the group’s First Amendment claims were not likely to succeed at trial. Sargus, however, also passed along to the Ohio Supreme Court ﬁve questions at the heart of the group’s request around what the 90-day period for petitions actually requires. The court could decide to take up all, some or none of those questions. In the meantime, parties have 20 days to submit written arguments to the court. “We look forward to making our case to the Supreme Court that the petitioning ‘blackout’ period is an unfair infringement on our constitutional right to referendum,” OACB spokesperson Gene Pierce said in a statement. “Ohioans deserve the opportunity to vote on House Bill 6, and the despicable campaign by supporters of the bill to prevent that should not be rewarded.”

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

FEATURE THE VOTE ON ISSUE 26 IN CLEVELAND HEIGHTS BRINGS A LONG AND CONTENTIOUS BATTLE TO A CLOSE. HERE’S HOW WE GOT HERE By Hannah Lebovits AMONG THE MANY AND VARIED political signs along Fairmount Boulevard in Cleveland Heights is one that stands out, mainly for its homemade nature. “Need Change,” it reads in large, wooden letters, next to two traditional signs supporting local Issue 26. “It’s really a personal artistic statement about political perspectives,” says Paul Wolpe, the property owner and artisan behind the sign. “Whether it’s about guns or Donald Trump, it’s a personal statement about the need for change.” On November 5, residents of the city will get a chance to decide if they too believe there is a need for change. Issue 26, if passed, would have Cleveland Heights change from a council-manager form of government to a strong mayor form. In the council-manager form of government, the elected council members appoint a city manager to serve as the city’s chief administrator. In the strong mayor form of government, the city’s chief executive is directly elected by the residents. In some cities, such as Shaker Heights, the city’s elected leader (mayor) then also hires a chief administrative ofﬁcer (CAO) to function as a city manager. This form is known as the hybrid strong mayor-CAO form. The council-manager form dates back to the late 19th century when so-called “Reformers” advocated for the adoption of a form of government that they believed would limit the political control of top elected ofﬁcials. The Reformers argued that elected representatives would respond to special interests and political coalitions, rather than the needs of their communities. Instead, the Reformers advocated that bureaucrats could be trusted to act in an apolitical fashion, placing the needs of the community above their own desires. Today, while the council-manager form of government is fairly prevalent across the United States, and is the dominant form of government in large, central cities in the United States. The International City/County Management Association

Photo by Hannah Lebovits

(ICMA) provides direct support for this form of government, including monetary support for local campaigns to retain the form of government. The city manager form of government attempts to reduce “good governance” to technical-rational expertise. Cities are run by hired city management experts who have some combination of skills, knowledge and experience that matches the city’s needs. There are still elected ofﬁcials, presumably to set policy priorities and oversee budgetary decisions, but the actual governing of the city — the individual decisions made about what gets done, when and by whom — are made by a technical expert. The manager is also presumed to somehow be separate from political activities. As a bureaucrat, a manager is expected to follow rules, protocols and ethical guidelines. As their job tenure isn’t directly determined by voters and political actors, these administrators are

assumed to be entirely separate from the political machination of urban governance. It’s no longer the 19th century though. Our current era is deﬁned by globalized capitalism and hyperconnectivity, along with intense political polarization and renewed attention to issues related to race, class and gender. In other words, cities do not exist in silos. Disparate trajectories and outcomes are not random. And everything from agriculture to zoning is political. And actions taken by residents and governmental entities are often a response to underlying social concerns. Issue 26 is no exception. Tensions related to the decrease in population, economic and housing security and lack thereof coupled with an increase in poverty, vacancies, and under-utilized commercial areas has lead voters to ask: Who gets to decide what’s best for Cleveland Heights? The ﬁght over the form of

government began when residents grew concerned about the dilapidated state of Severance Towne Center, a commercial development off of Mayfield and Taylor roads. In October 2015, the planning and development committee of FutureHeights — then a fledgling community-based organization, now the city’s official community development corporation — decided to host a community meeting to discuss the status of Severance. The property had seen significant disinvestment over the last few years and residents were concerned about the economic impact this downturn would have on the city. The committee was made up of local volunteers, several of whom were planning and housing professionals. As the event details were being finalized, the committee contacted the city administration to see if the city would be willing to partner with the organization to host the event. According to Robert

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

FEATURE Brown, the committee member who organized the meetings, city manager Tanisha Briley, two years into her tenure, declined the invitation saying that she did not want to raise citizen expectations about the property. Brown also told Scene that the city would not agree to fund the endeavor, so the committee asked whether anyone from the cityâ€™s community development, city planning or economic development departments would agree to present at the event. Again, the city manager declined. She did however, allow them to host the event at the local community center, a building under the auspices of the city government. Over one hundred citizens attended the event, which featured several speakers as well as a robust community dialogue. The turnout was great, but members of the host committee wished there had been city representation. The lack of an ofďŹ cial administrative presence sparked a new conversation among several residents. What, they wondered, could have compelled the city manager to attend the event or send her staff? Several suggested that, similar to the city council members, perhaps if she was seeking reelection, she would have joined in. After the event, Brownâ€™s wife, Susan Berger, sent some emails to friends asking what they thought of the suggestion. This prompted a local conversation about the suburban cityâ€™s governmental structure and whether it empowers the manager to act without concern for citizen approval. The topic elicited a large amount of community dialogue. So large that even councilmembers weighed in. Yet nothing came of it, at the time. The city voted to re-elect two members of council in November 2015. Mary Dunbar was reelected, Kahlil Seren was elected after being appointed in February 2015 and a new member, Carol Roe, was elected to ďŹ ll the vacancy that would be left by Dennis Wilcox. A few days after the election, Jeff Coryell, halfway through his four-year term, announced that he would be leaving council to move to Michigan, where his wife had been employed since 2013. As the announcement came after the election, the residents would not have the option to be able to elect a new councilmember. Instead, a new member would be appointed.

This was the second such instance in twelve months, following the February 2015 appointment of Kahlil Seren after Janine Boyd was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives. In January 2016, Cheryl Stephens was chosen by her council peers to take on the role of Mayor, with Jason Stein as vice mayor. Several months later, planning commission member Michael Ungar was appointed to ďŹ ll the vacancy left by Coryell. With the addition of Ungar, the city council included one retired white woman, four white lawyers, and two Black career public servants. While not representative of the cityâ€™s demographics or social make-up, the council seemed well positioned to initiate the much needed changes in the city. But Severance remained in shambles and residents were still curious about the idea of an elected leader. That fall Stephens, Boyd and a group of concerned citizens gathered together to discuss the idea of a structural change. The initial group was made up of 13 citizens, and accurately represented the diverse racial, religious and cultural groups in the city. The meetings continued for a few months but the attendees shifted over time and had to contend with the presence of political representatives in their group. While Cleveland Heights is a closeknit community, one attendee told Scene that the residents recognized that their group could lose legitimacy if the politicians involved continued to plan and host the meetings. A citizen member reached out to Stephens after the ďŹ rst meeting and told her that it would be appropriate for them to continue without her. After the third meeting, in January 2017, the same attendee reached out to Boyd to suggest that the group should continue as a solely resident-led initiative. Both Stephens and Boyd stepped back. By the time the group met for the ďŹ nal time, in March 2017, there were only four members left. For the entirety of its existence, from September 2016 to March 2017, the group was transparent about its goal: a citizen-lead initiative to create a ballot measure to change the form of government. However, shortly after the group began meeting, several city council people became aware of the potential political implications. Emails between councilmembers Carol Roe, Michael Ungar and Melissa Yasinow indicate that the three were concerned about the citizen-led meetings, due to the presence of Stephens and Boyd. In response, Carol Roe, also the chair of the administrative service

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

FEATURE committee, took steps towards drafting legislation for a charter review commission. The city had not undergone a comprehensive charter review since 1982, despite the charter provision that requires the city to consider review every ten years. However, even in an off-year, like 2017, the city council has the power to draft legislation to enact a charter review, should a majority of council members deem this practice appropriate. The legislation was approved by the city council in March 2017. The city legislature now had ownership of the citizen-led initiative. Unlike a ballot drive, a charter review could be controlled by the city government. Commission members would be appointed. Recommendations would be voted on by council. The power to determine what is best for the city would remain in the hands of the politically elected body. Indeed, additional emails from Ungar, Roe and Yaisnow indicate that the three directly encouraged speciﬁc citizens to apply for the charter review commission. It is unclear whether the

other councilmembers engaged in this practice, as well. The creation of the charter review commission was touted by some as a proactive response to the resident’s concerns; however, the resident group did not feel this way, according to some members. In fact, at their last meeting, following the approval of the legislation, several members voted to continue to work independently of the city. At that time (March 2017), the citizen group testiﬁed before council, requesting that they seat the commission within the next 60 days to ensure that the recommendations could be considered as soon as possible. The politicians did not heed this advice. In May 2017, the city began to accept applications for the charter review commission (CRC) members. Fifty-seven people applied, including four members of the citizens’ charter review group. The city council released the names of the CRC members in October 2017, following a thorough vetting process that occurred in a closed-door executive session. All 15 members were agreed upon by council, with each of the council members choosing one member and the other eight voted upon by the entire council. Of the four members that applied

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

from the citizens’ group, one was chosen to join. The CRC members reflected the diversity of the city’s wards in regards to their addresses, however they did not accurately represent the city’s demographics. The suburban city is a majorityminority community with an average citizen age of 37; of the fifteen CRC members, four were African American and four were under the age of 40. A week after the November 2017 municipal elections, the first meeting of the charter review commission took place in the city’s recreation center. Approximately 50 people attended the meeting in which the facilitator, Dr. Lawrence Keller, professor emeritus at Cleveland State University, shared a presentation on the various forms of government the commission would be considering over the next several months. All seven members of council were in attendance and the facilitator fielded questions from the commission and the audience. Several members of the citizens’ group were concerned about the timing of the process as they hoped the CRC would complete its work in time for the November 2018 ballot. The suggestions of the CRC would have to be approved by the city council in order to appear on the

ballot and, as the process of approval would require several months, it was agreed that the CRC would have to complete their project as soon as May 2018. Murmurings that the creation of the charter review commission was an attempt to take back power from the President of the Council were all but conﬁrmed in early 2018 when the chair of the administrative service committee, Carol Roe, was chosen by a majority of her peers to be the president of the council. The decision to choose such a new member of council (she had only served two years of her ﬁrst term) was unprecedented and received one nay vote from Councilmember Seren who publicly expressed concerns that the choice would take council, and the city, in the wrong direction. He pointed directly to Roe’s apparent attempts to mitigate a citizen initiative and private emails that were sent between her and several other council members of the administrative service committee. However, his nay vote was inconsequential. The council also chose to elect Melissa Yasinow as Vice Mayor. Again, the vote was 6-1 with the same dissenting council member. That same week, in early January

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

FEATURE 2018, the CRC met for the third time, following a long recess for the December holiday season. The biggest topic of conversation during this meeting was how they would approach the review. After much deliberation, they chose to begin the discussion with the broad issue of manager-council vs strong mayor. During this time, the topic of data and data collection came up, as well. The CRC agreed by consensus that they should collect as much data as possible in the form of surveys, interviews and numerical data. The group acknowledged that they did not know exactly what information would be most important and decided they would like to have a signiďŹ cant number of data points to work with. The commission decided that testimony from councilmembers, local business people, elected ofďŹ cials in other cities and a few select community members would play a primary role in their data gathering efforts. The other renewed topic of conversation was the CRCâ€™s timeline. Were they going to remain dedicated

to the May goal? Faced with the sheer amount of work they would likely have to accomplish, the general consensus was that they should not tie themselves to the May date, as they wanted to do their due diligence in the process. However, citizens and a few CRC members were adamant that they should aim for the goal. Several council members, including the newly chosen President of Council were present and encouraged the CRC to take their time and not feel beholden to the May date. The CRCâ€™s work remained on track until a new story- the origin of the group- emerged when Vice Mayor Yasinow was invited to speak to the group. In a dramatic reshaping of the events, Vice Mayor Yasinow framed the charter review endeavor as a response to shady political dealings. Yasinow told the CRC that the current effort to review the charter started with an endeavor that she believed was orchestrated by Stephens and Boyd in an effort to consolidate power. Several commission members were clearly uncomfortable. But the discomfort would continue. A few months later, in May 2018, the CRC invited councilmember Seren to present his views on the

city administration and the charter review effort. Seren argued that a part-time council was more risk averse and unlikely to bring forward a bold vision, something required when the chief ofďŹ cer in the city is an appointed, technical expert. But Seren also told the Commission members that he thought their efforts might be for naught. He claimed that with four members of the council openly supporting the current structure, even if the CRC suggested a change, he believed that the majority of the council would not approve it. One member of the commission was visibly upset by this news. Others felt frustrated and even concerned. The four councilmembers immediately responded. In a written statement, Roe, Yasinow, Ungar and Dunbar vowed to support the recommendations of the CRC, calling Serenâ€™s claims, â€œreckless, irresponsible and false.â€? It seems fair to say the CRCâ€™s faith was shaken. But what about the residents? In all of 2018, only one public meeting was held to discuss the charter review effort. In an April 19th presentation, the commission members presented their work, particularly around the issue of the form of government. The attendees were then prompted to engage in

discussion. The majority of attendees responded in favor of a switch to the strong mayor form of government and noted several important issues they believed the commission and charter should directly address. However, despite the support from the public, the charter review commission voted against a switch to the strong mayor form of government. Citing the need to retain technical expertise and limit risk and variability in the business of governing, ten members of the commission agreed to retain the current form of government. Less than a week later, on June 27th 2018, the vice chair of the commission resigned. Allosious Snodgrass was one of only two members who voted for the strong mayor form- the other being Carla Rautenberg, the sole member of the original citizen group who was chosen for the CRC. In his letter to the commission, Snodgrass spoke about the importance of participatory democracy and the commissionâ€™s prioritization of expertise over engagement: â€œPrior to serving on the commission I did not understand the importance of democracy, completely. Through my time serving, I now understand how important it is

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that ‘We the people’ choose both our legislature (Council) and Executive (Mayor). It is only democratically right… I believe the biggest focus should be on changing our form of government to a Strong-Mayor/ Council form. Yet, through a majority vote, we have failed to do this. On the bright side, I hope the residents of Cleveland Heights who expressed dissatisfaction with our government for a number of reasons will join forces and take their concerns to the ballot. This is the only practical way Cleveland Heights will see a change in form of government.” In February 2019, the charter review commission met for the final time and submitted its recommendations to the city council shortly thereafter. Within a few weeks, CRC member Craig Cobb was chosen by the city council to fill the vacancy left when Cheryl Stephens was elected to the county council. After the charter review commission completed its duties, a larger citizen group — one that included some of the original members — met once again to discuss the idea of a ballot initiative. The Citizens for an Elected Mayor group was formed and the residents immediately began to collect signatures for the effort. Several months later, an alternative committee emerged, intending to urge residents to vote against the elected mayor form of government. This group, called Cleveland Heights Citizens for Good Government, was funded by city council members Yasinow, Ungar, Roe and Dunbar along with several independent citizens. The intention of this group was to advocate for maintaining the council-manager form of government, however their PR efforts have framed their perspective as an attempt to limit political deals in the process of running government. Yet, the political committee has been heavily funded by elected politicians, and the face of the organization, Mike Gaynier, ran for a city council seat in 2011. ICMA, a special interest group, has dedicated over $10,000 to the procity manager effort as well. The central question of Issue 26 is whether the city should have an elected official that will be democratically chosen by the voting population and also accountable for administrative processes. A vote in the affirmative would begin the process to change the charter to a strong mayor form. A vote against, would keep the status quo. Several important local actors have endorsed Issue 26, including Cleveland.com. The Cleveland Stonewall Democrats, while not directly endorsing one side of the

issue, have spoken critically of the pro-city manager group after the organizers invited Jimmie Hicks Jr., a pastor in the Caledonia neighborhood of the city, to speak at a recent meeting. Mr. Hicks, a former member of Cleveland Heights city council, has a history of openly opposing equality for LGBTQIA+ members of the community. But what about Severance Town Center, the commercial property that triggered this discussion? Four years later, it remains in disarray. In fact, the status of the project was up for debate at the most recent Cleveland Heights city council meeting, which included a series of remarks from Paul Volpe himself. Indeed, Volpe is not only the designer of fine wooden art but an architect and urban planner with over 35 years of experience. In his comments to council, Volpe urged council to reconsider the city manager’s suggestion to accept a proposal from a firm outside of the area to redevelop the project — a firm with little experience in the kind of development that Severance requires, he said. Once again, the concerns over who governs the space and how the city can move forward devolved into a conversation about the city’s form of government, with residents weighing in on either side of the issue and councilmembers Ungar and Seren arguing passionately over the topic. Cleveland Heights might only be one community and Issue 26 is only one piece of legislation. But like communities across the Rust Belt region, it’s looking to its governance system to revitalize the community. Whether a change at the top will lead to genuine progress is unclear. But what makes Cleveland Heights unique, and separates it from its peers, is the degree to which its residents will fight for their city. That passion, which has bubbled up in this contentious battle, will continue. “In the end, we will all come together,” Mayor Roe said at that council meeting after sides battled over some last-minute posturing. “And if anyone has any ideas about the reconciliation process, please send them to me.” Cleveland Heights residents organize, advocate and create networks. A community with tension is still a community of people who feel something. Democracy dies when apathy settles in. Cleveland Heights is a community full of people who want to be heard.

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

GET OUT everything you should do this week Photo by Emanuel Wallace

WED

10/30

SPORTS

Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls Much like the Cavs, the Chicago Bulls are in the midst of rebuilding their once-great franchise. Rookie Coby White, a point guard the Bulls drafted from the University of North Carolina, brings the Bulls some hope of turning things around, but this should be a winnable game for the Cavs. Tip-off is at 7 tonight at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Consult the website for ticket prices. (Jeff Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgageﬁeldhouse.com. DRAG

GlamGore Monthly Drag Show Each month, GlamGore, a drag show at the Grog Shop, features a variety of performance artists under one roof. The shows include everyone from “beauty queens” to “drag monsters.” Tonight’s show theme is Frights in Tights with performers Ursula Major, the breakout star from alternative drag reality competition show The Boulet Brothers: Dragula Season 1, along with Silver Uzumaki, Clinica Deprecious and Betty Whatsherface. There will also be a costume contest. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door, or $15 for VIP tickets that give you early bird access to the Grog starting at 8 p.m. and a special photo opportunity/meetand-greet with the cast. For general admission ticket holders, the doors open at 8:30 p.m. DJ Zoë will attend to the turntables. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs. FILM

Metropolis The definitive 2002 version of German filmmaker Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent sci-fi classic originally screened in 35mm film with subtitles. The movie focuses on the class divide between the rich inhabitants of an above-ground city and the underground laborers that power its massive infrastructure. A forwardthinking robot decides to start a revolt, and conflict ensues. The 2010 restoration of the film screens tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Boston’s Alloy Orchestra will play the score. Tomorrow night, the Alloy Orchestra returns to the Cinematheque to

Día de Muertos returns to Gordon Square. See: Saturday.

accompany Gallery of Monsters, the recently unearthed and restored silent melodrama produced (and perhaps co-directed) by visionary French ﬁlmmaker Marcel L’Herbier (L’Inhumaine). Tickets cost $20, $15 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) Cleveland Cinematheque, 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu. THEATER

The Music Man Tonight at 7:30 at the Hanna Theatre, Great Lakes Theater presents its version of The Music Man, the play about salesman Harold Hill and his attempts to con people into buying instruments and uniforms for a band he never intends to form. The six-time Tony-winning musical features tunes such as “Seventy-Six Trombones,” “Ya Got Trouble” and “Till There Was You.” Performances continue through Nov. 10. Tickets start at $15. (Niesel) 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. THEATER

Pipeline A dedicated inner-city school teacher sends her own son to private school in Pipeline, “a compelling, must-see portrait of the systemic school-toprison pipeline and the experience

of being a parent to a young black man in America.” The Cleveland Playhouse production continues in the Outcalt Theatre through Nov. 3. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30. Tickets start at $20. (Niesel) 1407 Euclid Ave, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. FILM

Psycho Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Psycho centers on a woman on the lam (Janet Leigh) who checks into the mysterious Bates Motel, a property that appears to be deserted except for the proprietors Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and his mother. The movie screens tonight at 7 at the Capitol Theatre as part of the theater’s Happy Hour Classics series. The $10 ticket includes admission to a happy hour cocktail reception that begins at 6 p.m. (Niesel) 1390 West 65th St., 216-651-7295, clevelandcinemas.com. MUSIC

The Way Down Wanderers The Way Down Wanderers draw from bluegrass and Americana. Grammy-winner David Schiffman (Johnny Cash, HAIM, Rage Against The Machine) produced the group’s independent sophomore album, Illusions. It offers “songs that

bridge a raw enthusiasm for life with the sobering reality of how quickly time passes.” The band even created a conceptual stop-motion music video for the album’s title track. They perform tonight at 7 at the Happy Days Lodge in Peninsula as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park Concert Series. Tickets cost $21 for general admission, $17 for Conservancy members, $10 for students. Children under 10 are free. (Niesel) 500 West Streetsboro Rd., Peninsula, 330-657-2909, ConservancyforCVNP.org.

THU

10/31

THEATER

Death of a Salesman Set in 1949, this famous Arthur Miller play focuses on a traveling salesman who can’t make ends meet. Sadly, the salesman realizes his life insurance might be the best way to provide for his family, Tonight at 7:30 at the Ohio Theatre, Tri-C presents its version of the play. Performances continue through Saturday; tickets cost $20. (Niesel) 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

and 9:30 at Hilarities, where he also performs at 7 on Sunday. Tickets start at $10. (Niesel) Hilarities Comedy Club, 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

GET OUT THEATER

Into the Woods Equal parts Cinderella, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and Jack and the Beanstalk, Into the Woods is a fractured fairytale by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Stephen Sondheim and Tony Award-winning director James Lapine. The plot centers on a baker and his wife who yearn for a child, the witch who has placed a curse on them, and other storybook characters drawn from the works of the Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault. Wishes do come true, we are reminded — but not without consequences. The musical was a hit on Broadway when it premiered in 1987. (A ﬁlm version came out in 2014.) The CSU Department of Theatre and Dance’s version opens tonight at 7:30 at the Allen Theatre, where it runs through Nov. 3. Tickets are $15 and $25. (Niesel) 1407 Euclid Ave., playhousesquare.org.

FILM

Jay Myself Director Stephen Wilkes explores the life and times of photographer

THEATER

The Member of the Wedding At the suggestion of her friend Tennessee Williams, Southern writer Carson McCullers adapted her novella, The Member of the Wedding, into a play that was an enormous success when it opened on Broadway in 1950. It depicts the “intrinsically enmeshed lives of whites and blacks in the American South.” Regional

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MUSIC

Music Feeds People Some of the area’s ﬁnest reggae performers and solo artists will perform tonight at the inaugural Music Feeds People fundraiser concert. In addition to popular acts such as Umojah Nation and Friends, including Carlos Jones and Jah Messengers, Dave Smeltz, Alexis Antes, Charlie Mosbrook and Brian Henke will give solo performances. A 501(c)3 nonproﬁt volunteer organization, All Faiths Pantry and its volunteer staff deliver bags of groceries every month to seniors over 60 and mobility challenged clients at no cost. All proceeds will go to funding AFP’s efforts to feed those in need of supplementary nonperishable canned goods and fresh fruit and vegetables. 7 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Music Box Supper Club, 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.

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Ryan Dalton A product of Cleveland, standup comedian Ryan Dalton has played locally and toured nationally for about the past 20 years. He regularly appears on Bob and Tom Radio Show and has released several comedy albums. He performs tonight at 7

Monsters vs. Charlotte Checkers The Cleveland Monsters host the Charlotte Checkers today and Sunday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Tonight, it’s a 1-2-3 Friday, so there will be $1 Pepsis, $2 Sugardale hotdogs and $3 select 12 oz. beers. There’s also a post-game skate. Tonight’s game begins at 7. Sunday’s game starts at 1 p.m., and it’s a Monsters Family Day. The ﬁrst 2,000 kids will receive a Castaway Bay day pass and kids can enjoy Monsters Kids Meals that include a Sugardale hot dog, a Pepsi and chips for only $6. Tickets for both games start at $10. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgageﬁeldhouse.com. PERFORMANCE

The Séance, a Creepy Circus Cabaret The Creepy Circus Cabaret’s performance of the Séance promises to bring aerial performance, rituals, acrobatics and laughs to Bohemian National Hall tonight and tomorrow night. At the event, you’ll learn why the ghosts are connected to the historic Slavic Village ballroom. It all begins at 8. For more information, look for Creepy Circus Cabaret on Facebook. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, you must be 21. Tickets cost $22 and can be purchased through the Facebook event page and Eventbrite. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://tinyurl.com/ y5w5gfk8. Sokol Greater Cleveland, 4939 Broadway Ave., 216 883-0675, sokolgreatercleveland.org.

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Jay Maisel in this documentary ﬁlm about the eccentric man who lives in an enormous building in New York where “each room represents a different partition in his mind.” The movie shows tonight at 7 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

talent Eric Schmiedl directs this version of the play at the Beck Center for the Arts through Nov. 3. The cast includes Lisa Louise Langford, Ellie Ritterbusch, Chase Oberhaus, Peter Lawson Jones, Corin B. Self and Fred Gloor. Tonight’s performance takes place at 8, and performances continue throughout the weekend. Tickets are $10 to $33. Group and student discounts are available.

Día de Muertos Celebration Today, Cleveland Public Theatre brings back its Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration to the Gordon Square Arts District for the 15th year in a row. The free event kicks off at 11 a.m. with a several family-friendly activities, including face painting and craft stations for kids. The big Procession of Skulls and Skeletons Parade rolls out at 3 p.m., with participants lining up at 2:30 p.m. Local musicians are expected to play Latino-style music throughout the day. There will also be dance performances, art vendors, food options and an art installation of a mock cemetery. Admission is

free. (Laura Morrison) 6415 Detroit Ave. cptonline.org. COMEDY

Chelsea Handler A No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, Chelsea Handler brings her Life Will Be the Death of Me StandUp Comedy Tour to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage tonight. The tour comes on the heels of her recent return to stand-up following the success of her memoir that came out earlier this year, debuting at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List. Handler embarked on a sit-down comedy tour in support of the book and subsequently launched a limited series podcast. Tonight, she performs at 8 at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. Consult the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark.mgmresorts.com. THEATER

Julius Caesar One of 40 professional theater companies across the nation selected to perform a Shakespeare play with a professional team of actors for middle- and high-schools and conduct related educational activities for the students, Great Lakes Theater tonight presents its take on Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Hanna Theatre, where performances continue through Nov. 3. Tickets cost $15 to $80. (Niesel) 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. COMEDY

Michael Kosta Comedian Michael Kosta likes to joke that he has so much experience doing standup comedy, he might as well have a doctorate in comedy. He’s got a point. He’s been a correspondent on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah and served as a co-host on Fox Sports 1’s Crowd Goes Wild. A former athlete, he had a breakout performance a few years back at the HBO Comedy and Arts Festival in Aspen. He performs at 7 and 9:30 tonight at Hilarities. Tickets start at $23. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. FILM

Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood Writer-director Quentin Tarantino takes some liberties with the story of Sharon Tate and the Manson family in his latest ﬁlm, Once Upon a Time... In Hollywood. Only a handful of theaters showed the ﬁlm’s 35mm print, and tonight at

8:15 the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque will screen the movie in that format. Tickets cost $12, or $9 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia. edu. FILM

Rocky Horror Picture Show It’s the ﬁrst Saturday of the month again, so tonight the Cedar Lee Theatre hosts its usual midnight screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the 1975 cult classic that still draws an exuberant, costumed crowd that likes to throw rice and dry toast and sing along to the songs in the movie. In addition, locals act out a ﬂoor show that mimics the movie, turning the event into a veritable party. Tickets are $9.75. (Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 440-528-0355, clevelandcinemas.com.

SUN

11/03

FESTIVAL

20th Annual Cleveland Jewish Book Festival The Mandel JCC’s 20th Annual Cleveland Jewish Book Festival, one of the country’s major Jewish book festivals, kicks off today at the Mandel Jewish Community Center. This year’s incarnation features 13 nationally acclaimed authors and six authors with local ties. Esquire and former New Yorker cartoonist Bob Mankoff will be on hand, and there will be ﬁve free events, a multimedia comedy presentation on the modern Jewish experience and a special event about Jewish foods. It all starts tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Mandel JCC with Ronald Balson, a trial attorney, educator and author of the bestselling novel, Once We Were Brothers. The event is free, but because seating is limited, advanced registration is encouraged. To purchase tickets, please visit the website or visit the Mandel JCC Membership Desk (no ticket sales on Friday evenings, Saturdays, or Jewish holidays, or by phone). Tickets cost $15. (Niesel) mandeljcc.org/bookfestival. 26001 South Woodland Rd., Beachwood, 216-831-0700, mandeljcc. org.

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

GET OUT was such a success, it screens again tonight at 6:30 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Inspired by Joseph Conrad’s modernist novel Heart of Darkness, the ﬁlm stars Martin Sheen as a U.S. Army captain (Martin Sheen) who takes a journey upriver to ﬁnd and kill a renegade colonel (Marlon Brando). Robert Duvall, Dennis Hopper and Harrison Ford co-star. Tickets are $12, $9 for Cinematheque members, CIA/CSU I.D. holders and those age 17 and under. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu. SPORTS

Cavs vs. Dallas Mavericks Thanks to the stellar play of rookie Luka Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks brought some excitement to the basketball court last year even if they didn’t make the playoffs. Doncic, a guy who stands to be a perennial all-star, has a slightly better cast of surrounding players around him this year, including big man Kristaps Porzingis, whom the Mavs obtained in a trade with the

Knicks last year. Tonight at 7:30, the Mavericks come to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for their one and only game there against the Cavs this season. Check the website for ticket prices. 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgageﬁeldhouse.com. FILM

Mike Wallace Is Here A reporter known to be “tough as nails,” Mike Wallace gained a reputation for asking tough questions. Mike Wallace is Here, a new documentary about the man, uses archival and previously unseen ﬁlm clips from the 60 Minutes vault to create a portrait of the guy who interviewed everyone from Johnny Carson to the Ayatollah Khomeini. The ﬁlm screens today at 1:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. CLASSICAL MUSIC

Mitsuko Uchida Plays Schubert An artist-in-residence for the Cleveland Orchestra from 2002 to 2007, internationally renowned pianist Mitsuki Uchida returns to Severance Hall today to play three

pieces by Schubert. The concert takes place at 3 p.m. Check the Cleveland Orchestra website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. CLASSICAL MUSIC

Pierre Queval Organist Pierre Queval, who studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris under Olivier Latry, will give one of two free organ recitals included in the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Performing Arts Series. He has performed in many of the great churches of France and has been the head organist of the great Cavaillé-Coll/HaerpferErmann organ of the Saint-Ignace Church in Paris since November 2014. The concert begins at 2 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Admission is free. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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sensations by sharing their “ultrareal and just a bit R-rated dispatches from the mom trenches.” They talk about topics such as what not to eat a few days postpartum and the most effective ways to avoid postpartum sex. They come to the Agora tonight in support of their new book, Mom Truths. The event begins at 7, and tickets start at $35. (Niesel) 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com. TRIVIA

Monday Night Trivia Do you have tons of obscure music knowledge? Are you a student of fast food menus and their nuanced histories? What say you about the geographic evolution of Scotch whisky? Tonight’s your chance to wow your friends, make yourself instantly more desirable to someone you’re newly dating, and hang with Cleveland’s headiest hipsters and hot dog lovers. It’s the Happy Dog Monday Night Trivia. Starting at 8 p.m., expect themed rounds and general knowledge questions that seem considerably trickier than some of the other live trivia locales in town. Obviously, have a hot dog and a craft brew while you’re at it. And arrive early. (Sam Allard) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474,

happydogcleveland.com.

FILM

Movie Mondays Every Monday, Cleveland Cinemas hosts $5 Movie Mondays, where film fans can catch up on the latest Hollywood flicks for significantly reduced prices. Bring your friends and family and make Movie Mondays a weekly tradition — many theaters even offer discounted concession stand items. Participating theaters include Apollo Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Cedar Lee Theatre, Chagrin Cinemas and Tower City Cinemas. Additional charges apply for 3-D movies. (Alaina Nutile), clevelandcinemas.com.

Cold Case Hammarskjöld In his film, Cold Case Hammarskjold, Danish filmmaker Mads Brügger investigates the mysterious 1961 airplane crash in Africa that killed Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjöld, then secretarygeneral of the United Nations. Ultimately, the movie affirms some of the conspiracy theories that have surrounded the tragedy for decades. It screens today at 1:45 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. TALK

KARAOKE

Shit Show Karaoke Local rapper/promoter Dirty Jones and Scene’s own Manny Wallace host Shit Show Karaoke, a weekly event at the B-Side Liquor Lounge wherein patrons choose from “an unlimited selection of jams from hip-hop to hard rock,” and are encouraged to “be as bad as you want.” Fueled by drink and shot specials, it all goes down tonight at 10 p.m. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.

TUE

11/05

THEATER

The Band’s Visit This critically acclaimed smash-hit Broadway musical won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It also nabbed a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. The play “rejoices in the way music makes us laugh, makes us cry, and ultimately, brings us together.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace. Tickets start at $10, and the show runs through Nov. 24. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. SPORTS

Cavs vs. Boston Celtics In two preseason games, the Boston Celtics pretty much obliterated the Cavs. But, as we all know, preseason games don’t matter much since the starters only get limited minutes. Still, the Celtics, who return to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse tonight at 7, have a playoff caliber team, and the Cavs don’t, so a Cavs win would be considered an upset. Check the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgageﬁeldhouse.com.

An Evening with Orin Wolf Orin Wolf, the producer of the Tony Award-winning play The Band’s Visit, will speak tonight at 7:30 at Temple Israel Ner Tamid in Mayfield Heights. A Cleveland Heights native, Wolf attended University School and has also been nominated for Tony Awards for his work on Fiddler on the Roof, Beautiful — The Carole King Musical, Orphans, Once and View From the Bridge. The Band’s Visit will be at Playhouse Square from Nov. 5 through Nov. 24. An hour before the talk begins, there will be a special Meet & Greet with Wolf. The $75 ticket gets you a wine & hors d’oeuvres reception, preferred seating for the talk, gift CD, and a raffle ticket for two tickets to see the play. Tickets to the talk alone cost $30, $10 for students with ID. (Niesel) 1732 Lander Rd., Mayfield Heights, 440-473-5120, tintcleveland.org.

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The Juniper Tree Thur., Oct. 31 | Sat., Nov. 2 | Sun., Nov. 3 7:30pm l Mixon Hall The Juniper Tree is based on one of the Brothers Grimm’s darkest, most mature tales, taking the idea of the “evil stepmother” to the extreme! Philip Glass and Robert Moran composed music in alternating scenes for this shocking and tuneful 1984 opera. Featuring original ﬁlms by Cleveland Institute of Art students, ﬁlmed at Hale Farm and Village TICKETS: cim.edu/junipertree or 216.795.3211 Music by Philip Glass & Robert Moran | Libretto by Arthur Yorinks ©1985 Dunvagen Music Publishers Inc. | Used by Permission.

TALK

David Henry Hwang David Henry Hwang’s 1988 play M. Butterﬂy has been staged in numerous countries and even became a major motion picture. His latest play, Soft Power, premiered in Los Angeles last year and opens in New York this fall. Tonight at 6 at the Maltz Performing Arts Center, Hwang will speak as part of Case Western Reserve University’s Think Forum Lecture Series. Admission is free. (Niesel) 1855 Ansel Road, 216-368-6062, case.edu. CATEGORY

Vinyl Night Jukebox owner Alex Budin has described his 1,350-square-foot

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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To ďŹ nd the store nearest you, visit metrobytmobile.com If congested, the fraction of users >35 GB/mo. may notice reduced speeds and Metro customers may notice reduced speeds vs. T-Mobile due to prioritization. Video streams at up to 480p. Unlimited on handset and network only. Image does not depict coverage. General: Not all phones or features available on all service plans. Certain restrictions apply. Coverage and services not available everywhere. Rates, services, coverage, and features subject to change. Phone selection and availability may vary. Metro by T-Mobile features and services for personal use only. Unlimited data on our network. Service may be slowed, suspended, terminated, or restricted for misuse, abnormal use, interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users, or significant roaming. See store or metrobyt-mobile.com for details, coverage maps, restrictions and Terms and Conditions of Service (including arbitration provision). Metro, MetroPCS and other words, slogans, designs and devices are registered or unregistered trademarks of T-Mobile USA, Inc. Copyright ÂŠ2019 T-Mobile USA, Inc.

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

MOVIES IS SATIRE DEAD? The joys and perils of JoJo Rabbit By Sam Allard NEW ZEALAND’S TAIKA WAITITI is a gifted and flamboyant humorist. His 2014 comedy What We Do in the Shadows satirized a pop-culture fad by imagining a reality-TV style portrait of vampires living in close quarters. His Aussie connections helped him land in the director’s chair for Thor: Ragnarok. And his vision for that film, alongside star Chris Hemsworth’s, helped transform the sober Shakespearian branch of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (hatched under director Kenneth Branaugh) into a candy-colored sci-fi comedy that’s more akin to Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy than Captain America or Iron Man. Waititi is still happily riding the MCU jumbo-gravy-jet – he’s directing the next Thor installment, Love and Thunder, slated for a 2021 release – and now has the artistic and budgetary freedom to make higher-dollar versions of films that adhere to his comedic bent. Publicists are calling his newest film, JoJo Rabbit, which opens Friday, an “anti-hate satire.” It takes place at the tail end of WWII and follows a fanatical young nationalist, JoJo Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) as he discovers a Jewish teenage girl

Photo Fox Searchlight Pictures

(Thomasin McKenzie) hidden in his home. Through this budding friendship, JoJo confronts his wildly misconceived prejudices. The narrative arc is ultimately full of sadness and sweetness and sentimentality, and is anchored by the performances of its young stars, but it’s vexed by the ﬁlm’s zany, slapstick tone. JoJo sometimes feels as discordant as a mashup between Space Balls and The Diary of Anne Frank. (The production design and cinematography also recall Wes Anderson’s meticulous, decorative work.)

The nonstop gags are by turns clever and tiresome. And thanks to Waititi’s experience with the MCU, the action sequences, including the climactic allied victory, are spectacularly staged and composed, often for humorous effect. But the script left me feeling deeply uneasy. Not only, in a macro sense, has the constant cinematic recreations of WWII made Hitler seem more like a character than a man, but in this particular comic representation, one wonders whether Hitler and the nationalistic hatred he fomented have been effectively

satirized. I was moved to ask a version of the same question after last year’s VICE, in which Christian Bale’s portrayal of Dick Cheney humanized the arch-neoconservative so thoroughly that it was easy to forgot the ﬁlm was supposed to be skewering him. JoJo is a much funnier script. And Hitler is portrayed, by Waititi himself, as a lonely and insecure imaginary friend. The opening Sig Heil sequence makes for a high-energy entrée into the absurdity and idiocy of Nazi fanaticism. Throughout, we see Jewish people described in dehumanizing language so overthe-top that it can’t be anything but satire, right? Jews have horns, the young Nazis are taught; they were born in caves; they feast on human ﬂesh; their brains are controlled by Satan himself. But other than seeing Jewish sympathizers hanged in the town square, we rarely see what these idiotic views led to: genocide, namely. It’s an extremely tight tightrope.

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

SPOTLIGHT: HARRIET ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS in Harriet, although a little heavyhanded, comes without words. Harriet Tubman, played by the talented Cynthia Erivo, is on the brink of freedom after escaping the bondage of a Maryland plantation. Following a series of near misses with slave captors, she’s dropped off in a field in the early morning to walk across the Pennsylvania border on her own. This is when the orchestral music swells and director Kasi Lemmons lets the scene breathe. As Tubman, Erivo reaches out her fingers as the sun shines onto her face. Here in this moment we can see what it is to get that first taste of freedom. In so much of this film, shockingly one of the first biopics about this badass American female, Tubman spends much of her time giving long-winded speeches about

the meaning of freedom. While the sentiment is important, much of this ﬁlm, which opens nationwide Friday, could have been improved with less telling and more showing. As the ﬁlm progresses, we learn that Tubman isn’t interested in living freely alone without her husband and family. Instead, she remains in Philadelphia for just a year, making friends with the wonderful Janelle Monae and Leslie Odom, Jr., planning a way to go back to where slavery is still legal to rescue those she holds most dear. As a biopics go, this one is pretty narrow in scope. The script, penned by Lemmons and Gregory Allan Howard, thankfully doesn’t delve too much into Tubman’s childhood, or try to stuff all of its heroine’s lengthy list of abolitionist and suffragette movement accomplishments into its two-hour runtime.

Instead it mostly deals with Tubman’s Underground Railroad leadership in the 1850s. What makes this ﬁlm a little less paint-by-numbers than other historic stories meant to educate is its depiction of religion. Tubman gets ﬂashes of the future and says that God shows her how not to get caught when leading slaves to safety. Although it is revealed she had a serious head injury as a child, she’s always taken seriously. In a world where humans do terrible things to one another, Tubman keeps the faith and expects everyone around her to as well. Erivo, a stage actor who scored Hollywood roles in last year’s Widows and Bad Times at the El Royale, does get to show her range (and beautiful singing voice) here. She offers a layered portrayal, leaning into Tubman’s follow-me-or-perish

approach. At one point in the ﬁlm, when a runaway slave refuses to follow her leadership, she points a gun at him. Another time she halfheartedly points a gun at her own sister. She just wants them all to be free. Harriet Tubman saved the lives of hundreds of slaves. This new ﬁlm about the Moses of her generation serves as a reminder of an extraordinary American life, and, once on DVD, will most likely get plenty of runtime in high school history classrooms around the country. We can all use more Tubman in our lives, and this is a worthy addition to the catalog. -Laura Morrison

lmorrison@clevescene.com t@lowesays

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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EAT OUT OF THIS WORLD An expanded menu at Mars Bar adds another reason to love the Lakewood mainstay By Douglas Trattner Photo by Emanuel Wallace

HOSPITALITY IS AN ENDANGERED species. In restaurants across Northeast Ohio and beyond, owner sightings are going the way of the spotted owl. The tasks of receiving and tending to guests, therefore, falls into the hands of general managers, assistant managers and/ or servers, none of whom can ever be as invested in a customer’s welfare as the proprietor. George Gountis practically lives at his business. Scratch that. George Gountis literally lives at his business, occupying the upper floors of the building that houses Mars Bar, his Lakewood watering hole. If you have stumbled into this dimly lit cave within the past 15 years, you likely have been greeted by and ministered to by the owner. If you have visited more than once, chances are good that Gountis has thanked you for your patronage in the form of a generous shot of ouzo. For folks in the know, Mars Bar has been an under-the-radar harbor on Madison for cheap drinks, friendly service and a low-key vibe. The truly clued-in have been coming here not just for booze but also grub, because despite its dive-bar patina, Mars Bar also happens to sell some of the best gyros in town. Those spinning spits of meat attract barflies like bears to honey, and togo orders of the house-made tzatziki practically outpace beer sales in volume. Two years ago, Gountis took possession of the adjacent property, knocked down a wall, and began expanding his modest little bar to fill the space. The new café debuted last spring and, despite a less than seamless transition between the two spots that involves a few steps down, the additional space is a blessing. What’s more, the renovation did not mar or modify the come-as-you-are atmosphere of the original barroom; it simply added on. A newer, larger kitchen translates to a newer, larger menu flush with Greek-inspired appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and, of course, gyros. The Original ($8) benefits from warm, thick and fresh pita, atop which is piled flavorful shaved lamb-and-beef gyro meat, crisp red onion, thick-sliced tomato and

creamy tzatziki sauce made by the owner’s mother. Other iterations are made with pork, chicken and seitan. For folks who like to build, stack and snack, a “mezze” version ($9.50) pairs a larger portion of meat and the accoutrements with pita wedges. Another delicious entrée is built around beef ($4.75), pork ($3.50) and vegetable ($2.75) kebabs. Unlike so many places these days, Mars welcomes mixing and matching

ring. Salty, crispy fries are included in the price. Fans of spanakopita, that flaky Greek pastry layered with spinach, feta and onion, can enjoy a sandwich version ($8) that conjures the flavors of that classic dish. Another two-fisted sandwich pairs the sweetness of Hawaiian bread with ham, swiss, tomato and honey mustard and dubs it the Kingswiss ($11). Salads are no

MARS BAR 15314 MADISON AVE. LAKEWOOD 216- 228-4500

various skewers to construct the perfect meal. Order it sandwichstyle (add $2) and the kebabs come with pita, onions, tomatoes and tzatziki. Half-pound beef burgers ($12) come from TJ’s Butcher Block down the road and they are cooked to perfection. Versions are topped with brie and trufﬂe aioli, mushroom and swiss, and cheddar, buffalo wing sauce and an onion

mere afterthought, with smartly constructed creations like the OG ($5), a traditional Greek salad with the punch of pepperoncini, olives and feta. Any of the half-dozen salads can be made into a meal with the addition of kebabs or gyro meat. Mars wouldn’t be a Mars Bar without wings, and those obligatory snacks are still an option. But now they are eclipsed by more ambitious

appetizers like yogurt-drizzled lamb meatballs ($9) served in a pipinghot skillet along with olive-spiked marinara. The Try-Dip platter ($9) introduced us to one of the best things we’ve ever dunked a piece of pita into. Tyrokafteri, aka spicy feta spread, is a salty, spicy, creamy dream that vanished long before the tubs of hummus and tzatziki, both of which are great. Mars might be “just” a bar, but Gountis springs for quality ingredients and it shows. With the unveiling of the new addition, Mars Bar has managed to satisfy two seemingly disparate factions: the dive-bar groupies and the dinner crowds. Both sets beneﬁt not only from restaurant-style food dished up in distinctly different environments, but also a bar-style policy of serving right up until close – 2:30 a.m. every day of the year. With genuine late-night food options evaporating right along with owner sightings, Mars is like a two-headed unicorn.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

EAT BITES First Look: Phunkenship, Platform Beer’s sour-aging facility, opening Friday By Douglas Trattner Photo by Douglas Trattner

THE RUDDY BRICK BUILDING on Sackett Avenue offers few clues as to its purpose. Perched on a quiet, residential block in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, the multi-story structure looks like any other forgotten warehouse, a sight so commonplace that it’s practically invisible. But this particular building is home to Phunkenship, a brewery hidden in plain sight. Step inside and you enter a spacious and attractive barroom carved out of the rough warehouse shell. A sleek blonde-wood bar is studded with shiny stainless taps, beers are dispensed into elegant stemmed glassware, and a tall back bar is stocked with bottles of quietly aging sour ale. Despite the utter lack of windows, natural light ﬂoods the room thanks to solar tubes that channel sunlight from three stories above. “The idea here is to offer a more elevated experience,” explains cofounder Paul Benner. “Sour beer is not meant to be guzzled like an IPA or pilsner. It’s much more complex, meant to be enjoyed and discussed with friends.” Benner and partner Justin Carson got the keys to this building, which was recently home to a tool and die

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

shop and long ago home to a few pre-Prohibition breweries, two years ago. Benner and Carson, of course, founded Platform Beer in 2014 in Ohio City. Two years later, the team added a large production facility on Vega Ave. Next came breweries and taprooms in Columbus and Cincinnati. The recent acquisition of Platform by Anheuser-Busch InBev has accelerated the completion of Phunkenship, says Benner. Phunkenship is not a brewery, but rather a sour aging facility, where beers are fermented, aged in barrels and packaged for consumption on-site and elsewhere. Having a dedicated sour-beer facility allows brewers to utilize wild yeasts and bacteria that would contaminate non-sour beers. Batches are brewed at the production facility two miles away, transferred into stainless totes while still hot, and delivered here to ferment and age. Some are bound for the “coolship,” a large, open stainless tank housed in a cedar-lined room three stories up, where the wort is allowed to cool slowly overnight. “Instead of ﬂash-chilling the beer down to 65 degrees and pitching yeast, which is what all breweries do, this method allows the hot

beer to cool naturally overnight,â€? Benner explains. â€œWe open up all the windows and allow the air to just ďŹ‚ow over it, bringing in whatever wild yeasts and bacteria are outside. Itâ€™s all wild inoculation; we donâ€™t add any yeast. Whatever is in the air, whatever is in the wood. Then it starts fermenting like crazy.â€? The coolship method is reserved for certain times of the year, like spring and fall, when the risks of dangerous molds and bacteria are slight. Beers are then bound for wooden barrels of all shapes, sizes and provenance, where they will age for anywhere between six to 18 months. Unlike typical barrel-aged brews, these beers are not stowed in wood to pick up those ďŹ‚avors, but instead to be further exposed to yeast and bacteria in the air and wood, Benner notes. â€œWhen youâ€™re making sour beer, the character of the barrel typically doesnâ€™t add anything to the ďŹ nished product,â€? he says. â€œThese barrels can be used over and over; we donâ€™t even have to clean them between batches.â€? For the ďŹ rst time, Platform will begin bottling beer as cans are not suitable for naturally conditioned sour ales. Those bottles and others will be stored behind the bar on their sides for additional aging until they are ordered. A ďŹ‚ash chiller will cool them down in mere minutes prior to consumption. â€œItâ€™s still a very small percentage of our overall production,â€? he says. â€œItâ€™s a niche product; itâ€™s not for everybody, but for us itâ€™s a way to continue to innovate.â€? Phunkenship (3135 Sackett Ave.) opens to the public at 3 p.m. on Friday, November 1st. Going forward, the taproom will be open Thursday through Sunday, assuming there are no private events. The bar has an indoor bocce court, shufďŹ‚eboard and plenty of outdoor space. Food, prepared daily at the Grocery, will be on hand for hungry guests.

Sibling Revelry Adds Food, Booze Components to Popular Westlake Taproom Dog parents notwithstanding, most Sibling Revelry (29305 Clemens Rd., 440-471-8589) customers are thrilled to see the Westlake taproom expand its offerings. Last week, the three-and-a-half-year-old brewery added a liquor license to the mix. The possession of a liquor license requires that establishments serve food, so management has rolled out

a new menu containing pub snacks. State law, however, forbids dogs inside eating establishments, so from here on out our furry friends (and their parents) are now relegated to the patio. All in the name of progress. As for the new liquid offerings, Sibling Revelry now offers glass pours of two types of bubbles, four whites, four reds and a half dozen specialty cocktails. House-brewed hard seltzers have also begun to make an appearance. â€œWeâ€™re easing into it â€“ itâ€™s pretty simple,â€? explains GM Michael Lucas. â€œWe donâ€™t ever want to take away from the fact that this is about the beer, but weâ€™d like to add to it.â€? Perhaps more signiďŹ cantly, the brewery has launched a food program. To start, the small kitchen turns out simple bar bites like â€œbottomlessâ€? hot popcorn, large Bavarian pretzels with beer cheese and honey mustard, and meat-andcheese boards. The goal, of course, is to keep people in their seats drinking beer or booze for longer spells, notes Lucas. â€œWhat weâ€™ve noticed is that a lot of people are coming in here just for a beer and then they go off and have dinner someplace else,â€? says Lucas. â€œThe owners want to capture that market. We have a great clientele, a great following and we want to be able to give them a little bit more.â€? Up until now, food was offered in the form of visiting food trucks and pop-ups, but the plan going forward is to do everything inhouse. Construction on a proper kitchen will commence on or around January 1, with the goal of rolling out a larger pub menu by St. Patrickâ€™s Day. The operation will be modeled after fast-casual eateries, where guests walk up to a counter, order, pay and go back to their seats. Runners will deliver the food when itâ€™s ready. Items will be casual, shareable and family-friendly. Since opening in 2016, the award-winning brewery has taken possession of nearly all of the 20,000 square feet in its building. In addition to the 85-seat taproom and 45-seat event space, Sibling Revelry has greatly expanded its production space while upping output and expanding its sales footprint. The 30-barrel brewhouse now has the capacity to produce 10,000 barrels per year.

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dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner | clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

ODRICK HALL (MOSTLY KNOWN as just Todrick, much like Madonna is just Madonna) is — to put it mildly — a multi-talented stage performer and “online content creator,” as he usually explains it. Today, he’s an LGBT icon, spewing out words of wisdom to his community whilst tossing fistfuls of glitter as his impossibly perfect wigs fly to and fro during his larger-than-life choreography. His work and imagery have given his slew of adoring followers freedom and courage to not only step out of the closet but to strut the hell out of there. “My favorite part about performing live is getting to see the fans. I am a theater person first and foremost. I grew up doing musicals and dancing in ballets,” he says in a recent phone interview. He brings his Haus Party to House of Blues at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. His shows are a colorful celebration and, for many, a timestamp in their LGBT journey. “It’s really, really cool for me to be able to go online and have these videos getting millions of views,” he continues. “But sometimes, they become just numbers. What I really love is actually being able to see the faces and getting to see the people who have been moved and touched and whose lives have been changed by the content that we create online and also to be able to help people feel comfortable in their own skin and to help them come out of the closet. I’ve seen so many people who come to me, and they’re afraid to take a meetand-greet photo because they don’t want their family to know that they were at this event that so many gay people were at. Then, the next year, they let me know that they came out of the closet, and then, the next year, I meet their boyfriend and the next year, they’re engaged. It’s so cool to get to go on this journey with them.” He’s basically an Oprah in training, and we probably don’t deserve him. This year, Hall released two albums, Haus Party Part 1 and Haus Party Part 2 with Part 3 expected to drop soon because, “Oh yeah, it’s a trilogy, bitch,” he promised fans on YouTube back in August. With songs like “Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels,” “I Like Boys,” “Wig,” “Fag” and “Dripeesha,” the albums offer an infectious collection of self-expression and confidence. He told Billboard earlier this year that the goal was to create music for a house party where “fabulous, fashionable people would be.” He also wanted the albums to be something you could play on loop during

pride month without needing to mix in other songs. The accompanying music videos feature his impressive trademark choreography. It’s stuff that Beyoncé could learn a thing or two from (she literally was Hall’s dance student at one point — more on that later). His latest ass-clapping collaboration (again, literally) was an unexpected surprise. Comedian and actress Tiffany Haddish joined him on the twerk-heavy “Dripeesha” track and video that ﬁnds them going to “ass class.” The pair share such natural chemistry, it’s almost a mystery we didn’t get this content sooner. Hall explains that he met Haddish through Taylor Swift, and they hit it off immediately. “I just love her energy,” he says of Haddish. “She is one of the most real people that I’ve ever worked with. What you see is what you get. What you would imagine her to be when you watch her on TV and in interviews and in movies is exactly the human being that she is in real life — nothing is a put on. There are celebrities that I’ve worked with where you see them behind closed doors and they are one person and then the moment that they walk outta their house they immediately transform into someone else — the persona they’re presenting to the world is someone different. She’s not like that.” When Hall pitched Haddish “Dripeesha,” she wasted no time jumping on it. “She was like, ‘When are we recording it? Tonight, or tomorrow?’” he says. “She was super gung-ho about doing the video and she actually produced the video. She paid for most of the video because she was so passionate about it and loved it so much.” Most artists don’t usually give us two albums in one year, let alone three, but Hall pushes himself to almost unheard-of limits. He’s a singer, rapper, actor, dancer, writer (he pens every single one of his songs), director, choreographer (he was the resident choreographer on RuPaul’s Drag Race), and of course, YouTuber. Hall received his ﬁrst major wave of exposure on American Idol in ’09 but many ended up recognizing him most from his viral YouTube videos. Many YouTubers clog up the platform with repetitive makeup tutorials and skincare routines that no one’s really asking for. But when Hall hit the YouTube world, he immediately went viral for his creative musicality which earned him a plethora of fans, work with Beyoncé and a

lifelong friend in Swift (you can see him in Swift’s “You Need to Calm Down” and “Look What You Made Me Do” videos). “I can’t deny that [American Idol] put me on a platform where I was able to be seen by masses,” he says. “But I would say that the McDonald’s commercial that went viral on YouTube was a thing that made people notice me. Obviously, I’ve done a lot of projects since then like my ‘Beauty and the Beat’ video, [which] was huge for me and the Target [store] ﬂash mob that Beyoncé shouted out. Those were like huge staples in my career that were game-changing for me, but I would say that the McDonald’s commercial was the thing that changed my life because it made me realize that I had the opportunity to take my career in my own hands, and I didn’t have to wait and ask for permission from traditional media in order to be able to make a platform for myself.” The now nine-year-old McDonald’s video he’s referring took him and his friends only about an hour to throw together. They drove through a McDonald’s restaurant and sang their order. People started noticing him out and about as the McDonald’s guy. Shortly after, he choreographed a ﬂash mob in a Target Store around the release of Beyoncé’s 4 album which caught the attention of Queen B herself. Hall ended up creating choreography for Beyonce’s 2014 “Blow” video — a sexy, blacklight, roller-skating dance party. It’s easily Hall’s favorite choreography moment. “I love her so much and it was so awesome to be able to teach her something — to have her be a student and to ask what foot she should be stepping on and stuff was really, really cool. She asked such educated questions that a lot of times, artists don’t ask because they’re not dancers enough to even ask those questions, and the questions she asked were so smart.” Taking the initiative with his brilliant ideas also led him to the VMA stage this year. When his bestie Swift was putting together her video for “You Need to Calm Down” (which was her political comingout moment earlier this year) she enlisted Hall’s help. He went to work rounding up some of his closest drag queen and LGBT pals and jumped into helping out in any other way he could. Swift surprised him with the co-executive producer title which landed him on the VMA stage with Swift when the video won Video of the Year. This was a moment he’s extremely proud of and could easily be a win to brag about, | clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

@masoniccle @hobcleveland

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COMING SOON

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WE OFFER EXCLUSIVE GROUP RATES! Groups of 10 or more may receive EXCLUSIVE FREEPLAY ® incentives & discounted ticket rates! For more details contact the MGM Tour & Travel Team. Email tour-travel@mgmnorthﬁeldpark.com or call 330-908-7761

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PAUL ANKA Anka Sings Sinatra

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KRIS KRISTOFFERSON & THE STRANGERS

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JASON BONHAM’S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING

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TONY ORLANDO

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FRANK CALIENDO

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MARLON WAYANS 8PM

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JENNIE GARTH & TORI SPELLING A Night to Remember 7:30PM

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WFC 116 Live MMA/Cage Fights 8PM

12/28 BUCKCHERRY with special guest The Suede Brothers

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CHRIS TUCKER Live in Concert

MUSIC but instead, he chooses to see it as a huge win for all LGBT. “Me being on stage at the VMAs and accepting that award and giving a speech is huge for my community,” he says. “I’m just grateful that people are still doing it and I hope that more artists start to take the initiative to involve gay characters and gay storylines in their music and stories even if it seems like odd for some people. I think it’s important for people to be seeing it on a regular basis so that it can become more mainstream.” Another one of Hall’s biggest undertakings was the musical and visual album Straight Outta Oz. He slapped it together in 2016 immediately after being inspired by Beyoncé’s Lemonade album. As fate would have it, it soared to number two on the iTunes pop chart, right below Lemonade. The reimagined Wizard of Oz story blended the original story with Todrick life’s story. (You can watch the blood, sweat and tears that went into making it in his 2017 Netﬂix doc Todrick Hall: Behind the Curtain).

alive right now in so that what I’m doing can help create this change that hopefully that my children and grandchildren are going to see as something like prehistoric.” If there’s something Hall can’t do, he hasn’t found it yet. The endearing part of it all is he wants you to feel the same way too. “I think what I want them [fans] to know [is] you don’t need permission from anybody to chase your dreams,” he says. “Oftentimes, we’ve grown up in this culture where you need a diploma to do this and you have to take a class to be able to do this and someone has to give you a stamp of approval to be able to do something. Now, we’re in such a day and age where you don’t need permission to be called what you wanna be called or identity as what you want to identify as, to chase whatever dream or be who you want to be. I think right now more than ever it’s important for people who are not the norm and who are out of the box to be telling their stories because there are so many people who are now not being afraid to say who they really are. My heart breaks for all the people who lived in the past who weren’t able to ever be really in love and truly in love with people that they wanted to be because the time they were alive just didn’t allow it.”

TODRICK: HAUS PARTY TOUR 7:30 P.M. MONDAY, NOV. 4 HOUSE OF BLUES, 308 EUCLID AVE., 216-523-2583 TICKETS: $29.50 ADV, $35 DOS, HOUSEOFBLUES.COM.

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THE JERSEY BEAT BAND A Magical Tribute to The Four Seasons 8PM

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

He told Rolling Stone a few years ago that Straight Outta Oz was also born from his frustration with homophobia and racism in Hollywood. When asked if he’s seen any improvements since then, he says he absolutely has. “I think that everybody who lives on this planet has seen the improvements in racism and homophobia, but we still have trans people being killed,” he says. “Every single month, it seems like I see a new story about a few different [trans] people who have been killed.” He’s happy with the increase in numbers of other-than-white actors being cast in movies and gay characters or storylines incorporated in newer movies as well. “People are taking huge leaps and it feels amazing to be what I think is a part of helping that change come about. I think that there could be a lot more [improvement] but I am so grateful. There’s a line in Hamilton that says, ‘Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now.’ I’m so grateful that I am

If Todrick (or Toprah, if you will) has another request for fans, it’s this: “Don’t accept ‘no’ from anyone.” “If there’s a door in front of you that no one will open, find a window, find a tunnel, find a cave find some way to get out and let your story be heard because ‘no’ is not an answer that you should accept easily,” he says. “Be brave, be fearless and do what is right.It’s a hard thing for some people to do the right thing but it’s always more fulfilling at the end of the night [when] you can go to sleep knowing that you’re a good human being and you did great things for great people,” he says. “It is like a classic thing that people who are nice and sweet and good to everyone are always the people who prevail even if you don’t see it immediately. They’re always, always, always the people who have a successful, lifelong career and karma is in their favor.”

scene@clevescene.com t@ClevelandScene

| clevescene.com m | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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| cl cclevescene.com e esceene ev n .cco om m | October 30 - November Noovemb mbeer 5,, 2019 mb 2019 20 1

CUT CONNIE

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MUSIC UNRAVELING A MYSTERY Local writer’s book documents the life and times of mercurial singer-songwriter Fred Neil By Jeff Niesel Photo courtesy Peter Lee Neff

LOCALLY BASED WRITER PETER Lee Neff can clearly recall the first time he heard singer-songwriter Fred Neil perform. A teenager at the time, Neff aspired to be a folk singer-songwriter and regularly trolled the clubs in and around his West Hollywood, FL home in the early ’60s. He caught Neil playing at a coffeehouse and became transfixed. “Your jaw dropped when you walked into the room,” says Neff one afternoon from his Old Park Lane Hotel apartment that’s not far from where Neil, who was born in Cleveland at St. Ann’s Hospital, grew up. “All of a sudden, to me, there was Fred Neil and everybody else. No one filled a room up with his voice like Fred.” Years later, after Neil’s death in 2001, Neff became determined to set the story straight about the mercurial man whom producer Paul Rothschild once called a “total scumbag.” Neff began to make a documentary movie and interviewed about 20 different people. But when he realized he had too much info for a film, he turned to writing a book. That work, That’s the Bag I’m In: The Life, Music, and Mystery of Fred Neil, has just come out, and Neff gives a reading at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at Mac’s Backs in Cleveland Heights. “I realized that I had so much material that I couldn’t get it into a documentary film,” he says. So he started interviewing friends and family members as well as musicians who knew Neil. Neff first interviewed Bob Ingram, who was in a group with David Crosby and his brother Ethan Chip Crosby called Les Baxter’s Balladeers. Ingram talks about Neil’s talent and shares stories about seeing him perform. “At the beginning, everyone said it would never work,” says Neff of the book. “There was an unspoken trust, and people thought they were betraying a trust because Fred was so private. About a decade after he passed away, they started loosening up.” Neil’s material ranges from the woozy, Donovan-like “That’s the Bag I’m In” to the blues ballad “Sweet

Peter Lee Neff

Cocaine.” He also recorded trippy ragas and embraced world music. “There’s a troubled aspect to his music” says Neff. “His childhood plays into that as well. There was just a sadness, a letdown in his childhood. The music business was part of it too. That’s what I discovered. He had his ﬁrst record in 1957. He was thrust, as John Sebastian said, into the maw of the early rock ’n’ roll record business, which chewed a lot of people up.” Neil released his ﬁrst album, Tear Down the Walls, with Vince Martin in 1964 and put out his solo debut, Bleecker and MacDougal, the following year. “The producers saw him as a kid with lots of talent,” says Neff. “He played guitar on all of his records, but his songs didn’t click with the audience.” Harry Nilsson would turn Neil’s

“Everybody’s Talkin’” into a major hit, and the song appeared in the ﬁlm Midnight Cowboy. Folk singer Tim Buckley had a hit with his “The Dolphins” too. Neil would essentially stop performing live about the time he got involved with the Ric O’Barry’s Dolphin Project. “[Neil] played a Tokyo concert in 1977, which was a Save the Whales concert,” says Neff. “That was his last publicized performance. He stayed in Coconut Grove for a while and disappeared around 1985. He went to Summerland Key in Florida and helped the Dolphin Sanctuary down there for a few years. At that point, only three people who knew who he was knew where he was.” The last 100 pages of That’s the Bag I’m In focuses on those lost years. “I knew the lady that was with him the last three years and a

gentleman who would get food for him and do different things for him and didn’t know he was Fred Neil until he passed away. Fred used another name then.” Neff says he hopes people who read his book will realize the signiﬁcance of Neil’s career. “I hope they learn how big of an inﬂuence Fred Neil was and that he was as important in his time for the many musicians who came after him as the Beatles and Bob Dylan,” he says. “That’s just not me saying it. Other people agreed with me when I said that. These are people like [singer-songwriter] John Sebastian. This is a very interesting story. It’s really incredible, and I wrote the book for everyone, not just music geeks.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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The Fixx

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BĂŠla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

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| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

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MUSIC THIS TIME, IT’S PERSONAL X Ambassadors singer opens up about opening up on the band’s new album

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By Halle Weber Photo by Lauren Kallen

X-AMBASSADORS LEAD SINGER Sam Harris says his favorite track to perform live from the band’s new album ORION is “Wasteland.” “It’s my Bruce Springsteen, U2 kind of moment,” he says via phone. The alternative rock band brings its highly personal songs to the House of Blues at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. “And I get to just relish in that sonic landscape. And I think that people connect with it. It’s a song about your hometown and the complicated relationship that I have with my hometown. [It’s about] the love hate relationship that I have with it. It’s one of my favorite things I’ve written.” With ORION, Harris aimed to open up more than he did on the band’s previous effort, 2015’s VHS. “It felt like an evolution,” says Harris of the new album. “And I think the biggest difference is that I wanted to go more personal and reveal more of my life. Who I am and where my head has been at over the last four years…And not only that but trusting ourselves a bit more. We took more of a creative control in terms of this record.” The New York trio wanted to package ORION in a completely different way than it did VHS, which featured smash-hits like “Renegades”

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Reed, the band was able to redeﬁne itself. Perhaps the most personal lyrical moment on ORION is on the edgy, upbeat, bass-heavy “Hey Child.” The track chronicles the impact the whole band has felt

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and “Unsteady.” With its new record, the trio wanted to convey a contemporary sound that VHS had missed. “We made a whole album that was retro and soul-inﬂuenced because that’s a big part of our DNA. And we wanted to do something very speciﬁc,” says Harris of VHS. “We ended up feeling like the retro soul approach wasn’t authentic to who we were. It was more us trying to show off. So instead of us doing that, we refocused.” With the help of producer Ricky

through watching former member and founder Noah Feldshuh struggle with substance abuse. “It was a difﬁcult separation. I have a lot of love for this guy. It is someone I’ve known my whole life. And I wanted to tell our story. And the song is my way of reaching out and being like, ‘Hey, you know, I know we’re not in the same space right now and I know you’re hurting, but I love you and everything’s gonna be alright,’” says Harris. “It was essentially an open letter to him. I haven’t heard

back from him. I hope he’s doing alright.” ORION also features “History,” which is a part of the band’s stripped-down mid-set break. The slower portion of X Ambassadors’ live show also features “American Oxygen,” which Harris originally wrote for Rhianna before the band released its own take. For live shows, the band blends “American Oxygen” into a medley along with “Home,” a track the band recorded with Bebe Rexha and Cleveland native and Harris’ “homie” Machine Gun Kelly. “People want to be with you in those quiet moments,” says Harris. “They wanna be with you more if you’ve given them an explosive beginning and then half way through the set it’s just an acoustic guitar and one vocal. They’ll be captivated if you do that. Then, at the end, you just gotta go balls to the walls.”

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WED

Big K.R.I.T./Rapsody/Domani Harris: Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. (an acronym that stands for King Remembered in Time) has battled his own demons and wrestles with the duality of being K.R.I.T as well as Justin Scott. The rapper burst onto the national scene in 2010 with his K.R.I.T. Wuz Here mixtape, which ended up landing him a deal with Def Jam Records. While it seemed like a blessing at the time, K.R.I.T.’s tenure with the label was tumultuous as his vision and the corporate vision for his career didn’t always sync up., After two critically well-received albeit underperforming albums (2012’s Live From the Underground and 2014’s Cadillactica), K.R.I.T. and Def Jam parted ways. Late last year, Big K.R.I.T. released his third studio album, 4eva is a Mighty Long Time, independently through his Multi Alumni imprint. The album is a double disc that’s split into a Big K.R.I.T. side and a Justin Scott side. All of K.R.I.T.’s previous projects have a ﬂow to them that usually begins with upbeat party music before taking listeners on a journey to deeper songs. The idea of an alter ego isn’t entirely new in hip-hop — T.I. and Digital Underground have also experimented with the concept. Tonight’s show supports his latest release, K.R.I.T. Iz Here. (Emanuel Wallace), 8 p.m., $27.50 ADV, $30 DOS. House of Blues. Hawken Jazz Band: 8 p.m., $6-$12. Bop Stop. Iya Terra/For Peace Band/The Ries Brothers: 8:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Beachland Tavern.

THU

it. The band has played with acts such as Judah & the Lion, Smallpools, Hunter Hayes, Driveby Truckers and Reeve Carney. It has also played festivals such as Summerfest, where it was the Emerging Artist Series fan favorite of the day. Songs such as “Too Long” show off singer Jackie Popovec’s vibrant voice. The band’s currently at work on a new album so expect to hear some new tracks at tonight’s show. (Niesel), 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown.

10/30

10/31

CODA Halloween ‘19 ft. Oregon Space Trail of Doom | King Buu | Buzz Balldrin: 8 p.m., $10. CODA. Michael Franti & Spearhead/Devon Gilﬁllian: 7 p.m. Agora Theatre. Halloween With Occidental Gypsy: 8 p.m., $20. Bop Stop. Ruston Kelly/Donovan Woods: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. House of Blues Cambridge Room. Maxo Kream/Q Da Fool/Slayter: 8:30 p.m., $22 ADV, $25 DOS. Grog Shop. Oliver Tree/Tommy Cash/NVDES:

SAT The Preservation Hall Jazz Band comes to the Kent Stage. See: Friday.

8 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. House of Blues. Oozing Wound/Pillars/Swindlella: 8:30 p.m., $8. Happy Dog. Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy: 8 p.m., $30-$40. The Kent Stage. Rasputina/Charming Disaster: 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Special Halloween Show With John 5: 8 p.m., $25. The Winchester.

FRI

11/01

Max Bemis/Perma/Museum Mouth: 8:30 p.m., $17 ADV, $21 DOS. Grog Shop. Cleave-Land Halloween Party Featuring DJs Sean 2:16/Bando/ Slave: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. House of Blues. DJ LDC’s Soul Music & Other Music for the Soul: 6 p.m., free. Happy Dog. The Dude Ranch (in the Locker Room): 8 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. JiMiller Band — Day of the Dead Party (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Mushroomhead/UnSaid Fate/ Dead Superstar/He Kill 3/Half Raised Heathens/Bittersweet Revenge: When the local metal act Mushroomhead ﬁrst formed in 1993, few critics imagined the group would still be going at it in 2019. And yet the masked band continues to be popular. Recorded at the band’s studio in North Royalton and mixed by long-time collaborator Bill Korecky, the band’s most recent album, 2014’s

The Righteous & the Butterfly, is arguably its most polished effort to date, and the group has been busy recording a new album that’s due out next year. The band brings its annual Halloween show to the Agora tonight. (Niesel), 6 p.m. Agora Theatre. Pure Steel Metalfest 2019 with Seven Witches, Attika, Power Theory, Wretch, Lower 13: 5:30 p.m., $15/$35 weekend pass. The Foundry. Justin Stone: 7 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. A Tuba to Cuba: The Preservation Hall Jazz Band With Yusa and Special Guests: When Allan Jaffe and his wife Sandra moved from Pennsylvania to New Orleans in the early ’60s, they didn’t initially come for the music. But they ended up staying for the music after they took over a small, dingy art gallery in the French Quarter and turned it into Preservation Hall, a 100-seat concert venue that became the home of many a New Orleansstyle jazz jam session and yielded the touring band, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The venue is still a hot spot in the city known for live music and the band is still a hot act. Ben Jaffe, son of the late Allan Jaffe, currently leads the group that comes to town tonight in support of the documentary film, A Tuba to Cuba. The film follows the group as it retraces its musical roots from New Orleans to Cuba. (Niesel), 8 p.m., $40-$149. The Kent Stage. The Vindys/AJ & the Woods: This Youngstown-based band has got some serious momentum behind

11/02

Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys/ Rodney and the Regulars: 8:30 p.m., $15. Beachland Tavern. Gryfﬁn/The Knocks/Bunt: 8 p.m. Agora Theatre. Scott Helman/Jordan Dean: 7:30 p.m., $12. Grog Shop. Johnny Mathis: 8 p.m., $35-$89.50. State Theatre. Ras Matunji & Earth Force Reggae ft. Rupert Joseph /Will Power: 10:30 p.m., $15. Grog Shop. The Obsessives (in the Locker Room): 7 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Papadosio/Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers: 8 p.m., $20 ADV, $23 DOS. House of Blues. Pure Steel Metalfest 2019 with Helstar, Ruthless, Gotcha, MetalGodz: 5:30 p.m., $15/$35 weekend pass. The Foundry. Steely Dan Tribute by the FM Project (in the Supper Club): 7:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Thompson Square: 8 p.m., $20$37.50. The Kent Stage. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Waterband: 8 p.m., $20. Beachland Ballroom.

SUN

11/03

999/The Clap/Strange Notes: 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Now That’s Class. Asleep at the Wheel/The Quebe Sisters: 8 p.m., $20-$45. The Kent Stage. The Broken Relics/Apostle Jones/ Astral Plane/Fifth House: 7:30 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Clairo/Hello Yello/beabadoobee:

| clevescene.com | October 30 - November 5, 2019

LIVEWIRE 8 p.m., $22.50 ADV, $27.50 DOS. House of Blues. David Wax Museum/The Sea The Sea: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Last Youth (in the Locker Room): 7:30 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Jon McLaughlin/Sawyer: 7 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Pure Steel Metalfest 2019 Hounds of Hasselvander, ThunderSpell, Lost Legacy, Attaxe: 5:30 p.m., $15/$35 weekend pass. The Foundry. T-Pain: 7 p.m. Agora Theatre.

10/30 | 7PM | $12

HAWKEN JAZZ BAND 10/31 | 8PM | $20

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11/04

Big Freedia/Low Cut Connie: Freedia, a fortysomething-yearold male drag queen who uses the pronoun “she,” doesn’t actually care if you come to one of her shows and get to work twerking — her talented crew of backup dancers mostly have that on lock. Instead, experiencing the concert is all about feeling the music, releasing your mind and responding to her call to move in any way you can. Freedia even admits that the show is 90 percent about dance and 10 percent her on the microphone. She says that through performing, even during the must grueling of tour days, she is free. Last year, Freedia released a single with Drake, and Ben & Jerry’s is sponsoring this tour in celebration of Freedia’s new ice cream ﬂavor, Bouncing Beignets. (Laura Morrison), 8:30 p.m., $25 ADV, $28 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Johnny A: 7 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Todrick: 7:30 p.m., $29.50 ADV, $35 DOS. House of Blues. JJ Wilde: 8 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. House of Blues Cambridge Room.

TUE

11/05

Hirie/RDGLDGRN/Kash’d Out: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Leftover Crack/Days n Daze/Cop/ Out: 7:30 p.m., $20. Grog Shop. X Ambassadors/Bear Hands/Vérité: 7:30 p.m., $35.28 ADV, $40.28 DOS. House of Blues.

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SAVAGE LOVE QUICKIES by Dan Savage My little dick has always held me back. I didn’t date in high school because I couldn’t stand the thought of girls discussing my tiny manhood. That said, I’ve adapted fairly well and become skilled with my tongue and hands. The biggest problem is that my dick is just small enough that the head pokes straight forward and can be seen through my pants. I never tuck in a shirt because of it. Because I am always in oversize shirts that hang past my waist, I never look professional. I’ve tried stufﬁng with socks and it didn’t work. Do you know of anything that can mask a pathetic johnson? I’d love to move up in the world. Physically Embarrassing Nub Isn’t Sufﬁcient Have you considered packing? Trans men, drag kings, butch dykes, and even straight cis women experimenting with gender expression will sometimes pack— that is, wear “packing dildos” that create the appearance of a masculine bulge. Packers are modeled on soft cocks, not hard cocks, and they come in a range of sizes and colors. And so long as you don’t engage in false advertising, PENIS—so long as you make it clear to new partners that the bulge in your pants is not a prologue—there’s no reason why you couldn’t pack, just as there’s no reason why you and other guys with small dicks can’t strap on a regular dildo when your partner wants a deep dicking.

*** I’m a mid-20s straight woman, and there’s a pattern in my life that I’m trying to break: Since high school, I’ve repeatedly ended up being friends with wonderful men who I shared an obvious sexual tension with at the start of our “friendships.” (Our mutual friends often noted the sexual tension.) Not a single one has ever turned into more than a one-off drunken kiss. Maybe it’s who I’m picking, but I’m starting to think that I’m the problem. An ex of mine (who I met on Bumble) told me that I give off “don’t touch me” vibes. Looking back, I can see that all my relationships started in settings where romantic interest was implied—

apps, blind dates, etc. I’ve been spending a lot of time with a classmate of mine. We get along well, and he’s hot and single. How do I (for lack of a better term) seduce him? Dreading The Friend Zone Don’t seduce, ask. Don’t put the moves on someone, use your words—or think of your words as your move, DTFZ. Since you give off “don’t touch me” vibes (that’s some valuable feedback from an ex!), and since we’ve asked men to do a better job of perceiving and respecting a woman’s “don’t touch me” vibes, you will have to make your interest clear and unambiguous: “Hey, classmate, we’ve been spending a lot of time together, and I was wondering if you might be interested in going on a date sometime.”

*** I have had a very hot, sexy bodybuilder friend with beneﬁts for many, many years. He’s Dominant and into really intense bondage and SM, and it’s fantastic. The harder he goes on me, the more aroused he gets. Sometimes he comes three times in one session, always with me in superintense and painful bondage positions. It turns him on so much— and it turns me on, too. The thing is, he hates my dick. We have so much fun during our sessions, but he won’t touch my dick and won’t let me touch it, either. Bodybuilder Is Neglecting Dick Ignoring your dick and not letting you come and then seeing you crawl back for more abuse is most likely part of the power trip that turns your hot, sexy friend on, BIND, and he’s unlikely to start lavishing attention on your dick on my orders. And since it sounds like he gives you plenty of hot JO material for after your bondage sessions, it’s not like there isn’t something in it for you, right?

*** I am a public-school teacher in the United States. I love teaching, and I want to teach for the rest of

my career. I am very good at it, but unfortunately that doesn’t affect my pay in the slightest. After 10 years of poverty, I’m getting tired of going without. I thought perhaps I could do some sex work on the side to help pay off my student loans and get some more money for classroom supplies. Thanks to de facto segregation, all of my students are one speciﬁc ethnicity and very poor, so I think I could easily avoid accidentally servicing a parent or relative of a student. But how on earth does someone safely and discreetly embark on sex work as a side hustle? Need a Second Job That Actually Pays Someone you work with, someone you went to school with, someone you used to date, someone who lives in your apartment building—it’s not just parents and relatives of your students you need to worry about, NASJTAP. Vindictive exes and small-minded, sex-negative busybodies of all stripes can be a problem for sex workers. And since the consequences of being outed as a sex worker are always swift and severe for someone who works with children, you’ll want to ﬁnd another side hustle. You should also get out there and support—we should all get out there and support—Democratic presidential candidates who are calling to forgive or cancel studentloan debt, like Elizabeth Warren and/or Bernie Sanders. And, yes, it’s possible to support more than one candidate at this stage of the political process.

*** My girlfriend and I have been going strong for almost 10 months. She told me that in the past she dated only older men—her teachers, her boss, a police ofﬁcer, and other older men who were, in her own words, “ﬂat-out wrong for me” (two of them were married). I am interested in your take on why she is dating me now. I’m a couple of years younger than she is—she is 30, and I am 28. She says she sees a future with me and I’m unlike anyone she’s ever met. Can what someone likes change in this way? The Younger Man

You may be the exception—the rare younger man your girlfriend ﬁnds attractive—or it could be that she was never attracted exclusively to older men. Just because someone dated a string of one type of person (older, younger, taller, shorter, maler, femaler), it doesn’t follow that someone isn’t interested in other types, too. Someone realizing they’re attracted to more types of people or acting on long-standing attractions to other types of people doesn’t mean they’ve changed, TYM, it means they’ve grown.

*** I’m a 21-year-old woman. Yesterday I talked to a 26-year-old guy who won’t do cunnilingus but loves to get blowjobs. My friends judged him harshly. Does this go against the rule that people should be able to do what makes them feel good in bed without being judged? Guys who refuse to give oral sex but want to receive it make us feel as if our pleasure is not as important as theirs. Please tell me what you think. Desperate Clitoris I think there are enough women out there who don’t like having their pussies eaten—some struggle with insecurity and shame, others simply don’t enjoy the sensation— that there’s no reason for this guy to inﬂict himself on women who do like having their pussies eaten. And if making your partner feel good doesn’t make you feel good—if giving pleasure as well as receiving pleasure doesn’t make you feel good—then you’re a lousy fucking lay. All that said, I agree that people should be able to do what makes them feel good in bed without being judged. But if what you’re doing in bed—or refusing to do in bed— makes other people feel bad about themselves or their bodies, well, then you should be judged harshly. On the Lovecast, Dan enlists straight-boy help from Michael Ian Black: savagelovecast.com.

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