S ÆÒ ¶ ÈƢIJĴƢƒƢIJĺżƢijıIJĸƢƢƢźƢƢƢiC7ض ƢĵĹƢƢƢ*ÌÌØ ƢIJIJ
SEPTEMB BER 22ND THROUGH SEPTE EMBER 24TH 5401 Hamilton Ave. | Enter on 53rd or Marquette | $5 5 DAY or $10 WEEKEND
Sound | Movementt | Art | Creativity | Innovation | Technollogy | Connection | Ideas 2
| clevescene.com m | September 13 - 19, 2017
| clevescene.com m | September 13 - 19, 2017
3
3%04%-"%2 s 6/,5-% .O 11 Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Group Publisher Chris Keating Publisher Andrew Zelman
CONTENTS 5PFRONT
Associate Publisher Angela Lott Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Web Editor Laura Morrison Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Writers Josh Usmani, Dott von Schneider Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Contributing Writers Billy Hallal, Marcus Gilmer, Philip de Oliveria Intern Lawrence Neil Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Davis Events and Marketing Coordinator Maggie Lilac Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace
Northeast Ohio immigrants react to Trump’s DACA decision, Big Pharma responds to lawsuit, and more
&EATURE
'ET /UT
Transit police say RTA’s unofficial fare-enforcement policies are inequitable and dangerous
All the events you should check out this week
Business Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Dotson Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Offi cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Offi cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon
!RT
Derek Hess spotlights addiction and mental health in Acting Out!
www.euclidmediagroup.com
3TAGE
National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, voicemediagroup.com
The beat goes on in brownsville song at Dobama Theatree
Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd, #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-241-7550 Retail & Classifi ed Fax 216-241-6275 Editoral Fax 216-802-7212 E-mail scene@clevescene.com
$INING
Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every week by Euclid Media Group. Verifi ed Audit Member Cleveland Distribution Scene is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2017 by Euclid Media Group. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Publisher does not assume any liability for unsolicited manuscripts, materials, or other content. Any submission must include a stamped, self-addressed envelope. All editorial, advertising, and business correspondence should be mailed to the address listed above. Subscriptions $150 (1 yr); $ 80 (6 mos.) Send name, address and zip code with check or money order to the address listed above with the title ‘Attn: Subscription Department’
Printed By
248-620-2990
Big Boi
WILL BE AT (OUSE OF "LUES ON -ONDAY
Uneven food and service make The Smith, in Burton, hard to embrace
-USIC
...The story continues at clevescene.com
Take
The pop/R&B act TLC has endured its share of hardship
3AVAGE ,OVE
SCENE with you with the Issuu app! “Cleveland Scene Magazine”
COVER BY TOM CARLSON
Girls and sex
The best rom-com Shakespeare never wrote!
SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE LIVE ON STAGE! SEPTEMBER 9 – OCTOBER 1
adapted for the stage by LEE HALL | directed by LAURA KEPLEY based on the screenplay by MARC NORMAN & TOM STOPPARD
TICKETS ON SALE NOW!
216.241.6000 | clevelandplayhouse.com 4
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
5
Photo by Sam Allard
UPFRONT
NORTHEAST OHIO DREAMERS FACING FEARS FOLLOWING DACA DECISION Candlelight vigil underscores power of immigrants’ voices
THIS WEEK
HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GATHERED in Market Square last week to hold a candlelight vigil in the aftermath of the Trump administration’s decision to wind down the federal DACA immigration program. The event was emotionally stirring and quite powerful, even as temperatures dropped and a light, steady rain coated the proceedings. There were two underlying themes to the evening, though only one was actively planned:
6
1) Speakers urged everyone to call their elected representatives in Washington and advocate for co-sponsorship of the DREAM Act, a bipartisan bill that is meant to replace DACA within six months. And 2) Dreamers — undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children — are very scared about the direction of their lives right now. Many are too frightened to speak publicly on the matter.
Despite that, seven Dreamers shared their stories with the crowd. An eighth Dreamer shared an impassioned poem by Shane Koyczan. Jose Mendez reminded everyone in attendance that this is a human issue, one that demands action rather than merely kind thoughts. “We want them to do their job,” he said of Ohio’s federal politicians, and the needling they may require from their constituents. “Do it.
MAKE IT A COMBO
DEAL OR NO DEAL
Taco Bell employees shoot and kill robber at West 117th Street location. Company later clarifies that this is actually how every Cheesy Gordita Crunch is made.
The Velvet Tango Room hits the market at a cool $2.75 million. Longtime customers mistake the asking price for a new happy hour deal on Manhattans.
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
Don’t talk about it. Do it.” After arriving in the U.S. from Mexico at age 7, Mendez said, he attended elementary, middle and high school here before enrolling in college. “I’ve been here all my life,” he said. Mendez pointed out that the U.S. Congress has six months to act on the matter. “If they do pass something for the Dreamers,” he said, “they should not forget about the 11 million undocumented
TWILIGHT’S LAST GLEAMING QUALITY OF LIFE Police officers, military personnel link arms with Browns players during National Anthem at home opener. DeShone Kizer still managed to be sacked twice during ceremony.
Pumpkins, apple cider, Tribe games and the sweet odors of the Muni Lot on a Sunday morning.
Enjoy TV on all your devices and the fastest Internet starting speeds available for the price
TV + INTERNET + VOICE FROM
/mo each for 12 mos when bundled*
Plus FREE DVR service*
SPECTRUM.COM
STUCK IN A CONTRACT? WE CAN HELP. ASK US HOW. Limited time offer; valid to qualiďŹ ed residential customers who have not subscribed to any services within the previous 30 days and have no outstanding obligation to Charter. *Bundle price for TV Select, Internet, and Voice is $89.97/mo. yr. 1 ; standard rates apply after year 1. Free DVR service is for 1 DVR for year 1; standard rates apply after year 1 (currently $11.99/mo.; install, other equipment, taxes, fees and surcharges extra; additional services are extra. 3DVR receiver ($6.99/mo.) required for DVR service and is extra. General Terms: TV: TV equipment is required, charges may apply. Channel and HD programming availability based on level of service. INTERNET: Available Internet speeds may vary by address. VOICE: Unlimited calling includes calls within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam & the Virgin Islands. Taxes and fees included in the price. Money Back Guarantee: Restrictions apply. Go to Spectrum.com/Guarantee for complete details. Services are subject to all applicable service terms and conditions, which are subject to change. Services may not be available in all areas. Restrictions apply. Š2017 Charter Communications, Inc.
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
7
Photo by Sam Allard
MAKE YOUR CELEBRATIONS BEAUTIFUL!
UPFRONT
6Q %PT t 5JBSBT %BSJOH )BJS $PMPS 5SFOE t /BJM $PMPS
Call Us For Your Appointment...
$BSBCFM #FBVUZ 4BMPO 4UPSF .BEJTPO "WF 'VMM 4FSWJDF 4BMPO 'PS 'FNBMFT
CIM@SEVERANCE HALL Wednesday, October 4 at 8pm
CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF MUSIC ORCHESTRA Brett Mitchell, guest conductor SCHOENBERG Five Pieces for Orchestra (rev. 1949) BATES The B Sides for Orchestra and Electronica (2009) BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5
Reserve your FREE tickets today at cim.edu/events.
cim.edu
immigrants.� Another Dreamer, a Case Western Reserve University student who didn’t provide her name, came to the U.S. from Honduras when she was 1. “At an early age I knew I was undocumented and I knew that I had to work harder,� she said, describing the day of her DACA enrollment as one of the happiest days of her life; she could find a job at 15, and she could pay taxes. “I’m not a criminal,� she said. “I’m not a rapist. I’m not a drug addict. I work hard every day of my life. ... I’m not a political game.� The evening’s stories laid bare how the approximately 4,400 Dreamers in Ohio are feeling right now, and how their families fear life-changing disruption. Perhaps the most powerful moment in the night came when one 17-year-old Dreamer shared her story. She said she hopes to attend Cleveland State University, but that she’s terrified for her future now. “This is my home,� she told the crowd. “I may not be American —� “Yes you are!� one man cried out in the middle of the crowd, as cheers and applause rippled throughout Market Square. “I may not be American by paper,� she continued, now visibly choked up. “But I am by heart.� — Eric Sandy
BIG PHARMA RESPONDS TO DEWINE LAWSUIT Even a small donation can make a big difference
HurricaneHarveyAid.org
8
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
Multiple lawsuits against major pharmaceutical companies have originated in Ohio this year, as the overdose death tolls climbs once again to recordshattering numbers. Attorney
General Mike DeWine filed one of those civil complaints in May, alleging that the likes of Janssen Pharmaceutical, Allergan, Purdue
DIGIT WIDGET $1.7 MILLION Total value that Universal Windows Direct owes July customers. The company’s promotion said that if the Indians won 15 straight games, all July work would be free.
$75,000 Amount Universal Windows Direct paid for an insurance policy on the promotion. (So the insurance company will be out $1.7 million, not Universal Windows Direct.)
4,443 Girls aged 17 or younger who were married in Ohio between 2000 and 2015, including 59 who were 15 and younger.
34 Age difference between Tessi Wright (14) and Richard Siders (48) when the Dayton couple were married in 2002.
ROOM D R RE THE
BLE! l eo
aw
at
d
examiners across the state have predicted even greater numbers of deaths in 2017. “Quite candidly, I think it’s my moral obligation to do this,” DeWine said in May. “I don’t want to look back 10 years from now and say we should have had the guts to file, we should have had the guts to call a spade a spade. ... There’s not a lot of precedent for this action.” At the time, Ohio followed only Mississippi in movement of states against major pharmaceutical companies. Since then, South
up
Each week, Scene goes to the printer Monday night, and the issue hits newsstands Wednesday morning. Rotten timing this week, as we’re unable to include news of the Cleveland Mayoral primary Check clevescene.com for election results and analysis.
UM
NOTE ON MAYORAL PRIMARY:
r Yo u
Pharma, Endo and Cephalon played an active role in flooding the market with prescription painkillers, which led explicitly to addiction for untold numbers of Ohioans. Now, Purdue Pharma is arguing that the suit should be tossed. The central contention is that DeWine is seeking to circumvent federal regulations by using state law to hold Purdue and the other companies liable. The FDA already imposes labeling rules “based on its expert review of the risk-benefit information related to opioid use, abuse, misuse, addiction, overdose, duration of use, and daily dose,” a Purdue spokesperson tells Scene via email. The company insists that the state’s civil action “does not establish the requisite ‘reasonable connection’” between Purdue’s marketing statements and the mounting opioid overdose death toll. Ohio, of course, is at the helm of the country’s pharmaceutical and heroin addiction problem, with more than 4,000 residents fatally overdosing last year on a small variety of opioids. Medical
n th
e M ay o r a l
e S up
rb
r
Carolina, New Hampshire, Missouri and Oklahoma have filed similar suits. Last month, President Trump declared the opioid crisis a national emergency, which theoretically should unlock more federal funds for drug treatment and a spectrum of resources at more local levels of government (like outfitting police departments with Narcan). No formal action has been taken since Trump’s announcement, though. We’ll keep an eye on the Ohio suit and others as they work their way through the courts. —Sandy
IN FINAL DAYS, DEATH ROW INMATE PENS ESSAY ON DRUG ADDICTION Convicted killer Gary Otte is scheduled to be executed on Wednesday. The state of Ohio resumed its death penalty protocol in July with the execution of Ronald Phillips, following a threeyear hiatus riddled with legal controversy. Beyond Otte, there are more than two dozen state inmates scheduled to die in the next several years. But as the Fair Punishment Project at Harvard Law School reported recently, Otte and many of those other inmates brought a history of abuse and mental impairment to their time on Death Row. Otte, who committed his two murders at age 20, began using drugs and drinking alcohol at 10. He attempted suicide at 14. With that backdrop in mind, Otte penned an essay on drug addiction in his final days. Splinter ran the letter originally. (We’ve embedded the lengthy epistle at clevescene. com.) The essay came as a response
2017 Fine Print Fair September 15-17
Browse and shop one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive displays of fine prints. Open to the public. Free admission.
printclubcleveland.org With support from
Raffle image donated by Armstrong Fine Art.
Yachting, (Detail) 1903. Raoul du Gardier (1871–1952). Color aquatint and etchingon wove paper; 13 9/16 x 9 5/8 in.
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
9
ATTENSON’S COVENTRY ANTIQUES AND BOOKS
UPFRONT
Photo by Greg Murray
1771- 75 Coventry Road Hours: 11:30am- 5:30pm Monday thru Saturday
Amazing selections of Jewelry, Antiques, Books & Collectibles Art, Furniture, Vintage Clothing & More! We Buy and Sell
(216)321-2515
TRANSFORMERS & HE-MAN ★
BIG FUN... &OHYHODQG·V %HVW 7R\ 6WRUH Gifts for all ages, Cleveland Souvenirs, T- Shirts, Gag Gifts, Greeting Cards. Come see what everyone is talking about. Cash for Old Toys, Legos, Star Wars, GI Joes, Transformers, Hot Wheels, NINTENDO, Pokéman Rock Concert T-shirts
WE BUY & SELL OLD TOYS 1814 Coventry Road | Cleveland Heights (216) 371-4386 facebook.com/bigfuntoystore | www.bigfuntoystore.com
LEGO ★ STAR WARS ★ GI JOE
VAPORIZERS
★ LEGO ★ ROCK CONCERT T-SHIRTS
We strive to meet all of your premium tobacco needs with unparalleled knowledge, service and facilities. We offer a wide selection of pipe tobacco, lighters, cigar cutters, humidors and briar pipes.
Charlie the Pit
to Hamilton Nolan’s request for his “Letters from Death Row” series. “You wrote to me a while back,” Otte wrote in his letter to Nolan. “I recently put together a few words about overcoming our growing drug epidemic. You are welcome to share it. It is a first draft and deserves 200+ pages more, but it is worth the look.” It’s a worthwhile perspective on the growing opiate overdose crisis in the U.S. Otte speaks directly to the social stigma that continues to surround drug addiction and the demonization of addicts. “Hiding people in prisons doesn’t make our problems go away,” he writes. — Sandy
LAKEWOOD’S PIT BULL BAN CONTINUES TO RILE UP PROTEST MOVEMENT NOW HIRING! BARBERTON CLEVELAND EASTLAKE GLASS PIPES BUTANE TORCHES INCENSE DIGITAL SCALES DETOX GRINDERS
Your One Stop Shops for All of Your
TATTOO SUPPLY NEEDS STRONGSVILLE CLEVELAND
4264 Pearl Rd. 216.749.3440
19097 Drake Rd. 440.572.8287
EASTLAKE
GIRARD
32888 Vine St. 440.942.8668
16 N. State St. 330.545.8131
• WALK-INS WELCOME • Relaxation has never been better! Low rates, great friendly staff.
LORAIN
BARBERTON
832 Broadway 440.242.4080
536 W. Tuscarawas 330.753.0500
Relaxation Limited
AKRON
MANSFIELD
(216)671-3813
1004 Kenmore Blvd. 330.753.3600
532 Park Ave. W 419.522.1695
3834 W. 140 ST. | Cleveland, OH 44111
SEE OUR AD ON THE BACK COVER
10
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
Cleveland
HOURS: Mon ~ Fri : 12PM ~ 10 PM Sat : 12 PM ~ 8 PM | Sun 1pm - 7pm
After a lengthy decision-making process, Lakewood officials ordered Charlie to be removed from the city. With Cleveland APL documents, the city determined that Charlie is a pit bull, a loose collection of dog breeds that have been banned from Lakewood for almost a decade. Charlie has 30 days to leave the city, as of Sept. 7. Charlie was originally allowed in Lakewood as a puppy, but animal control reversed its stance after he got loose through a gate earlier this summer. The decision comes months into a visible campaign against the city’s
anti-pit bull legislation (or “breedspecific legislation”), which bans dogs that have more than 50 percent pit bull DNA. In August, a large group of residents gathered outside city hall to protest Lakewood’s breed-specific legislation while Charlie’s owner, Jennifer Scott, attended a hearing on her dog’s fate. Scott has been a vocal presence at All Breeds Lakewood protests this year. She spoke at a well attended City Council meeting earlier this summer, calling the pit bull ban a “racist, classist law.” She asked council members to amend the law to conform with Ohio statutes. There has so far been no concerted effort to rewrite the breed-specific legislation in Lakewood, though three political challengers for the city’s at-large council seats have committed themselves to overturning the law if they win election. Scott adopted Charlie earlier this year, and confronted the city’s oftquestioned pit bull determination process. As noted, Lakewood’s animal warden reported that “the puppy would be welcome in Lakewood at this time,” though there seemed to be a concern that it might be a young pit bull. A DNA test was “recommended,” based purely on the dog’s appearance. If the DNA test showed that the puppy was more than 50-percent pit bull, the dog would be taken away from her. “Now there’s some special kind of crazy right there,” she told council. (She did not submit her puppy to the DNA test at that time.)
FourSquare
books now face the choice of either repealing them or defending them in court — with the law stacked against them.” The city of Reynoldsburg did not fight back against the ruling, signaling a solid win for pit bull advocates. The Fifth District decision covers 15 counties. Legal precedent assumes that, if some sort of litigation were to develop in the Eighth District (Cuyahoga County), the court would rule similarly. Supporters of Charlie will be packing the house at the next Lakewood City Council meeting, Sept. 18. —Sandy
Center Street Swing Bridge
When Charlie got loose through an open gate later in the summer, the city scheduled a hearing and mandated a DNA test. With a 30- to 45-day window now on the books, Scott helped rally a fervent crowd, and this latest push against the pit bull ban in Lakewood really began to take off. Like many others, we’ve pointed out before the shortcomings of breedspecific legislation like pit bull bans. The black-and-white policies leave little room for case-by-case discretion, instead describing an entire group of dogs as guilty until proven innocent.
This is obviously problematic for families who rescue and adopt pit bulls and for trainers who work with a broad spectrum of dogs. Earlier this year, the Fifth District Court of Appeals in Ohio struck down an anti-pit bull law in Reynoldsburg, Ohio (near Columbus). As ASPCA leadership stated in April: “This victory should generate important momentum against BSL in Ohio: Absent review and reversal by the Ohio Supreme Court, the more than 80 municipalities in Ohio with breeddiscriminatory ordinances still on the
CENTER STREET SWING BRIDGE CLOSES BRIEFLY, THEN RE-OPENS Though it looked like there might be a significant closure — even pegged as “indefinite,” by city officials — the red Center Street Swing Bridge in the Flats re-opened Sunday after only two days. The City said that maintenance crews were able to “quickly evaluate, assess and perform the repairs necessary to bring the bridge back on line.” Downtown motorists, rest easy. —Sam Allard
CAVS WILL SPORT NEW COURT NEXT SEASON In addition to a maligned jersey re-design, which includes the new Goodyear wingfoot logo, the Cleveland Cavaliers had one more prominent aesthetic upgrade to announce last week: a new court design for the 2017-2018 season. The two key differences between last year’s version and the new one are, first, the “shield” logo at center court, which the Cavs say represents the team’s commitment to “Defend the Land” and the city’s spirit of resilience; and second, the color black, which has been permanently added as an official team color. “The color black is a nod to the historic turning point in the 2016 NBA Finals when the Cavs wore their black-sleeved uniforms in games 5 and 7 on their way to winning the NBA Championship,” the Cavs said. The court was designed by the Cavs’ graphics team and constructed by Cincinnati Floor Company in Cincinnati. — Allard
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
EAST BANK
BACON FESTIVAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 • 12PM – 10PM
FREE ADMISSION. LIVE MUSIC. STREET BOOTHS. BENEFITING flatseastbank.com
BACON
BEER
BANDS
BOOM
hungernetwork.org
PARTNERS
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
11
bringing NEW YORK fashion week to
cleveland!
GOODBYE SUMMER, HELLO FASHION MONTH! Fashion week action at your fingertips By Jasmine Woolfork SEPTEMBER IS A TIME FOR FASHION LOVERS ALL OVER THE world to unite in the name of all things style. New York Fashion Week is the kickoff for designer showcases, which happen worldwide during the month of September. Congratulations to Cleveland’s own, Bunny Paige by Lauren Tatum on showcasing a new collection of outstanding and bold jewelry during fashion week in New York. Bunny Paige is a Cleveland based accessory brand that has been featured in fashion magazines and on many celebrities! You can check out more on the brand and the show on the Bunny Paige website.
As NYFW comes to a close, London, Milan, and Paris fashion weeks are to follow. While many may never be fortunate enough to attend a runway show in person, thanks to technology, there’s no longer a fear of missing out! You can digitally follow along with your favorite fashion magazines, bloggers, or brands to see live stream action of all of the excitement. Not only are the trends happening on the runway, but also through the creativity of street style. Street style during fashion week is authentic wearable art. It’s also a great way to ďŹ nd inspiration for your own personal style!
A STORE FOR ALL WOMEN Sizes 0-26 Maternity & Petites Too!
Ohio’s only fragrance boutique where customers can create their own custom blend DOWNTOWN CHAGRIN FALLS 31 N. Franklin Street • 440.893.9199 Apricot Lane Chagrin Falls chagrinfallsapricotlane
12011 Detroit Ave. | Lakewood, OH 44107
216.767.5563
Your Ad Could Be
Trending Right Here!
4HYLUNV 3\_\Y` :WH PZ [OL WYLTPLY M\SS ZLY]PJL S\_\Y` KH` ZWH HUK ZHSVU PU KV^U[V^U *SL]LSHUK >L HYL SVJH[LK PU The Arcade JVU]LUPLU[ [V HSS KV^U[V^U OV[LSZ HUK LHZ` [V YLHJO MYVT HSS MYLL^H`Z >e offer -HJPHSZ Massages )VK` >YHWZ )VK` :JY\IZ HUK >H_PUN (SZV SVJH[LK ^P[OPU [OL ZWH PZ V\Y ^VYSK JSHZZ /HPY 4HRL\W 5HPS :HSVU >OL[OLY `V\ ^V\SK SPRL H M\SS KH` VM WHTWLYPUN VY Q\Z[ H ML^ OV\YZ V\Y L_WLY[ Z[HMM ^PSS ZWVPS WHTWLY HUK Z\YWHZZ `V\Y L]LY` L_WLJ[H[PVU
Contact Kiara Davis CHARLESSCOTT.COM
12
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
kdavis@clevescene.com
3VJH[LK PUZPKL ;OL (YJHKL ‹ +V^U[V^U *SL]LSHUK ‹ ^^^ THYLUNVZWH JVT
Photo by Sam Allard
FEATURE
HONOR AMONG THIEVES Transit police say RTA’s unofficial fare-enforcement policies are inequitable and dangerous By Sam Allard
THE WEST 65TH STREET “ECO VILLAGE” RED LINE RAPID STATION has two passenger entrances: one off Lorain Avenue, the other off Madison, where two fare machines greet riders on the honorary Fr. Bob Begin Bridge behind St. Colman’s Church. One day this spring, while three RTA transit police officers were interacting with passengers in the main station (off Lorain), a robbery occurred on the opposite side. The perp stole a phone and was able to successfully flee, officers told Scene, because the officers were “focused on checking fares rather than patrolling the whole station.”
“Interacting with passengers” is how transit police brass now refer to writing citations for fare evasion. In current usage, the terms are interchangeable. If an officer assists an elderly rider with directions, that’s not an interaction. If an officer breaks up a fight between juveniles, that’s not an interaction either. If an officer responds to a call about a stolen cell phone or deals with everyday incidents such as public intoxication, open containers and disorderly conduct, those aren’t interactions.
Yet for the fare-enforcement officers on the 107-strong RTA transit police, “interactions” have become the primary focus and mission of the job. Officers told Scene that they’re now expected to have 10 interactions (that is, to write 10 citations) per eighthour shift, an unofficial quota that has steadily increased to its current number through 2017 for reasons they can’t quite figure out. These more aggressive fare-enforcement methods have been pushed since March, they said, and have resulted in sinking
staff morale and a high degree of turnover. “People are leaving left and right,” said one officer, Brian (not his real name). “The department is in a state of chaos.” “They keep putting pressure on us,” said another officer, Vikram (not his real name). “Enforce fares, enforce fares, enforces fares. It’s a zerotolerance policy. If we don’t enforce fares, our jobs are in jeopardy.” Scene spoke with these two officers, who both agreed to share their personal experiences on the condition of anonymity due to an RTA employee policy that forbids employees from talking to the media. They described what they viewed as problems with the current honor-based fare collection and enforcement system. They said that transit police leaders (and possibly RTA executive leaders) are taking advantage of flaws in that system to generate revenue. In fact, the officers
said, many of their colleagues feel like they have become “nothing more than revenue generators” for the cashstrapped RTA. SOME BACKGROUND: On both the HealthLine, which shuttles riders from Public Square to East Cleveland along the Euclid Corridor, and the Red Line, which runs from the airport to the Windermere Station in East Cleveland, passengers board without having to show proof of payment. This “honor system” is intended chiefly to increase route efficiency. When the Euclid Corridor project was conceived and funded, level boarding, off-board fare collection and traffic signal prioritization were all central components in the design. On the Rapid’s southeastern Blue and Green lines, meanwhile, riders aren’t required to pay until they exit the train. Fare enforcement officers | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
13
FEATURE only do random checks on the Red Line and the HealthLine, where riders are supposed to pay before they board. Those random checks were the subject of an American Civil Liberties Union study in 2010. The ACLU analyzed RTA data and found that nine out of 10 riders who were given citations on the HealthLine were black. RTA president and CEO Joe Calabrese said at the time that officers weren’t being discriminatory; the percentage of blacks cited for fare evasion was reflective, he said, of the percentage of black residents living in neighborhoods served by the HealthLine. That explanation wasn’t good enough for the Cleveland NAACP (at that time led by George Forbes); the organization got involved to explore a civil remedy to what was then a criminal matter. Too many people of color were being needlessly exposed to the criminal justice system, the NAACP argued. Fare evasion was (and still is) a fourth-degree misdemeanor and must be processed in court. The ticket is $150, but can cost much more after additional fees and court costs. In 2011, RTA reached an agreement with the ACLU and the NAACP to establish an administrative fee waiver. First-time adult offenders were given the option to pay a $25 fee directly to RTA and forego criminal proceedings. As long as the fee was paid within three days (online or at RTA headquarters downtown), the misdemeanor wouldn’t go on the rider’s record. Subsequent offenses within a two-year window still required a mandatory court appearance. “Understandably, most citizens pay the $25 rather than go through the hassle of missing work and possibly losing their case, which could result in fees being assessed by the court,” said Officer Brian. “The majority of tickets written are usually given to people who are eligible for the fee waiver.” Officer Vikram estimated that about half of the citations he writes are to first-time offenders. In the past, writing a citation was just one of three options officers had when they encountered fareevaders. They could also issue written warnings (Adult Violation Warnings, in the lingo), which were logged in their system but resulted in no fines, or verbal warnings, which were not logged. Officers say they no longer have discretion to make those calls. “If you’re stopped for fare evasion, the officer is required to write
14
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
a citation, unless they contact a supervisor and ask permission [to do otherwise],” said Officer Brian, “which is strongly discouraged.” THE COMPLAINTS: “Discretion is probably the most important thing we have as police officers,” Officer Brian said. He told Scene that in the long term, he thinks RTA ought to consider installing turnstiles or employing ticket collectors for a more equitable fare-collection system. RTA estimated that employing tickets collectors at Red Line booths would cost $7 million per year in salaries and benefits. In the short-term, though, Brian said the key is merely giving officers the ability to decide how to handle various situations. Fare evasion incidents are not one-size-fits-all. The most public of these incidents occurred in 2015, when a fareenforcement officer assaulted a rider in Lakewood who had presented a valid pass. An internal RTA investigation found that the officer violated RTA policies when he “failed to control the situation that led to an escalation of the incident.” RTA settled with the rider, Jessica Ferrato, for $45,000 earlier this year. But use-of-force incidents aren’t why some transit police officers are singing the blues. “You want to feel like a heel?” said Brian. “Write a ticket to a poor, confused 70-year-old woman.” Officer Vikram said that many of the fare evaders he encounters have the money in their hands and are ready to pay the $2.50 one-way or $5.50 all-day fare, but often aren’t sure when or how to pay. In the new system, those people must be cited for fare evasion. “If it’s someone who tells me the train was leaving and they had to get downtown for work, I’ll usually write them a ticket,” he said. “But some of them are visiting the city for the first time and are genuinely confused.” Officer Brian said that officers are now also directed to write citations to riders who have passes in their possession but have not activated them. “We’ve had roll calls where we’re told that ‘this is a scam,’” Officer Brian said. “In the past, I’d usually just let them activate their pass. Now, we have to write a citation. I had one [fareevading passenger] tell me, ‘Until you fix the system, I’m not paying,’ and I can’t blame him.” For Officer Brian, one of the reasons he decided to speak up was because aggressive fare enforcement on a confusing system has led to what he sees as an equity issue. He said he was personally bothered by
Photo by Sam Allard
JOIN
SCENE at these locations:
FLANNERY’S 15-SEP
BARRIO DOWNTOWN 21-SEP
HARRY BUFFALO E.4TH BARRIO CLEVELAND HEIGHTS RTA making thousands of dollars per month “on the backs of people who use public transportation in Cleveland because they have no other way of getting around.” He said that this inequity perception was further solidified by another policy: On nights when there are Cavs or Indians games, officers have been told to “slack up” on fare enforcement. “On those nights,” said Officer Brian, “when there are a lot of riders coming in from the suburbs, we’ve been directed to let people without passes pay for them.” Officer Vikram added that this directive, like many others, has never been put in writing. Officers are often pulled in for one-on-one meetings with their lieutenant, Orlando Hudson, who has articulated this and other policies in a “clandestine” way. Officer Vikram said he was bothered by the sportsnight policy too. Scene asked Officer Brian if the policy might have to do with something else: Could it be about efficiency, for instance? Maybe there are too many people on the trains and supervisors thought it would be too difficult to enforce? “That’s a ridiculous argument,” Officer Brian said pointedly. “If you’ve ridden the Red Line during the morning rush hour, you know those trains are packed, probably more than for Indians games. And we’re doing fare enforcement in the morning. It’s not because there are too many people on the trains.” Related to the enforcement concerns are emerging concerns about safety. Officers said that as employee retention becomes more difficult and the total number of officers decreases, the unofficial citation quotas are borne by a fewer number of transit police. Additionally, said Officer Brian, “instead of hiring more officers, twoofficer cars have been downgraded to
one-officer cars and the second officer is required to ride trains. If the officer on the train needs assistance, they have to wait for their partner, who is in a vehicle, to arrive and assist them.” A final concern adds to some fareenforcement officers’ impression that they exist foremost to make revenue for RTA, not to “provide a safe and orderly environment within RTA; promote the confidence of the riding public; enhance the use of the entire system; protect life and property through the prevention of crime and terrorism; and to work in collaboration within RTA and with regional partners to respond and recover from man-made and natural disasters,” as outlined in the transit police mission statement. Recently, officers have been required to stand on Public Square and ticket drivers who accidentally drive down the closed-off portion of Superior Avenue that, since March 6, has been open to bus traffic. This, too, removes officers from patrolling the system. THE BIGGER PICTURE: When asked to identify the motive for the more aggressive fareenforcement policies, all the officers could do was speculate. “There’s no reason, that we can tell, why the new rules are in effect,” said Officer Brian, “other than to arbitrarily increase ‘the numbers.’ It doesn’t make any sense.” Officer Vikram said it’s possible the policies have come from higher up the executive chain. “Maybe someone’s getting some kind of bonus?” he thought out loud. He said Joe Calabrese had been making noise about the need to increase revenue, especially with big financial challenges on the horizon. By 2019, RTA could face as much as a $30-million budget deficit, fueled in large part by an annual loss of $18 million in tax revenue from Medicaid managed care organizations.
15-SEP
21-SEP
WILD EAGLE
CLEVELANDER
16-SEP
22-SEP
BARRIO LAKEWOOD
BREW GARDEN STRONGSVILLE
19-SEP
23-SEP
BARRIO TREMONT
BREW GARDEN MIDDLEGURG
19-SEP
23-SEP
MERRY ARTS
WEST PARK STATION
21-SEP
23-SEP
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
15
FEATURE Whatever the cause for the new policies, Lt. Orlando Hudson has embraced them with fervor, ofďŹ cers said, and has shared the enthusiasm with transit police chief John Joyce, a former FBI guy who is regarded as a competent leader in a “retirement gig.â€? “The last time I saw him,â€? said OfďŹ cer Brian, of Chief Joyce, “it was a few months ago. He came down shaking everyone’s hand and asking us to keep [these new policies] quiet. They were very worried about them getting out.â€? Hudson is the only lieutenant in the fare-enforcement division. There are three commanders above him, one of whom is Hudson’s cousin. Hudson, who has been with RTA for 19 years, is presumed to want to advance further up the chain. “I think he’s juking the stats,â€? said OfďŹ cer Brian, who, like Vikram, attributed much of the current tension to Hudson himself. “If I’m writing a ticket out at East 105th, it gets a citation number and a case number in our system. Before, it would just be a citation number. But now, it looks like each ticket is two
incidents.â€? When these concerns have been brought to Lt. Hudson, ofďŹ cers said, he has denied and deected. There had been rumors circulating, for instance, that if ofďŹ cers didn’t write enough tickets, their jobs would be in jeopardy. Hudson, they reported, took an ofďŹ cer into his ofďŹ ce to head the rumors off. “‘People are saying that if you don’t write tickets you’re going to be ďŹ red,â€? Hudson was reported to have said. “‘But I didn’t say that. What I did say is that you’re here to write citations. And if you’re not gonna do what you’re paid to do, you’re going to be accelerated up the disciplinary process.’â€? OfďŹ cers fail to see the distinction. RTA RESPONDS: RTA was presented with the concerns of ofďŹ cers and asked a series of questions related to fare enforcement and transit police personnel. RTA said that fare-evasion citations net the agency about $4,000 per month, and that that ďŹ gure has not changed substantially through 2017. RTA rejected claims that ofďŹ cers were no longer able to use their discretion and said that they were never “requiredâ€? to write a
citation. Meetings from supervisors only occurred with the most delinquent ofďŹ cers. “There have been situations in which a transit police ofďŹ cer has documented NO encounters (which includes no customer service encounters) throughout a given month and issued NO fare evasion warnings or citations,â€? a statement read. “In those cases, that ofďŹ cer would likely be questioned by his supervisor for reasons why no encounters have taken place.â€? Regarding fare cards, RTA’s statement suggested that ofďŹ cers would ticket riders who haven’t activated their ďŹ ve or 10-trip cards, but only when riders have done so “repeatedly.â€? Regarding event nights, RTA said that policies were in place to increase efďŹ ciency. “Customers exiting the trains at Tower City are asked by Operations staff to hold up their fare card, and those customers are moved through the open turnstiles,â€? a statement read. “This saves time and moves the large crowds along quickly and safely. However, if any customer does not have a fare card, they are immediately directed to the staff standing nearby so that they can purchase their tickets, and the appropriate fare is collected.â€?
818 Huron Cleveland
The statement said that RTA is hiring more ofďŹ cers and that the goal is to have as many transit police ofďŹ cers “out and aboutâ€? (instead of in cars) to increase visibility, thereby increasing the safety and security of customers. Finally, RTA rebuked the notion that fare-enforcement ofďŹ cers were revenue-generators for the system. “When they are working as fare enforcement ofďŹ cers, Transit Police ofďŹ cers’ goal is not to generate income but to ensure that customers are not robbing RTA of the fare that is due to the transit system for their ride,â€? a statement read. “Their fare enforcement efforts serve as a deterrent to others who might be thinking about not paying. Their efforts also serve to inform our paying customers that the cost of the service should be borne by ALL customers who ride, not merely by those who are honest enough to pay their fare. Fare enforcement helps maintain that level of integrity in the fare collection. If there were no consequences for failing to pay, then everyone might not pay.â€?
sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard
Prospect Music
216 621.5409
prospectmusicstore.com
˜ ˜ ˜ SINCE 1941
WE BUY
Musical Instruments Sales & Service Accessories 4HYLUNV 3\_\Y` :WH PZ [OL WYLTPLY M\SS ZLY]PJL S\_\Y` KH` ZWH HUK ZHSVU PU KV^U[V^U *SL]LSHUK >L HYL SVJH[LK PU The Arcade JVU]LUPLU[ [V HSS KV^U[V^U OV[LSZ HUK LHZ` [V YLHJO MYVT HSS MYLL^H`Z
`˜ ˜ `
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS & GEAR 2 ˜CC˜ 2 CONSIGNMENTS ALSO AVAILABLE
DON’T PAY RETAIL!
>e offer -HJPHSZ Massages )VK` >YHWZ )VK` :JY\IZ HUK >H_PUN (SZV SVJH[LK ^P[OPU [OL ZWH PZ V\Y ^VYSK JSHZZ /HPY 4HRL\W 5HPS :HSVU >OL[OLY `V\ ^V\SK SPRL H M\SS KH` VM WHTWLYPUN VY Q\Z[ H ML^ OV\YZ V\Y L_WLY[ Z[HMM ^PSS ZWVPS WHTWLY HUK Z\YWHZZ `V\Y L]LY` L_WLJ[H[PVU
1000w Grow Light Packages âœŚ Hydroponics âœŚ Coco & Soil âœŚ Nutrients Starting at $159.99 âœŚ Grow Lighting âœŚ Organic Gardening
3VJH[LK PUZPKL ;OL (YJHKL ‹ +V^U[V^U *SL]LSHUK ‹ ^^^ THYLUNVZWH JVT 16
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
23005 SPRAGUE RD. #5 COLUMBIA STATION
440.532.7722
6583 PEARL RD. PARMA HEIGHTS
440.253.8001
4900 PEARL RD. CLEVELAND
216.795.5056
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
17
Arrested For
DUI/OVI" Know Your Rights.
Contact Attorney
Even a small donation can make a big difference
HurricaneHarveyAid.org
Rachel Ladan
Vigorous DUI Defense from a Former Prosecutor
www.greekvillagegrille.com
Lakewood 14019 Madison Ave
Featured On
216.228.4976 ...And We Deliver! 18
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
rladan@rcp-attorneys.com
MAYFIELD HEIGHTS 0D\ÀHOG 5G
0(1725 0HQWRU $YH
$.521 ( 7DOOPDGJH $YH
440-683-4298
440-571-4310
330-794-7856
‡ 9$325,=(56 ‡ 72%$&&2 ‡3,3(6 ‡ +22.$+6 ‡
Q8,&. ),; ‡ 9$/( '(72; ‡ ),5()/< ‡ ( -8,&( ‡ ',*,7$/ 6&$/(6
Voted Best Greek
216 - 241- 8333
:,/'%(55< ,1&(16( ‡ 3$; ‡ ( &,*$5(77(6 ‡ 5$: ‡ )2508/$
Offering N.E. Ohio’s ntic Most Authe e Greek Cuisin
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
19
September 15-16, 2017 L O C AT E D D OW N T OW N O N M A L L B Friday Night Street Party | 4-9 p.m. | FREE! Food trucks, craft beverages and local bands
Saturday Culinary Festival | Noon-10 p.m. | $5 Admission, Kids 12 and under free Chef-driven restaurants, craft beverages, culinary demonstrations, live entertainment and fireworks!
www.tri-c.edu/clevelandeats 17-1550
20
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
everything you should do this week
GET OUT WED
09/13
ART
124 Years of Treasures Sale No other art gallery in Cleveland has lasted as long as Bonfoey Gallery, which turns 124 years old this year. Across from Playhouse Square, Bonfoey Gallery is the only local gallery to predate the Cleveland Museum of Art. With a full custom framing department, Bonfoey is more than just an art dealer or exhibition space. After 124 years, any business is sure to accumulate excess inventory and supplies, so Bonfoey is hosting a 124 Years of Treasures Sale. Described as a garage sale unlike any other, the sale includes artwork, frames, prints, furniture and other miscellaneous items, with savings of at least 50 percent off retail. The sale begins with a preview party from 5 to 8 p.m. today. Admission is $25 at the door, and that includes wine, appetizers and the first opportunity to purchase items at 50 percent off. The sale continues through the weekend with free admission. Tomorrow’s hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (60 percent off); and Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (70+ percent off). (Josh Usmani) 1710 Euclid Ave., 216-621-0178, bonfoey.com. ART
Acting Out! Fest After months of planning, Clevelandbased artist Derek Hess and his longtime business partner Marty Geramita announced plans for their second annual Acting Out! Fest, a free, four-day festival raising awareness for mental illness and addiction. This year features an expanded lineup of live music, art, standup comedy, films and talks at venues throughout Gordon Square, from today through Saturday. In total, the weekend features more than 15 events over four days. The subject of mental health is particularly important to Hess, whose battles with bipolar disorder and substance abuse are not only well known, but recurring themes in his emotionally charged artwork. All events are free, but most require tickets. For a complete schedule, with dates, times and event descriptions, visit the website. (Usmani) actingoutcle.com.
The Capitol Theatre will screen the concert movie David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii. See: Wednesday.
storytelling. Through it, the folks at Music Box Supper Club hope to raise awareness of the mission of the Western Reserve Historical Society’s new Cleveland History Center. The goal of the Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is to “bring to life some of the fun, interesting stories about Cleveland’s past — from sports, to rock ’n’ roll, to Millionaires’ Row,” as it’s put in a press release. Admission is free, with no cover charge, although a prix fixe dinner, designed to complement the night’s theme, is $20. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 6, and the storytelling starts at 7. Tonight, local author James Renner, a former Scene staffer, talks about his book The Serial Killer’s Apprentice: And Other True Stories of Cleveland’s Most Intriguing Unsolved Crimes. The menu includes Dahmer’s Least Favorite Soup, braised pork “torso” and “Boston Strangler” cream pie. (Jeff Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.
by the Shaker Community Gallery, Art of Dissent remains on view through Oct. 7. This group exhibition showcases the work of Cleveland-based artists known for expressing their dissatisfaction with the status quo and current issues such as economic inequalities, polarizing politics and an abusive culture. Participating artists include Laura and Gary Dumm, Liz Maugans and Michelangelo Lovelace. The Shaker Community Gallery hosts several related community forums this month, beginning with tonight’s forum, Owning Protest Art, with Akron Art Museum associate curator Theresa Bembnister, and Kim Bell, the Hadden Chair of Psychoanalytic Child Development at Case Western Reserve University. The talk begins at 7 p.m. The exhibition and all related events are free. (Usmani) 3445 Warrensville Center Rd., 216-926-8842, shakercommunitygallery.wordpress. com.
FILM
FILM
David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii Forty-five years after Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour filmed Live at Pompeii in the city’s Roman amphitheatre, he returned for two shows that were part of his year-long tour in support of his latest release, Rattle That Lock. The concert film David Gilmour: Live at Pompeii, which screens tonight at 7:30 at the Capitol Theatre, captures that concert, which includes Pink Floyd classics such as “One of These Days,” the only song that was also performed at the band’s 1971 show. Tickets to the screening are $15. (Niesel) 1390 West 65th St., 216-651-7295, clevelandcinemas.com.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan Celebrating its 35th anniversary, the classic science-fiction flick Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan returns to area theaters for special screenings that take place tonight. A brand-new, indepth interview with William Shatner will play before each screening of the digitally re-mastered director’s cut. Check the Fathom events website for ticket prices, show times and locations. (Niesel) fathomevents.com.
Cleveland Stories Dinner Party Cleveland Stories Dinner Party is a weekly series that pairs fine food with
09/14
Owning Protest Art With the current socio-political climate, it seems like a perfect time for a show titled Art of Dissent. Hosted
COMEDY
Red Grant Funny man Red Grant brings his hilariously honest comedy to the Cleveland Improv tonight. His infectious laughter fills a room, not to mention the laughter of his audience. This comedian, actor, producer and writer has seen great success recently thanks to his great impressions and hilarious stories. He jokes about his magical experience at his first ever Prince concert, and how he was completely starstruck meeting Dwyane Wade. He has made appearances in Martin Lawrence’s 1st Amendment Standup and has starred in a few Comedy Central specials. He performs at 7:30 tonight, and tickets cost $17 to $20. Performances continue through Sunday. (Hannah Borison) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com. FILM
ART ART
SPOKEN WORD
THU
Print Club of Cleveland is a nonprofit group founded in 1919 to enrich the museum’s permanent print collection. Fifteen art dealers from around the country will exhibit and sell fine art prints and drawings, ranging from classical masters to contemporary, living artists, at this annual benefit for the CMA’s department of prints. This year’s Fine Print Fair begins with a benefit preview party tonight from 6 to 9 p.m.; it continues from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. tomorrow and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. In addition to a chance to shop for fine art prints and drawings, the weekend includes hourly door prizes; a raffle of Raoul du Gardier’s “Yachting,” valued at $2,500; information on paper conservation by the Intermuseum Conservation Association; and printmaking demonstrations by the Cleveland Institute of Art, Kent State University and the Mary Schiller Myers School of Art at the University of Akron. Additionally, Emily J. Peters, curator of prints and drawings at the Cleveland Museum of Art, will discuss the history of prints in the CMA Recital Hall at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Tickets to today’s preview event are $125. Admission is free tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday. (Usmani) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
33rd Annual Fine Print Fair This weekend, the Cleveland Museum of Art hosts the Print Club of Cleveland’s 33rd Annual Fine Print Fair in its Ames Family Atrium. The
Open Projector Night MOCA Cleveland’s ongoing Open Projector Nights encourage local filmmakers to bring their short films to the museum for an opportunity for experts and novices to gather and | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
21
GET OUT
advised. (Usmani) 11400 Euclid Ave, 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org.
review the shorts in an open mic-style session. Films must be 10-minutes or less and provided on a flash drive. Films will be added to the night’s lineup on a first-come, first-served basis until the 60-minute limit is reached. Submit films to OPN@mocacleveland. org. Admission is “pay what you can,” with a $5 suggested donation (free for MOCA Cleveland members). Film screenings begin at 8 tonight. Because these movies are uncensored and not pre-screened, viewer discretion is
COMEDY
Theo Von Comedian and writer Theo Von is best known as the host of TBS’s hit weekly hidden camera prank show Deal with It, as well as Yahoo!’s insanely popular daily recap show, Primetime In No Time. With an extensive list of accolades for his numerous TV appearances and podcasts, Von is a comedian not to be missed. Working his Southern charm into his relatably hilarious
humor, Von appeared on In Bed With Joan Rivers, in which he refuted Rivers’ claim that he looked like a young Leonardo DiCaprio by saying he’s actually the “grinch who stole Matt Damon.” He’s also the twisted mind behind CrankTexts.com, wherein he texts random numbers and gets into bizarre conversations with total strangers. He performs tonight at 8 at Hilarities as part of his Hampin’ Ain’t Easy 2017 tour, and he has additional shows scheduled through Saturday. Tickets start at $18. (Danielle Immerman) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
FRI
09/15
ART
An Anniversary Party From 5 to 9 p.m. today, American Greetings celebrates the one-year anniversary of its new world headquarters at Crocker Park with an opening reception for its Fine Art Show, an annual art exhibition of visual and literary work created by American Greetings’ associates. Each year, the selection committee appoints a group of jurors with diverse backgrounds and experience in a variety of art, media and literary genres, including playwriting, poetry, memoirs and short stories. Those jurors select the works in the exhibition from hundreds of submissions; prizes are awarded. The American Greetings Fine Art Show remains on view through Oct. 20. Admission is free. (Usmani) 1 American Blvd., Westlake, 216-252-7300, americangreetings. com. ART
All neW
Highlighting 30+ years of induction ceremonies! The hall of fame pays homage to our inductees through an immersive concert-like experience and a space for fans to share their own stories. 1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44114 • 216-781-ROCK • rockhall.com
22
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
*On general admission when showing a valid ID with ZIP beginning in 440, 441, 442 or 443.
A Campus-Wide Opening Reception From 5:30 to 8 p.m. today, the Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, Sculpture Center and Davis Sculpture Gallery host a campus-wide opening reception for the organizations’ latest exhibitions: AAWR’s In the Details, the Sculpture Center’s The Nowness of Then: Lilian Tyrrell’s Disaster Blankets in the Main Gallery and Objections and Connections: Fiber Artists Talk Back in the Euclid Avenue Gallery. In the Details is curated by Lakeland Community College’s gallery coordinator and independent curator Mary Urbas. It’s the second exhibition she has curated AAWR, and features an eclectic range of styles and subject matter intended to stretch and bend definitions of “textile art.” A curated group exhibition, Objections and Connections includes the work of William Marcellus Armstrong, Lauren Davies, Trey Gehring, Penny Mateer and Katheryn Shinko. During tonight’s reception, participating fiber artists will discuss their work in the Euclid Avenue Gallery at 6:15 p.m., followed by a talk with Brinsley Tyrell at 7 p.m. in the Main Gallery. The Davis Sculpture Gallery will host an open house during Friday’s reception. The Sculpture Center’s exhibitions run through Oct. 26, while In the Details remains on view at AAWR through Nov. 4. Admission is free. (Usmani) 1834 East 123rd St., 216-721-9020, artistsarchives.org.
FILM
Mother As a complement to a special exhibition of South Korean painted screens, the Cleveland Museum of Art will show several South Korean movies this month. Mother, tonight’s film, centers on a mother who sets out to prove that her son didn’t commit the murder he’s accused of committing. The movie screens at 6:45 tonight and then again at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is $11, or $8 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. ART
Third Friday As part of this month’s Third Friday at the 78th Street Studios — and also part of Derek Hess’ Acting Out! Fest — Hess’ gallery hosts a special themed exhibition of artwork created by more than 30 artists who have or have been affected by mental illness and addiction. The monthly open studios event also includes an opening reception at Hedge Gallery for the first solo exhibition of new work by local painter Nikki Woods. A graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, Woods is the current acting director of the CIA’s Reinberger Gallery. Entitled Regrets Only, Woods’ exhibition includes new paintings as well as porcelain objects and a multimedia installation. Additionally, E11even 2 debuts its latest themed group exhibition, Cult Classics: A Movie Poster Art Exhibit. The show features original artwork by 22 artists, each themed around a different film. There’s plenty more to see and do throughout the building’s four floors and 170,000 square feet. Third Friday at 78th Street Studios takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. today. Free live music at 9 p.m. on the building’s top floor. Admission is free. (Usmani) 1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com.
SAT
09/16
FILM
3-D Classic Film Series Way back in the 1950s, Hollywood studios started showing movies in widescreen formats and in 3-D to combat the growing popularity of television. Between 1952 and 1955, Hollywood studios produced 50 3-D films using a dual projection system that required audience members to wear polarized lenses. But because of issues keeping the images in sync, studios quickly lost interest. Now, digital technology has corrected the synchronization issue, and the classic 35-mm, 3-D films are available on new digital prints. To showcase the vintage
films, the Cedar Lee Theatre will screen five “golden-era classics” as part of its 3-D Classic Film series. The Glass Web, a rare 3-D film noir not available on home video, screens at 11 a.m. today and at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Tickets are $7. (Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5411, clevelandcinemas.com.
A Special Event at Roundwood Manor A Tribute To Cleveland’s Gilded Age At the Country Estate of the Van Sweringen Brothers Daisy Hill Farm 3450 Roundwood Road ~ Hunting Valley, Ohio 44022
ART
An Artist’s Talk Thanks to funding from the Ohio Arts Council, the Cleveland Print Room recently began a six-week artist exchange program with the Dundee Contemporary Arts Print Shoppe in Scotland. After Glasgow’s Jonny Lyons visited Cleveland earlier this year, local artist Anna Tararova traveled to Dundee, Scotland in May. Born in Russia, Tararova is a printmaker, papermaker and book artist. She received a BA from Cleveland State University, before earning her MFA in printmaking from Ohio University. Now back in Cleveland, Tararova will discuss her residency during a talk at the Cleveland Print Room from noon to 1 p.m. today. Tararova will discuss the work she created in Scotland, her inspiration and her experience of Scottish culture. Pizza will be served during this lunchtime presentation. Admission is free. (Usmani) 2550 Superior Ave., 216-401-5981, clevelandprintroom.com.
Talk by Daniel Ruminski, well known Cleveland Storyteller Cleveland’s Millionaires’ Row and the Van Sweringen Brothers
Sunday, October 15, 2017 | 2:00 pm Private Tours of the First Floor to Follow
$25.00 Admission Fee By Reservation Only Due to Limited Seating Please call 440-951-1323 to RSVP Proceeds Benefit: Gates Mills Historical Society, Cleveland Restoration Society & Hunting Valley Historical Society
FAMILY FUN
Chalk Festival Over the past 26 years, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s Chalk Festival has become one of the museum’s most highly anticipated community art events. This weekend, join the fun with your neighbors, family, friends, local schools and professional artists. Large squares (approximately 3-by-4-feet of sidewalk) can be reserved for $20 (includes a 24-color box of chalk), and small squares (approximately 2-by3-feet) are $10 (including a 12-color box of chalk). It all takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and tomorrow, rain or shine. This year’s event includes a sneak peek at the CMA’s new Nord Family Greenway that will soon connect the museum to CWRU’s campus, as well as performances by Umojah Nation and One World Tribe, and live painting by six Cleveland street painters inspired by the CMA’s upcoming fall exhibitions: Chaekgeori: Pleasure of Possessions in Korean Painted Screens and The Jazz Age: American Style in the 1920s. Watching the artists and enjoying the entertainment is free. Individuals do not need to pre-register, but groups are asked to contact the CMA’s community arts department at 216-707-2483 or
INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 7:00PM REGAL GREAT NORTHERN MALL
FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN AN ADMIT-TWO PASS, VISIT GOFOBO.COM/ BECAREFULCLE
RATED R
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. SUPPLY LIMITED AND AVAILABLE ON A FIRST-COME FIRST-SERVED BASIS. SEATING IS NOT GUARANTEED. THEATER IS OVERBOOKED TO ENSURE CAPACITY. ONE (ADMIT-TWO) PASS PER PERSON.
IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 22 /EVILISTRENDING
@EVILISTRENDING
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
23
YOU AND A GUEST ARE INVITED TO A SPECIAL SCREENING
GET OUT commartsinfo@clevelandart.org. (Usmani) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
SUN SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 16
11:00 A.M. PLEASE VISIT WBTICKETS.COM AND ENTER THE CODE
TLNMSM
TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES! RATED PG FOR SOME MILD ACTION AND RUDE HUMOR.
Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theater (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theater, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.
IN THEATERS SEPTEMBER 22 Soundtrack Available Now
LegoNinjagoMovie.com
#LEGONINJAGOMOVIE
FILM
09/17
ART
For Freedoms With another important election coming this November, MOCA Cleveland presents the return of For Freedoms, an artist-run super PAC founded by artists Eric Gottesman and Hank Willis Thomas. There will be a special panel discussion today at 3 p.m., moderated by Jorge Sanchez, with introductions by Hank Willis Thomas and Dan Moulthrop. Panelists include Abraham Cruzvillegas, Hany ElHibir, Murat Gurer, Leen Midani, Navid Tavoli and Glory Brissett. Thomas is one of the most highly acclaimed artists working today. His conceptual photography explores themes of identity, race, history and pop culture. In 2015, Thomas co-founded For Freedoms with fellow artist Eric Gottesman “to encourage art-based forms of political discourse and deeper engagement surrounding the 2016 presidential election.” In partnership with For Freedoms, MOCA Cleveland is hosting a two-year residency focused on a series of free, quarterly Town Hall discussions co-produced with the City Club of Cleveland. Admission is free. (Usmani) 11400 Euclid Ave, 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org. COMEDY
Hari Kondabolu Hari Kondabolu, a comedian who likes to joke about his ethnic background and the way people always ask him where he’s from, has announced dates for a winter tour. The shows will feature all new material. The New York Times calls the guy “one of the brightest and most politically engaged young performers in New York,” and Kondabolu, who originally worked as a human rights organizer in Seattle, got rave reviews for his debut album Waiting For 2042. He was also a writer and correspondent for the Chris Rock-produced show Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell. He performs at 7 tonight at Hilarities. Tickets are $20 to $25. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
24
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
Monsieur Mayonnaise With last year’s Monsieur Mayonnaise, filmmaker and artist Phillippe Mora tells the story of his father’s participation in the French Resistance. Mora’s movie shows today at 1:30 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it screens as part of the Mandel JCC Cleveland Jewish Filmfest. Tickets are $9, $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
MON
09/18
FOOD
Wing Ding Doodle Blues icon Howlin’ Wolf famously covered “Wang Dang Doodle,” the old blues tune penned by Willie Dixon. Prosperity Social Club in Tremont has adopted that slogan, calling its wing night Wing Ding Doodle. The weekly event features specials on Buffalo wings and cold brews. Prosperity will not only serve up substantial, $1 whole wings, but it’ll also offering meatless Monday “wing” baskets for vegans. Discounted drafts and a playlist of vintage-electric blues and soulful R&B curated by local musician Clint Holley will be on tap as well. Wing Ding Doodle takes place every Monday from 6 p.m. to midnight. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-9371938, prosperitysocialclub.com.
TUE
09/19
MUSIC
Classical Revolution Cleveland Showcasing a variety of classical music performers in bars, cafes and the like, Clasical Revolution Cleveland helps bring classical music to the people. The third Tuesday of every month, CRC brings its wide array of chamber music to the Happy Dog at the Euclid Tavern. Performers like the Trepanning Trio, Anime Duo, students of Cleveland Institute of Music and even Cleveland Orchestra members grace the stage in these exciting concerts. Full of immensely talented performers, CRC re-instills the relevancy of this vibrant art form. Tonight’s free, all-ages performance starts at 8. (Patrick Stoops) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com.
Find more events @clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
25
ART CONFRONT YOUR TRUTHS Derek Hess brings portraits of addiction and mental illness to his gallery By Dott von Schneider WALKING INTO THE DEREK Hess Gallery, we are privy to the unpacking of artwork for the Acting Out! exhibition comprising more than 30 local and national artists who have been diagnosed with or have been affected by mental illness and addiction. Derek Hess, who opened up to the world about his struggles with addiction and bipolar disorder through his autobiographic film, Forced Perspective, is on the front lines of bringing awareness and resources to Cleveland during his four-day Acting Out! festival. Along with long-time business partner Marty Geramita and marketing and events promotion powerhouse Angie Hetrick, he has pulled together a compelling lineup of emerging and established artists. While the artwork in this exhibition is thematically heavy, its duty, as with all art, is to open up a dialogue between the work and the viewer. Here’s a preview of some of the pieces. Graphic design and printmaking student Melanie Dudor has accumulated her experiences in a book titled All My Friends Are Dead. Herself a recovering alcoholic who has dealt with depression and anxiety her whole life, Dudor’s work envelops the struggles of addiction and mental health. The title page depicts a heroin baggie with an Alcoholic Anonymous passage. Unfolding in accordion style is a book containing intaglio print portraits of friends who passed away from heroin overdoses. It is a silent and fervent piece that maintains its impact long after it is viewed. In Corey Remington’s painting, “Obsessive” the artist presents a young girl painted in the French academic style from the 1800s, which, as the artist states, was when the term “mysophobia” (germaphobia) was coined. The girl wears a paper mask with Hello Kitty on the front, due to her obsessive fear of germs, and serves as a link between the past and present for the viewer. The muted tones and expression on the child’s face depict fear, frustration and exhaustion that weigh us helpless. The beauty and sadness behind this painting is
26
overwhelming and all we want to do is comfort this baby. Photographer Dianna K. Arreola’s self-portrait, “Where is My Mind” demonstrates the absolute struggle she was experiencing at pivotal moments in her life. “This piece was an exploration into my own experiences with anxiety and depression, both of which I have been struggling with since childhood. I wanted to show visually what those very internal illnesses actually look and even feel like, and how they visually manifest. I wanted to show the viewer mostly what it looks like to lose control of yourself to these illnesses, how they can take you over and alter the way you view life and your life experiences, especially when navigating different medications that sometimes help you and sometimes make your symptoms even worse.” Derek Carter’s small painting titled “Humbert Rose” is filled with folds of red and black hues with a light that emanates frenetically from the center. The form is haloed and hugged by brush strokes and more light ascending from its outer curves. Despite its modest size, this painting packs a punch — not just visually, but because of the story behind it. In order to paint, Carter must attach a paintbrush to the nub of his arm.
“Humbert Rose” by Derek Carter
the loss of both forearms. The struggle to escape the many layers of psychological and physical pain he endured during his rehabilitation led to a severe opioid addiction that lasted more than a decade. Since that dark period, the drummer and artist has used his support system
ACTING OUT! FRIDAY, SEPT. 15, 5 P.M. TO 9 P.M., DEREK HESS GALLERY, 1300 WEST 78TH ST. ACTINGOUTCLE.COM
Fifteen years ago, Carter was electrocuted on the job while working in a hydraulic lift. His head inadvertently touched a power line, severely burning him and causing
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
and passion for art to create works of stunning simplicity and beauty. Per his statement, “Painting the rose came with a few hurdles (besides no hands), just like addiction. I found a
way of overcoming and conquering. Much persistence, encouragement from loved ones, and letting go of excuses.” Angela Oster, who is known for her whimsical works and her joyful smile, tells a dark tale of her struggle with alcoholism. In a ninepanel series within her illustration “Battle with Bottle,” Oster states, “This series of images is a cartoon narrative of my struggle with alcoholism — kind of a circular trap that I found myself in and a reminder that I don’t want to be stuck in that cycle anymore.”
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
STAGE ANOTHER LIFE SNUFFED OUT And the beat goes on in brownsville song at Dobama Theatre. THE TITLE OF THE PLAY NOW at Dobama Theatre is brownsville song (b-side for tray). And aside from its irritating use of all lower case letters — when will people stop using lowercase letters thinking that they’re being self-effacing when they’re just being precious and pretentious? — the words themselves may need a bit of translating. Brownsville is a low income and historically dangerous neighborhood in Brooklyn, N.Y., where the play takes place, and Tray is short for Tremaine Thompson, the central character in this ambitious play by Kimber Lee. As for “b-side,” that used to be the designation for the loser side of a 45-rpm record. (Remember those? Of course you don’t.) The B-side was the side that you weren’t supposed listen to, and radio DJs weren’t supposed to play. As a result, they were often intentionally bad, and sometimes even recorded backwards to make them unlistenable. In this play, the story of Tray is the A-side, featuring a profile of a young man who doesn’t want his life to follow a predicable path. Working at Starbucks, training for the Golden Gloves, laboring over a college application essay and bouncing lovingly off of his grandmother Lena and 9-year-old half-sister Devine, Tray is on his way to make something of himself. Until the remorseless gears of life in Brownsville tear into him, turning Tray into another statistic. Although the story is a familiar one, playwright Lee attempts to bring freshness to the piece by crafting a non-linear structure in which Tray is dead from the very beginning and the remainder of the play is composed of snatches of memories. Lena takes the stage at the outset and delivers a scathing, heartfelt monologue declaring that this play should not begin with her. And that her grandson was not — not! — just another data point in a study of urban violence and gang activity. He was different. Eliding back and forth in time, we see Tray interacting with his immediate family members along with his stepmother Merrell, who abandoned her family years before
Photo courtesy of Steve Wagner Photography
by Christine Howey
while on drugs. Now she’s back, trying to tutor Tray with his essay and hoping to insinuate herself back into the family’s good graces. At the start, Lena is having nothing to do with Merrell, but as events progress that also changes. Director Jimmie Woody clearly has a deep affection for this material, and he has done the play proud by casting Jabri Little as Tray and Logan Dior Williams as Devine. Little captures the restless, impulsive physicality of Tray, whether he’s jabbing at his Everlast punching bag or dancing joyously with his sister as she practices her role as a tree in a school play. As Devine, Williams is nothing short of adorable, especially
who laces her tutorial sessions with too much dime store motivational yak. Merrell is a confusing and poorly written character, and Cindy Chang doesn’t fully succeed in bringing out Merrell’s true nature, since you feel the actor walking on eggshells, so she doesn’t misstep, instead of relaxing into the role. Lisa Louise Langford is very nearly a force of nature as Lena, and she tears through her lines with a pace and purposefulness that is levitating at times. Still, this Lena is a stereotype of the black matriarch who keeps everything together with a firm and loving hand. One wishes playwright Lee would have found ways to give Lena more interesting
BROWNSVILLE SONG (B-SIDE FOR TRAY) THROUGH SEPT. 24 AT DOBAMA THEATRE 2340 LEE RD., CLEVELAND HEIGHTS 216-932-3396, DOBAMA.ORG
when she drops into a defensive boxer’s crouch in imitation of her beloved brother. When Tray and Devine are on stage, the play is able to overcome some of its flaws and soar. Those flaws include too frequent attempts at scoring thematic points as opposed to crafting character. This happens primarily with Merrell,
dimensions, and thereby given a performer with Langford’s chops an ability to rise above the hovering cliches. The fifth member of the cast is Kalim Hill, who plays a couple of roles. But plagued by enunciation problems, many of Hill’s words go undetected. He should study Langford closely, who is totally in
character and understandable at all times. The production is played on an empty stage where specific set elements are wheeled on and off. And it is highlighted by a gorgeous painted backdrop that is enlivened between scenes by Marcus Dana’s evocative lighting design and T. Paul Lowry’s gorgeous, urbaninfused projections. This overall scenic design by Laura Carlson Tarantowski adds immeasurably to the visual texture of the play. One of the best decisions the playwright makes is to treat Tray’s murder, after a casual street confrontation, as a remembered afterthought. This is the true Brownsville song, and it’s a ballad we know all too well: a good person who is in the wrong place and, for no reason, is cut down long before their time. And soon, no matter how tragic and unfair the circumstances, the song plays on. The implications are left for all of us to consider: How do we stop the destructive music and allow shining individuals such as Tray to grow and thrive?
scene@clevescene.com t@christinehowey | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
27
Early Riser Special Mon-Fri 7am-9am 2 Eggs, 2 Sausages, Homefries & Toast
4
$
99
1332 CARNEGIE AVE | CLEVEL AND, OH 44115 (216) 239-1141
UCK FOODILTRABLE A V A
FREE LOT! G R PARKIN IENT FO CONVSENTOMERS CU
1332 CARNEGIE AVE | CLEVELAND, OH 44115 (216) 239-1141
28
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
Photo by Emanuel Wallace
EAT
Burton-on-Weck Sandwich
CRAZY LOVE Uneven food and service make The Smith, in Burton, hard to embrace By Elaine T. Cicora SOMETIMES, YOU WANT TO LOVE a restaurant before you even peek at the menu: for its setting, its vibe or its charm. That was certainly the case with The Smith, the Geauga County barbecue spot that opened last October on Burton’s town square. Home to an annual maple-sugar festival, the state’s oldest county fair, and a number of Amish households, Burton seems nearly synonymous with a down-home lifestyle. And The Smith, with its gray clapboard exterior, wrap-around porch and charming farmhouse-chic decor, fits right in to its countrified setting, visually signaling the culinary comfort the kitchen hopes to provide. But, as we all know, it takes more than just a pretty face to keep the spark alive. That, too, was the case with The Smith, where amateurish service and inconsistent preparations put the brakes on our romance. Executive chef, and general
manager, William Burke hails from Georgia and appears to know his way around The Smith’s hickoryfired Southern Pride smoker: His pulled pork and brisket are among the menu’s best bets. Rubbed, smoked and served “sauce on the side,” the ’cue gets punched up by three tabletop condiments: a sweet Kansas City-style maple-molasses sauce; a tangy yellow sauce amped up with beer-fermented mustard seeds; and a classic Eastern Carolina-style vinegar-pepper sauce. On the mid-day menu, a “signature” pulled pork sandwich ($11) featured a hearty pile-up of lean, coarsely chopped, slightly dry meat on a toasted brioche roll. We’re charter members of the sauce-onthe-side club, but in this case, an application of the maple-molasses sauce was a brilliant move, both to compensate for the meat’s dry-ish texture and to perk up flavors that, despite Burke’s obvious care, were
sort of sleepy. Served in a darling little half-pint canning jar, a side of chunky cole slaw in a light, mayobased dressing also helped balance the taste. A Buffalo-born companion couldn’t wait to wrap his mitts around the Burton-on-Weck ($12), inspired by Western New York’s beloved beef-on-weck sandwich. And he wasn’t disappointed. Slightly fatty — and therefore more tender and flavorful — brisket, piled high on a toasted roll topped with the requisite coarse salt and caraway seeds, made an engaging stand-in for the traditional rare roast beef; served on the side, the prescribed au jus was smoky, dark and savory; and the mustard sauce ably filled in for the classic horseradish. Both sandwiches came with Smith Fries, thick wedges of justright french-fried spuds with fluffy interiors and salty, crisp exteriors. Lunch-time starters were also
well-executed: meltingly tender, pleasantly tart slices of fried green tomatoes ($8) in a crisp, sumacspiked breading, topped with a drizzle of buttermilk dressing; and the sweet-and-salty fried molasses bacon ($7), lean strips of smoked bacon, dredged in cracker crumbs and then deep fried for a marvelous, delicate crunch. Plated with the bacon were refreshing slices of earthy pickled beets and a homemade dill pickle spear. Execution was a different story on our next visit, the following Saturday night for dinner, when the restaurant was only about onethird full. The kitchen seemed to repeatedly drop the ball. Take the starter of CSA Gnocchi ($7). While the menu used the word “pesto,” what was actually ladled on the pasta was a definitely non-pestolike melange of chopped kale; finely diced zucchini, green pepper and tomato; and so much oil the gnocchi | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
29
NOW OPEN Cleveland’s Only Shuffleboard Bar Indoor/Outdoor Courts
FULL SERVICE BAR & KITCHEN
ENJOY HALF-OFF SHUFFLEBOARD!
4506 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, OH forestcityshuffleboard.com | 216.417.5838
There are plenty of patios in Cleveland but none of them are like the one sported by Forest City Shuffleboard, which opened earlier this summer. That’s, quite simply, because no one else has two full-sized shuffleboard courts on their patio. Butting up to Lorain Ave., it’s the perfect place to go old-school -- it’s not just your grandparents who love and play shuffleboard anymore --
while enjoying a beer or cocktail under the stars (or sun). You can sit around a table anywhere, but what fun is that? Throw some games into the mix and you have the perfect destination for a date, happy hour, weekend night on the town or office function. They do have leagues, so check availability ahead of time at 216-417-5838.
Saturday & Sunday 11am - 3pm
NEW SUMMER
COCKTAIL MENU! The Grilled Beach Bourbon Smash HAPPY HOUR Mon - Fri • 4:30 - 6:30p Featuring...
Enjoy your meal on our newly updated patio! 991 East 185th Street | 216.481.9635 | bistro185.com
30
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
fresh authentic street style mexican cuisine
ENJOY THE WEATHER ON OUR
PATIO!
22811 Lorain Rd. Come Check Out Fairview Park The Best Patio In Fairview Park! 440-734-3276
TRY OUR SUMMER MENU FEATURING TUNA STEAK, WALLEYE & RICE BOWLS
5530 Brecksville Road | INDEPENDENCE
216.264.4344 | tavernofindy.com
PATIO & KITCHEN OPEN TILL 2AM!
HEAVY HITTER Happy Hour © cedC \h_ IPIFCMf ©
$2.00 GL D Z { y Z w| © $2.50 Well Cocktails $3.00 jw Z { y Z w| © 1/2 Off Appetizers
EVENING SPECIALS © W\j[h MPFFfc ©
MON GEH e\\ m } © TUES $5 Burger & Fries WED 1/2 OFF Wine Bottles, $5 Wine Glass & $7 Flatbeards THURS $1 OFF All Craft Beer & $8 Beer Flights
1613 Mentor Ave | 440.350.8226 | eltacomacho.com
HAPPY HOUR
7 DAYS A WEEK TILL 9PM
RELAX ON OUR NEW PATIO WITH
JUICY FIRE GRILLED MEATS,
FRESH TROPICAL COCKTAILS & SOUTH AMERICAN INSPIRED LIVE ENTERTAINMENT. AN UNLIMITED EXPERIENCE MONDAY-FRIDAY 5–9PM ALL FOR JUST $17.95 PLUS TAX &
GRATUIT Y
Patio Rio at Table 45 at InterContinental Cleveland 9801 Carnegie Avenue 216.707.4045 tbl45.com
NOW OPEN voted best patio dining 1146 old river rd. À DW HDVW EDQN
coastaltacobar.com
Cleveland’s Only Shuffleboard Bar Indoor/Outdoor Courts
FULL SERVICE BAR & KITCHEN
ENJOY HALF-OFF SHUFFLEBOARD! Saturday & Sunday 11am - 3pm
4506 Lorain Ave. Cleveland, OH forestcityshuffleboard.com | 216.417.5838 | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
31
Photo by Emanuel Wallace
NOW IN THREE LOCATIONS!
18405 Detroit Ave. Lakewood 216.221.0676
Award WInning
INDIAN RESTAURANT
LUNCH BUFFET 7 DAYS A WEEK
To See Our Other Locations Check Out indiagardencleveland.com
EAT
$5 OFF Your Next Meal Sign Up On indiagardencleveland.com
HOURS: Mon- Fri 11:30am- 2:30pm / 5:00pm- 10:00pm Sat & Sun 12:00pm- 3:00pm / 5:00pm- 10:00pm
Fried Green Tomatoes
$ 19 0 W E E K | 13 W E E KS
LAST WEEK - SEPTEMBER 20 2-page spread each week . Patio Guide is a collection of 12t h page ads with 1 featured Patio location. The featured location will change each week. Weekly interstitial linking to the patio guide and the featured patio each week.
C O N TAC T U S AT 216 . 8 0 2 . 7 2 5 8
were dog-paddling for dear life. Also not quite right: the underwhelming watermelon and goat cheese salad ($7), with perhaps six small cubes of watermelon on a thin layer of lettuce, along with a few goat cheese crumbs, some crescents of pickled fennel, and a at, oily dressing. Unlike the pulled pork and brisket, a half-rack of St. Louis ribs ($18) proved disappointing, so tough and dry on one end we could hardly pierce it with a knife. A side of undercooked pinto beans ($3.50) had the tooth-breaking texture of tiny rocks. While we’ve rarely met a biscuit we didn’t like, this night’s version of The Smith’s buttermilk biscuits, delivered gratis after the starters, was also a headscratcher. Enormous, yellow-tinged, and dense as doorstops, these were biscuits
that lunch visit, when we shared the space with just seven other customers. While our server was not unfriendly, we got the distinct impression that she wasn’t really into us. For instance, the only beverages she offered were water and iced tea; if we hadn’t heard our neighbors ask for the beer and wine list, we would have never known there was one. Likewise, she dropped off our check as she cleared our entrees, never suggesting we stick around for coffee or dessert. (We asked for the dessert menu.) And possibly, too, we should have been thankful that she even cleared those plates. During our dinner visit, dishes piled up to the sky before our sincere but slipshod server thought to clear them. Then again, he forgot to mention the dinner special (sous vide short ribs), forgot to supply the trio of table sauces (we asked, again),
THE SMITH 14608 WEST PARK ST., BURTON 440-273-8039 THESMITHOHIO.COM
MONDAY
TUESDAY
1/2 PRICED Wine Bottles
TACO TUESDAY!
w/EntrĂŠe Purchase
Featuring Margarita Specials!
WEDNESDAY
$4.00 Drafts & Sliders
THURSDAY
Bloody Mary Bar & Brunch for Dinner
Happy Hour
MON- FRI s P -ENU )TEMS s 3ELECT 7INE s $RAFT /PTIONS
991 East 185th Street | 216.481.9635 | bistro185.com 32
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
in name only — unless, of course, your idea of biscuits is as damp, oily, coarse-crumbed paperweights. Accompanying the biscuits was a selection of slathers, including sweetand-smoky whipped butter, clear apple-cider jelly with the bouncy texture of jello, and a peculiar blueberry-cabernet “jamâ€? composed of four or ďŹ ve ice-cold blueberries in thin juices. The jam, incidentally, seemed very much like the blueberry cobbler ($5) ďŹ lling in a lunchtime dessert. While the cobbler was warm, its watery ďŹ lling suggested the dish had not been baked long enough for it to thicken. Maybe we should just have been thankful to get any dessert on
never questioned why the gnocchi, the rock-hard pinto beans and the ribs remained mostly untouched and — as a ďŹ nal ub — charged us extra for a side dish that was included in the price of the meal. We know The Smith has plenty of fans, so we want to think our experience was a uke, perhaps related to the signiďŹ cant demands of the dual roles Burke ďŹ lls. Still, consistency is one of the core values of functional restaurants. Until The Smith can deliver consistently wellprepared food and polished service, our heart will be elsewhere.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
Photo courtesy of Cafe Ah-roma
EAT
COMMON GROUNDS Cafe Ah-Roma provides a Cleveland State gathering space By Billy Hallal FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, ROB Bennett stood with his mother in the wind tunnel of “The Cage,” CSU’s old classroom building. He was looking out at the neighborhood that would play home to the second location of his business, Cafe Ah-Roma. Outside the campus buildings, the neighborhood looked pretty desolate. “I think a tumbleweed blew by,” Bennett jokes. His mother looked over and asked, “Are you sure about this?” She needn’t have worried. The empty storefronts that they saw wouldn’t be empty forever. And Cleveland State, often thought of then, Bennett says, as “a dog of a university,” would significantly raise its academic standing and substantially renovate its buildings — including the one they stood in. Since the downtown Ah-Roma’s opening, it’s formed a mutually beneficial relationship with Cleveland State. Cleveland State has provided a reliable customer base, as well as a reliable stream of employees from its undergraduate population. Ah-Roma, in turn, has provided not just coffee and bagels, but a place for an on-therise university to form a community. “It’s a nice place for professors to go off campus,” says Bennett. Ah-Roma provides a space, he says, where students and faculty can interact in a less formal setting. And as CSU reaches a point where its dining options are becoming increasingly corporatized, it’s a stronghold of the rougher, independent days of the area now known as “Campus Village.” “It was just us, Becky’s, and Rascal House,” says Bennett of the downtown cafe’s early days. Bennett had been running his
first cafe, in Berea, on the site of a defunct Manhattan Bagel. All the equipment was in that shop already. “It only cost $25,000 to get it up and running,” he says. The venue was successful enough that it caught the attention of some customers — including Bennett’s stepdad — who were on a committee at Trinity Cathedral hoping to fill church property with a coffee and sandwich shop. “I felt it was a great opportunity,” says Bennett. This time, though, Bennett was filling a space left totally vacant. “We made a half-million-dollar investment in this space,” he said. “But it’s paid for itself time and time again.” Back in the early 2000s, a shop selling more than diner-quality coffee was still something of a novelty. Bennett recalls customers ordering a French vanilla latte and being disappointed when it didn’t taste like the “powdered mix” coming out of gas station hot chocolate machines. Surprisingly, he is grateful to Starbucks for educating consumers: When more Seattle chains started opening in Northeast Ohio, Ah-Roma sales increased by 20 percent. Still. Bennett values Ah-Roma’s independence. It allows them to play around with menu items, he says, in a way that publicly held entities simply don’t have the freedom to do. And Ah-Roma has some offerings hard to find in most area shops of its kind. Case in point: the spicy feta spread adorning the shop’s flagship “Fiesty Ah-Roma Bagel” sandwich.
scene@clevescene.com t@hillyballal
+ DAILY SPECIALS + CILANTRO, CUCUMBER & CHILI SALAD ........................................ $ 5.95 FRIED CHINESE POT STICKERS .................................................. $ 5.95 SWEET & SOUR MANDARIN FISH .............................................. $ 18.95 PEKING DUCK (3 WAYS) .......................................................... $ 35.95 WALNUT SHRIMP ................................................................... $ 15.95 SALT & PEPPER SQUID ........................................................... $ 12.95 STIR FRIED LAMB TENDERLOIN ............................................... $ 13.95 BEIGING STYLE EGGPLANT ....................................................... $ 8.95 CHINESE KABOB (3) ................................................................. $ 6.50
• PROPIERTOR: SUSAN CEN • CUISINE PREPARED BY CHEF w/30 YEARS EXPERIENCE DINE IN • CARRY OUT • CATERING OPEN FOR LUNCH & DINNER • CLOSED WEDNESDAYS
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
33
Photo courtesy of Barrio
EAT bites TACO TIDINGS Barrio is coming to Willoughby By Scene Staff
The popular Neapolitan-style pizza shop Citizen Pie (15710 Waterloo Rd., 216-417-2742) announced back in September 2016 that it had inked a deal for a second location in Ohio City. One year later, it’s almost time to open the doors. Citizen Pie (2144 West 25th St.) debuted on Tuesday, Sept. 12. Diners will find a similar menu to the Collinwood original but a much larger space — about 1,700 square feet — with plenty of tables and counter seating. “It’s just this tiny little place, but we have become a destination,” owner Claudia Young told us earlier this year of the eastside location. The Ohio City outpost, about a block south of the West Side Market, will likely become a destination too, and will certainly be capable of handling far more customers. The team, which includes chef Vytauras Sasnauskas, will also be adding soft-serve ice cream to the OC menu. “We’re going to take our time with the soft serve,”
34
NONNA PAZZA AND STACK’D OPEN AT JACK CASINO The Jack cut ties with Michael Symon’s B-Spot and Rocco Whalen’s Rosie & Rocco’s this May, when their leases expired. Two new dining options debuted in their place last week. Nonna Pazza is a quick-serve Italian joint serving pasta and flatbreads, while Stack’d, which is open 24/7, offers sandwiches, tacos, burgers and all-day breakfast.
translates to “perfect addiction.” It’s essentially a shot of espresso inside a chocolate-lined waffle cone. Another dessert, Dragon’s Breath, is a candy infused with liquid nitrogen that causes the consumer to literally blow smoke after eating. In addition to its novel creations, Addicted will serve coffee, including nitro cold brews, as well as Country Parlour ice cream from North Royalton. Hours are 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and perhaps later depending on area events like St. Ed’s or Lakewood High School football games.
mission of producing the best allnatural soda we could and getting it distributed to restaurants and retailers. While we have had a ton of fun opening and operating Old City Libations, the resources it requires are not insignificant and often require us to make choices about where we spend our time and money ... and unfortunately, as a small company we simply don’t have the resources we would like to keep both sides of our operation moving forward. Hopefully this is a concept we can bring back at some point, but for now we need to make the tough choice to focus our attention and resources on the core Old City Soda operation.” Photo Courtesy of Beviamo Cafe
NOW OPEN: CITIZEN PIE IN OHIO CITY
Sasnauskas told Cleveland.com. “We want to make it perfect, where we can try different flavors and do some interesting things.”
Photo courtesy of Old City Libations
BARRIO WILL BE OPENING YET another location soon, this one in Willoughby in the former Olivor Twist location this December. The fifth outpost had been rumored for a while; the taco and tequila restaurant confirmed the news on Sept. 6. “We love downtown Willoughby and have been looking for the perfect location for a while. Considering Barrio means ‘neighborhood,’ we feel this is the perfect neighborhood to further expand our brand east,” Sean Fairbairn, president of Barrio Restaurant Group, said in a press release. When it debuts, Barrio Willoughby will be open Monday through Thursday from 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. It’ll join Barrio’s locations in Tremont, downtown Cleveland, Lakewood and Cleveland Heights.
OLD CITY LIBATIONS CLOSES UP SHOP Old City Libations in Gordon Square closed for good last Saturday. The specialty cocktail bar opened last year after winning Cleveland Hustles and securing investment money. Old City Soda, the related business that produces and distributes craft soda locally, will continue to operate. “There are many factors we considered prior to arriving at this decision, and it certainly is not one we took lightly considering our team at OCL and the customers who enjoy frequenting our establishment,” owners Mike Gulley and Sean Adkins wrote on Facebook. “This business started with a
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
NOW OPEN: ADDICTED COFFEE AND ICE CREAM IN LAKEWOOD Kick a stone in Lakewood and it will hit a bar or a cool restaurant. Ice cream is a little harder to find. That changed last week when Addicted Coffee and Ice Cream opened at the corner of Madison and Bunts. Addicted is the product of husband-wife team Vince and Jeannie Brunori. Jeannie, who spent time managing coffee shops in Sacramento and San Francisco, will be bringing some West Coaststyle treats to Cleveland, like the perfetta dipendenza, which
BEVIAMO CAFE TO REOPEN SOON IN NEW, LARGER TREMONT LOCATION Since its opening last year, customers who stepped into Beviamo Cafe on Literary Avenue found a lively but cramped coffee shop struggling to make use of its limited space. Soon, customers will be able to enjoy Beviamo’s coffee and snacks in a larger venue. Beviamo’s new location will be at 2275 Professor Ave., across from the new Crust Pizza Kitchen. The most exciting thing about the change in location, says co-owner Francesca Catanese, is definitely the upgrade in square footage. The Professor location will be four times the size of the original — five, if you count the outdoor patio. Beviamo will expand its food options as well, though the focus will remain on small-bite vegan and vegetarian options. Catanese, who owns Beviamo with boyfriend Danny Rizk, says progress is well underway at the new location and that they hope to re-open in six to eight weeks.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CHICKEN, FISH,RIBS & OUR OWN 13 GOURMET SAUCES!
★★★★★ “Worth the stop & future excursions from the Near West Side in the future.I can’t find one thing wrong with V’s and the woman taking care of us was just the nicest and personable person ever. For all the food we ordered it was very reasonably priced and held up well on the ride home/ Stopping here in the near future is in order as it puts lousy KFC’s, Popeyes, etc to shame in terms of quality, price, and customer service.” - Jesco D. ★★★★★ “I went here after the good reviews and I was impressed. I had the regular/mild batter. The chicken was light, crispy and delicious. The rice and greens is ingenious! They have
a little kick to them but quite tasty. They were buttery and lightly sweet. I enjoyed my meal and will return in the future.” - Ladonna G. ★★★★★ “This is some Seriously delicious chicken. I have lived very close, and almost drive by there daily. Thought it was part of the convenient store, so I would not go there. After reading the reviews and being extremely hungry, I took the plunge, and I am more than glad I did. I will be coming here so much more.” - Stephanie L. ★★★★★ “It’s no joke, best fried chicken in Cleveland. They’ve got plenty of sides, but don’t kid yourself, it’s all about the chicken. While there’s a variety of flavors the staff might not give you many clues past identifying the individual flavors. Luckily there’s a brief explanation of them at the restaurant.” - Noah F.
LET V’s CATER YOUR NEXT EVENT!
t #JSUIEBZ 1BSUJFT t (SBEVBUJPO $FMFCSBUJPOT t #BCZ 4IPXFST t 8FEEJOH 3FDFQUJPOT t 'VOFSBMT t "OOJWFSTBSJFT t $PNQBOZ 1BSUJFT t $BS %FBMFSTIJQT t OR ANY OTHER EVENTS YOU MAY HAVE!
CALL US: 216.738.7000 | 15418 LAKESHORE BLVD. | CLEVELAND
MON-SAT 11AM-8PM SUN 3PM-7PM | vsgourmet@yahoo.com | vsgourmetchicken.com
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR
CATCH THE TRIBE AT MA! $5.75 Pitcher Specials During ALL Games
OHIO STATE -VS- ARMY iWjkhZWoB i[fj GL © JPIFfc $5.75 Pitcher Specials During Game!
BROWNS -AT- RAVENS
i zw B i{ { x{ GM © GPFF 9751 CHES TER AVE. CLEVEL AND, OH 44106 216.471.8956 WWW.URBANCLE.COM MON- SAT: 8a- 9p | Sunday: CLOSED
$5.75 Pitcher Specials During Game!
PATIO SEASON IS HERE! Rain Or Shine Enjoy The Weather This Season!
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
35
AST F R E P U S 9 9 . $1 BREAKFAtySleT
3 Eggs Any S ks or Bacon in L e g a s u a S k 3 Por fries, Toast e m o H d e d d e r Sh Home-Cooked AY
i | ALL D
r Available Mon-F
Break fast Serve d All Da y!
OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK MON-FRI 7AM-3PM | SAT & SUN 7AM-4PM
UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT 36
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
NICK’S DINER 4116 Lorain Ave. Ohio City, 44113 216-631-7757
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
37
38
| clevescene.com m | September 13 - 19, 2017
MUSIC THEY SHALL OVERCOME The pop/R&B act TLC has endured its share of hardship By Jeff Niesel FORMED BACK IN THE EARLY ’90s in Atlanta, the girl group TLC delivered a total of nine Top 10 hits as albums such as CrazySexyCool and FanMail became chart-topping hits. Only the Spice Girls sold more albums during the time period. Now, the R&B/pop band, which includes singers Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, has just issued TLC, its first studio album in 15 years. The boisterous opening tune, “No Introduction,” finds the duo reciting its past achievements to a beefy bass riff and layers of backing vocals. It serves as a defiant announcement of the group’s return. In a recent phone interview from an Ottawa stop on the I Love the ’90s: The Party Continues tour, Watkins and Thomas spoke about the band’s recent rebirth. When the group first formed in 1992, what did you hope to achieve? Thomas: For us, we were so happy we were able to do something that was a dream. We were just excited to perform. That’s what most people who want to be singers are excited about. After that, we hoped that people liked us. The band’s image had a tomboy quality to it. What inspired that look? Watkins: One of the things we wanted to do from Day 1 was to be trendsetters. When we were younger, it was different for women to dress in men’s clothes. We loved wearing our BVDs. The tomboy naturally came from standing up for the girls who did dress like that and were still just as sexy. We made a statement as well that you can be just as sexy wearing baggy jeans. Today, too many people look alike. No one has any individuality.
CrazySexyCool became such a big hit. Talk about what it was like to record that album. Thomas: It’s so funny because when we recorded that album we decided to not be in the studio at the same time. We didn’t want to have to wait to get everyone in the room at the same time. For the first album, we would be in the studio until 6 in the morning. It was crazy. We realized we didn’t need to do it that way. I
can’t remember when Lisa [“Left Eye” Lopes] came up with the title, but she came to us and told us that she had the title. It’s obviously clear to some people why each person has that name. That was our version of “I’m Every Woman.” Every woman has a crazy, sexy and cool side. One may be more prominent than the other, but everyone has all three. I think too that when that album was done we were excited
because we thought it would be a big album for us. That was the sophomore album, and you always hear about the sophomore jinx. We were always nervous because we are humble and don’t take anything for granted, but we felt very good about the work. Watkins: We were overwhelmed. When you do your first album, you have to figure out how to do it and then you need to evolve and move on to
bigger and better things. That beccame one of our most iconic albums. What’s the story behind “Waterfalls”? How did that song come to be? Watkins: Some guys I grew up with came up with the concept. AIDS was an epidemic. People weren’t talking about it. We had some deep conversations about it. It’s amazing | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
39
MUSIC how it came together and that we could talk about something so heavy, and it really did work. I think the video is what set it off. Listening to the song, some people might not have gotten it. But the video made its meaning clear. Million-dollar videos weren’t being made back then unless you were Janet or Michael [Jackson]. We all got to do our own concept for the video. I remember [music executive and producer] Clive Davis not wanting to do the song. He didn’t believe in it. We went to [producer] L.A. Reid to get the support. That’s one of the videos I’m most proud of. A lot of [AIDS] patients said they thought we were their voice and speaking up for them. Talk about what it was like to have to deal with so many lawsuits and internal issues. Thomas: It was the contract we were in. We’re the biggest-selling female group, and we didn’t have any more. We needed to know what was going on, so we filed for bankruptcy. People thought we were doing it just to do it because all they could see was the success. It was the contract. We had to go that route. We had to put that information out there. The labels wanted to settle, but the number was in insult. We stuck to it and won. What got you through that period? Watkins: I feel like from Day 1 being in TLC, there’s always been some kind of drama. Pebbitone Records giving us pennies here and there. It was always a struggle. You had to make do. We never had a chance to
and perform. We represent her in everything we do, so that’s what we do. Your Kickstarter campaign for the new album was highly successful. What was your reaction to the support you received from fans and musicians alike? Thomas: Shock. It was amazing. We were so surprised that we could not believe it. We broke the record. It was like, “Are you kidding me?” We were so grateful and thankful for our fans. Through the years, we heard everyone say they wanted a new album. We did the Kickstarter compaign and they truly got involved and with some of our peers contributing, it was unbelievable and we couldn’t wait to get into the studio. There was extra pressure. It was like, “Oh my god. Can we deliver?” It was an overwhelming, in a good way, experience for us. Talk about making TLC. What was the experience like? Watkins: This one was a lot of pressure. I’m not going to lie. We were both pretty nervous. You have to make the songs come to life. We worked with some new writers. After 15 years of not having any material out like that, there was so much pressure because people expect you to stand up to your standards. After we started to work on it, it started flowing and pouring out. The opening tune, “No Introduction,” has a sense of urgency to it. Watkins: It’s funny. That song started out as an interlude. It was so jamming that we realized it needed to be more than just an interlude. It needed to be a song. I love when the bass hit. It makes me smile real hard. We say some cocky type of stuff and you can only get away with something
I LOVE THE ’90S: THE PARTY CONTINUES TOUR WITH TLC, MARK MCGRATH AND BLACKSTREET 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 15, 1212 WEST SIXTH STREET. TICKETS: $25-$250, ILOVETHE90STOUR.COM
truly enjoy our success because with each album it was always something. That’s been the life of TLC, but we would always overcome every obstacle. Thomas: With everything in life, you need to do what you need to do to win. You can’t just settle. I feel like we’re survivors and fighters. [Singer] Left Eye’s death was so tragic. How did you react to it? Watkins: Same thing as the bankruptcy, except way worse. I don’t think Lisa would have wanted us to stop. It was hard because you learn to heal. Once we started to heal, it didn’t stop Chilli or my ability to dance
40
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
like that when the beat is jamming. I think it was done in a tasteful way. Is it really your last album? Thomas: It’s the last record, but it’s not the last of TLC. We hope to have a residency in Las Vegas and put on a helluva show for everyone to come out and see us there. Watkins: I agree. We have a great body of music, and I would love to continue to play those songs.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
308 EUCLID AVE. CLEVELAND, OH 44114 216.523.BLUE Complete listing at houseofblues.com/cleveland
FOLLOW US:
@HOBCLEVELAND
JUST ANNOUNCED BEN FOLDS
NOV. 5 ON SALE FRI. 10AM
BREAKING BENJAMIN ‘UNPLUGGED’
NOV. 7 ON SALE NOW
DEC. 14 ON SALE FRI. 10AM
UPCOMING SHOWS
ADAM ANT w/ GLAM SKANKS
w/ ROMES, Colony House SEPTEMBER 16
SEPTEMBER 17
SEPTEMBER 18
SYLVAN ESSO w/ Helado Negro
JAKE MILLER
w/ Grunge DNA - Tribute to 90’s Grunge Jesters Revenge - Tribute to 90’s Alt Rock
w/ THE STOLEN, KENDALL SEPTEMBER 19
WIZARD U
SEPTEMBER 20
SEPTEMBER 22
T YGA
w/ Chief Keefer, RJ, Honey Cocaine
HERE COME THE MUMMIES
POTIONS, COSTUME CONTESTS, MAGICAL BREW + MORE! 21+
SEPTEMBER 23
SEPTEMBER 29
OCTOBER 6
UMPHREY’S MCGEE OF THE JAM
w/ LUCY ROSE
COMING SOON
OCTOBER 8
Sept. 13 Sept. 21 Sept. 26 Oct. 2 Oct. 3 Oct. 4 Oct. 5 Oct. 6 Oct. 7 Oct. 9
OCTOBER 14
Tank w/ Sammie, dante Contay Duntea ZZ Ward w/ Cat Clyde Hanson SOLD OUT Gojira w/ Torche, Code Orange Melodime Cambridge Room Against Me! w/ Bleached, The Dirty Nil Dark Star Orchestra - Tribute to The Grateful Dead Here Come The Mummies Alice Glass (formerly of Crystal Castles) Cambridge Room TWRP Cambridge Room
BUY TICKETS AT
NOVEMBER 2
Oct. 11 Oct. 16 Oct. 17 Oct. 23 Oct. 24 Oct. 25 Oct. 26 Oct. 30 Oct. 30 Nov. 3
Theory of a Deadman Wolf Parade w/ Charly Bliss Misterwives w/ Smallpools, Vinyl Theatre Lil Peep Cambridge Room Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox The Front Bottoms w/ Basement, Bad Bad Hats Paint The Skull - A Modern Folk Art Experience Our Lady Peace w/ SMSHING HRTS Brujeria w/ Pinata Protest Cambridge Room Chase Rice w/ Sam Riggs
Buy tickets at HOUSEOFBLUES.COM/CLEVELAND Order By Phone: 800.745.3000 • House of Blues Box Office
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
41
MUSIC ALL IN THE FAMILY Lukas and Micah Nelson talk about what it means to be an ‘outlaw’ WILLIE NELSON’S TWO SONS, singer-songwriters Lukas and Micah Nelson, have each just released new albums that show off their individual talents. Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real recently issued their rootsy, the Band-inspired self-titled debut. Produced by John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer), the album veers from country-ish singersongwriter fare (“Just Outside of Austin,” which features a classic Willie Nelson guitar solo) to soulful dirges (“Set Me Down on a Cloud”). Everything is Bullshit, the latest offering from Micah Nelson’s band Particle Kid, features brittle psychedelic rock tunes. The tranceinducing, Neil-Young-inspired “Everything is Bullshit” thrives on distorted guitars and trippy lyrics. In separate phone interviews, the two brothers, who play with their respective bands as part of the Outlaw Music Festival that comes to Blossom on Friday, Sept. 15, talk about their respective new albums and their father’s influence. Given your upbringing, I would think you started writing songs at an early age. Do you remember the first song you wrote? Micah: I actually didn’t start to write songs until I was a teenager. I started playing harmonica in my dad’s band when I was 3. I’ve played music my whole life. As far as writing my own songs, I think the first song I wrote was called “Mosquito” and it’s on the Insects vs. Robots album from 2013. I wrote it on the charango, which is a 10-string Andean folk lute that I picked up in Ecuador. I don’t know if it was the first song I ever wrote, but it was the first one I wrote that was any good. You have to write a lot of bad songs to get them out of your system to come up with something you don’t hate the next day. Lukas: The first song, “You Were It.” It was good. Dad put it on his record, It Will Always Be. He sang it and recorded it. I was like 11 years old. It was very cool. What is it like to try to establish yourself outside of your father’s huge shadow? Micah: I guess I felt like if I’m
42
Photo by Jacob Blickenstaff
By Jeff Niesel career trajectory as they do. We started off on our own, writing songs and playing rock ’n’ roll. A major music star who’s a major legend asked us to join him and play with his band, and we did. And now we’re doing our own thing, but working with Neil [Young], and put out music that encompasses the best music that I love. I don’t want to get so crazy and out there. I don’t listen to out-there music so much. I listen to organic down-home music like Neil Young or Bob Dylan. I listen to the gentle side of John Coltrane. I listen to Tom Petty and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. I am not trying to push electronica barriers or take people on some crazy train, though that does happen in a live show sometimes. Sometimes, in a live show, we get transcendent and it feels like church and there’s a soul thing happening.
WILLIE NELSON AND BLACKBIRD PRESENTS OUTLAW MUSIC FESTIVAL WITH WILLIE NELSON AND FAMILY, THE AVETT BROTHERS, SHERYL CROW, BLACKBERRY SMOKE, LUKAS NELSON AND THE PROMISE OF THE REAL, PARTICLE KID 4 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 15, BLOSSOM, 1145 WEST STEELS CORNERS RD., 330-920-8040. TICKETS: $38-$87.50, LIVENATION.COM
going to leave something real in the long run for myself or anyone, I should be different from him. He’s been a huge influence on me in so many ways. I grew up with my own influences just like he did. I guess I decided I’d rather be myself and be a lot happier and ultimately more successful if I can do something different and more representative of who I am and who my influences are. It was never a deliberate thing. I just can’t be anyone other than who I am. Lukas: I think for some people, it’s hard to accept that a young person who grew up in a privileged way, compared to most people, could also relate to them when they have pain. It’s hard for some people to find meaning in that, but there are lots of people who seem to find meaning in my music, and it’s separate from my dad. My dad touched people in such a genuine way and the way that music carries that on in a subtle way. It’s like in Game of Thrones: All of them are defined by
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
their parents. It’s a huge part of the character development. That’s how it’s been in our world’s history. We see people and if someone becomes well known, we tend to forget their parents and leave those parents behind unless they’re well known themselves and they form a lineage or dynasty. Talk a little about your new album. What are some of the influences you draw upon for the album? Micah: We might be here all day. There’s definitely Neil Young and there’s lots of David Byrne in there, and some David Lynch in there actually. There’s Bowie. Lots of Davids. There’s Radiohead and Nirvana and Flying Lotus. There’s definitely a lot of Incredible String Band, Beatles and John Lennon and Pink Floyd, especially Syd Barrett. There’s Aphex Twin. Lukas: The Band is one of my biggest influences. We follow a similar
The Outlaw Fest should be a great show. Talk about what it’s going to be like to share the stage with your father and brother. To what extent do you embrace an outlaw mentality? Micah: That depends on what outlaw means to you. To some people, it means wearing a cowboy hat, but it really has nothing to do with that. Originally, it’s about a creative spirit and a fearless, original feeling that comes out of someone who isn’t compromising their art and not trying to cater to anything and is just doing their thing in spite of expectations that anyone might have. That’s outlaw to me. I think everyone could use a little of that. You could get deep with it and think in terms of the idea of thinking critically about something and asking yourself if something is real or bullshit. Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the time, it’s bullshit. At that point, you can decide if you want to subscribe to it and which bullshit works for you as a person. That’s also what it’s about. Lukas: My song “Running Shine” is literally about outlaws. It’s about doing what you got to do to survive. It might not be legal, but it’s still what you got to do.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
+ /;: 3,=,3(:5 * .: + . = 3 ) / ) : + /; .96. 67 0 3 * < ,
SAT 9/166 SA
!!!! ALGIERSS AL
TH THU HU 9/14 9//14 9/1 /1
GBH G.B.H.
-/ -/52.).' ;!= ",+34!2 !2
4(% (% #!35!,4)%3s2!")$ 2%!3/.
WED 9/ 9/133
THE QUEERS TH TH AT THE AATARIS TTAAR TAR A THE THE H MIS MI MISSE
EL TEN TEN EL EELEVEN L SUN 10/22
FRI 10/6
R/,)A) 6)! .%542 INER 2M/./. */( A/(. RIIA
WED 9/20 WE
GHOSTFACE KIILLAH "+! 7!443 7
% !342/.!54 %8
NOW NOW W DEM YUUT
SUN N 9/177
SAT 10/7
THU 10//266 TH
2/' 2/ '%2 (! (!26%9
EN NDO D N
T2!9HE&,!.!.!.!' JAA!'!C!..K FOR RDORITIES S AUTHOR 4(%
/,$"/9 /,
THE GET UP KIDS 0%4 39--%429 DEAD LEAVES
FRI 9/22
MURDER BY !DEATH MISSS MACYY ,/7 0!9 $ $!$$93 4(%
SAT 9/23
TED LEO & THE PHARMACISTS /"./8s&!,,).' 34!23 SUN 9/24
CLOUD NOTHINGS CHROMESTHETIC 342%%4 '52',%2
;/, .96. :/67»: ;/ (550=,9:(9@ >,,2,5+
THU 9/21
TUEE 9/ 9/226 26
6)' )'!42/. $* %3/
BHEEOLM RSIALALEE SE LMS
TIM M BARR$ Y */( /(. ,%/.!2$ TUE 100/100
FRI 10/227 FR
Z!''E!K).34 4( E 4(4(%% '2'2!)!)!). ',54 ', 544/.3 4 .3
SHAAILLOW LEWNEEEENTN EDEDIS SIONCN O ITIO
WED 10 10//11
SU UN 10/2 /299 /2
W HEEL4!4!.! LER! W 4(4(%A% 3(2%$ LKE%$.%#+ R J#+#+3R3 4)- -/.4! TH HU 10 10/1 /12 /1
M OOSERTET YBLOOD MCCAFFFER
THU U 11 11/2 /2
FR RI 100/1 /133
SAT 11 SA 11/4
KEN KE NT AR ARCCHIEE
3!.+ 3! .+52 .+ 52/ 52 / s &,/ /#/ # 4/2 22% 2%3 3
SINKANE
DEAD AD LEA AVES S
SATT 100/1 SA /144
WEED 9/ 9/27 27
SUN N 10 10/155
WED 3/ 3/7
WOM MAN NTR TRA
FRI 9//288
THE WHISKKEY HOLLOW SATT 9/30 SA 3 30
C$//A# A2/2 M")").3P3/. T U 100/5 TH
THE LIGHTHOUSE &0//,!,!2 T232H3Es9/5W H'A&/,+ LER /5.' /5 ;0*2,;: ;6 .96. :/67 ,=,5;: (9, (=(03()3, ;/96<./
^^^ [PJRL[Ã…` JVT
4(% '2/' 3(/0 02%3%.43 !4
(/53% /& ",5%3
R.LLUM.R
AMI INE TOWKIO TUE 10/17
CSORITRTOROIZEN IT Y NOISE
'2% 2 !4 '2! 2!.$0! !
WED WE D 10/1 /18
SMOKINNG POPES CH HRHITSME FARREN WHO HI WH M THU TH U 10 10/1 /19 /1
M E#+S+ &S,!E!-)-R .'/3 CHUPS ",!#+ 30)$%2
!'!).34 -%
4(% '2/' 3(/0 02%3%.43 !4
!'/2!
0)8)%3 THU 11/9 -).53 4(% "%!2 TUE 10/3
4(% '2/' 3(/0 02%3%.43 !4
"%!#(,!.$
P-.O%4%4! O!.3/4! S. ! s 42! 2!.3 .3)4 )4
C#/O2%2%9U9S'2'IN!..$STIZZ
'%%.% .%6! *!# !#5 5:::)
H#))'!2% AR M4 % %A 0,0,0,! R !S9$U!P4%%ERSTAR ' ! %44 '!
WEDNESDAY 9.13 MUG NIGHT THURSDAY 9.14 RAINER MARIA PRE-PARTY THE HOOKUP—College g ID Night with DJ MIKE FILLY L (11pm) OPEN STAGE SOUND SYSTEM Hosted by XELA (8-11PM) FRIDAY 9.15 DEAD MILKMEN PRE-PARTY SATUR A DAY 9.16 DANCE PARTY SUNDAY 9.17 MYSTICA C L SKULL ROOM FUNK, SOUL, AND GARAGE R w/ DJ DAV A EP MONDAY 9.18 SHITSHOW KARAOKE NO COVER! 21+ TUESDAY 9.19 C CAN VAS & COCKTAILS 8-10 pm L RICA LY C L RHYTHMS Open Mic Night g Signups start at 8 pm
WED 10/4
TUE 11 TUE 11/7
$! )% $!. )%, !3 3( ( +%6). +%6 (!3+) 3+).3 .3 0,! 0,!9).' "!5(!5 (!53 (! 3 4/. 3 4/.%3 /. 4/. . 4!)),
, AND A ,/6% 6% 2 2/#+ / %43
Happy Hour Every Day until 9 PM Twitter & Instagram @BSIDECOVENTRY T
SNOW THA PRODUCT
TOADIES LOCAL H
POPTONE
2875 EUCLID HEIGHTS BLVD CLEVELAND HEIGHTS WWW.BSIDELIQUORLOUNGE.COM
SKINNY LISTER FRI 9/15 &2) 35. TUE 10/3 7%$ &2) 3 3!4 3!4 3! 7%$ 4(5 &2)) 35. 5 7%$ 3 3!4 7%$ THU 111/30 45%% 4(5 5
THE DEAD MILKMEN—SOLD OUT! T! 4(% 7()3+%9 (/,,/7s"RO $YLANs4 N HE E +AT +ATY 4(% /54%2 7!6%3s-ITCH CH -A -ADAK DAKs!NTTIXXS UMS SHOWCASE SE 3 ) # # PR PRESENTS 2%''! ! % .)'( '(4 W 4 $* -!5, #!2,/3 ,/ */ /.%3 4(% (% 0 , 5 3 3 "!.$ .$ -/.44!.! /& s0RE -/. 0RESSPPLAY LAY -* "2/ /##/,) ,) 3! 3!-52! 2!)s' .OME 0RO ROJE RO JECT JE 2)#( #()''! 2)# ,5 !s%%,% ,5. ,%!./2 2 &2)%$"%2'%2 2 -5.')/.s4HE (A (APPY Y ,IT Y ,I TLE 4REES +// +/ +// + / !.' . ! 2//s-# ,AR ARSS AR 37).'). 544 44%%23s$A 44 s$ARIUS +OSKI s$A 0!2 !215 !2 15%4 # 15 #/52 / 43s4HE #OOWBO WB Y 0%2% 5"5s s4HE -I -IST ST THE LACS 4(% 7()4% )4% "5&&! && ,/ 5 !.%s"IG "RAVEs# 5.3 #HIL H D "ITE
;PJRL[Z JHU IL W\YJOHZLK MVY HSS ZOV^Z H[ [OL JS\I ^P[OV\[ H ZLY]PJL MLL I` WOVUL MVY H Z\YJOHYNL VY H[ HU` VM [OL MVSSV^PUN SVJH[PVUZ! *3,=,3(5+ )9,(2 9664 *SL]LSHUK ,90, :;9,,; .<0;(9: >PSSV\NOI` /,0./;: 4<:0* :/67 *SL]LSHUK /LPNO[Z 3667 ;YLTVU[ 4<:0* :(=,: *SL]LSHUK 4@ 405+»: ,@, 9,*69+: 3HRL^VVK 9,*69+ 9,=63<;065 *SL]LSHUK /LPNO[Z 9,*69+ :/67 >PSSV^PJR :8<(9, 9,*69+: (RYVU ;/, =05@3 .966=, )LKMVYK >(? )6+,.( 3HRL^VVK @6<5. 205.: *SL]LSHUK
KYLE KINANE
THU 9/14 34 3(/7 3/,$ /54ˆ 0- ,!4% 3(/7 !$$%$
MEWITHOUTYOU
THU 10/5 WITH 0)!./3 "%#/-% 4(% 4%%4(
FRI 10/13
",!#+ 0)34/, &)2%
SAT 12/16 35.
3!9 !.94().' THU 11/9 *2 *2 SAT 11/18 ()00/ #!-053 4(% '2/' 3(/0 02%3%.43 !4
-!(!,, 3
"%34 #/!34
THU 9/14 SOLD OUT! | clevescene.com m | September 13 - 19, 2017 43
MUSIC
MASTER OF THE BOOMIVERSE Rapper Big Boi brings his boisterous solo show to House of Blues By Jeff Niesel IF WE’VE CALCULATED CORRECTLY, next year, Outkast, the incredibly inventive hip-hop duo that formed in Atlanta in 1991, will be eligible for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The group’s penultimate studio effort, 2003’s double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, would launch solo careers for the group’s two masterminds, rappers André “André 3000” Benjamin and Antwan “Big Boi” Patton. Benjamin wrote and produced the tunes on The Love Below, and Patton wrote and produced the tracks on Speakerboxxx. The album also yielded huge hits with the jittery, funkyas-hell “Hey Ya!” and “The Way You Move.” It would take home a Grammy and produce multi-platinum sales. When we ask Patton, who performs a solo show at House of Blues
44
at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 18, if the group belongs in the Rock Hall, he doesn’t hesitate to answer in the affirmative. “Yeah, I think we belong in the Rock Hall,” he says via phone, “for all the accomplishments that we had and being the only hip-hop group to win Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards. We’ve done it all and on top of that going diamond, which is 10 times platinum. I think the legacy speaks for itself.” Patton released his first official solo album in 2010 and has regularly toured and recorded since then. He says he started writing the tunes for his latest effort, Boomiverse, about four years ago. He would take a break from the tunes to tour and record with Big Grams, a side project featuring the members of the indie rock outfit Phantogram. “I never stop recording,” he
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
explains, adding that on this tour he’s performing under one of his aliases, Daddy Fat Saxxx. “We started the songs for Boomiverse before that Big Grams album, but we just let the beats marinate. Sometimes, we sit on beats for five or six years before we put them out. It was like four years in the making. My thing is that you have to evolve every time you write songs. I don’t want the albums to sound the same. Even on Boomiverse, no two songs sound alike. That’s the ingredients and formula that made me who I am today. I try to be a true artist.” He says he regularly aims to “make music people have never heard before.” “The vibes are different, and it should evoke emotion,” he says. “Lyrical content is something we pride ourselves on. Every line is studied and really, really thought out to make the songs gel together as one cohesive project.” He says the title Boomiverse references the Big Bang Theory. “It’s about starting over,” he explains when asked if the album has a concept. “It’s about the graduation and evolution of Big Boi. If you don’t find yourself getting better and better, then why are you doing it? I get turned on by finding new rhyme patterns and approaching songwriting and production differently. I’m oldfashioned. I’m interested in making albums. It’s all killer and no filler every time we drop.” Album opener “Da Next Day,” makes use of samples of strings and features a trippy interlude from Big Rube, who delivers a deep-voiced spoken word bit. “True fusion only occurs at the heart of the star,” he says in a gravelly, ominous sounding voice. “That’s just a song I wrote the day after the election,” says Patton. “It wasn’t about politics or anything like that. It was just me in the studio just
deviates from the album’s other tracks, which draw more from funk and soul than rap. Patton says the deviation is intentional. “It’s one of the hardest rap songs ever made,” he says. “The beat was super stupid hard and the way you have to attack that track is challenging because you want to be ferocious. We call it Jedi rap shit. We’re also students and always learning. To feed off the energy of Killer Mike and Jeezy made for a perfect storm.” Patton and Snoop Dogg complement each other nicely on “Get Wit It,” a song that Patton says came together on the fly. “It was a lot of fun,” Patton says of the recording session. “Organized Noize produced the track. I had the idea for Snoop to be on it because it sounded like a West Coast song. Snoop had a listening party at my studio one night, and he told my engineer that he wanted to do a song with me. I told him, ‘I have the perfect song.’ He said, ‘Give me 20 fuckin’ minutes.’ He got on there and blessed the track on the spot.” “In the South,” a track which features a hook from the late Pimp C, serves as a tribute to Patton’s upbringing. “It’s about Southern pride,” he says. “The South is heavy in music right now. We all make music right now but not the same type of music. At the same time, we give the people what they want, which is a traditional Southern funk jam. That shit will tear your speakers up.” Infectious, poppy tunes such as “All Night,” “Freakanomics” and “Chocolate” successfully capture that freewheeling sensibility that came so naturally to Outkast. Between his solo albums and Outkast, Patton possesses a pretty deep catalog at this point. How does he decide which songs go into the live set? “Man, in the song lineup, I put
BIG BOI 7 P.M. MONDAY, SEPT. 18, HOUSE OF BLUES, 308 EUCLID AVE., 216-523-2583. TICKETS: $30-$40, HOUSEOFBLUES.COM
lyrically destroying shit, and Big Rube comes in with his bit about where music is today. He’s like the voice of god over the track. It’s almost like a narrator who opens it up and sets the stage for what’s going on.” With its hiccupping backing vocals and aggressive vocals, “Kill Jill,” a tune that features cameos from rappers Killer Mike and Jeezy,
like 30 records in there,” he says. “We get up there and go. There’s a visual component to the whole thing that makes it three-dimensional too. We don’t do a lot of talking. It’s an hour plus of nothing but jams and music.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
| clevescene.com m | September 13 - 19, 2017
45
25TH ANNIVERSARY MANY THANKS AND MUCH LOVE TO THE MUSIC FANS OF CLEVELAND FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT THROUGH TWO AND A HALF DECADES OF AMAZING SHOWS
Please join us for ANNIVERSARY WEEKEND pre parties 9/21—9/24 on the Bside patio Food trucks, cheap drinks, and swag bags thanks to our friends from..... PABST BLUE RIBBON Jameson AlTERNATIVE Press Absolut Red Bull Market Garden Brewery Earthquaker DEVICES Gotta Groove Scene Magazine Melt BAR & GRILLED BARRIO TOUCH BETTY’S BOMB ASS BURGERS THE FAIRMOUNT COVENTRY VILLAGE 46
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
LIVEWIRE
all the live music you should see this week Photo by Joe Kleon
WED
09/13
10 X 3 Singer Songwriter Showcase hosted by Brent Kirby: 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., free. Happy Dog. Four Year Strong/Seaway/Like Pacific/Grayscale/Life Lessions: 5:30 p.m., $17.50 ADV, $20 DOS. Agora Ballroom. A Giant Dog/Ma Holos/Goldmines: 9 p.m., $6. Happy Dog. Carol Leslie Quartet: 7 p.m., $12. Bop Stop. Loren and Mark: 7 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Olivia Millerschin: 8 p.m., $5. Brothers Lounge. Rainer Maria/Olivia Neutron-John/ Ex Astronaut: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Grog Shop. Roky Erickson/Death Valley Girls: 8 p.m., $25. Beachland Ballroom. Small Talks/Left & Leaving/Skuff Micksun/Goodbye Gideon/Sarah Arafat: 7 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Tank/Sammie/Dante Dontay Duntes: 7 p.m., $26-$36. House of Blues.
THU
09/14
Danzig/Corrosion of Conformity/ Mutoid Man/Acid Witch: Known as one of rock’s more cantankerous characters, singer Glenn Danzig refuses to discuss the Misfits, the horror-punk band that he founded. The Misfits broke up in 1983. But in 1995, bassist Jerry Only reformed the Misfits, and Danzig sued Only in the attempt to get a cut of the profits from the merch that Only had licensed, allegedly in secret. Danzig lost, and Only carries on the band’s legacy while Danzig focuses on his solo career. Danzig, who grew up in Lodi, New Jersey, in the ’70s, gravitated toward horror at an early age. He liked Edgar Allen Poe and H.P. Lovecraft. He also liked history. He channeled those interests into his Goth-inspired music. And it has paid off. Danzig had a big hit in 1988 with “Mother,” a grim song with bellowing vocals and a heavy guitar riff. While that song introduced him to the MTV generation, he’s continued to steadily cultivate an underground fanbase in the wake of that success (and has even reunited his band
Stevie Nicks brings her 24 Karat Gold Tour to Youngstown. See: Friday.
Samhain on occasion). Expect to hear “Mother” along with other songs from his solo catalog at tonight’s show. (Jeff Niesel) 6:30 p.m., $29.50 ADV, $35 DOS. The Agora Theatre. 38 Special: 7:30 p.m. Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. Best Coast: 8:30 p.m., $22 ADV, $25 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. The Echoes (in the Supper Club): 7 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club. G.B.H./The Casualties/Rabid Reason: 9 p.m., $18 ADV, $22 DOS. Grog Shop. Chris Hatton’s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Jam Night with the Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., free. Brothers Lounge. LoveMuffinpalooza with Dennis & Debi Lewin, Marlene Dietrich & the Artificial Hipsters, Dave Smeltz Experimence/Walkin’ Cane/Vernon Jones Blues Cartel: 7:30 p.m., $10. Bop Stop.
Tracy Marie and David Mayfield/ Maddie Finn: 8 p.m., $10. Nighttown. The Midnight Ghost Train/ Venomin James/Dark Water Rebellion: 9 p.m., $8. Now That’s Class.
FRI
09/15
Stevie Nicks/Vanessa Carlton: It seems like a strange pairing: Stevie Nicks, the Queen of Rock ’n’ Roll, and Vanessa Carlton, the singer-songwriter who more or less hasn’t been in the spotlight since her 2002 piano smash “A Thousand Miles.” But though decades apart in age, the two have been friends for some time now. Nicks even officiated at Carlton’s wedding to Deer Tick’s John McCauley. And now they’re on the road, playing all of the hits separately and also a couple together. (Laura Morrrison) 8 p.m.,
$56.50-$136.50. Covelli Centre (Youngstown). Queens of the Stone Age/Royal Blood: Fresh off the release of their latest album, Villains, Queens of the Stone Age seem in top form right now. With production work from Mark Ronson, the new Queens material has a funky edge to it. The old desert rock vibes are still well intact, but songs like “Feet Don’t Fail Me” provide a new psychedelic dance party to the catalog — something that hasn’t been at the forefront of Josh Homme’s world for the past few QOTSA albums. Expect a setlist laden with the new stuff, but know too that Homme and the guys will be digging into their older material. It’s the perfect antidote to all the bad news happening in the world lately. That being said, this one sold out a while ago. Look for tickets wherever and however you can; you will not want to miss this show. (Eric Sandy), 7 p.m., $45$75. The Agora Theatre. Kenny Blake/Eric Johnson Quintet: 8:30 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Choro De Lá Pra Cá: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. The Dead Milkmen/Doors in the Labyrinth: 9 p.m., $22 ADV, $25 DOS. Grog Shop. Four Year Strong/Seaway/Like Pacific/Grayscale/Life Lessons: 5:30 p.m., $17.50 ADV, $20 DOS. Agora Ballroom. Allen Illg/Emily Gambone/Thomas Kincaid/Brian Patrick: 8 p.m., $7. Musica. Jazz Jam Session: 11 p.m., free. Bop Stop. Carlos Jones and the P.L.U.S. Band: 10 p.m., $8. Brothers Lounge. Li’l Ed & the Blues Imperials (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. LoveMuffinPalooza with New Moon Rising, Bro Dylan/Meg & the Magnetospheres/Kiss Me Deadly: 9 p.m. The Winchester. Outlaw Music Festival With Willie Nelson/The Avett Brothers/ Sheryl Crow/Blackberry Smoke/ Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real/Particle Kid: 5 p.m., $38$258. Blossom. Max Pain & the Groovies/ GrooveTrees/Kind Bud & Love: 9 p.m., free. The Euclid Tavern. Slaughtbath/Communion/ Slutvomit/Manticore: 8 p.m., $10. Now That’s Class. | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
47
LIVEWIRE The Smith Street Band: 8 p.m., $14 ADV, $16 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Moss Stanley: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Travelin’ Johnsons (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. The Verve Pipe: 8 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.
SAT
Even a small donation can make a big difference
HurricaneHarveyAid.org
KentStage The
=HGÍM FBLL MA>L> @K>:M LAHPL MB<D>ML HG L:E> GHP
Rhiannon Giddens
“The Freedom Highway” Tour Sat., Sep 16
Firefall Sep. 22
X 40th Anniversary Tour
John Waite
Tue., Sep. 26
Thu., Sept. 28
Chris Hillman, Herb Pedersen & John Jorgenson Thu., Oct. 5
Fastball Fri., Oct. 6
Lindi Ortega & Andrew Combs Sat., Sep. 23
Carbon Leaf Sat., Sept. 30
Tommy Castro
And The Painkillers Mon., Oct. 9
JUST ANNOUNCED!
Kimkock
Michael Kelsey Friends of Lasa Sanctuary Fundraiser
Album Release Party! Tues., Nov. 9
Fri., Nov. 17
ALL SHOWS AT THE KENT STAGE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED Tickets available at www.kentstage.org or 877-987-6487 GMK [w cw i {{ © a{ B e~ JJHJF
48
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
09/16
!!!/Algiers/Mourning [A] BLKStar: 9 p.m., $16 ADV, $18 DOS. Grog Shop. Adam Ant: 7 p.m., $35-$45. House of Blues. Ray Flanagan (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Get Your Enjoys, ’60s Soul and R$B Dance Party with DJ Alright and Richie Wohlfeil: 7 p.m., free. Beachland Tavern. Rhiannon Giddens: 8 p.m., $27$37. The Kent Stage. LoveMuffi nPalooza with Skychief/ Xela/Deep Fried Jalapeño Poppers: 9 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern. Repeat Repeat: 9 p.m., $10. Musica. Smokey Robinson: 8 p.m. Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. The Spazmatics: 9:30 p.m., $5. Brothers Lounge. Thee Oh Sees/The Gotobeds/Part Time Lover/DJ Alright/Richie Wohlfeil: Henry Rollins recently called them “the best rock band you’ve never heard of,” and he made a pretty compelling point. Despite releasing more than a dozen albums and leaving a deep lineage of punk roots across the U.S. (including at the late Speak In Tongues in Cleveland), Oh Sees remain firmly of the underground. The new album, Orc, continues to shepherd John Dwyer’s frenetic and impassioned songwriting skills into whatever audience will have him. You’d do well to tune in too. It might help to think of Oh Sees as a late-night goodie bag dispensed to guests at an acid test, riddled with mysterious stimulations and distractions for the psychedelic punk voyager. Just spin “Cadaver Dog,” and try to tell us you don’t feel like a cosmonaut. (Sandy) 9 p.m., $19 ADV, $21 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. West Side Punx Connect with Violent End/Udusic/Chiller/
Wetbrain/Der Commissar/Weed Wacker/Roobydocks/Party Plates/Short Order: 5 p.m., $10. Now That’s Class. Andrew W.K./Sweepyheads/ McCafferty/The Venus Flytraps: 7 p.m., free. Agora Ballroom.
SUN
09/17
Jake Boland: 3 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Crown Larks/Vivora: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. Frode Gjerstad Trio Featuring Steve Swell/Four Letter Words: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Howling Giant/End of Echoes/ Dayoldhate: 9 p.m., $8. Now That’s Class. The Jack Fords/Ray Flanagan & the Authorities/Oldboy: 8 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Steve Martin & Martin Short/ The Steep Canyon Rangers/ Steve Babko: Since 2009, comedian Steven Martin has played bluegrass music with Steep Canyon Rangers. Martin rarely tours with the band, but he’s spent the better part of the summer touring with the group. Along with comedian Martin Short, who sings and serves as a comedic foil, Martin has dubbed the show, “An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Lives.” The concert features the Steep Canyon Rangers and Jeff Babko. Also expect some standup, film clips, musical numbers and conversations about Martin and Short’s lives in show business. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $57.50-$115. Jacobs Pavilion. Mike Petrone (in the Wine Bar): 5:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Mutemath: The indie rock band Mutemath doesn’t fit the textbook defi nition of a Christian rock group. The songs don’t make vague references to a higher power and our need to live according to a moral code. And each song isn’t an overthe-top anthem that just oozes righteousness. But the church did play a significant role in the band’s formation. Drummer Darren King met singerkeyboardist Paul Meany in April of 1997 at a church. The two have toured and recorded as Mutemath ever since. Play Dead, the band’s latest album, features shimmering pop tunes (“Hit Parade”) and dance-y electronic tracks (“Stroll On”). (Niesel) 7 p.m., $22-$32. House of Blues. Nick Parrott Trio Featuring John
$1 pints $5 mules HAPPY HOUR
till 8p
m DAI
LY
SLASH
BOOK YOUR PARTY TODAY FOR FREE.
LOVES OUR GAMEROOM!
GO TO TIMEWARPBAR.COM FOR RESERVATIONS
• BIG BALL BOWLING • BILLIARDS • SHUFFLE PUCK • GOLDEN TEE • POWER PUTT • NBA JAM
BACHELORETTE, CORPORATE, BIRTHDAY OR ANY OCCASION.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15
“Coolest local live band venue I’ve seen in a long time” - Slash
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
1988
THE BREAKFAST CLUB
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 .........................SHOUT & THE LEGENDS OF SOUL SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 .....................................................ACE MOLAR FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 ..........................TRICKY DICK & THE COVER UPS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 ............. CARLOS JONES & THE P.L.U.S BAND FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6 ...................................................................... FACTION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 ..................................................THE SPAZMATICS FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 .......................ABBY NORMAL & THE DETROIT LEAN SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 ..........................................................OLD SKOOL FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 ..............................TRICKY DICK & THE COVER UPS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 ........................................ THE BREAKFAST CLUB FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27 ...........................................................VELVET SHAKE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 .......................SHOUT & THE LEGENDS OF SOUL FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3 .....................................................THE SPAZMATICS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4 ........................................................ACE MOLAR FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10 .......................... TRICKY DICK & T HE COVER UPS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 .........................................CLEVELAND ROCKS FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 .............................................................OLD SKOOL SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 ............................................... THAT 80S BAND FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24 .........................................................GRUNGE DNA SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25 ..................................... THE BREAKFAST CLUB FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 .......................................................DISCO INFERNO SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2............................................CLEVELAND ROCKS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8 .............................TRICKY DICK & THE COVER UPS SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9................................................THE SPAZMATICS FRIDAY, DECEMBER 15 ..........................SHOUT & THE LEGENDS OF SOUL SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16 ..................................... THE BREAKFAST CLUB FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22 ...............................................JASON KELTY BAND SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23 .......................................................OLD SKOOL FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29 .........................................................GRUNGE DNA SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30 .........................................CLEVELAND ROCKS
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
49
LIVEWIRE CLEVELAND
Live Music Daily
DiMartino and Ken Pelowski: 7 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Protomartyr/John Maus: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Ben Sollee & the Kentucky Native: 8 p.m., $14 ADV, $16 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Streetlight Manifesto: 7 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. The Agora Theatre. The Workmen’s Circle Klezmer Orchestra: 2 p.m., $10. Bop Stop. Zealyn/Luv Abstract: 7 p.m., $15$50. Musica.
MON
09/18
Skatch Anderssen Orchestra: 8 p.m., $7. Brothers Lounge. Big Boi: 7 p.m. House of Blues. Daisy head/Nominee/Nervous Laughter/Sorry Mom/Seconds to Live (in the Locker Room): 7 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Ice Balloons/Leafborbie & the Family Tree: 8:30 p.m., $8. Beachland Tavern. Nick Parrott Trio Featuring John DiMartino and Ken Pelowski: 7 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Shit Show Karaoke: 10 p.m. B-Side Liquor Lounge & Arcade. Velvet Voyage (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.
TUE
$5 off
*
CLEVELAND
ANY $25 RESTAURANT PURCHASE AT MARGARITAVILLE CLEVELAND *Offer may not be combined with any other coupon or discount. Excludes alcohol. Valid at Margaritaville Restaurant Cleveland. Limit one offer per table. Must show offer to receive promotion. Offer expires 10/31/17. SCENE5OFF
Located at Flats East Bank 1150 Front Ave. • Cleveland, OH 44113
WWW.MARGARITAVILLECLEVELAND.COM • (216) 615.8855 50
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
09/19
Funk You/Red Rose Panic: 8:30 p.m., free. Beachland Tavern. The Galactic Cowboy Orchestra: 7 p.m., $12. Bop Stop. Grog Shop 25th Anniversary with The Queers/The Ataris: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Grog Shop. An Intimate Evening of Songs and Stories with Graham Nash: 8 p.m., $95. Music Box Supper Club. Jake Miller/The Stolen: 7 p.m., $20-$30. House of Blues. Our Great Country Night with Mary Taylor Brooks/Dan Covil/Danny McFadden/Hank Hess (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Outlab Session: 9 p.m., free. Bop Stop. Wire/Noveller: 8 p.m., $20.50 ADV, $25 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.
scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene
BAND OF THE WEEK RACHEL BROWN & THE BEATNIK PLAYBOYS By Jeff Niesel MEET THE BAND: Rachel Brown (vocals, piano), Bill Watson (bass), Dave Huddleston (guitar), Roy King (drums) A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY: Brown’s religious parents regularly listened to old-time country music and that left a lasting impression on the singer-pianist. “My folks were big into honky tonk stuff,â€? says Brown, a Medina native. “I grew up listening to George Jones and Merle Haggard and Loretta Lynn, and that was ingrained in me as a kid. The radio was always on. It was all we listened to. Those are inuences, but I love blues as well. I’m a fan of early blues. My family is really musical.â€? BANDED TOGETHER: It took years for Brown to issue her studio debut, 2012’s Just Look My Way. But she’s become more proliďŹ c in the wake of that release. Her new album, Look
Who’s Back, represents her third album with her backing band, the Beatnik Playboys. The band came together after Brown had taken a hiatus from performing. “I got tired of playing country covers and it made me hate playing music,� she says. “I made a home studio and wrote for my own enjoyment.� She and Watson began working on original material together and eventually started playing coffeehouses. “The band grew out of that,� Brown says. “The whole model is that we play what we want to play. If people like it, great. Surprisingly enough, it’s been going well. We’ve been together almost 10 years now.� The band plays “a mixed bag� of swing, country and blues. “If we like it, we try to make it our own,� says Brown.
WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: Brown & Co. recorded Look Who’s Back with
engineer Paul Hamann at his Suma Recording Studios in Painesville. “It was a labor of love on a lot of levels,â€? says Brown. “We love it there and like working with Paul.â€? Brown’s supple voice sounds terriďŹ c on tunes such as the twangy “Blue Diamondâ€? and “Texas Moon,â€? a song that features the Cleveland Orchestra violinist Emma Shook, whom Brown met through the side project Sisters in Song. Shook plays on four songs. Tunes such as the rollicking title track feature bar room piano ďŹ lls and bluesy vocals. “I’m pretty consistent with what I write,â€? says Brown. “[This album] is different from the previous album because the last one was stone-cold
roots. This one is all over the place. I’ve enjoyed playing the piano more. I’ve gotten into old rockabilly. Some of the songs are silly because they’re fun to play. I’m having fun being obnoxious.�
WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: rachelandthebeatnikplayboys.com. WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Rachel Brown & the Beatnik Playboys perform at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 16, at G.A.R. Hall in Peninsula.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT 56&4%": 4&15&.#&3 r 1.
SWING CITY BIG BAND
'3*%": 4&15&.#&3 r 1.
DISCO INFERNO
56&4%": 4&15&.#&3 r 1.
SWINGTIME
'3*%": 4&15&.#&3 r 1.
SHOUT!
Great music, food and drink BOOK YOUR SPECIAL EVENTS WITH US.
Find your happy hour. 'RZQORDG 6&(1(¡V RԀFLDO happy hour app today! clevescene.com/happyhours
1414 RIVERSIDE DRIVE L AKEWOOD HGLCMLMCKHFH Š l…‰~y‚‹xDy…ƒ
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
51
WANNA VAPE?
C-NOTES
CALL US!
216-251-3425
/RUDLQ $YHQXH ‡ &OHYHODQG SMOKE ZONE II ‘˜‡ —ƼÂ? ƒŽ‘‘œƒ ͚͙͘Í&#x; „‡Â?‡Ƥ– ˆ‘” Ї ƒ–Ї”‹Â?‰ Žƒ…‡ ‡’–‡Â?„‡” Í™ÍœÇŚÍ™Íž
e Lovuffinza M loo Pa2017
‡’– ͙͜ Ěť ‘’ –‘’ ÍšÍĄÍšÍ˜ ‡–”‘‹– ˜‡ ‘‘”• Ěť Í&#x;ÇĄ —•‹… Ěť Í&#x;ÇŁÍ›Í˜ ÇŁ ‡Â?– ĆŹ Â?‰‡Ž‹…ƒ ‘ˆ
‡Â?Â?ƒ †ƒÂ?• ‡Â?Â?‹• ĆŹ ‡„‹ ‡™‹Â? ƒ˜‡ Â?‡Ž–œ 𒇔‹Â?‡Â?…‡ ƒ”އÂ?‡ ‹‡–”‹…Š ĆŹ Ї ÂƒÂ”Â–Â‹Ć¤Â…Â‹ÂƒÂŽ Š‹’•–‡”• ƒŽÂ?‹Â? ƒÂ?‡ ‡”Â?‘Â? ‘Â?‡• Ž—‡• ƒ”–‡Ž
‡’– Í™Í? Ěť ‹Â?…Ї•–‡” ͙͚͙͙͚ ƒ†‹•‘Â? ˜‡ ‘‘”• Ěť Í ÇĄ Â?—•‹… Ěť ÍĄ ‡™ ‘‘Â? ‹•‹Â?‰ ”‘ ›ŽƒÂ? ‡‰ ĆŹ Ї ƒ‰Â?‡–‘•’Ї”‡• ‹•• ‡ ‡ƒ†Ž›
™™™ǤŽ‘˜‡Â?—ƼÂ?”‡…‘”†•Ǥ…‘Â?
HAPPY HOUR MON-FRI 3-7PM
‡’– ͙͞ Ěť —…Ž‹† ƒ˜‡”Â? ͙͙͚͞Í? —…Ž‹† ˜‡ ‘‘”• Ěť ÍĄÇĄ Â?—•‹… Ěť ͙͘ Â?›…Š‹‡ˆ ‡Žƒ ‡‡’ ”‹‡† ƒŽƒ’‡Â?‘ ‘’’‡”•
™™™Ǥ–‘—…Ї†„›…ƒ�…‡”Ǥ‘”‰
11609 DETROIT AVE CLEVELAND 216.226.2767 brotherslounge.com LIKE US:
Best Of The West Winner
CHECK OUT OUR MENU
WINE BAR
8&% t
OLIVIA MILLERSCHIN
'3* t
CARLOS +0/&4
& THE P.L.U.S. BAND 4"5 t
41";."5*$4 56& t
ACCIDENTAL COMEDY 8&% t
NAUGHTY PROFESSOR Funk/Soul
'3* t
TRAVELIN’ +0)/40/4
4"5 t
RAY FLANAGAN &7&3: 46/%": t
MIKE PETRONE
&7&3: .0/%": t +";; t
VELVET VOYAGE 56&4 t
GREAT COUNTRY NIGHT!
MARY TAYLOR BROOKS DAN COVIL, DANNY McFADDEN & HANK HESS &7&3: 8&%/&4%": t 9 4*/(&3 40/(83*5&3 SHOWCASE W/BRENT KIRBY contact: harvesttownmusic@gmail.com
&7&3: 5)634%": t
CHRIS HATTON’S MUSICAL CIRCUS
"-- (&/3&4 t "-- 45:-&4
8&% t $5 BURGER NIGHT 5:00-10:00 .0/ t 8*/( /*()5 5:00-10:00 SKATCH ANDERSSEN ORCHESTRA (Big Band Jazz) 8:00
56&4 t SUSHI 5:00-10:00 LADIES NIGHT 7:00PM-2:30AM ."35*/*4 t 8*/& t $)".1"(/& 1/2 PRICE SELECT WINE BOTTLES
52
5)6 t SHRIMP/CHICKEN TACOS
5:00-10:00 BAD BOYS OF BLUES JAM NIGHT 9:00
'3* t MUSSELS 5:00-10:00
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
Brian Lisik embraces the sweaty side of his sound.
NO APOLOGIES Singer-songwriter Brian Lisik returns with a raucous new album By Jeff Niesel SINGER-SONGWRITER BRIAN Lisik will celebrate the release of We’re Sorry, the followup to his critically acclaimed 2015 release, Curtisinterruptedus, with a concert at Jilly’s in Akron. The event takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Lisik recorded the album over six days at the former Gardner Pie Company factory (a space that also doubles as a scuba diving training facility and occasional rehearsal space for Black Keys’ guitarist Dan Auerbach). “Another Friday Night,â€? which he recorded on the ďŹ rst anniversary of the death of frontman Lemmy Kilmister, features a Ray Flanagan guitar solo and serves as a tribute to the hard-rock hero. Album opener “Hey Zelienople!â€? features piano and howling vocals and comes off like Wilco on steroids as Lisik embraces the gritty side of his sound. “People tend to forget that I started out in sweaty, loud, mostly out of tune rock bands — and live at least, I haven’t really evolved all that much, truth be told,â€? Lisik says in a press release announcing the album’s release. “I ďŹ nd a lot of artists write to escape who they know they are — and maybe don’t like. I’ve always used it to ďŹ gure out who I am. And I’m kind of starting to like the guy.â€? As for the album title, Lisik says he didn’t give it a ton of thought. “We had a lot of titles for this album, but the right one always seems to kind of fall out of the air when it needs to,â€? he says. “So the title, I guess, says, ‘We’re sorry if this sucks, but then again, if you don’t like it, we’re sorry — that’s all you get.’â€?
LOVEMUFFINPALOOZA CELEBRATES ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY Now in its 10th year, this year’s incarnation of the local music festival LoveMufďŹ nPalooza will take place from Thursday through Saturday at the Bop Stop, Winchester and Euclid Tavern. In the wake of the death of organizer Adam Rich’s cousin, who passed away from cancer, Rich partnered with the Gathering Place, a local cancer support center with locations in Beachwood and Westlake, and turned the festival into a fundraising event. Bands will donate their pay, and the Gathering Place will receive proceeds from a series of rafes. Kent & Angelica of WERE 1490 AM radio will be the emcees for the ďŹ rst night. At 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Bop Stop, guest speaker Deanna Adams appears along with musical acts Dennis & Debi Lewin, Marlene Dietrich & the ArtiďŹ cial Hipsters, Dave Smeltz Experimence, Walkin’ Cane and Vernon Jones Blues Cartel. New Moon Rising, Bro Dylan, Meg & the Magnetospheres and Kiss Me Deadly will perform at 8 p.m. on Friday at the Winchester. Skychief, Xela and Deep Fried JalapeĂąo Poppers will perform at 9 p.m. on Saturday at the Euclid Tavern.
jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel
BOP STOP
Winner Of
2015/2016 Scene Magazine Best Jazz Club & 2014 Fox 8 Best Nightspot
Voted “Best Jazz and Blues” on Cleveland Hot List 2017
“Best Date Night” by users of eHarmony
9/13 | 7PM
9/14 | 7:30PM
9/15 | 8PM
CAROL LESLIE QUARTET
LOVE MUFFIN PALOOZA WITH WALKIN’ CANE, DAVE SMELTZ, AND MORE!
CHORO DE LÁ PRA CÁ
$12
$10
9/15 | 11PM
9/16 | 7PM
JAZZ JAM SESSION
NETWORKING IS DEAD
FREE
$49
(SPACES CO-PRODUCTION) $15 9/17 | 2PM
WORKMEN’S CIRCLE KLEZMER ORCHESTRA $10
9/17 | 8PM
9/19 | 7PM
FRODE GJERSTAD TRIO STEVE SWELL/ FOUR LETTER WORDS
GALACTIC COWBOY ORCHESTRA
$15
$12
9/20 | 7PM
9/21 | 7PM
9/22 | 8PM
ERIC SEDDON PRESENTS “SIDNEY BECHET”
DAN BRUCE TRIO
FABIAN ALMAZAN TRIO
$12
$12
$20
FEATURING
9/19 | 9PM
OUTLAB SESSION FREE
Bar sales directly support The Music Settlement and its many programs. Tickets to the second sets of our shows are half price for students
INVITE YOU TO THE CLEVELAND ADVANCE SCREENING OF
Electric Guitars & Basses The best selection in Northeast Ohio gets bigger and better all the time!
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 7:30PM CINEMARK VALLEY VIEW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO ENTER THIS CONTEST TO WIN AN ADMIT-TWO PASS, LOG ON TO GOFOBO.COM/KINGSMANCLE *WHILE SUPPLIES LAST
KINGSMAN: THE GOLDEN CIRCLE HAS BEEN RATED R BY THE MOTION PICTURE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA FOR “SEQUENCES OF STRONG VIOLENCE, DRUG CONTENT, LANGUAGE THROUGHOUT AND SOME SEXUAL MATERIAL.”
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON. SEATING AT THE SCREENING IS FIRST-COME, FIRST-SERVED AND IS NOT GUARANTEED. PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY. WINNERS WILL BE CHOSEN AT RANDOM. WINNERS WITHIN THE PAST 30 DAYS ARE INELIGIBLE.
IN THEATRES SEPTMBER 22 #Kingsman | /KingsmanMovie /KingsmanMovie | /KingsmanMovie
135 S. Water St. Kent, OH 330-673-1525 woodsysmusic.com | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
53
ALWAYS OPEN FOR SWIMMING AND CAMPING
FALL BADFISH SEPT 29-30TH
2 NIGHTS WITH
BADFISH! OCT 6-8TH
LAZY DAISY FESTIVAL ALWAYS OPEN FOR SWIMMING & CAMPING
54
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
OFF ONE FREE ANY10% DVD, GAME OR VHS
ADULT MOVIE RENTAL with 2 or more paid. Expires 9/27/17
purchase of $25 or more. Expires 9/27/17
NEW TIME CLOSINGM 10P
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
55
56
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
SAVAGE LOVE GIRLS AND SEX by Dan Savage Dear Dan, My teenage daughter just came out to us as gay. We told her we love her and support her. As a heterosexual, cisgender mother, how do I make sure she gets good advice about sex? I don’t want her learning from other kids or porn. Do you know of any good, sex-positive advice books for lesbian teens? — My Inspiring Daughter Deserves Lesbian Education “I wish every parent felt this way about their child’s sexual development, regardless of the child’s gender identity or sexual orientation,” said Peggy Orenstein, author of Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape. “All young people — girls especially — need open, honest discussions about sexual ethics, including talking about pleasure, respect, decision-making, and reciprocity, or we are leaving them at the mercy of the messages they get from both the mainstream and ‘adult’ entertainment industries.” Orenstein’s book — required reading for parents of girls and boys — drives home the need for comprehensive sex-education programs emphasizing the giving and receiving of pleasure. In the absence of sex-ed programs that empower girls to see themselves not just as instruments of another’s pleasure but as autonomous individuals with a right to experience sexual pleasure — with a partner or on their own — girls wind up having a lot of consensual but crappy sex. That said, MIDDLE, one big takeaway from Orenstein’s research should come as a comfort to you: Bi and lesbian girls enjoy an advantage over their heterosexual peers. “In some ways, MIDDLE can feel more confident about her daughter as a gay girl,” said Orenstein. “Lesbian and bisexual girls I spoke to for Girls & Sex would talk about feeling liberated to go ‘off the script’ — by which they meant the script that leads lockstep to intercourse — and create encounters that truly worked for them. I ended up feeling that hetero girls — and boys, too — could learn a lot from their gay and bisexual female peers. And I
don’t mean by watching otherwise straight girls make out on the dance floor for the benefit of guys.” Since gay and bisexual girls can’t default to PIV intercourse, and since there’s not a boy in the room whose needs/dick/ego they’ve been socialized to prioritize, queer girls have more egalitarian and, not coincidentally, more satisfying sexual encounters. “Young women are more likely to measure their own satisfaction by the yardstick of their partner’s pleasure,” said Orenstein. “So heterosexual girls will say things such as, ‘If he’s sexually satisfied, then I’m sexually satisfied.’ Men, by contrast, are more likely to measure satisfaction by their own orgasm. But the investment girls express in their partner’s pleasure remains true regardless of that person’s gender. So the orgasm gap we see among heterosexuals (75 percent of men report they come regularly in sexual encounters versus 29 percent of women) disappears in same-sex encounters. Young women with same-sex partners climax at the same rate as heterosexual men.” As for good, sex-positive resources for teens of all identities and orientations, Orenstein had some great recommendations. “I’m a big fan of Heather Corinna’s S.E.X.: The All-You-Needto-Know Sexuality Guide to Get You Through Your Teens and Twenties,” said Orenstein. “She also produces the Scarleteen.com website, which is fabulous. Other inclusive, sexpositive, medically accurate websites include Sexetc.org and Goaskalice. columbia.edu. And MIDDLE could think about giving her daughter a subscription to OMGYes.com, an explicit (but not tawdry) site that educates about the science of female pleasure. And finally, I think everyone who is a woman — or has had sex with a woman or ever hopes to — should read Emily Nagoski’s book Come As You Are. Even if you think you know it all, Nagoski’s book will transform your sex life.” Follow Orenstein on Twitter @ peggyorenstein.
REAL PEOPLE REAL DESIRE REAL FUN.
Try FREE: 216-377-6292 More Local Numbers: 1-800-926-6000
Ahora español Livelinks.com 18+ | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
57
PHONE LINES 100’s OF SEXY LATINO SINGLES Meet Hot Latin Locals! Get your FREE trial! 18+ 216.626.7777 440.325.7777 www.questchat.com
ALL KINDS OF SINGLES Straight 216-912-2222 Curious 216-912-6000 FREE Code 3227, 18+
Find your happy hour.
CALL NOW, MEET TONIGHT! FREE to try! 18+ 216.626.7777 / 440.325.7777 Other Cities: 1.888.257.5757 www.questchat.com
EXPLICIT CHAT WITH SEXY LOCALS
Get your FREE TRIAL! 18+ CALL The Night Exchange NOW! 216.502.4388 / 440.499.6400 www.nightexchange.com
FUN SEXY SINGLES
Send Message FREE! 216-912-2222 Use FREE Code 3229, 18+
'RZQORDG 6&(1(·V RԀFLDO happy hour app today! clevescene.com/happyhours
Hot Guys! Hot Chat! Hot Fun! Call FREE! 216-377-6300 or 800-777-8000 18+ www.guyspyvoice.com
HOT LOCAL URBAN SINGLES!
Are looking to hook up now! Try it FREE! 18+ 216.367.1010 / 440.424.0303 www.metrovibechatline.com
LOCAL LESBIAN SINGLES Reply to Ads FREE! 216-912-6000 FREE Code 2643, 18+
Make a Connection. Real People, Flirty Chat Call FREE! 216-377-6292 or 800-926-6000 www.livelinks.com 18+
MEET GAY & BI LOCALS
Browse & Respond FREE! 216-912-6000 Use FREE Code 2642, 18+
Where Local Girls Go Wild!
Call 216-377-6290 or 800-700-6666 Try FREE! www.redhotdateline.com
WHERE SINGLES MEET
Listen to Ads & Reply FREE! 216-912-2222 FREE Code 3228, 18+
Always FREE to listen and reply to ads!
Cleveland:
(216) 377-6336
www.megamates.com 18+
Your premier choice for classy & fun entertainment providing firstrate entertainment for all occasion, including a wet & wild bachelor parties, divorce parties, birthday celebrations & retirement parties! Whatever the reason is that you request our services, rest assured that we have what you’re looking for! Our carefully selected adorable playmates cater to any occasion! We offer a diverse selection of exotic, classy, sophisticated & gorgeous ladies for you to choose from.
58
| clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
Massage - Licensced REAL EYES RELAXATION
The Touch Your Body Deserves Experience The Touch !!! 3834 W.140St. Cleve,OH,44111 (216)322-7895 Mon-Fri, 12-10pm, Sat-Sun 1-7pm
Bulletin Board WANTS TO PURCHASE
minerals and other oil & gas interests. Send details P.O. Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201
WE BUY OLD ROCK CONCERT T-SHIRTS
Get ďŹ t. Get paid.
BIG FUN
Part-time PACKAGE HANDLERS
ELBUR
Located on a private tree lined street, 1BR and 2BR suites available. Off-street parking available. Heat included. 216-392-5384.
Rentals: West/Suburbs
BROOKSIDE OVAL APARTMENT Located on Park Fulton Oval near the Cleveland Metroparks! 216-351-6936 Choose from any of our newly remodeled 1 & 2 bdrm apartments, all w/ modern kitchens & bathrooms. All feature air-conditioning & Garage parking also available. Brookside is located close to I-480, I-71, and I-90, just minutes from downtown Cleveland. Come home to the beautiful park-like setting of Brookside Apartments! You’ll be happy to call Brookside home.
NORTH
Upgraded suites. Efficiencies and 1BR available. Off-street parking available. 216-392-5384
1814 Coventry Rd, Cleveland Hts. 216-371-4386
Open desires... Hidden identities...
redhotdateline.com 18+
FREE TRIAL
Discreet Chat Guy to Guy
PARKSIDE
Spacious 1BR and 2BR suites available. Steps from Lakewood Park. Heat included. 216-392-5384
WATERBURY
Large, remodeled 1br and 2 BR suites. Heat included. Off-street parking available. 216-392-5384.
WE WENT OUT WHEN YOU COULDN’T. EVENT SLIDESHOWS. ONLY AT CLEVESCENE.COM
METRO LOFTS APARTMENT Located at 3307 Scranton Rd., in Cleveland. 216-351-6936. 21 Loft Style Apartments Secured Entry Off-Street Parking Available Pets welcome w/ fee Central A/C
SCENE
Playmates or soul mates, you’ll ďŹ nd them on MegaMates
Real Estate: West/Suburbs Hedgewood Manor Spacious updated 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom suite, Secured entry, laundry on site. Air conditioning. 440-829-8444.
Real Estate Services
Always FREE to listen and reply to ads!
EDGECLIFF
Large, upgraded suites. Heat included. Overlooking the metro parks. Free off-street parking available. 216-392-5384
For more information, go to
GroundWarehouseJobs.fedex.com
FedEx Ground
More Local Numbers: 1-800-700-6666
18900 Detroit Extension Newly Renovated 1-2 Bedroom Apts Heat & Water Included Updated Laundry on Site Off Street Parking Air Conditioning Secure Entry Lake and Park Views Call for our Specials 216-392-5384 *****some restrictions apply*****
QualiďŹ cations: s !BILITY TO LOAD UNLOAD SORT PACKAGES s YEARS OR OLDER s 0ART TIME DAYS WEEK OR HR PLUS beneďŹ ts to start, scheduled raises s-UST PASS BACKGROUND CHECK
PARK PLACE
Spacious 1BR and 2BR suites available. Steps from Edgewater Park. Heat included. Off-street parking available. 216-392-5384
Try FREE Now: 216-377-6290 LAKEWOOD CLIFFS APARTMENTS
For part-time Package Handlers at FedEx Ground (2 locations) and Home Delivery, it’s like a paid workout. The work’s demanding, but the rewards are big. Come join our team, get a weekly paycheck, tuition assistance and break a sweat with the nation’s package delivery leader.
Cleveland:
(216) 377-6345
www.megamates.com 18+
216.626.0320
#OLUMBIA 2OAD
2ICHlELD /( %AST !URORA 2D 4WINSBURG /( %QUAL /PPORTUNITY !FlRMATIVE !CTION %MPLOYER - & $ 6 #OMMITED 4O ! $IVERSE 7ORKFORCE &EDEX COM US CAREERS
HOME BUYERS!!!
FREE MONEY!!! DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAM*
BUY YOUR DREAM HOME!!! Plus Get Up To $100k + More* (for new kitchen, new roof, new carpet, appliances, paint, basement waterprooďŹ ng, windows, heating & cooling)*
NEVER EVER EVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BUY A HOME!!! Great Low Fixed Interest Rates* When YOUR dreams come true... OUR dreams come true!!!
440.342.7355 (SELL) To Buy...or Sell
Call Grizzell *Some restrictions may apply *for those who qualify... we consider...
'//$ #2%$)4 s "!$ #2%$)4 s "!.+2504#9 | clevescene.com | September 13 - 19, 2017
59
OHIO’S PREMIER
SMOKE SHOP & TATTOO SUPPLY HEADQUARTERS! Serving Ohio for 15 Years and Counting!
NEWLY REMODELED LORAIN STORE! CLEVELAND 4264 Pearl Rd. 216.749.3440
BARBERTON
LORAIN
536 W. Tuscarawas 832 Broadway 440.242.4080 330.753.0500
INCENSE VAPORIZERS 420 CLEANER BUTANE TORCHES HUGE SELECTION OF GLASS PIPES CHEAP DIGITAL SCALES DETOX GRINDERS MUCH MORE!
AKRON 1004 Kenmore Blvd. 330.753.3600
EASTLAKE
STRONGSVILLE
GIRARD
MANSFIELD
32888 Vine St. 440.942.8668
19097 Drake Rd. 440.572.8287
16 N. State St. 330.545.8131
532 Park Ave. West 419.522.1695
NOW HIRING!
BARBERTON CLEVELAND EASTLAKE
NEW & UNIQUE COLLECTABLES!
6FT BATMAN & HARLEY QUINN -CLEVELAND STORE-
www.glasshouseohio.com