Scene 03/04/26

UPFRONT

WJCU HITS RECORD SIX-FIGURE PLEDGE DRIVE IN FEBRUARY RADIOTHON

FOR THE SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW, WJCU broke the station record for the amount of money it raised from donors during its annual Radiothon. In ten days, from Feb. 5 to 16, more than a thousand donors gave a combined $109,000 to support John Caroll’s college radio station.

That six-figure pledge, used to keep the lights on at station partially-funded by the university, wrapped up roughly five months after Cleveland State University abruplty shuttered its station, WCSB, in favor of passing the radio antenna to Ideastream for 24/7 jazz programming.

WJCU admins say the untimely and controversial end to CSU’s station undoubtedly played a role in the attention to and money raised from its pledge drive.

“I don’t think anybody is going to lie to you and say that what happened with Cleveland State wasn’t a factor in this,” WJCU director Jasen Sokol told Scene.

“I think people realize now, ‘Hey, you know, college radio—there’s no guarantee day to day that college radio is going to be there,” he said. “So, if I want something around, I’d better put my money where my mouth is.”

And WJCU fans certainly did. It took DJs and phone bank operators just days to meet their fundraising goal of $75,000. One DJ, Jumpin’ Joe, said he helped raise $25,000 in the ten-day span of the Radiothon.

WCSB’s closure has led to both a lawsuit and a guerilla-style format of the station now called XCSB by alums of 89.3 FM. And it’s put college radio squarely in the public eye in Cleveland, serving as a reminder why so many fans tune in for culture-crossing programming filled with quirks and eccentricities and personalities.

It’s a community, after all.

That community, donors are saying, is worth paying for.

“To be blunt, commercial radio has not given us a reason for many to tune in again and again,” Jumpin’ Joe, full name Joe Madigan, told Scene in a call. “Talk to college kids about radio: ask ‘em to name their favorite DJs—they can’t because commercial radio hasn’t given them a reason to listen.”

Sokol agreed. “You’re not gonna find a commercial station that’s playing ambient music or speaking to the Hungarian community,” he said. “You’re just not.”

Coming off the Radiothon, Sokol said he has a hunch the post-WCSB energy will impact other stations, including WRUW at

Case Western and WBWC at Baldwin-Wallace., both of which have pledge drives later this year.

While John Caroll backs about a fifth of WJCU’s budget, Sokol said, the remaining 80 percent is covered by donors. Money that helps with a bit of everything -- new records, paying licensing bills, the cost of new computers or servers. (All 80 or so DJs, students and not, are volunteers.)

And then there are the fringe benefits Sokol said sometimes go overlooked. WJCU and college radio stations in general act as a training ground for students—those who actually want radio careers or just a two-hour block to riff and play blues music.

Which of course ends if the university ever pulls the plug.

“It’s definitely a scary time,” Nikolena Samac, 21, a junior marketing major at John Carroll and co-director of WJCU’s sports programming said.

“But being here, it’s made my college experience, like, 1,000 times more exciting,” she said. “It’s grown me as a person more than anything else—in confidence, in public speaking. Just in communication in general.”

– Mark Oprea

Cleveland International Film Festival Returns to Cedar Lee for First Time in 35 Years

The Cleveland International Film Festival is coming home.

Founded by Jon Forman in 1977, CIFF launched at Cedar Lee before growth drove its relocation to Tower City in the early 1990s. Festival staff announced this week that the 50th edition will include screenings not just

at Playhouse Square, where CIFF has been headquartered since 2021 after Bedrock announced the closure of Tower City cinemas, but also at Cedar Lee, along with the Rock Hall and CSU.

According to CIFF director Hermione Malone, it’s a fitting decision at the halfcentury milestone and a chance to give filmgoers experiences they cherished from the last 35 years.

“One of the things we hear a lot is how much people miss certain aspects of Tower City,” Malone told Scene. “Just being in closer quarters, where you can bump into someone you know, someone you work with, or someone who just saw a film you’re thinking about and might say, ‘Oh my gosh! Run, don’t walk, to buy a ticket to that one.”

The addition of Cedar Lee allows CIFF to return to full repeat screenings of all films, excluding shorts. Which means a bigger, more diverse festival, officials said -- 326 movies from 57 countries, with 170 screenings at Cedar Lee.

And it’s all been chosen and organized by CIFF’s new director of programming, Paul Sloop.

“The main focus for this year’s selection process was to deliver an entire program curated for Clevelanders by Clevelanders,” he said at a press conference Monday morning. “What we believe will emerge this year is the same globally focused program of diverse films from around the world, but curated with a nod to Cleveland independent film fans’ sensibilities.”

Those 300 showings include a remake of Believeland, the woe-is-me documentary on Cleveland sports, which includes footage from the 2016 Cavs Championship win. Other highlights include If I Go Will They Miss Me, a Los Angeles-set coming-of-age flick, and Power Ballad, John Carney’s meditation on music and fame starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas.

That CIFF has made it 50 years is a triumph worth celebrating, especially at a difficult time for movie theaters in general.

Last year, following the wrap up of CIFF 49, board president Joe Marinucci expressed worries about the nonprofit’s financial health in the coming years despite big ticket sales.

“Despite those gains, the overall financial results of this year’s festival were below projections,” Marinucci wrote at the time in an email to members. “I am acutely aware that we still have a significant challenge in securing a sustainable future for CIFF.”

Malone’s response was to make CIFF more of an experience. This April, guests will be able to learn about the art of sound recording from a foley artist; ride their bikes to the debut of Mark Hoffman’s A Simple Machine!; and hear Senator Nina Turner talk about the use of social justice in film.

Better said, things you can’t buy on Amazon Prime Video.

“Streaming’s honestly just another factor in our ecosystem. Its existence means people have options,” Malone said.

“And when you think about what’s going to get somebody off of the couch, out of their house and downtown or to Cedar Lee, it really has to be a little more than you’re just going to see a film,” she said.

A reality Forman, currently the marketing director for the Cedar Lee District, understands in his current capacity.

It’s no longer 1977. The Cedar Lee District in general is different: it has the Dobama Theater, the Heights Gallery, the Wizbang Theatre, roughly 30 bars and restaurants and new housing underway.

CIFF 50 is just another way to showcase Cleveland Heights’ growing entertainment district, he said.

“I’m thrilled and delighted,” he told Scene. “I hope this is an experiment not just being done for one year. But come next year, they say, ‘It was so successful we want to do this again.’” – Mark Oprea

LET’S HEAR ABOUT THE HOW WILL THE AFFECTED HOW DOES THE PROJECT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. NEIGHBORHOODS BENEFIT? REFLECT PARTICIPANTS’ CONCERNS?

The approved design for the investment from more than 770 participants and 65,000 impressions.

The MetroHealth Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project began in 2020 with a Transit-Oriented Development study. Because the communities we serve are vitally important to us, we are here to help Cleveland move forward. rideRTA.com/BRT

In a word…safety, safety, safety. As a result, GCRTA built $500,000 into the budget for additional safety investments—things like raised crosswalks, intersection improvements, and enhanced lighting at shelters.

Along with the safety upgrades, transit reliability and the potential for economic growth will be enhanced by connecting MetroHealth, Clark-Fulton, and Irishtown Bend to the W. 25th Street corridor.

FEATURE WHY IS HANGRY BRANDS SO HUNGRY?

Cleveland’s newest and fastest-growing hospitality group has a bold plan, and no apologies, as it stakes its flashy claim on the

city’s restaurant and bar scene. By Mark Oprea

EDISON’S PUB IN TREMONT IS ONE of Cleveland’s most recognizable and popular bars. Which is why, late last year, when owner Mark LaGrange put it on the market after 36 years of stewardship, Jason Beudert felt a near religious need to scoop it up for Hangry Brands. Which, if you’ve been following along with the company, wasn’t very surprising.

The hospitality group was only created in 2023, but, by that point in 2025,its portfolio had already grown rapidly. In three years they’d built or bought STEAK, Jolene’s, Society Lounge, Geraci’s Slice Shop, Danny’s Breakroom, Lionheart Coffee and The Yard on 3rd in Willoughby.

Beudert was intent on making Edison’s next.

LaGrange got two offers. One potential suitor wanted to convert the venerable old pub into a tequila bar. Hangry, in contrast, wanted to change nothing of substance.

“For me and for us, when an icon comes up for sale that is most likely going to change concepts, we did what was right to do. We stepped in and saved this place,” Beudert, CEO of Hangry Brands, said on a recent afternoon at a table by Edison’s pool table.

“We gave this whole place a bath, man,” Beudert said before later touring Scene through what he said would be a half-million dollars of investments in the property. Five TVs and six new speakers were installed. The popcorn machine, long on its last legs, was replaced. The koi pond in the back got a heater. (And fish, named SpongeBob and Squarepants.) “We got rid of that death-trap bathroom, too,” Beudert said, nodding to the basement. “You remember that thing? It was a complete nightmare.”

Beudert is 51. He wears silvering hair in a middle spike. He speaks with machine-gun rapidity and energizes his talk with hyperboles like a buddy-buddy executive on a sales pitch: this here is worldclass, that there is super-fun or exciting

It’s all high-octane energy all the time, and that’s reflected both in the company’s growth – it has quadrupled in size in three years – and the design of the group’s restaurant concepts.

Most of which are very of the moment, constructed to be Instagrammable and cheeky, with themes and conceits that abandon subtlety. You see it in the PacMan games and neon signage — “SLICE TO MEET YOU”— at Geraci’s Slice Shop. You see it in Society’s plastic-topped bathtub tables and its “Throuple” appetizer tray. In Jolene’s tractor seats and guitar shot-ski. In STEAK’s meat hooks and Ferris wheel ice-cream sundaes. In the time clock and office paraphernalia at Danny’s Breakroom on Professor.

An injection of aesthetic fun to some — “Jason just understands how to bring joy through whimsy,” said Sam McNulty. “I mean, a Ferris wheel of toppings. It’s great.” — and a sledgehammer of cloying internet gimmicks to others.

“They’re destroying Cleveland, trying to turn it into TEMU Nashville,” one Reddit commenter noted on a recent thread. “Their restaurants look like Pinterest boards and lack a true, authentic personality,” another wrote.

And, of course, those in the middle.

“I don’t care about socio-economic status or makeup of anything like that— Jason’s no savior,” Ricardo Sandoval told Scene. “I just want them to be the right neighbor.”

Hangry’s pace and scale are undeniable, and hard to comprehend in the current hospitality landscape, where younger people drink less, diners increasingly choose takeout or delivery, and even stable restaurants struggle with staffing and thin margins. Criticism, then, might just be envy in disguise.

Since debuting in 2022 The Yard on3rd, a seasonal food truck park in downtown Willoughby that Beudert “borrowed” from a similar concept in Dallas, Hangry has opened or purchased nine

businesses. And there are seven more on the way, including a redo of the Corner Alley on East 4th; a second STEAK in Chagrin Falls (as well as a scaled-down version at Progressive Field); a Lionheart Reserve Coffee in Playhouse Square; Hidden Tiki going in above Edison’s Pub; a contemporary Chinese-American spot called Paper Tiger in the former Crust space in Tremont; and The Dugout, a seasonal bar and pocket park on East 4th Street.

The average hospitality group operates between two and five local businesses. By the end of the decade, Beudert wants to have 20.

Which begs more than a few questions: How is Hangry able to open or purchase so many damn places so damn fast? Do all of the concepts have staying power? Are the businesses making money? And what is Beudert’s endgame?

Hangry Brands might feel like a company shaped by how diners experience bars and restaurants in the social-digital age, but Beudert says its guiding light is far more analog: his time spent at Disney’s Magic Kingdom.

“I call it my Disney Eyes,” he said. “I see my Disney Eyes in everything we touch.”

Born in Woodhaven, Queens, in 1974, Beudert grew up in a family entrenched in restaurant work. He got his first job, at 13, busing tables at the Carnegie Deli in Manhattan, which his father managed. He moved to Florida to work at a Greek restaurant. In his twenties, he was hired by ESPN to open restaurants in Atlanta and Chicago. In Cleveland, he co-created the first Barrio, a pre-Hangry take, one might say, on Americanized tacos made “fun.”

But it was Beudert’s work at Magic Kingdom, overseeing fast-casual spots on

Main Street, that he counts as his most informative.

“Just the way they immerse you in experience, there’s nothing like it,” Beudert said. “Everything here at Hangry is curated. Everything here is thought out.”

In early February, a week before Beudert flew with his wife to Florida to adopt their fourth and fifth children, he and Julia Licastro, one of Hangry’s five owner-operators and who aided the Edison’s transition, took me around Corner Alley ahead of the company’s takeover of the property in a deal with MRN.

Born in Southern California, Licastro studied advertising in Chicago before moving to Cleveland in 2019. She signed on to run STEAK, she said, because she was convinced of Beudert’s ability to make a mark on Cleveland food culture.

“I have worked in a plethora of industries. Radio, retail, sales,” she said. “The amount of time I put into these companies and never saw a dime from them?” She clarified: “Yeah, it’s my dream job.”

At Corner Alley, the notes immediately started flying. Sidewalks needed pressure- washing. Shuffleboard and mini golf must replace those stale arcade games. The VIP lanes needed a refresh. A dance club should be built in the basement.

Beudert, who once briefly detoured into food media, both at Scene and Channel 19, took out his phone and showed me his umpteenth idea. As usual, it was an Instagram video. A bar in Phoenix had installed a gilded bank tube to mix drinks in the fashion of a 1920s mailroom. He had to do it at Corner Alley. (With a custom bowling pin cocktail shaker.)

“It was my holy shit moment,” Beudert said. He counted the six patrons around the bar. He nodded at the rows of empty tables. “I mean, come on. Look around, dude. It’s boring. What the eff is going on in this place?”

Licastro agreed. A makeover marrying the 1970s and Big Lebowski was

overdue. And if it doesn’t work, say on the 91st day, then they would be ready, of course, to pivot Corner Alley in a different direction.

“We want to create spaces that outlive us,” Licastro said. “We don’t ever want to be so distant from our spaces that we don’t continue to breathe life into them.”

Continuing to breathe that life requires dollars, of course. And its core investor group of four seems to be willing to toss money into the cause at Beudert’s beck and call.

“I trust him,” Terry Francona, the former Guardians manager and key Hangry backer, told me. “This is Jason’s life work and passion. Mine’s baseball. I don’t think anything’s a flash in the pan.”

And, according to Hangry Brands, what they’re doing is working, and allowing them to reinvest.

“Honestly, our deep pockets are coming from our own businesses,” Licastro, who helps Beudert scout locations with company president Chelsea Rice, told me. “We bring money in to help with opening capital. STEAK, Jolene’s, Society, Slice Shop, Lionheart. They’re all plugging away. They’re all profitable businesses.”

Profitable, Beudert said, partly because of geography. Almost all of Hangry’s spots are clustered downtown or in Tremont, a fact that allows staff to breezily go where needed, regardless of time, title, need or task.

“All our managers are cross-trained so that everyone’s helping each other out,” Beudert said. “So, our labor line goes down. Which means our efficiency scales. And then, of course, our profit is stronger.” So strong, Beudert said, that Hangry covered the $750,000 it used to build Jolene’s on East 4th in the first 90 days.

But Hangry’s efficiency isn’t without its thorns. Three past employees told

Scene that they often worked more than 50 hours a week to either keep spots functional or help build out Hangry’s newest concept—spray-painting car tires, stapling turf—in the breakneck speed the company set out.

“They view burnout as a badge of honor,” one former staffer told Scene.

“You’re not allowed to be sick, you’re not allowed to have a life,” another said.

Some felt that lingering feeling of burnout could be alleviated if Hangry wasn’t so hungry. “They would actually be the best restaurant group in Cleveland if Jason took the time to maintain a location for at least a year before focusing on another,” a third said.

To those critiques, Beudert simply responds, “It’s a different intensity. And not everyone’s built for that.”

There was no dispute that on a snowstorm-night in late January, Jolene’s Honky Tonk was the busiest bar on East 4th. Beudert and his wife were hosting a fundraiser for Workshop of Wishes, their charity that grants wishes to children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses.

And it was a rowdy fundraiser at that. Upstairs, a trio of women in bejeweled cowboy hats craned their necks as a bartender poured fruity vodka into their mouths. Two women in flannels snapped selfies while seated on the bed of a prop Ford truck. Downstairs, the lead singer of Reckless Highway belted a post-punk version of 50 Cent’s “In da Club” in frontof the two-story mural of Dolly Parton.

In the middle of the crowd, Beudert materialized in a red-and-black flannel shirt. He fist-bumped guests, asking, “You good, brother? You good?” He held out a trucker hat (Jolene’s merch) with “THE HELL I WON’T” to two women with perfect teeth. “I love this place,” one of them shouted. “I love how it has three floors!”

Women like them and women in general, are a key demographic for Hangry — “I mean, it’s marketing 101,” Licastro said. “You market to women and children. And that’s what we do.” — and a key part of the company.

The entire leadership team, apart from Beudert, is female. All five of Hangry’s owner-operators are women, as are roughly 70 percent of its 300 employees. The company’s website, ads, social media and message all emphasize it. A script flip against, Beudert likes to say, an “industry dominated by men.” (“The future of Cleveland hospitality is female,” an Instagram post reads.)

“Seeking out women was never the intention,” said Chelsea Rice, the company’s president, who ran concessions at Progressive Field before Beudert hired her in 2023. Rice, who grew up selling candy at her mother’s soul food restaurant in Portsmouth, Ohio, said the women-run identity emerged more from circumstance than strategy.

“We look for the brightest and most creative talent, people who see the vibes we’re on,” Rice said. “And lucky for me, they just happened to be women.” She laughed. “Although, we’re not opposed to men! Don’t get me wrong!”

Ironically, for all its women-run branding, Hangry’s future is still tied to one man. At least for now. Beudert said he plans to step away in 2035, when he turns 60, and sell the company to whichever owner-operators remain. (Licastro and Rice both said they intend to.)

Who knows what the landscape will look like in 10 years. Maybe most of Hangry’s joints are still around at that point. Maybe most of them pivot to the whims of whatever social media exists then that doesn’t now. But given the alacrity with which Hangry has risen from nothing to where it stands today—and the unfailing belief from the team in charge—it’s hard to imagine Hangry disintegrating entirely.

In the meantime, despite criticisms, they’ve hit on something that’s working.

At the fundraiser in January, I asked a blonde mother of two in a cowboy hat what it was that she liked about Jolene’s. After downing a shot that arrives on an acoustic guitar, she smiled from under a cowboy hat and said, “My dude, I haven’t been out in six months,” wiping a drop of vodka from her lips. “I have two kids. This is way more fun than hanging out at a damn Walmart.”

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GET OUT EVERYTHING TO DO IN CLEVELAND FOR THE NEXT MONTH

WED 03/04

Chamber Music in the Galleries: Will Dudley Guest musician Will Dudley will perform on the kora, a West African harp he discovered while a student at the Ohio State University. The concert begins at 6 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Admission is free. 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org

The Choir of Man

Singers, dancers, musicians and a “charming poet” play anthems by the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N Roses in this musical. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through Sunday.

1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

Epiphany

Cleveland Play House presents this play based on James Joyce’s The Dead. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7 at the Helen, where performances continue through Sunday. 1407 Euclid Ave, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

Stardew Valley: Symphony of Seasons

A 35-piece orchestra plays music from this popular game, and tonight’s event at the State Theatre will also feature gameplay footage. It begins at 8 p.m. 1519 Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

THU 03/05

Brahms’s Third Symphony

Czech conductor Jakub Hrůša leads the Cleveland Orchestra as it takes on Brahms’s Third Sympony as well as pieces by Bohuslav Martinů and Vítĕzslava Kaprálová. The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall, where performances repeat on Saturday and Sunday.

11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com

Rachmaninoff and the Tsar

Hershey Felder stars in this play about pianist and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and his memory of his encounter with Russia’s last tsar. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Allen Theatre, where performances continue through March 15. 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

FRI 03/06

Beethoven Lives Upstairs

James Feddeck conducts the Cleveland Orchestra as it plays a concert that features 25 excerpts from Beethoven’s repertoire. The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall.

11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com

Katherine Blanford

This Southern comedian had a hit right out of the gates with her first comedy special, 2024’s Catholic Cowgirl. She performs at 7 and 9:45 tonight and tomorrow night at Hilarities. 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com

Hollywood Blockbusters Featuring Neil Zaza

The local guitar phenom comes to the State Theatre tonight to present his concert featuring songs from soundtracks such as Avengers: Endgame and The Lord of the Rings. The show begins at 7:30. 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

Monsters vs. Grand Rapids Griffins

The Monsters take on the Grand Rapids Griffins tonight at 7 at Rocket Arena, and the Griffins will stick around town tomorrow to play the Monsters again at 4 p.m.

One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

SAT 03/07

Bert Kreischer

Not many comedians have fought a grizzly bear. In his 2005 television movie Hurt Bert, Bert Kreischer not only comes face to face with a ferocious (yet ultimately harmless) bear, but lives to tell you about it in his nationally successful comedy act. Kreischer makes his way to Cleveland this week for a standup show at 7 p.m. at the Covelli Centre in Youngstown. 229 East Front St., Youngstown, 330-746-5600, covellicentre.com

Kathleen Madigan

A veteran comic whose career stretches back nearly 30 years, Kathleen Madigan spends about three-fourths of the year on the road. Madigan, who’s made 25 appearances on The Tonight Show, has ridden around with fellow comic Jerry Seinfeld in his internet

series, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. She returns to town to perform tonight at 7 at the State Theatre.

1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

SUN 03/08

Cavs vs. Boston Celtics

Even without their superstar Jayson Tatum, who is likely out for the season, the Boston Celtics have played well this season. They take on the Cavs at 1 p.m. at Rocket Arena. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

MON 03/09

Cavs vs. Philadelphia 76ers

The Cavaliers took back-to-back games from the 76ers back in January and seem to have their number. They face off against them again at 7 tonight at Rocket Arena. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

TUE

Water for Elephants

03/10

A young man joins a traveling circus after literally hopping onto a moving train in this musical based on the best-selling novel by the same name. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through March 29. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

WED 03/11

2026 MAC Tournament

The MAC Tournament always provides excitement, particularly since the winning team secures an automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Basketball Championship Tournament. Men’s and women’s competition take place from today through Saturday at Rocket Arena. Check the website for times and matchups. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

THU 03/12

Beethoven’s Fateful Fifth

Elim Chan conducts the Cleveland Orchestra as it takes on Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony as well as pieces by Stravinsky and Haydn. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall, where performances continue through Sunday. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com

FRI 03/13

Chelsea Handler: The High and Mighty Tour

The talk show host, comedian and author comes to the State Theatre. Expect to hear her talk about first sexual encounters and her family in this standup show. She performs at 8 p.m. 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

SAT 03/14

Aladdin

Akron-based Ballet Excel Ohio celebrates its 50th anniversary with a world-premiere ballet, Aladdin, that’ll feature an Akron student who’ll become the first Black dancer to perform a title role in Ballet Excel Ohio’s 5-year history. He became began dancing through Ballet Excel Ohio’s Reach Out and Dance scholarship program, which introduces dance to second-grade students in Akron Public Schools.

182 South Main St., Akron, 330-253-2488, akroncivic.com

SUN 03/15

Cavs versus Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks haven’t played well since trading away superstar Luka Dončić. But they have added sensational rookie Cooper Flagg to their lineup and the former Duke player hasn’t disappointed. The Mavericks make their one-and-only regular season visit to Rocket Arena this season to take on the Cavs at 3:30 p.m.

One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

TUE 03/17

Isata Kanneh-Mason in Recital

Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason plays solo piano works at this special concert at Mandel Concert Hall. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com

WED 03/18

The 10 X 3 Songwriter Band Showcase

Hosted by Brent Kirby

The concept of 10x3 is a pre-arranged line up with 10 songwriters/bands performing three songs each. Two of them are required to be original, and the third can be the artist’s choice. Local singer-songwriter Brent Kirby hosts the event, which runs from 7 to 9 at the Bop Stop. Admission is free.

2920 Detroit Ave., 216-771-6551, themusicsettlement.org

THU 03/19

Chan Conducts Bartok

Conductor Patricia Kopatchinskaja makes her Cleveland Orchestra debut and will lead the orchestra as it plays Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1. The concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall, where performances repeat tomorrow and Saturday. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com

NCAA Men’s Wrestling Championship

Division I men’s wrestling championships come to Rocket Arena this week. The sessions kick off today at noon, and matches continue through Saturday. Check the Rocket Arena website for more info.

One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

FRI 03/20

Handel’s Messiah

The Cleveland Ballet presents this adaptation of Handel’s famous classical composition. The performance will also include a live orchestra and choir. Performances take place at 10:30 a.m. and at 7 p.m. today at the State Theatre, where performances continue through Sunday. 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

Third Friday

From 5 to 9 p.m., many of the 78th Street Studios resident artist studios and galleries will be open as part of this monthly event. There will be live music, and Local West, a Gordon Square sandwich shop, will serve food. BARneo will have a selection of adult beverages as well. Admission is free.

1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com

SAT 03/21

Charlie Berens: The Lost and Found Tour

The comedian and podcaster brings his Lost and Found Tour to the Agora. Doors open at 7 p.m.

5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com

TUE 03/24

Cavs versus Orlando Magic

The Cavs have beaten the Orlando Magic when the teams have met previously this season, but the Magic are one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. They play the Cavs at 8 tonight at Rocket Arena. The homestand for the Cavs continues with games against the Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow and Friday. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

WED 03/25

Macbeth

Great Lakes Theatre takes on Shakespear’s classic play about corruption and power. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30

at the Hanna Theatre, where performances continue through April 4. 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

THU 03/26

Monsters versus Grand Rapids Griffins

The Monsters take on the Grand Rapids Griffins at 7 p.m. at Rocket Arena. The Monsters will stay home to play the Utica Comets at 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com

FRI 03/27

Dirty Dancing in Concert

A live band will play the music to this ‘80s blockbuster film that stars Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com

Tom Papa

The veteran comedian, actor, host and author brings his Grateful Bread Tour to the State Theatre. The show begins at 7 p.m. 1519 Euclid Avenue, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

SAT 03/28

Ballet Unbound

Ohio Contemporary Ballet presents a program of dance featuring pieces by Paul Taylor and Nycole Ray. The performances begins at 7 p.m. at the Mimi Ohio Theatre. 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

SUN 03/29

Jokes on You

Inspired by crowd work clinicians like Dave Attell, Ian Bagg, and Big Jay Oakerson, Jokes On You makes the audience the center of the show by “pushing comics to avoid prepared material or written jokes and instead focus on organic interaction with the audience,” as it’s put in a press release about this event, which takes place tonight at 8 in the Frolic Cabaret Room at Hilarities.

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com

TUE 03/31

Lyrical Rhythms Open Mic and Chill

This long-running open mic night at the B Side allows some of the city’s best rappers and poets to strut their stuff. The event begins at 8 with a comedy session dubbed 2 Drinks & a Joke with host Ant Morrow. The open mic performances begin at 10 p.m. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com

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EAT CLEVELAND CLASSIC

At Mallorca, an enduring legacy built on 30 years of warm service and Spanish comforts gets national recognition

By Douglas Trattner

AFTER SETTLING UP WITH JORGE, the enduring face of Mallorca’s dining rooms, we asked him to pass along our thanks to the owner. Instead, he pulled out his phone, dialed a number, and conjured her on the spot so that we could thank her ourselves.

tions of colorful, comforting Spanish and Portuguese food, but also a theatrical experience where the coffee is set ablaze and the servers exchange in playful banter. But knowing when to turn it off is just as important as knowing how to ham it up, admits Torres.

skills like reception, organization, timing, staff knowledge and customer engagement

“I was getting all these calls and texts from people saying congratulations and I’m like, what are they talking about?” Torres recalls. But after the shock had faded, she wondered why it took so bloody

show, the warm flames release the heady aromas of pork, garlic and paprika while melting the fat.

If you happened to have dined at Mallorca a decade or so ago, you might recall servers deftly working their way through a near-comical list of nightly specials. Those specials, along with many time-honored preparations, have disappeared, victims of shifting dining trends, Torres explains.

“Our paella originally had rabbit in it, because that’s how it’s done in Spain,” she says. “We had to take the bones out of the chicken. We used to serve fish with the head on. But now, people don’t want to even eat fish with bones in it.”

Even without the rabbit, the paella Valencia ($58) is a beautiful sight to behold. A wide, shallow pan is filled with saffron-scented rice and packed with Spanish sausage, shrimp, mussels, clams, scallops, chicken and lobster tails. Tack on orders of patatas bravas ($8), crispy spuds with a peppery kick. Meals are rounded out by simple but fresh house salads and platters of steamed vegetables. Step into Mallorca and you’ll be immersed in the aroma of coffee, cinnamon and burnt sugar. The famous flaming Spanish coffee service here ($30 for two) is more contagious than the flu; when one table requests it, the orders spread across the dining room like a brush fire.

“Flames sell,” jokes Torres, who says that items such as that dramatic coffee service and the flambéed sausage help the restaurant remain relevant in today’s social media-obsessed times.

Torres will have to wait until April to see if Mallorca advances to the finals round in the James Beard Awards, but she’s already reaping the rewards of the nomination.

“Anytime you’re in the press for anything, it sparks interest, but that was a particularly big thing,” she states. “Literally within two days of the James Beard announcement we went from 120 reservations to 250.”

Many operators like to describe their employees as family, but Laurie Torres has been proving it for nearly 30 years. Torres, who founded the restaurant with her Spanish ex-husband in 1997, has cultivated a culture of hospitality that is impossible to fake.

“Mallorca is the kind of place that if you don’t get a hug on the way in, you’re going to ask for one on the way out,” the owner says.

For decades, the close-knit staff at Mallorca have been making memories for guests celebrating special occasions. This is the place to come for large por -

“When people come to Mallorca, they are looking for a Spanish experience, they are looking for waiters that are overly enthusiastic,” says Torres. “But they also know how to read the room. That is not something that’s taught; it’s something that you learn from being in hospitality for so long.”

Last month, Torres received some long-overdue recognition for the talents of her staff when Mallorca was named as a semi-finalist in the Outstanding Hospitality category of the James Beard Awards. Unlike chef-driven medals, this nationwide distinction recognizes softer

long. “When it comes to hospitality, nobody has it over Cleveland.”

Mallorca is where to go for Spanish-style shrimp de ajo ($21.75), a traditional terra-cotta cazuela overflowing with plump, sweet seafood in a paprika-scented garlic sauce. Good servers know to keep the bread baskets full and ours was as bottomless as a magician’s top hat. Almejas rellenas ($16.75), Spanish stuffed clams, are fortified with chorizo and topped with bacon. Jorge suggested that we try a nightly special, the Portuguese chorizo ($19), which is flambéed at the table in the traditional manner. More than just

While it’s a clichéd custom to bestow all credit to the hard-working staff, it’s difficult not to fully believe Torres when she does precisely that.

“I don’t anticipate or expect it to go any further; this is a blessing in and of itself,” she says. “And if we do have any kind of award, it is 100 percent because of the staff, because they are beautiful people who love that house.”

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EAT

BITES

Saffron Patch now open at Legacy Village

By Douglas Trattner

THIS PAST SUMMER, WILD MANGO announced that it was closing the Legacy Village location that it had called home since 2019. At the same time, Saffron Patch revealed its plans to move into that space, trading in its longtime home in Shaker Heights for Lyndhurst.

After months of renovations, the new Saffron Patch (25385 Cedar Rd.) opened in late February.

Owners Madhavi “Maj” Patel and Dr. Kalish Kedia took an already attractive space and managed to improve it thanks to significant interior design changes. No surface was left untouched, with the restaurant receiving new furniture, lighting, flooring, paint and artwork. Dividers in the main dining room were jettisoned to improve sightlines to the outside, while new paint colors lightened and brightened the mood.

Their aim, they explain, is to offer guests the type of elevated dining experience they enjoy while traveling around the country.

“Our goal with this restaurant is to bring the upscale Indian restaurant experience and vibe that is typical in Los Angeles and New York to the Cleveland area,” explains Kedia.

Between the bar, main dining room and private nooks, the restaurant can accommodate 180 guests.

It isn’t just the décor that getting a refresh; the entire menu of Indian fare has been reworked to give it a modern flair. In addition to the classics, Saffron Patch will introduce new small plates, increase the number of vegan and vegetarian items, offer special tasting-menu experiences, and focus on flavor if not spice.

“Saffron Patch will offer more progressive Indian food, where everything is fresh and cooked to order, which differs from most Indian restaurants,” Kedia states.

Those items are paired with a full bar offering cocktails, beer and wine.

Saffron Patch was launched in 1991. Patel and Kedia purchased the Shaker Heights and N. Olmsted (5106 Great Northern Blvd.) locations in 2020. They shuttered the Shaker spot late last year in advance of opening the new Lyndhurst restaurant.

Saffron Patch will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week.

(The Lyndhurst location already has begun offering carry-out service.)

Birdtown Brewing to Open This Spring in Lakewood (Really)

It’s been 12 years since the Lakewood Planning Commission gave its blessing to the developers behind Birdtown Brewing (2035 Quail St.), who petitioned to convert St. Gregory the Theologian Catholic Church in Lakewood into a brewery and restaurant. When we first shared the story, the estimated date of arrival was summer of 2015.

The lengthy delays were worth it, says management.

“This is exactly what we had in mind,” says Ryan Grammerstorf, who has been attached to the project since day one. “And we’re glad we waited, because we fine-tuned over the years what we really wanted it to be. But we couldn’t be more excited about what we’re doing and everything about this.”

Despite years of radio silence, the owners have been making piecemeal progress here and there. In 2017, they imported and installed the brewing equipment from Deutsche Beverage from North Carolina. Things really picked up speed over the past 12 months, with the addition of the bar, new stained-glass windows and panoramic murals.

In many ways, the 100-year-old Byzantine Gothic Revival church resembles a timeworn Irish pub thanks to structural elements like pointed arches, dark woods and stained glass. A new 32-foot live-edge bartop runs the length of one side while the brewhouse sits front and center atop the former sanctuary.

There is seating for 260 guests up, down and outside on a freshly built patio. A lowerlevel barroom offers views into the cellar, home to the brite tanks and serving tanks. The bartop and tables downstairs are constructed from the former Lakewood High School gymnasium floor.

Head brewer Zach DelPriore will offer “something for everybody,” with a mix of classic ales, lagers and seltzers.

To avoid the pitfalls of many small breweries, Grammerstorf says, “We’re going to focus on our four walls and keep people here and well-fed.”

For the first time in 70 years, Geraci’s pizza will be available on Cleveland’s west side, with whole pies being paired with pubstyle fare like chicken wings, burgers and more, all coming from a newly built kitchen.

“The partnership brings together family legacy and craft brewing, built on shared values of food, community and service,” says Geraci’s president Bucky Spoth.

Those thick-cut pepperoni pizzas will be available for pick-up as well.

Look for Birdtown Brewing to open in late-March or early-April.

RED Steakhouse On Hunt for New East Side Home After Closing at Pinecrest

Following service on February 28, RED Steakhouse closed its doors at Pinecrest, a location it has occupied for six years. It is business as usual, however, at RED Steakhouse Downtown (417 Prospect Ave.).

Management stated that as the restaurant approached the end of its lease, they opted to part ways with the Orange Village shopping plaza. The owners have been on the hunt for a new location on Cleveland’s east side, specifically along busy Chagrin Boulevard, a location it had called home for many years. In 2019, the company closed its original Beachwood location in favor of Pinecrest.

“While this chapter is concluding, we are actively pursuing a new Eastside home, with a strong focus on returning to the Chagrin corridor,” says COO Sean Latona. “We expect to share additional details on this new location very soon.”

As the company pursues new opportunities, they want to thank the Pinecrest community for its support over the past six years.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the loyal guests who have dined with us throughout the years and to the team members who helped create memorable dining experiences night after night,” they add. “The support and patronage of the Pinecrest community have meant more to us than words can express.”

Atmos Coffee Opening Soon in Gordon Square

It’s taken Zach Burkhart two years to get here, but his efforts, persistence and patience have paid off. When it opens in the coming weeks, Atmos Coffee (5509 Detroit Ave.) will introduce an attractive new “third space” to Gordon Square. The roomy double storefront blends modern furniture, custom-built seating and live plants to create a comfortable place to work or socialize.

“We want to be a space that people can come to and feel really welcome and comfortable, whether you’re meeting somebody or working independently,” says Burkhart. “And just as importantly, to serve something that tastes good and people enjoy.”

Guests can watch a futuristic machine roast green coffee beans into brown and toasty ones. Burkhart employs a Bellweather coffee roaster, which is billed as an “electric, ventless and automatic” apparatus. He’s starting with a single option, Red Shift, a blend of Ethiopian and Brazilian beans. More varieties will be added down the road.

“They’re really small batches, so the coffee stays really fresh,” notes Burkhart. “And it’s really sustainable because it’s all electric.”

The offerings include a mix of classic coffee drinks like drip, cold-brew, espressos, cortados, lattes and cappuccinos alongside signature drinks like pistachio matcha, tiramisu latte and shaken-honey espresso. Guests can add slashes of house-made seasonal syrups.

“We’re trying to keep the menu kind of simple to begin to make it easy as possible for baristas,” Burkhart adds.

To eat, there will be grab-and-go treats from local bakeries, bagels from Cleveland Bagel and made-to-order Belgian waffles available with a variety of toppings.

“I wanted something that we could make in-house that smelled really good – and they don’t take long to cook,” he explains.

When it opens its doors, Atmos will further enhance an amenity-rich district that continues to draw retail and residential investment, making Detroit Shoreway one of the most desirable urban neighborhoods in Cleveland.

“That’s what drew me to this neighborhood,” says Burkhart. “I love walkable neighborhoods, these little pockets that we have, where you can walk to the things that you need – your grocery story, your coffee shop… That’s why I moved to Gordon Square.”

Once up and running, Atmos will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

MUSIC

HIGH TIMES

Rock veteran Lenny Kaye brings his Nuggets celebration to the Beachland Ballroom

By Jeff Niesel

JAMES MASTRO (BONGOS, IAN HUNTER) and Lenny Kaye (Patti Smith) first met in the early 1970s when Mastro was only 16 years old. Kaye and manager/producer Terry Ork (Television, Richard Lloyd) saw Mastro’s band play at the now defunct New York venue Copperfield’s and vociferously applauded Mastro and Co. as they played to an empty room. A friendship was born.

“I was excited because I was a huge Patti Smith fan, and Lenny Kaye played with Patti,” says Mastro via Zoom from Guitar Bar, the

New Jersey guitar shop he’s run for three decades. Ever the eccentric, he’s wearing an over-sized black winter hat that he calls his attempt at “survival” when the temps drop below freezing. “They were the only two people there, but they sounded like 10,000 people in an arena. Lenny and Terry cheered us on, and we’ve remained friends.”

Now, Mastro and Kaye get together on a regular basis to play music from the seminal compilation that Kaye curated in the ’70s, Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era. They bring their show honoring the album’s 50th anniversary to the Beachland Ballroom at 8 p.m. on Friday, March 27.

An avid record collector as a teenager, Mastro bought the Nuggets compilation as a youth after reading about it in Cream magazine.

“It’s like an archaeological dig,” he says of Nuggets. “You’ve heard some of those songs done years later by other people, and then, you hear the original. It’s what I’ve always done. You go back to the source. That’s always exciting. And for me, I was able to play a lot of these songs. That’s also an incentive and gets you going. You think, ‘Oh, I can do this.’ When the original album came out on Elektra Records, those songs weren’t that old, but a lot of them were hard to find. Most record stores didn’t have a cache of old singles.”

A few years ago, Kaye put together a band to play the songs live and recruited Mastro to help him bring the show to fruition.

“When we did the first New York show together, the other musicians were all people I knew,” says Mastro. “It’s all about the hang. We get to play with friends who have the same appreciation for the music.”

The Cleveland show will feature Chris Butler of the Waitresses, local singersongwriter Don Dixon and Tin Huey keyboardist Harvey Gold.

“Chris Butler was in Hoboken for a while,” says Mastro. “The Bongos and his band the Waitresses played together many times. It’s the same with Don Dixon. I’ve known him since the early ’80s, and I love him. Harvey Gold will join us on keyboards. There are a few Cleveland songs we’ll do. We let the artists pick a lot of the songs, so we get regional choices that maybe Lenny or I would not have thought of doing. In Boston, you have to do [the Standells’] ‘Dirty Water.’ In Cleveland, we have to do [the Choir’s] ‘It’s Cold Outside.’”

Mastro says that if anything, the show has “morphed” rather than evolved over the years.

“A lot of it is the guest choices,” he says. “Playing in the house band makes it fun for me because the easy thing would be to do the same set wherever you are, but everybody brings their own interpretation to a song, and that makes it more challenging.”

Initially, seeing The Monkees on TV inspired Mastro to pick up a guitar, and he formed a punk-ish band that played CBGBs in 1975 and 1976. After that, he played with guitarist Richard Lloyd after Lloyd’s art-rock band Television broke up.

“I’ve been very lucky to play with people I love,” he says. “From Richard Lloyd’s band, I played with the Bongos for many years. I had my own band, the Health and Happiness Show in the ’90s, and I was with Ian Hunter for about 25 years. Cleveland was like a second home for him.”

For the Nuggets tribute, he’s the de facto band leader, and revisiting the songs has provided some significant revelations.

“As a kid, I was always playing my own songs in bands that played original songs,” he says. “I never learned other people’s songs. Diving into them and learning them, the education keeps coming.”

He says rock critics and fans still cherish the songs because they’re so damn good.

“I think the songs on Nuggets have just held up because they’re good songs, and they’re a time capsule of a very interesting period,” he explains. “When I’m listening or playing the songs, I’m suddenly this teenager again. That’s the power of good music. And they’re just two-minute bursts. By the time you figured out what’s going on, it’s over. You’re hitting that dopamine button to get another hit and figure out why it’s so exciting. When I finally figured out it was the electric jug in the background of those 13th Floor Elevators’ songs, I realized that someone must have been doing a lot of fun drugs [when they recorded the tune].”

jniesel@clevescene.com @jniesel

LIVEWIRE REAL MUSIC IN THE REAL WORLD

WED 03/0

Lúnasa

Named after a Celtic festival that honors the Irish god Lugh, this Irish folk act recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It performs today at 7:30 p.m. at Music Box Supper Club. 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com

THU 03/05

An Evening with Shawn Colvin

Singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin had a hit right out of the gate with her debut album, Steady On. It won the Grammy for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Colvin capitalized on the acclaim with the riveting murder ballad “Sunny Came Home.” She comes to the Kent Stage. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org

Sons of Cream

This power trio that features the offspring of two of the three original members of the British group Cream comes to the Music Box Supper Club. Doors open at 6 p.m. 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com

SAT 03/07

Aries — Glass Jaw World Tour

The singer, producer and rapper brings his Glass Jaw World Tour to House of Blues. Released last year, Glass Jaw features a bit of everything. Aries embraces pop with

“Party People” and evokes Linkin Park with the hard-hitting “In the Flesh.” The concert begins at 7 p.m.

308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com

The Phil Collins Story

The tribute to the former Genesis drummer and successful solo artist comes to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. The show begins at 8 p.m. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html

SUN 03/08

INZO

After a busy 2025, EDM producer INZO is back on the road with what he’s dubbed the Mirrorverse Tour. The trek supports Nexum, a new studio album that finds him collaborating with the producer and beat maker Blookah. The album’s rich ambient tunes should translate well live at tonight’s show at Globe Iron. Know Good, Blookah and Spenny open. The show begins at 7 p.m. 2320 Center St., globeironcle.com

TUE 03/10

Michael Shannon & Jason Narducy and Friends play R.E.M.’s Lifes Rich Pageant

With R.E.M. on indefinite hiatus, actor Michael Shannon is here to save the day. He’s teamed up with some of his musical friends to present a tribute to the Athens, GA-based group. Tonight, the group plays R.E.M.’s terrific Life’s Rich Pageant in its entirety. While not a huge commercial hit, the album yielded

songs such as “Fall on Me” and “Cuyahoga,” a song about how Cleveland’s river famously caught fire in the 1960s. Expect that track to really resonate. The show begins at 8 p.m. at Globe Iron.

2320 Center St., globeironcle.com

The

Thing

The New York-based psych-garage four-piece comes to the Beachland Tavern tonight at 8 as part of its largest headline tour to date. Released last year, the group’s latest effort, The Thing, features howling vocals and gritty guitars, recalling classic hard rock acts such as Led Zeppelin and Cream while retaining a pop sensibility.

15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com

The Triumphant Return of Albert Lee

The influential British guitarist brings his band to the Music Box Supper Club. In the 1960s, Lee left school to play guitar full-time and formed the Thunderbirds, a successful British R&B/rock band in the 1960s. Upon leaving that band, he performed with the Everly Brothers for a good 20 years and has toured with the likes of guitarist Vince Gill and Bill Wyman. Tonight’s show begins at 7 at the Kent Stage.

175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org

Stephen Wilson Jr.

The country-ish singer-songwriter performs tonight at the Agora. For his recent EP, bon aqua, Wilson Jr. draws from acts such as the National, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Nirvana. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com

THU 03/12

Pink Talking Fish

This band that plays a fusion of Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish returns to the Beachland Ballroom. The show begins at 8 p.m. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com

SAT 03/14

Gary Allan

Country singer Gary Allan had a hit right out of the gates with his debut album, 1996’s Used Heart for Sale. He’s steadily toured and recorded ever since. He comes to Northfield Park — Center Stage tonight at 8. The Shootouts, a regional country act that’s made some noise recently, opens. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-467-4101

Dar Williams Hummingbird Highway Tour with Special Guest Joy Clark

The singer-songwriter comes to the Kent Stage in support of her new album, Hummingbird Highway, which came out last year. The album’s 10 songs show of Williams’s supple vocals and Joni Mitchell-like ability to write poetic lyrics. Singer-songwriter Joy Clark opens. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. 175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org

SUN 03/15

Gaetano Letizia Release Party

Local singer-guitarist Gaetano Letizia recently recorded The Muddy Waters Project, a tribute to iconic Chicago blues legend. Letizia and Co. will perform the album in its entirety at this release show at the Beachland Tavern. The show begins at 3 p.m. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com

Rakim

The iconic rapper known for the underground hit “Paid in Full,” a collaboration with Eric B., comes to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights. The show begins at 8 p.m. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs

THU 03/19

Jim Messina

The veteran singer-songwriter who famously played bass in the classic rock act Buffalo Springfield and guitar in the country rock band Poco performs tonight at 6:30 at the Kent Stage. Messina also made a name for himself by collaborating with fellow singersongwriter Kenny Loggins in the early 1970s, and the two sold records by the truckloads and Loggins and Messian.

175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org

FRI 03/20

Joanne Shaw Taylor

The singer-guitarist brings her tour in support of her new album, Black & Gold, to the Kent Stage. Taylor plays a bit of everything — rock, soul, pop and blues. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org

SAT 03/21

Ekoostik Hookah

The grandfathers of Ohio’s expansive jam band scene — culturally and musically — have always maintained close ties to the Cleveland area and regularly venture up to these parts from their Columbus home base. The group performs tonight at 8 at the Beachland Ballroom.

15711 Waterloo Rd, 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com

SUN 03/22

Our Lady Peace: 30th Anniversary Tour

The Canadian alternative rock band celebrates its 30th anniversary tour with this show at House of Blues. Expect to hear grunge-y anthems such as “Starseed,” “Superman’s Dead” and “Clumsy.” The show begins at 6:30 p.m. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com

Railroad Earth

The jam/bluegrass band that dates back to the early 2000s performs at 6:30 p.m. at Globe Iron. The group played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival shortly after forming and takes musical inspiration from the Grateful Dead, often improvising during live performances. Released in 2022, All for the Song finds the band in good form as songs such as the twangy “Blue Highway” and the jazzy “It’s So Good” show off its musical chops while delivering sharp hooks and vocal harmonies. 2325 Elm St., globeironcle.com

THU 03/26

Gary Numan/Big Black Delta/Roman Remains

Electronic/industrial pioneer Gary Numan got his start in the late ‘70s with his punkinfluenced band Tubeway Army. He had an out-of-the-blue hit in 1979 when the dark, Joy Division-like “Cars” somehow became a hit. The hits quickly dried up but Numan has soldiered on thanks to the fact that contemporary acts such as Nine Inch Nails and Battles have cited him as an influence. He performs at 7 tonight at House of Blues. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com

FRI 03/27

Lacuna Coil

With poltergeist-like vocals and pummeling drums, the hard rock group sounds as energized as ever on its latest album, last year’s Sleepless Empire. The subject matter of the songs is particularly timely. “The Siege” addresses ennui and the title track makes references to our obsession with social media. The group performs at 7:30 p.m at Globe Iron. Escape the Fate and VOWWS open.

2325 Elm St., globeironcle.com

SAT 03/28

Donnie Iris & the Cruisers

The singer-songwriter out of Pittsburgh returns to the Kent Stage with his backing band, the Cruisers. Donnie Iris famously had hits in the early ‘70s with groups such as the Jaggerz and Wild Cherry, which delivered the smash “Play That Funky Music.” As Donnie Iris & the Cruisers, Iris would sign with Cleveland-based Midwest Records and become a regional sensation. The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org

SUN 03/29

John Cowan Trio

Featuring Luke Bulla and Ethan Ballinger Singer-guitarist John Cowan plays a bit of everything, including country, bluegrass, gospel, soul and jazz. He got his start playing in New Grass Revival in the 1970s and these days tours with the Doobie Brothers when he’s not on the road as a solo act. He performs with his trio tonight at 7 at the Kent Stage.

175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org

TUE 03/31

Nick Hexum

The 311 frontman comes to the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights. He recently released a solo album, Waxing Nostalgic, which he recorded at the studio he owns, the aptly named Studio Hex. Somber tunes such as “Cosmic Connection” and xx are dreamier than the jammy/reggae-ish tunes for which 311 is known. The show begins at 8 p.m.

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs

SAVAGE LOVE OUT WITH IT

By Dan Savage

I have a complicated question. I’m a woman in my 30s who has been married for a few years to my husband. We are very much in love and have a wonderful relationship. We met when I was in college, and worked at the same place together. Eventually, we became friends. We maintained a long-distance connection after I moved away, we fell in love, and then the rest is history. But during the time that we were friends, I had a mildly physical, mostly emotional affair with our boss, who was much older than us and married at the time. The boss and I never had sex. We only made out a few times and exchanged dirty messages. This didn’t last very long. By the time my husband and I were actually dating, my affair with my boss had been over for years, so there was never any overlap between them or any infidelity on my part.

My husband knows that I had an emotional affair with an older man during that time period, but I never told him who the older man was. I didn’t tell him because I felt shame about it. I also didn’t know HOW to tell him, even though he is a really rational, emotionally intelligent man. I am still worried that telling him would hurt our relationship or that he would think less of me due to the age gap between our former boss and me. But recently, my husband has expressed an interest in reaching out to our old boss. He is proud we are married, and he wanted to let this boss know because he thinks that the boss will find our story heartwarming. I don’t think the boss would say anything about our affair to my husband, and I honestly think my husband is correct in how he thinks the boss will receive the news of us being married. I actually do think it would warm his heart.

Should I tell my husband about this affair before he reaches out? Or should I let him e-mail the boss without telling him? Is this something I should have told my husband years ago, or is it okay for me to have kept this to myself? It feels icky to let my husband reach out to our old boss and share life updates without him having this information. But I am also concerned that telling him could ruin our amazing relationship.

Brooding Over Serious Secret

Tell your husband who the old man was. In general, a spouse is not entitled to your complete sexual and romantic history. A married person, like any other kind of person, is entitled to some privacy and a zone erotic autonomy. Omitting arguably irrelevant details about your past — because the detail isn’t important or makes you look bad or makes you feel bad — is allowed. So, yeah: It’s okay to

keep some things to yourself. For instance, if you fucked your best friend’s boyfriend in high school and she found out and it was a whole thing and she’s not your best friend anymore and you moved away after high school (ahem), you don’t necessarily have to share that information with some guy you met and married a decade and change later.

But personally, BOSS, I wouldn’t want to be with a guy I couldn’t share that story with. I wouldn’t want to be with a guy I couldn’t laugh with about what a piece of shit I was in high school. Don’t we all want our spouses to

be 100% sure the man he is now wouldn’t blurt that out. So, you need to get out in front of this thing: “Hey, honey. before you reach out to our old boss, there’s something I should’ve told you a long time ago. Before we dated, I fucked around with an older man — that part you knew — but I never told you who that old man was. Yeah… it was our boss. It ended years before you and I got together and I never told you because I was embarrassed and it was awkward. But I don’t want you to be blindsided if you reach out and he says something, so I’m telling you now. And, again, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you years ago.”

love us for the fallible human beings we are?

And don’t we all deserve spouses who are smart enough to appreciate that our pasts — including the mistakes we made — helped to shape us into the people they met and fell in love with years later?

All that said, BOSS, this — who the old man was — isn’t exactly an irrelevant detail. Your husband knows you had a brief thing with an older man, but you never told him who that old man was. (Stop calling it an affair! It was never consummated!) So, if your husband was going to judge you for messing around with an older man, he would’ve judged you on that score already. The potential problem here is the old man knows who your husband is… but your husband doesn’t know who the old man was… and if your husband finds out on his own, BOSS, he could feel humiliated (your former boss knew and he didn’t) or he could feel hurt that you didn’t trust him enough to tell him yourself and tell him sooner.

While you believe your former boss would never say anything — and maybe he wouldn’t — people change as they age. So, while it’s possible the old guy you made out with in college wouldn’t have said anything, you can’t

on him physically, and he’s an adult. But I did manipulate him into breaking a vow — even the cuddling was a transgression. So, while what I did might not have been criminal, it felt deeply unethical. I want to apologize. I have his contact information, and we have mutual acquaintances, although I haven’t seen him since. I worry about sending a card that his husband might ask about. I worry about sending an email and having him share it with others. Which is to say, I want to apologize but I don’t want anyone else to know what I did because I’m ashamed of it. What would you do?

Feelings Of Guilt

You have tenuous connections to this man — you have mutual acquaintances, and you presumably work in the same field (hence being thrown together at a conference) — which means circumstances will most likely put you in the same place at the same time again. If and when that happens, you can apologize to him in person. If the wait is making you crazy, you could engineer a circumstance that puts you in the same place again, e.g. you could attend a conference you know he’s going to attend or you could go to a mutual’s holiday party. If and when you do see him again — whether it happens organically (which would be preferable) or not (which could result in you having something else to apologize for) — don’t ask him to speak to you in private. Just pull him aside when other people are around but out of earshot and tell him you feel bad about your behavior the last time you saw each other. As the offense was low-key, you can keep your apology low-key: “I feel bad about how I behaved last time we saw each other. I should’ve been more respectful of your relationship, and I put you in an awkward position. I’m glad nothing happened that night — or nothing else happened that night — but I behaved selfishly and wanted to apologize.”

P.S. Reaching out to your old boss yourself — and first — and asking him not to say anything, as your husband doesn’t know, is also an option. But if your husband finds out you were running interference behind his back, you’ll have three things to worry about: two ancient wrongs (fucking around with your boss, not telling your husband about it) and a more recent wrong (an attempted coverup).

I’m in a marriage that’s been unhappy for about a decade. Lots of fighting and periods of serious loneliness. We are non-monogamous. Five years ago, I was at a conference and met a radiantly handsome man and we hit it off. He was, and still is, in a monogamous marriage. One evening we were in my room, and I pressured him to go to bed with me. I saw that he wanted to, and I convinced him to set aside his commitment to his husband. I saw that he was conflicted, and I didn’t care. We didn’t kiss, we didn’t take our underwear off, we just spooned, my arms around him. I got what I wanted, but he was clearly very uncomfortable. After about 30 minutes he went back to his room. I feel enormous guilt. No, we didn’t have sex, nor did I force myself

P.S. There’s a non-zero chance his relationship is open now and if you nail that apology, FOG, you might finally get that dick.

P.P.S. Disregard that last P.S., as it was inappropriate and unhelpful. You can’t make a meaningful apology if you have an ulterior motive.

P.P.P.S. Still.

P.P.P.P.S. I’m going to assume there’s some good reason why you haven’t put an end to your awful-but-open marriage. If there isn’t, please put yourself out of its misery.

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