Scene, February 23, 2022

2

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

4

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 23-MARCH 8, 2022 • VOL. 52 NO 17 Upfront .......................................7

Eat ............................................ 31

Feature ..................................... 10

Music ........................................35

Get Out ..................................... 27

Savage Love .............................. 39

Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Shawn Mishak Stage Editor Christine Howey Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive

Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon www.euclidmediagroup.com National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com Cleveland Scene PO Box 1028 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-505-8199

Creative Services

E-mail scene @clevescene.com

Editorial Layout Evan Sult Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace Business

Back in Scene’s first year we used an August issue to celebrate the city itself, beautiful Cleveland, Ohio, “Lady of Splendor”

Willoughby OH 44096-1028

John Crobar, Shayne Rose

Production Manager Sean Bieri

REWIND: 1970

Cleveland Scene Magazine is published every other week by Euclid Media Group.

Verified Audit Member

Business & Sales Support Specialist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Cramer Circulation Circulation Director Burt Sender

Copyright The entire contents of Cleveland Scene Magazine are copyright 2020 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

Cleveland Distribution Scene is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader Subscriptions - $150 (1 yr); $ 80 (6 mos.)

Email Megan - MStimac@CleveScene.com - to subscribe.

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’

...The story continues at clevescene.com

Take

SCENE with you with the Issuu app!

“Cleveland Scene Magazine” COVER PHOTO COURTESY USCRI

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

5

6

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

UPFRONT

Isaiah Andrews (seated) is pictured with fellow exonerees Ru-El Sailor, Charles Jackson, and Laurise Glover, who served 15, 27.5, and 20 years respectively, for crimes they did not commit.

Photo courtesy FG+G

AFTER 45 YEARS IN PRISON, CLEVELAND MAN FOUND INNOCENT FOR 1974 MURDER SUES POLICE FOR WITHHOLDING EVIDENCE ISAIAH ANDREWS — THE Cleveland man who last year was found innocent in a new trial over his wife’s 1974 murder, which was ordered by an appeals court after evidence withheld by Cleveland police during the original trial was discovered by the Ohio Innocence Project — has filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Cleveland and ten officers.

Andrews had maintained his innocence since day one, but spent 45 years in prison for the murder he didn’t commit before a jury unanimously found him not guilty in last year’s trial.

His path to freedom has been a long and twisted one.

His lawyers in 2018 sought a court order to test samples collected

from the body of Regina Andrews — fingernail scrapings and vaginal swabs — with DNA technology not available at the time of the trial.

She was found near Forest Hill Park wrapped in bedsheets, brutally stabbed, with her nightgown pushed up around her waist, indicating a sexual assault. Isaiah Andrews had told police he’d been out all day on Sept. 18, 1974, running errands and selling clothes, and returned to the hotel room just east of downtown he shared with his wife to find her missing.

In communication with the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office in the aftermath of that request, the Ohio Innocence Project discovered the office’s file on the case included Cleveland police reports and

narratives pointing toward a separate suspect named Willie Watts, who had been in the area where Andrews’ body was found wrapped in hotel bed linens in Forest Hills Park and who had been in Howard Johnson hotel the night before in a room that was missing its linens the next day.

This was never disclosed to Andrews’ lawyers at the time.

Once his new lawyers found the evidence, they also discovered that Watts went on to accumulate a criminal record littered with violence against women.

No physical evidence, meanwhile, tied Andrews to the crime and he was convicted on the basis of shaky eyewitness testimony from a maid and short-term tenant of the motel where the couple had been staying

after getting married three weeks earlier.

“He deserves an acknowledgment from the government actors who put him in prison for decades that what happened to him was wrong,” one of his attorneys, Sarah Gelsomino, told Channel 5.

Brian Howe of the Ohio Innocence Project added: “I can’t think of a more egregious case of covering up evidence of innocence in any case I’ve worked on.”

-Vince Grzegorek

East Cleveland Cop on Paid Leave After Witness Records Him Kicking Man Who Was Already on the Ground East Cleveland police officer Ian

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

7

UPFRONT McInnes, a five-year veteran on the force, has been placed on paid administrative leave pending an excessive use of force investigation after he was filmed kicking a man who was already on the ground.

The incident happened at Best Steak and Gyros around 4 a.m. last Monday and began when someone at the restaurant called police and said the man was acting aggressive.

McInnes arrived and outside the restaurant ordered the man to get on the ground, telling him to do so or he would get tased. The man, as shown in body camera footage released by the department, was complying. But while he was on his knees, McInnes kicked him in the back.

A witness recorded the incident on a cell phone, footage of which was posted to the Cleveland Remembrance Instagram page.

McInnes believed the man was either under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or dealing with a mental health incident. The officer took the man, who was not arrested or charged, to UH for an evaluation.

While waiting there, he told the man, “Lucky you didn’t meet my dog. Last person had to have reconstructive surgery on his arm.”

If not for the witness video, it’s likely nothing would have happened.

“I advised internal affairs to commence an administrative investigation only because we actually had not had a complaint from the party,” East Cleveland police chief Scott Gardner told Cleveland.com.

-Vince Grzegorek

How Does the Cleveland Teachers Union Feel About a Teach for America Exec Becoming Bibb’s Education Chief?

While the Cleveland Teachers Union, as an organization, is “not crazy about” Teach for America, CTU President Shari Obrenski said she believes the appointment of TFA of Ohio President Holly Trifiro as Mayor Justin Bibb’s new Education Chief has the potential to be positive and productive.

In an interview Wednesday, Obrenski told Scene that she worked alongside Trifiro on the education subcommittee of Bibb’s mayoral transition team.

8

“Though I personally had limited opportunities to interact with her before that time, as part of the team we worked very well together,” Obrenski said. “The whole group worked collaboratively to develop recommendations, and if her work continues in that spirit, I think it could be very positive.”

Obrenski said that CTU’s skepticism about Teach for America, a nonprofit organization that enlists recent college grads as teachers and sends them to some of the country’s poorest school districts, is rooted in the fact that, in their view, too many TFAers aren’t adequately prepared for a career in education.

“That being said, once a TFAer comes into the district, they become a member and we work with them to help make sure they’re as successful as possible,” she said. “We’ve always held the belief that CMSD hasn’t historically needed TFA, but that doesn’t mean [Trifiro] won’t perform well in her new role or that we won’t have a productive working relationship.”

Trifiro grew up in Northeast Ohio and holds a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University. She became the Executive Director of TFA of Greater Cleveland in 2012 and more recently transitioned to a statewide leadership role. She was appointed to the education subcommittee on Bibb’s transition team alongside Obrenski, CMSD CEO Eric Gordon, Tri-C’s president Alex Johnson and others.

According to Obrenski, the recommendations of the subcommittee were adopted more or less wholesale by the Bibb administration and now appear in the Mayor’s transition report.

They include things like convening a Covid-19 education task force, addressing the crisis of mental health in the schools, seeking American Rescue Plan Act dollars and other funding for curricular and extracurricular programs, including universal broadband access, and using the mayor’s bully pulpit to encourage school attendance and citywide literacy.

“We had great discussions and were able to come to consensus about what we thought the mayor’s priorities for education should be,” Obrenski said.

As for issues not referenced in the report, Obrenski stressed that the pandemic was taking a toll on teachers, many of whom felt more expendable in the second year of the pandemic than in the first.

“There isn’t yet a full realization

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

of the stresses they’re working under,” she said. “They’re thoroughly exhausted and running on fumes.”

-Sam Allard

Two More Area Starbucks Declare Intent to Unionize Workers at two Cleveland area Starbucks locations have announced their intent to unionize, riding an organized-labor wave at Starbucks stores nationwide that began in Buffalo, New York. In Cleveland, the downtown W. 6th location was the first to announce a unionization drive last month.

Friday, employees at both the Clifton Boulevard store near the Cleveland-Lakewood border and the Mayfield & Lee location in Cleveland Heights filed for union elections with the National Labor Relations Board.

In a letter to Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson, signed by a majority of employees at the Cleveland Heights store, the workers noted Starbucks’ recordbreaking first quarter revenue growth and juxtaposed the company’s financial health with the strain that staffers have worked under during the pandemic.

“Many of us are unable to make our monthly payments, afford groceries and childcare, or selfsustain due to unlivable wages and cut hours,” the letter read.

“We are at risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19 to our fellow partners and loved ones. The inadequate policies for only five days of paid isolation and a limit of two paid isolations per quarter are unrealistic and unsupportive of our needs.”

The letter said that employees have pleaded for “simple adjustments like credit card tipping,” but that these requests have fallen on deaf ears at the district management level.

Workers at both locations aim to form unions with Workers United, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union that backed the Buffalo effort.

Filing for a union election is only the first step for the local locations. And Starbucks, much like other corporate entities, views unionization antagonistically. It has worked to delay votes and persuade workers to vote against unions, and workers are counting upon Starbucks corporate to do the same here.

Workers at the W. 6th location, for their part, ardently support the two stores that announced their

intent to file Friday.

“We are excited to welcome our friends at the Clifton and MayLee stores into our fight,” said Maddie VanHook, a barista at W. 6th and a member of that location’s union organizing committee.

“We are stronger together, and every day we are one step closer to securing justice and equity in our workplaces. We couldn’t be prouder of all of our partners involved in making this happen for themselves today.”

-Sam Allard

GCC to Offer Cash Incentives for Vaccinations in “Dollars for Doses” Promotion In partnership with the Centers for Families and Children, the Greater Cleveland Congregations will host 16 pop-up vaccine clinics through the spring and summer with cash incentives for those getting their first, second or booster doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.

Beginning Saturday, the “Dollars for Doses” clinics will be hosted at rotating GCC member congregations every two weeks until Sept. 24. The seven sites are located on Cleveland’s east side and in the eastern inner-ring suburbs, targeted in areas where vaccine rates remain low.

Those who attend will receive $100 cash for their first vaccine, $50 for their second, and $25 for their booster. According to GCC, individuals will also receive $25 for every friend they bring to get vaccinated. The J&J, Moderna and Pfizer vaccines will all be available.

“Data shows that with cash incentives, unvaccinated individuals are more likely to receive the vaccine and refer others to do the same,” said Keisha Krumm, GCC executive director and lead organizer, in a press release announcing the clinics.

“We have seen this approach work successfully in our prior work around vaccination uptake, and we are ready to relaunch our project on a larger scale.”

In a phone conversation, GCC’s Director of Communications, Tom Nobbe, said that the funding for the Dollars for Doses clinics will come from a variety of grants that GCC received last year, including holdover dollars from a grant it received from the local Covid-19 Rapid Response Fund. Nobbe said that GCC experimented with a gift card incentive last year, but that they’re anticipating the cash incentive to be more popular.

The dates and locations for the clinics are as follows: • February 19, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Elizabeth Baptist Church, 6114 Francis Ave. Cleveland 44127 • March 5, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Shiloh Baptist Church, 5500 Scovill Ave. Cleveland 44104 • March 19, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, 8712 Quincy Ave. Cleveland 44104 • April 2, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Imani United Church of Christ, 1505 E 260th St. Euclid 44132 • April 16, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Easter) Lee Road Baptist Church, 3970 Lee Rd. Cleveland 44128 • April 30, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Elizabeth Baptist Church, 6114 Francis Ave. Cleveland 44127 • May 14, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Imani United Church of Christ, 1505 E 260th St. Euclid 44132 • May 28, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

(Memorial Day weekend) Lee Road Baptist Church, 3970 Lee Rd. Cleveland 44128 • June 11, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Shiloh Baptist Church, 5500 Scovill Ave. Cleveland 44104 • June 25, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Antioch Baptist Church, 8869 Cedar Ave. Cleveland 44106 • July 9, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Elizabeth Baptist Church, 6114 Francis Ave. Cleveland 44127 • July 23, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, 8712 Quincy Ave. Cleveland 44104 • August 6, 12 p.m. - 4 p.m.

Shiloh Baptist Church, 5500 Scovill Ave. Cleveland 44104 • August 20, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Elizabeth Baptist Church, 6114 Francis Ave. Cleveland 44127 • September 10, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

South Euclid United Church of Christ, 4217 Bluestone Rd. Cleveland 44121 • September 24, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Lee Road Baptist Church, 3970 Lee Rd. Cleveland 44128

Hudson Mayor Resigns After Ice Shanty Debacle After making the very most of his role as a part-time ceremonial figurehead with no real authority or power by launching Hudson into not one but two embarrassing national headlines, embattled mayor Craig Shubert today resigned from his role.

“Since the passing of my wife, First Lady Sherri Moyer, I have given considerable thought to the next stage of my life. Retirement is on the near horizon,” he wrote in his resignation letter earlier this month. “With the recent changes on city council, where six of seven seats have turned over, City Hall is entering a new era. My role as a change agent is complete. Hudson has a stronger financial and economic base than ever before, and major road improvements are being completed. I have, therefore, decided to step down as mayor to allow for new leadership, a clean slate, and a path forward.”

Shubert also attempted to explain the recent ice shanty incident, in which he opposed local legislation permitting ice fishing because he said it would lead to ice shanties and then, naturally, to prostitution, but ended up foisting responsibility not on himself but the fine residents of Hudson.

“My comments at Tuesday’s workshop were made out of concern for our community; what could become of unintended consequences of new legislation, based on my prior television news reporting experience. My attempt to inject a bit of dry humor to make a point about this, in the midst of a cold, snowy February, was grossly misunderstood. Some in our community saw this as an opportunity to engage in the politics of personal destruction by means of character assassination, blaming me for the negative international press they helped to promote.”

-Vince Grzegorek

Longtime Owner Sells Lido Lounge, Reflects on 20 Years in Business The longtime owner of the Lido Lounge is owner no more. The paperwork was signed and sealed earlier this month finalizing the sale of the iconic West 117th St. adult entertainment establishment to a new ownership group.

Sandra, or as everyone who

knows her calls her, Sandy, talked with Scene just minutes after her “final day.” It was emotional, though she said it all hadn’t really set in yet.

and my nephew said, Oh, my aunt has a club there. You know, he tells him, and the driver goes, Oh my god, Lido, my favorite place. So yeah, it’s kind of like that.

Scene: How does it feel?

Sandy: It’s been 18 years. After my husband passed away, I was going to keep it for two years but then I just ended up keeping it, because I love to work and I love to be busy. It was something that kept me busy. He had it for 37 years before he passed, and I took it over for 18 years after that.

Why sell now?

There were two different groups that had been interested like the last four years, and they kept coming to me and coming to me and I would tell them I wasn’t ready yet. But now I was. Even today, we don’t tell anyone we know that we own it. I didn’t want my neighbors to know, but some of them found out. But, then again, you don’t know if one of your neighbors is also going to Lido Lounge.

-Vince Grzegorek

Were you involved in the business before he passed away?

I wasn’t, no. I didn’t want anything to do with it. I tried to never tell people we owned it even.

What changed?

After he passed away it was just there, and I had to take care of it.

I just kind of saw it as a challenge, to make it a better business.

It’s been around and stuck around through some weird times and lean times.

It’s stayed through a lot. It’s a tough business. It’s not easy, but I’m glad I’m out. I’m not glad about not working anymore. I didn’t really work in the bar, but it kept me busy seven days a week and being there and setting everything up. I think I’m going to be happy.

You’ve undoubtedly accumulated some stories.

Some funny. Some bad.

Those who know you talk about how much you care about everyone that works there.

I do. When I had to tell the bartenders, I asked them to come to the bar and they walked through the door, and I’m going to choke up now, and when they walked in, I just started crying. They’ve just been with me for so long. I’m one of those people that if you help me I’ll help you. And I think I get overattached. So it’s been emotional.

Lido is an institution and has become this thing that people make jokes about but everyone seems to have affection for. Hell, someone made a Lido Lounge squirrel house. What’s that affection and ribbing feel like?

It’s all because it’s been around so long. It’s funny, my nephew lives in California, and this was the second time this has happened to him, but he was in an Uber and the driver said he was from Cleveland

DIGIT WIDGET 6 Cleveland’s market ranking for Super Bowl viewership, tied with Milwaukee. With the Bengals in the game, Cincinnati was an obvious number one, but Detroit, Pittsburgh, Columbus and Kansas City followed close behind. (L.A., home of the victorious Rams, didn’t even sniff the Top 10.)

3,360 Cans of Cream of Chicken Condensed Soup improperly labeled as Skyline Chili — the Cincinnati delicacy — by regional canner Morgan Foods.

7/27-8/7 Dates of the 2022 Ohio State Fair, which Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday. It’ll be the state’s 167th fair and the first since 2019.

1,762 Ohioans who died by gun violence in 2021, only two deaths shy of a record established in 2020. The death total represents a 62% increase from 2027, far outpacing the national average.

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

9

FEATURE

LITTLE KABUL In the last few months, Cleveland has become home to nearly 700 Afghan refugees in an unprecedented immigration wave BY THROUGHOUT AUGUST 2021, chaotic scenes from the Kabul International Airport commandeered television screens and social media feeds stateside. The United States was pulling out of Afghanistan after 20 years of sustained conflict, and the Taliban had assumed control of the landlocked Central Asian nation.

Afghans who had worked for the United States or British military forces, or who were contracted by U.S. companies during the war, were facing violent reprisals from their new Islamist rulers.

The Kabul airport, three miles from the city center, was the only viable escape route. Thousands fled there and tried, by any means necessary, to board evacuation planes.

Some clung to the sides of aircrafts or hung from landing gear as the planes ascended and plummeted to violent deaths on the tarmac.

Ramzia, a 21-year-old Afghan

S A M

woman who has been resettled in Cleveland, was at the Kabul airport during those harrowing days and saw the bodies up close. She managed to board a plane, after four unsuccessful attempts, and was flown to a U.S. military base in Madrid, a “lily pad” where evacuees wait to learn their permanent destinations.

She arrived in Cleveland in late November with $1,250 from the U.S. Government and the clothes on her back to begin her life anew.

The week Ramzia arrived, and for several weeks before, the Cleveland Field Office of the United States Committee on Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) was settling close to 80 individuals per week. USCRI is one of three main local resettlement agencies.

Its workload in recent months, according to Darren Hamm, Director of the Cleveland office, has been unprecedented.

A L L A RD “To put the numbers into context,” Hamm told Scene in late January, “we resettled fewer than 100 immigrants all of last year. We resettled more folks in the span of two months, all from Afghanistan, than we did in the previous two years combined.”

Cleveland is now among the U.S. cities with the most Afghan evacuees, and USCRI has roughly quadrupled its staff to accommodate the flood of new arrivals and the array of services that resettlement entails: from housing and employment – the two biggies – to enrollment in benefits programs, medical screenings, school and youth outreach, and a cascade of social and geographical orientations complicated by language and cultural barriers.

Like most of the nearly 700 Afghan refugees who have arrived in Cleveland since September, Ramzia

speaks both Dari and Pashto. And while she understands some English and is fast improving with the aid of YouTube tutorials, she spoke with Scene through a translator last month at the USCRI office on Clark and W. 25h Street, an office that the agency has now outgrown. Ramzia was dropped off by a USCRI staffer who had taken her to the BMV to get her learner’s permits that morning, and the interview was conducted amid the bustle of employees and volunteers making last-minute arrangements for the arrival of three new families at Hopkins later in the day.

Ramzia said she fled Afghanistan because she had no other choice.

“There was no future for me there,” she said. “The Taliban were not allowing women to study or work. The schools for girls in many of the provinces have been closed.

Women have lost their jobs, and security is now a major issue. I came

--------------------Afghan evacuees disembark a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Aug. 22, 2021.

10

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

Photo by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S 6th Fleet, FlickrC

to the United States because I wanted to live in a free environment, to be able to do things for myself and for my community.”

Ramzia was born in a province far in the northeastern part of the country, near the borders of both Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. She grew up, however, in the capital city and was pursuing a degree in political science at the local university when the Taliban took over.

“My dream was to become a politician,” she said. “I saw the leaders in my country not acting properly, and I wanted to make change, to work for my people.”

Ramzia still harbors those dreams and says that one of her goals for the next few months, in addition to improving her English skills, is to research how she might enroll in higher education programs in Cleveland. (The translator added that he would not be surprised if Ramzia became a member of the state general assembly or even the U.S. Congress one day.)

For now, with the aid of USCRI, Ramzia has secured a job in food service at University Hospitals and is living in an apartment in Coventry Village in Cleveland Heights after weeks of housing instability at multiple local hotels.

“I now truly have everything I need,” she said. “I have a safe place to live. I have food to eat. And I have a plan to start studying. I am so happy to be in Cleveland. Everyone here is so kind.”

AYAT AMIN WAS RUNNING FOR City Council in Ward 3 last summer when the Afghan evacuation and subsequent refugee wave crashed on Cleveland’s shores. She lives in Ohio City, not far from the USCRI office, and began lending a hand there during her spare time. At first, she was primarily doing office work, but she wanted to do more, and asked if there were other ways she could contribute.

USCRI had been spread thin by the new arrivals. And while they focused on the time-consuming tasks related to furnishing apartments and liaising with employers, they asked Amin if she could help teach new arrivals how to ride the bus.

Practically none of the new Afghan refugees in Cleveland have access to a vehicle, and getting around town for work, grocery runs, appointments and social calls is one of the most oft-cited challenges by the resettlement agencies and volunteers. The RTA system can be intimidating for those who’ve never used it before. Even things that may

Ramzia at the Cleveland USCRI office.

seem obvious, like which side of the street to stand on based on the direction you’re traveling, or how to insert a fare card into the fare reader, aren’t necessarily intuitive.

“I instantly thought of Clevelanders for Public Transit,” Amin told Scene last month. “I thought, I’m a part of a group of people who are really excited about advocating for public transit, and I felt I could put together a team of volunteers who were interested in helping out.”

Amin was right. Nearly 20 CPT volunteers answered the call. Amin and another CPT member, Joe Schwarten, have worked to craft a training program and coordinate weekly rides with volunteers and new arrivals who indicate interest in RTA to USCRI. “What we’ve learned is that these trainings are most effective asynchronously,” Amin said. “USCRI will give us a name and a phone number of a new arrival, along with their level of English, and then we’ll take it from there.”

CPT volunteers meet with trainees at their home or another agreedupon location and then literally ride the bus with them to a destination of their choice. Amin told Scene that commonly, trainees want to familiarize themselves with their route to a new job, or to a Halal grocery store.

“On one ride, I met a family at their home near MetroHealth,” she said. “We took the 51 to the West Side Market. They loved the space but were disappointed when they found out that none of the meat was Halal. We then transferred to the 22 and rode it out to a Halal butcher at Lorain and W. 116th, and their excitement returned.”

USCRI provides monthly bus

Courtesy Photo

passes to new arrivals and fare cards to the trainers from CPT. Amin said that while some express hesitation initially or say that they’d prefer to drive, others have participated in the training even when they already have access to a car.

“Those have been some of the most interesting cases,” Amin said. “They might not be all that interested in the beginning, but when they see that the RTA is an affordable and accessible way to get around the city, they recognize that it’s a good skill to have.”

Amin said that the refugees have been extremely grateful for the trainings, but that the CPT trainers themselves have been equally grateful for the opportunity to share experiences with people discovering Cleveland for the first time. One CPT trainer took a young man to a soccer match in North Olmsted. Another took a family to the downtown Cleveland Public Library to help them get library cards.

“In my most recent training, I was given a bread called bolani that had been home cooked by the wife of the gentleman I trained,” Amin said.

“It was the most delicious bread I’ve ever had. And that’s coming from an Arabic woman who’s had some very good bread. It’s nice to have that cultural appreciation in addition to the training.”

UNLIKE IN YEARS PAST, WHEN the majority of new immigrants would be settled on Cleveland’s west side, the scale of the influx and the relative strength of the local housing market has meant that resettlement agencies are getting “creative” in pursuing housing options for refugees. Darren Hamm, USCRI’s Cleveland director, said that many of the new Afghan families have

been placed in housing in Cleveland Heights, Shaker Heights, Parma, and other inner-ring and southern suburbs. USCRI covers the rent for the first 4-6 months and, due to their own budget constraints, have to be conscious of rental rates alongside a slew of other considerations.

“We’re up against a 90% occupancy rate in the rental market right now,” Hamm said. “It’s an extreme challenge because we have to be so considerate of affordability. A decade ago, postforeclosure crisis, there were a ton of housing options but limited jobs. Now the reverse is true.”

Hamm said that given the scarcity, some refugees are forced to stay in hotels or AirBnBs temporarily while USCRI locates more permanent options. AirBnB gave USCRI’s hundreds of thousands of dollars in vouchers that the local office has made use of. At one point in the fall, Hamm estimated that 20 families were housed temporarily in local AirBnBs. One encouraging development, Hamm said, has been building owners stepping up to accept multiple families at once. In some suburbs, Hamm said, USCRI has been able to place 10 to 12 families in a single building.

“That’s important because the last thing you want is for these families to feel isolated or vulnerable,” he said.

That’s part of why there had been such a residential anchor on the west side, especially clustered around Lorain and W. 117th, (“Little Arabia,” as it’s informally known), an area with easy access to bus routes, Halal grocery stores, and built-in community infrastructure.

“But expanding our geography means that we can augment the existing communities while building them up in other places over time,” he said.

Building up new communities is made much easier when current residents actively welcome their new neighbors. Across the region, hundreds of dedicated volunteers and those moved by the plight of the recently arrived have donated thousands of dollars, hours of time and professional services, bikes, home appliances, clothing and other supplies.

Bobbi Reichtell is a longtime community development professional in Cleveland. She lives in DetroitShoreway and has spearheaded efforts among a group of her neighbors to support a 34-year-old Afghan evacuee named Atiq.

Reichtell and her husband, Mark McDermott, now provide regular financial support to Atiq and have mobilized neighbors to help finance

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

11

12

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

the safe passage of Atiq’s wife, who is still in Afghanistan and under constant threat, given Atiq’s work with the U.S. and British militaries.

During a January interview at her home, Reichtell expressed anger and dismay at the U.S. government, which relied on Afghan civilians during the war, but has left many of them to horrible fates after the August evacuations.

“It’s just unconscionable,” she said.

“And what this whole experience has brought home to me, especially in the context of the pandemic, is just how good we have it here. Whenever something annoys me, I put the brakes on and think to myself, ‘You could be living in a shelter in a country where you don’t know the language, unable to provide for your kids. You could have nothing.’ It’s been a constant Zen slap.”

In coordination with Refugee Response, Reichtell and a small neighborhood steering committee have helped create a “Neighborhood Support List” so that communities across Northeast Ohio can come together to provide essentials for new arrivals.

The list includes urgently needed items, (coffee makers, crock pots, microwaves), a checklist of ways to support refugee families (trips to the thrift store and assistance shopping; trips to the bank; instruction on how to use household appliances, how to use the U.S. postal service, how to drive). It also includes the overarching goal of this community support: to build a network of neighbors who can answer questions and provide everyday support – and above all, friendship – to new arrivals, while freeing up the resettlement agencies to focus on legal and technical matters.

Reichtell has been volunteering at USCRI as well, and staffers there are in awe of her immense contributions and advocacy. By the end of January, with the support of AMIS Ohio (Americans Making Immigrants Safe) neighbors in Detroit-Shoreway had raised more than $13,000 to help get Atiq’s wife to the U.S. Whether Atiq’s wife will even be able to get here is another question.

The process has been complicated by a thicket of legal hurdles for Afghans stuck in Afghanistan and unable to evacuate. The 65,0000 Afghans who were evacuated by the U.S. in August were granted entry under a designation known as “humanitarian parole.” Thousands more have applied for the designation but are now more or less stranded due to a massive backlog and the absence of a U.S. embassy in Kabul. Many of these applicants are now starving to death under sanctions imposed by President

Joe Biden.

USCRI and other advocates have called on congress to pass the Afghan Adjustment Act, a piece of legislation which would allow humanitarian parolees to apply for permanent residency after one year, prevent the deportation of evacuees and relieve the backlogs on the asylum and special immigrant visa programs.

“This is an easy solution,” Darren Hamm told Scene. “And there’s precedent. Similar legislation was passed after both the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. Congress needs to support this group of people, who largely worked on our behalf, to give them some stability after the abject removal from their homeland.”

But until that law is passed.

USCRI and the other local resettlement agencies will continue to accept Afghan families as they are evacuated to the United States and continue to do everything they can to make the transition as smooth as possible. Hamm said the wave is expected to be complete by the end of February.

“There’s been a lot of pressure, a lot of weight, over the past few months,” Hamm said, “but by the time we’re done, I’d like to think we’ll be experts.”

At the USCRI office, staffers are preparing to head to Hopkins to go pick up a family of seven. Ramzia said she is convinced that the new arrivals will love it in Cleveland, in spite of the snow. She has quickly become a fierce defender of the Land. She said she has an uncle and a cousin in Virginia and that when she first arrived in Cleveland, she worked to get relocated there. But when she traveled to Virginia for a weekend last month, she was instantly homesick for Cleveland and couldn’t wait to return.

Why is that, Scene wanted to know? What about her experience thus far had been so memorable or positive?

Ramzia said there was actually a specific moment when she considered Cleveland her new home. It was when her father died, shortly after she arrived. She has a large family back in Afghanistan but traveled to the United States on her own. And apart from the language challenges, she said being away from family was by far the hardest part of her experience.

When her father died, staff members at USCRI and others in her building came to her apartment to be with her and make sure she was okay.

“That was my best memory,” she said, in English. “It was a tragedy, but my new friends shared in the tragedy.”

scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

13

14

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

16

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

17

18

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

POST PHOTOS

WIN PRIZES #ClevelandPierogiWeek

BE A PIEROGI AMBASSADOR! • Follow @ClevelandPierogiWeek on Instagram • Post pictures during the week using the hashtag: #ClevelandPierogiWeek • Each hashtag is an entry to win gift certificates to participating Pierogi Week restaurants

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

19

OFFICIAL CLEVELAND PIER 49TH STREET TAVERN

49streettavern.com 4129 East 49th Street, Cuyahoga Heights POTATO AND CHEESE PIEROGI

Three authentic homemade pierogi stuffed with potato and cheese topped with grilled onions, served with sour cream

ALL SAINTS PUBLIC HOUSE allsaintscle.com 1261 West 76th Street, Cleveland TRZY PIEROGI SEROWE

Sautéed Potato and Three Cheese Pierogi. Served on a bed of house beer braised sauerkraut and onions.

Finished with a drizzle of horseradish crema. Add J&J Czuchraj Sausage: Smoked All Beef Kielbasa $6; Cheddar Bratwurst $7; Hungarian Bratwurst $7; Pork and Veal Bratwurst $7; Fresh Bacon Bits $2

ASTORIA CAFE & MARKET astoriacafemaket.com 5417 Detroit Avenue, Cleveland SPANAKOPITA PIEROGI

Pierogi stuffed with potato, onion, leek, spinach and feta cheese. Sautéed in butter and finished with creme fraiche.

BALLANTINE

ballantinerestaurant.com 4113 Erie Street, Willoughby YUKON GOLD, TRUFFLE ROSEMARY PIEROGI

Short rib ,carmelized onion, demi glace, truffle sour cream POTATO & CHEDDAR PIEROGI Brown butter and white wine reduction, carmelized onion

BANTER BEER AND WINE www.bantercleveland.com 3441 Tuttle Road, Shaker Heights CHICKEN PAPRIKASH PIEROGIES

Cheese and potato pierogies topped with our housemade chicken paprikash, spaetzle, creme fraiche, paprika, and parsley.

BEERHEAD BAR & EATERY EAST BANK beerheadbar.com/cleveland-ohio 1156 West 11th Street, Cleveland CHICKEN BACON RANCH PIEROGI

3 pierogis with diced chicken, crisp bacon, cheddar cheese, green onion and ranch ASIAN PIEROGI 3 pierogis with korean bbq sauce and asian slaw

DAS SCHNITZEL HAUS dshrestaurant.com 5728 Pearl Road, Parma POTATO AND CHEESE

Haus” made from scratch potato and cheese pierogi

DICK AND ALICE SAUSAGE AND PIEROGI HAUS dickandalice.com 12859 Brookpark Road, Parma CHEDDAR AND POTATO

Creamy mashed potato mixed in with a melted soft cheddar cheese POTATO, CHEDDAR, AND JALAPENO Creamy mashed potato mixed in with melted soft cheddar and a kick of jalapeno POTATO CHEDDAR AND BACON Creamy mashed potato mixed in with melted soft cheddar and real bacon bits POTATO AND SAUERKRAUT Creamy mashed potato with a little taste of sauerkraut VEGAN POTATO AND ONION Creamy mashed potato made with extra virgin olive oil with a hint of onion

GREAT LAKES BREWING COMPANY greatlakesbrewing.com 2516 Market Avenue, Cleveland BRAISED SHORT RIB PIEROGI

Pierogi served with braised short ribs and topped with creme fraiche.

POUTINE PIEROGI Pan seared pierogi topped with brown gravy, smoked cheese sauce, bacon bits, sour cream and scallions.

GUNSELMAN’S TAVERN

gunselmans.com 21490 Lorain Road, Fairview Park POTATO & CHEESE

The Pierogi Lady standard - potato & cheese pierogi sautéed in butter, served with carmelized, grilled onions and a side of sour cream.

HAIL MARY’S FOOD AND DRINK

hailmaryswestlake.com 27828 Center Ridge Road, Westlake THREE CHEESE PIEROGIES

Our 3 cheese pierogis are flash fried, tossed in garlic and butter, topped with sautéed onions, and served with a side of sour cream.

IMMIGRANT SON BREWERY immigrantsonbrewing.com 18120 Sloane Avenue, Lakewood ISB PIEROGI

House-made pierogi, potato, sharp cheddar filling, pan-fried with butter, onion, créme fraîche

THE IVY

ivycle.com 1212 West 6th Street, Cleveland

Receive one of each in-house pierogi served with sour cream, and sauteed onions drowned in butter on the side.

POTATO & CHEESE POLISH SAUSAGE & SAUERKRAUT WILD MUSHROOM Stuffed with mushrooms, balsamic braised onion, and bleu cheese.

PIEROGI WEEK KEY GLUTEN-FREE OPTION VEGETARIAN OPTION VEGAN OPTION

PIEROGIWEEKCLEVELAND.COM 20

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

ROGI WEEK LOCATIONS JUKEBOX

JukeboxCLE.com 1404 West 29th Street, Cleveland POTATO CHEESE

Mashed potato, farmer’s cheese, cheddar, onion POTATO BACON Mashed potato, bacon, cheddar, chive, onion SPICY CHICKEN Chipotle braised chicken, black bean, cheddar MUSHROOM KRAUT Portobello mushroom, classic caraway kraut [V] SWEET POTATO BLACK BEAN Mashed sweet potato, black bean, chipotle spice [V] BUFFALO CHICKPEA Mashed chickpea, hot sauce, tahini [V]

MARKET GARDEN BREWERY

marketgardenbrewery.com 1947 West 25th Street, Cleveland CHEESY POTATO PIEROGI

Three cheesy potato pierogi, caramelized onion, celery root, sour cream, scallion

NANO BREW CLEVELAND www.nanobrewcleveland.com 1859 West 25th Street, Cleveland CHEESY CHORIZO PIEROGI

Three potato pierogi, chorizo cheese sauce, sour cream, scallion, pickled jalapeño

NÓRA’S PUBLIC HOUSE

noraspublichouse.net 4054 Erie Street, Willoughby IRISH PIEROGIS

Potato stuffed pierogis on a bed of corned beef with 1000 island

OLD RIVER TAP AND SOCIAL

oldrivertapandsocial.com 19245 Detroit Road, Rocky River OLD RIVER TAP AND SOCIAL LOADED POTATO

Potato, Cheddar Cheese, Scallion, Bacon, and Sour Cream SQUASH AND GOAT CHEESE Roasted Butternut Squash, and Goat Cheese BRISKET AND POTATO House Smoked Brisket, Potato, and Cheddar Cheese BUFFALO CAULIFLOWER (VEGAN) Roasted Cauliflower, and Buffalo Sauce

PIEROGIES OF CLEVELAND

4131 West Streetsboro Road, Richfield pierogiesofcleveland.com 36 DIFFERENT FLAVORS TO CHOOSE FROM

Your choice of 3 different flavors of Pierogi. If you would like more then 3, that’s no problem — each additional pierogi is 1.75. Pick as many flavors as you want to try!

ROOD FOOD + PIE TAKE-OUT AVAILABLE OUTDOOR SEATING MARKET GARDEN BREWERY SPECIAL

rfpe.com 17001 Madison, Lakewood SMOKED MACKEREL + PURPLE POTATO

Marinated artichoke, fried capers, pickled mustard seeds, lemon dill creme fraiche BRAISED PORK CHEEK Caramelized onion sauce, bacon jam, braising jus, smoked cheddar espuma, chive tuile WILD MUSHROOM - VEGAN Mushroom duxelles, braised fennel, mushroom demi, crispy shiitake, horseradish creme fraiche

ROWLEY INN

rowleyinn.com 1104 Rowley Avenue, Cleveland

Vegan potato, garlic & herb pierogi or 4 cheese potato pierogi in your choice of the following styles: BASIC PIEROGI 3 Pierogi served over sauerkraut topped w/sauteed onions & side of sour cream.

BUFFALO PIEROGI 3 Pierogi tossed in wing sauce topped w/sauteed onions & a side of sour cream.

SCHNITZ ALE BREWERY schnitzalebrewery.com 5729 Pearl Road, Parma SCHNITZ ALE ROGI

Made from scratch Smoked Sausage and Kraut Pierogi

SOUTHERN TIER BREWING COMPANY - CLEVELAND stbcbeer.com/taprooms/cleveland 811 Prospect Ave East, Cleveland CRISPY POTATO & CHEESE PIEROGI

Crispy Potato & Cheese Pierogi with bacon, IPA cheese sauce, and jalapeno scallions

TEAMZ RESTAURANT & BAR

teamzsportsbar.com 6611 Eastland Road, Middleburg Heights TEAMZ BIG CLE PIEROGI

Seriously oversized pierogies stuffed with potato and cheddar and topped with sauteed onions. Served with a side of sour cream. *Take-out available with purchase of a beverage (for each order)

TONY K’S BAR AND GRILLE tonyks.com 841 West Bagley Road, Berea CHEESE AND POTATO STUFFED PIEROGIES

Stuffed with potato and cheddar, topped with sautéed onions. Served with a side of coleslaw and sour cream.

*Take-out available with purchase of a beverage (for each order)

THE WILD GOOSE

wildgoosewlby.com 4144 Erie Street, Willoughby PIEROGI & KIELBASA

Potato stuffed pierogis, butter, caramelized onion, kielbasa

#CLEVEL ANDPIEROGIWEEK February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

21

22

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

EAT TO WIN! Get your PIEROGI PASSPORT stamped 4 or more times during Cleveland Pierogi Week and you’ll be entered to win $250 in gift cards

How to enter: 1. Go to www.PierogiWeekCleveland.com.

2. Go to Eat To Win on the website and click “Submit Passport Here.”

3. Fill out the form and upload a picture of your passport with all stamps visable.

No cash value. Must be 21 to be eligible and a resident of the Greater Cleveland area to win. Winner will be chosen via a random drawing and will be contacted by phone and email.

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

23

Cleveland Pierogi Week

MANIFESTO

Cleveland Pierogi Week creates such strong, lusty, even insane feelings that we decided it needed its own little manifesto. Please read on… will run out 1the endThey We expect that these restaurants will be extremely busy. So, if a place runs out toward of a shift, handle it like an adult: go back the next day, earlier, order your pierogi, and thank them for working so hard. Please be nice to our restaurants.

There will be waits 2 People have been talking about Cleveland Pierogi Week 2022 for weeks. Don’t be surprised if restaurants have waits. In fact, be surprised if they don’t.

You will tip like a pro 3 $7 pierogi brings out the cheap in all of us, but, really, you’re getting a $12+ pierogi (many restaurants go way overboard with ingredients, trying to outdo each other), so please tip generously. A kind word will also be welcome — these people are our friends and neighbors.

You really should buy a drink and/or other food 4 The purchase of sides and extras is not a requirement. But we think it says a lot to those working hard to bring you an extraordinary experience. Grab some sauerkraut, and a beer!

Check Facebook & Instagram 5 Restaurants are encouraged to post their waits and remaining pierogi for the day.

Go to pierogiweekcleveland.com and don’t forget to tag your Instagram photos with #ClevelandPierogiWeek.

Dine-in and Take-out options 6 While Pierogi Week was designed to be dine in only, with the current state we are encouraging restaurants to offer take out options as well. Many locations will be offering both

dine in and take out, however, make sure to double check the Official Pierogi Week Passport to confirm which locations offer carry out and which locations are dine in only.

THANK YOU! 24

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

25

GET OUT

Everything to do in Cleveland for the next two weeks

Alt-country icons Son Volt come to the Beachland. See: Monday, Feb. 28.

WED 02/23 Shitshow Karaoke Local rapper/promoter Dirty Jones and Scene’s own Manny Wallace host Shit Show Karaoke, a weekly event at the B-Side Liquor Lounge wherein patrons choose from “an unlimited selection of jams from hip-hop to hard rock,” and are encouraged to “be as bad as you want.” Fueled by drink and shot specials, it all goes down tonight at 10 p.m. Admission is free.

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.

THU 02/24 Mostly Other People Do the Killing The jazz trio Mostly Other People Do the Killing swings into the Bop Stop tonight for a concert that celebrates their new album, Disasters Vol. 1. Each composition on the album is named after a small town in Pennsylvania that experienced disasters ranging from floods and fires to mining accidents. The disasters serve as cautionary tales and represent examples of how people measure risk and reward. The concert begins at 7. Check the venue website for more info.

26

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

FRI

02/25

Mike Polk Jr. Show Live If you’ve seen local comedian Mike Polk Jr., the man behind the Hastily Made Cleveland Tourism Video, the Factory of Sadness video (parts one and two), Last Call Cleveland comedy troupe and The Mike Polk Jr. Show, perform live, you know he really thrives on having an audience at his disposal.

He hosts the Mike Polk Jr. Show Live tonight at 9:30 at Hilarities.

Check the Hilarities website for ticket prices.

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

SAT 02/26 Kurentovanje Parade & Main Festival Kurentovanje (koo-rahn-toh-VAHNyay) is evidently the most popular carnival event in Slovenia. The central figure of the carnival, the Kurent, is believed to chase away winter and usher in spring with its supernatural powers. The Kurent, by the way, is like something freakish and mammalian out of Parade the Circle: a massive

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

Ismael Quintanilla III

sheepskin creature with bells and beads and all sorts of birdlike, pagan-inspired ornamentation.

The Slovenian National Home, St. Clair Superior Development Corp. and Sterle’s Country House partnered with local businesses and institutions to bring a piece of this cultural event to the St. Clair Avenue neighborhood. Today’s event starts at 9 a.m. at East 64th St. and St. Clair Ave. It runs until 6 p.m.

It’s free. clevelandkurentovanje.com.

SUN 02/27 Nickelodeon’s JoJo Siwa D.R.E.A.M. The Tour This concert for kids features Nickelodeon star Jojo Siwa. The Belles, a country duo featuring Kelli and Jaymie Belle, will open the show. The event starts at 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Consult the arena’s website for more info.

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

MON 02/28 Son Volt On tour in support of their tenth studio album, Electro Melodier, the

veteran alt-country act Son Volt rolls back into to play the Beachland Ballroom. On Electro Melodier, the band draws from folk, country, blues, soul and rock as frontman Jay Farrar sings about pressing issues such as the recent pandemic, love and the current political divide.

Electro Melodier picks up where the band left off since their 2019 release, Union, which garnered attention from outlets such as NPR, Billboard, Salon and more. The show starts at 8 p.m. Check the venue website for more info.

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

TUE

03/01

Open Turntable Tuesday Tonight from 7 to 9, the Winchester hosts its weekly Open Turntable Tuesday. Jason Gokorsch will book guest DJs and offer slots to people who want to bring their own vinyl and spin their favorite songs or deep tracks. First time DJs are encouraged, and equipment is provided. Patrons can also bring records for the night’s DJ to add to their set. Sign up on Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club’s Facebook page.

12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/ TheWinchesterMusicTavern.

GET OUT WED 03/02 Fatoumata Diawara One of the most vital standardbearers of modern African music, singer-guitarist Fatoumata Diawara has become one of the most talked about new African artists. She performs tonight at 7:30 at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $3 to $59, or $38 to $53 for museum members.

11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

THU 03/03 Cleveland Auto Show Featuring concept, pre-production and production vehicles from many of the world’s top auto manufacturers, the Cleveland Auto Show returns to the I-X Center.

The massive event occupies nearly 1.2-million square feet and features exhibits, vehicle giveaways and a classic car competition. Today’s hours are 5 to 10 p.m., and the show continues through Sunday. Consult the website for a complete schedule and for ticket prices. Parking is free.

1 I-X Center Drive, 2166766000.

FRI

03/04

GlamGore GlamGore is Cleveland’s newest monthly addition to LGBTQ nightlife. Each month, GlamGore features a variety of performance artists under one roof, ranging from beauty queens to drag monsters.

One of few all-inclusive and all ages productions that incorporates themed performances to elevate artists and audiences alike, GlamGore features well-rounded drag entertainers of all shapes, sizes and styles from all over the country. Tonight’s event starts at 9 at the Grog Shop. Tickets cost $12 in advance, $15 at the door. VIP tickets which include a photo opportunity, a meet-and-greet prior to the show and seating, cost $20.

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

SAT 03/05 Tom Segura Tom Segura likes to talk about face tattoos, drug overdoses and his

hatred for hipsters on bikes. He tells his stories candidly, and his honesty is what makes them crudely funny.

He’s not a total asshole, though; he does feel guilty when he eats cookies made by the Keebler elves while watching episodes of Little People, Big World. This guy’s not for the easily offended, but he knows how to deliver the laughs. You might want to leave the kids at home for this one. He performs at 7 and 10 tonight and at 7 tomorrow night at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage.

Consult the venue’s website for more info.

10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.

SUN 03/06 Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors The last time the Cavs played the Raptors in Cleveland, the Cavs handed them a serious beat down.

The Raptors, who were short-handed at the time, just couldn’t compete.

Expect a closer game tonight as the Raptors, who played particularly well in February, return to play at the Cavs at 6 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Consult the arena website for ticket prices and more info.

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

MON 03/07 She’s a Woman Drag queen and comedian Miz Cracker stars in this show that features standup and music. Expect discussions about dating, dieting and survival. The event begins at 8 tonight at the Mimi Ohio Theatre.

Tickets cost $32.50.

1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

TUE

03/08

Kasim Sulton’s Utopia World-renowned bassist Kasim Sulton announced his Utopia show in 2018 as a limited run of three shows and then expanded it in 2020 prior to the pandemic shutdown. As part of an extension of that 2020 tour that COVID interrupted, Sulton is back on the road again this year, and the tour comes to the Kent Stage tonight at 7. Tickets start at $30.

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

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

27

28

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

29

Scene archives

EAT BITES

Flying Fig to close after 23 years in business

By Douglas Trattner DURING THE PAST TWO YEARS alone, Cleveland diners have said goodbye to a dizzying number of upscale restaurants, among them Lola, Fire, Spice, Black Pig, Greenhouse, Chinato, Bar Cento and the Plum. Unfortunately, we are about to lose one more. Karen Small has just announced her plans to shutter the Flying Fig (2523 Market Ave., 216-241-4243), her farm-to-table bistro in Ohio City. That will occur after dinner on Saturday, February 26th.

Also closing at the same time will be the Market at the Fig, the adjacent gourmet market.

Plans call for significant interior modifications to ready both spaces for a new concept, which should open in May. All that Small would say about the new business is that it is not a straightforward full-service restaurant.

“It will definitely retain its character and the food will still be coming from the same place,” she says.

When Small opened the Fig in 1999, the smart, stylish restaurant on Market Avenue was an instant success. The chef was a pioneer in so many ways, from establishing local foodways to popularizing small plates to being a proponent of vegheavy dishes.

For 23 years, people have flocked to the Fig for seasonal dishes served up in an effortlessly hip and cosmopolitan room. Small has always shown remarkable restraint in the kitchen, making sure that the ingredients (and the people and families who produce them) were always the true stars of the plate.

Over the years, Small has earned national recognition from glossy food magazines, the James Beard Foundation and countless online media sources, but she has never earned the kind of attention heaped upon the likes of Michael Symon, Doug Katz or Jonathon Sawyer.

That’s likely thanks to the chef’s lowkey demeanor and lack of expansion over the years. Apart from Market at the Fig, the European-style gourmet market she opened in 2010, Small has been reluctant to expand beyond

her four walls.

That will change in the coming weeks when she finally unveils Juneberry, a project some three years in the making. The 30-seat breakfast-and-lunch diner, located in the former Jack Flaps space in Ohio City, has undergone interior changes to make it feel less industrial and somewhat “funkier,” noted Small. A liquor license is in the plans as well.

Small says that she’s just waiting on final approval, which should happen within the next four weeks.

“I think that as a city we don’t have enough breakfast places and variety for stuff like that,” Small told Scene when she shared the news.

As for why Small decided to shutter the Fig now after 23 years, she cites historic changes to the neighborhood around the restaurant. Few areas of town have evolved more in the past two decades than Ohio City.

“I do think the neighborhood is changing very rapidly,” the chef says. “The amount of people who are moving into the neighborhood, the amount of restaurants that are opening. I just want a fresh start at this point. I’m ripe for a change and I think it’s a good time for a change because the same isn’t really working anymore.”

Small also sees the positive side of such attention and she hopes that it will help to improve the situation at the nearby West Side Market.

For all the diners who have supported her business since 1999, Small says that she is forever grateful and hopeful to see them down the road.

“There are so many great choices these days and I appreciate their support,” she says. “I just want them to come back when we reopen. It will be okay, it will just be a little different.”

Owners of Lulo Kitchen Open Lulo Café in the IMG Building Late last year, Anna Harouvis closed her Good To Go Café after a 20-year run in the IMG building. The move allowed the chef to focus on her next location, which will open soon at the AECOM building (1300 East 9th St.).

Lucky for the workers in the IMG Center, the space was quickly claimed by Stefhanie and Mario Montoya, who operate the lovely Lulo Kitchen (1273 W. Ninth St., 216-9291053) in the Warehouse District. Last month, the husband-and-wife team opened Lulo Café, a spin-off, of sorts, from their original Pan-Latin eatery.

“This is pretty much an extension of what we do here at Lulo Kitchen,” explains Mario. “When you walk in you get the same feeling as coming in here on the first floor.”

The Montoyas remodeled the space to replicate those breezy tropical vibes that so wonderfully permeate the Warehouse District spot. Visitors will immediately recognize the artwork, lighting and lush greenery. There is seating for 15 to 20 guests in the small dining room.

Everything that is available at the original location (upstairs not down) will be available here, although customers might have to preorder some items. Montoya says

that orders can be placed online and designated for pickup at either location.

Walk-in customers can expect a similar line-up of coffees, teas, juices, smoothies, salads, soups, sandwiches, bowls and plates. There will be a heightened emphasis on breakfast items like overnight oatmeal, acai bowls with tropical fruit and grab-and-go Latin pastries like pan de queso, buñuelos and empanadas.

Lulo Café is open 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Now Open: House of Creole, in Former Sixth City Sailor’s Space Downtown Jeffeary Miskiri says that all systems are go at House of Creole (668 Euclid Ave., 216-938-7392), which opened its doors with time to spare in advance of the NBA AllStar Weekend. There’s still plenty of work to be done, he adds, but the restaurant, located in the former Sixth City Sailor’s Club (and Hodge’s) downtown, will be ready.

“It’s a lot of work, but we’ll get there for sure,” he promises.

Miskiri is the owner of a Washington D.C.-based restaurant group with multiple concepts with names like Po Boy Jim, Creole on 14th, Suga & Spice and Miss Toya’s Creole House. When presented with the opportunity to take his talents to Cleveland, the entrepreneur had no reservations.

“Cleveland is definitely a

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

31

32

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

Photo of Mabel’s by Douglas Trattner

restaurant city,” he says. “The opportunity I was presented, I felt it was a no-brainer. As for the CajunCreole, I just felt it was the perfect fit.”

Since opening, House of Creole has been dishing up Big Easy-style starters like fried green tomatoes, crab cakes and deviled eggs with shrimp. For the main event there will be fried fish po’ boys, seafood etouffee, Cajun shrimp and grits and jambalaya loaded with shrimp, chicken, sausage and rice.

The weekend brunch menu offers crab cake eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, steak and eggs and a Cajun seafood omelet.

Mabel’s BBQ at Eton Opening in March B Spot, Michael Symon’s gourmet burger bar at Eton, was approaching middle age when the pandemic struck. In 2021, Symon and his business partner Doug Petkovic made the decision to close the restaurant after nearly 12 years in operation and reopen it as Mabel’s BBQ. “We just thought it was time for a change and we wanted to try something new,” explains Petkovic.

“The barbecue has been very good for us downtown. We feel like we’re doing it at a high level and we saw an opportunity to do barbecue on the east side and do it properly.”

The gourmet burger concept might have run its course, but Mabel’s BBQ is still in its prime. The six-year-old restaurant on E. Fourth Street continues to impress barbecue fans with its slow-smoked beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, kielbasa and pork ribs. What’s more, barbecue service is speedy and smoked meats travel well, opening up increased take-out and delivery business.

For their latest project, Symon and Petkovic again turned to designers Scott Richardson and Richard Lalli to completely makeover the Woodmere location.

The results are striking, as if the original Mabel’s was shrunk down and delivered to the east side. A completely new layout includes a large wraparound bar that extends the restaurant into the mall interior.

There is more bar seating, table seating and, soon, outdoor seating.

Along with the smoked meats and sides, the Mabel’s team will be importing the world-class bourbon program, which includes many hardto-find distilleries and selections.

Look for Mabel’s BBQ Woodmere to open in early March.

Nubeigel to Bring New Bagel Offerings to Cleveland Heights After years of wandering the globe as a chef, Josh Admon settled down in Jerusalem, where he ran a coffee and pastry shop for 15 years.

Longing for a radical change, he and his family left Israel in search of a new place to call home.

“I love it there but it’s intense,” says Admon. “We were looking for a nice community, a nice place where we could start over, but in a way that would work for everyone.”

That place ended up being University Heights.

Next up for the chef is a Nubeigel, his unique spin on a neighborhood bagel shop. That shop is expected to open this summer in Cleveland Heights (2254 Lee Rd.).

“The idea is to take the techniques I use in baking and apply it to bagel making,” he says of the café. “Kind of reflective of the name, I’m not going to categorize my product and I’m not down to any sort of rules or regulations of different style bagels. I wouldn’t even call them a hybrid. I’m not going to call it anything other than my product.”

Neighbors can look forward to a selection of fresh-baked bagels like plain, salt, sesame and mishmosh. Those bagels will be joined by schmears, lox, fish salads and vegan spreads. Admon says he’s looking forward to creating sandwiches that pair bagel flavors with specific fillings.

“I like to take traditional things and a little flair to them,” he explains.

Admon says that while Nubeigel will be a kosher café, most guests wouldn’t even be aware of the designation.

“Nobody even needs to know that this is a kosher establishment,” he says. “There is nothing different about the place except that you won’t see ham or meat with cheese.”

The casual breakfast-and-lunch spot is expected to open sometime this summer. And when it does, Admon hopes to create a community space that is open, interactive and distinctive.

“I would like to give people a different experience, not just the bagel itself,” he says. “I’d like people to come into an environment that’s a little bit different, a little bit more fun – warm. In a lot of ways I’m trying to bring my experience from my last business here, which is funny because it is such a radically different environment there.”

Collision Bend to Open Production Brewery and Taproom in Euclid Collision Bend Brewing (1250 Old River Rd., 216-273-7879) in the Flats has been dabbling in off-premises retail sales of its beers for a few years now, but the pandemic accelerated that side of the business, explains Luke Purcell, brewmaster-partner.

“The pandemic kind of changed the direction, especially when we were essentially shut down and we started moving more beer,” he says.

“And then with last year back to socalled normal at the brewpub it was stressful trying to keep up with that at the same time as brewing for the pub. It starts to get pretty crowded in the tanks.”

As flagship beers like C-Town IPA, Hope Flows Kolsch and the bestselling Pale Wheat Ale Lake Erie Sunset continue to make waves in the retail market, they do so at a cost down at the brewpub. By opening a separate production brewery, Purcell can bifurcate the on- and off-

premises brewing.

“The plan is to pull some of the larger fermenters that we have in the brewpub out and move in smaller tanks so we can turn them quicker and get more variety going,” Purcell explains. “When you’re trying to draw people down, that’s a big thing; people want to try new beers.”

The smaller-scale batches are also a great way to test out new beers that might one day graduate to large-scale production, he adds.

Purcell is already in possession of a new 30-barrel brewhouse, which he purchased from Commonhouse Ales, which in turn took possession from Columbus Brewing.

“It’s not huge, but it’s a good next step,” says Purcell.

The plan is to convert an industrial building at 1261 Babbitt Road in Euclid into a brewery and, ideally, a taproom. The goal is to open the doors sometime this summer.

“We’re definitely looking to do a taproom,” says Purcell. “In my opinion it always makes sense to have at least a nice taproom and a pretty simple food menu. People like hanging out in the brewery, at least within the craft beer community.”

This April, Collision Bend will celebrate its fifth anniversary, which seems like a hard-fought win given the pandemic.

“We’re really excited that we hit that mark, especially after the past two years when a lot of people closed down,” says Purcell. “We had a nice bounce-back summer last year and we’re pretty hopeful that that trend will continue.”

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

33

34

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

MUSIC DON’T CALL IT A PANDEMIC RECORD

Indie rockers Joywave come to Beachland to support album written during lockdown

By Jeff Niesel INITIALLY, JOYWAVE’S BOOKING agent intended to route the indie rock band through Pittsburgh on its current tour in support of its new album, Cleanse, but singer Daniel Armbruster objected (and yes, he’s perfectly aware of the rivalry between the two cities).

“The pandemic has made us take stock in how we spend a lot of our time, and when I saw the routing was taking us to Pittsburgh, I said, ‘You know, I don’t really care to go to Pittsburgh,’” says Armbruster, a diehard Cleveland Guardians fan, in a recent phone call from his Rochester, NY home. Joywave performs at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1, at the Beachland Ballroom. It’ll mark the first time the band has headlined in town. “Our booking agent said, ‘Well, I will just move it to Cleveland.’ I said, ‘That sounds so much better.’”

Joywave’s last headlining tour ended prematurely when the world shut down because of COVID-19. In the absence of touring, Armbruster teamed up with Sir Sly’s Jason Suwito for a sideproject they dubbed Best Frenz. He also wrote the tunes for Cleanse, which addresses some of the anxieties the pandemic triggered.

“I actively tried not to immediately make another Joywave record [during the shutdown],” says Armbruster.

“Jason [Suwito] from Sir Sly and I did this remote project that was on the nose about what was happening around us. With the lockdowns happening, I knew every artist in the world was going to be trying to figure out what rhymes with ‘coronavirus.’ I thought that would be every record coming out in the next two years. But I’m the kind of guy who looks to music when things aren’t making sense in either my personal life or in the external world.

The album became this snapshot of my reality in the moment. Our first three records came from the 40 demos I had made over the years.

This record isn’t like that. It’s just the 10 songs that came out of this moment. I’m excited about how it turned out.”

Armbruster recorded everything at his home studio, but that’s not terribly unusual for him.

“That’s how I had operated before anybody cared about the band,” says Armbruster, who adds that he now has his own place. “[In the band’s early days,] all the other guys were working jobs and stuff, and my parents were hands-off supportive.

They told me I didn’t have to move out, and I could sleep in my childhood bedroom. It’s like, ‘There’s a sandwich in the fridge.’ And that was it.”

Joywave.

Hollywood Records

about the song. “I have always been obsessed with [Bruce Springsteen’s] ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ blasting at

“I’m the kind of guy who looks to music when things aren’t making sense in either my personal life or in the external world.

The album became this snapshot of my reality in the moment.”

JOYWAVE 8 P.M. TUESDAY, MARCH 1, BEACHLAND BALLROOM, 15711 WATERLOO RD., 216-383-1124.

TICKETS: $20 ADV, $23 DOS, BEACHLANDBALLROOM.COM.

The message of the band’s last album, 2020’s Possession, was about the polarization of our culture, and Cleanse builds upon that theme.

“If we can’t all live together, then things might get bad,” says Armbruster. “That’s what I was worried about in 2018 [when writing the songs for Possession]. That looks cute in hindsight. Now, there are people who have died because they listened to the wrong political message. It’s insane. [‘Pray for the Reboot,’] that first track on Cleanse, is a little bit of ‘Wow — it’s way worse than I could have possibly imagined.’”

With its swirling synths and lyrics about how the “world’s gone crazy,” the song hearkens back to ’80s pop (think Tears for Fears or Pet Shop Boys).

Another Cleanse song about polarization, “Buy American” came to fruition in the middle of 2020. The song’s pulsating synths convey a real sense of urgency.

“The lyrics are very sarcastic,” explains Armbruster when asked

the Reagan ’84 rally and people misunderstanding it. [Playing it at a political rally] ignores the verses. I wanted something that was a lot of bad advice wrapped up in red, white and blue.”

A beautiful ballad, “After Coffee” stems from time spent at home.

It begins with a sparse synth riff and soft vocals before Armbruster essentially describes his morning routine over a brittle guitar riff.

“That one I had kind of a nugget of the idea of what I wanted to say pre-pandemic, and it ended up universally appropriate when I just meant it as ‘my schedule is clear and my cat is here, and I’m waking up at the same time every day and eating meals at regular times,’” says Armbruster of the track. “I was just grateful for that. It’s about making that change permanent. My favorite part of being an artist is writing and producing and making a record and not being on tour. But the shows we did get to play in 2021 made me think that maybe I was wrong. It

was really awesome being on stage.

You get to push people’s buttons in real time.”

“The Inversion,” a song with heavy drums and distorted vocals, takes on the decline of human agency in the face of our increasingly digital world.

“That’s probably the darkest song on the record,” says Armbruster.

“Going back a bunch of years, I’ve always enjoyed exploring the relationship between man and machine. In my lifetime, I’m a kid who was pre-internet, but in elementary school, I was like, ‘This is cool.’ But in the split between our digital and physical lives, the digital has been encroaching. The pandemic forced us to live in the digital at a time when what you see is policed by algorithms and the thing that gets the biggest reaction, and it doesn’t matter if it’s positive or negative.”

While Armbruster says the band is still sorting out the visuals for the live show, he says he’s looking forward to the tour, and, in particular, is happy to finally have a headlining spot in Cleveland.

“We are going to try to bring some of the album artwork to life, and we’re still trying to figure the production out,” he says. “I’m very, very excited about it. And I’ll get to give a shoutout to Cleveland Guardians legend Ernie Clement, who is from Rochester, NY. We don’t have too many professional baseball players from Rochester, but I think it’s pretty cool he is playing for the Guardians.”

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

35

36

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

MUSIC CELEBRATING THE ESSENCE OF MUSIC

Cleveland Museum of Art’s Performing Arts Series returns with another eclectic lineup

By Jeff Niesel THE CLEVELAND MUSEUM OF Art’s annual Performing Arts Series regularly draws some of the top musical acts from around the world.

Recently, the museum announced the schedule for this year’s program, and the lineup features a range of internationally renowned artists.

“We are so pleased to be able to offer concerts in the museum again and are reminded how essential music is to all of us,” says Tom Welsh, director of performing arts, in a press release.

The series commences with a Cleveland Institute of Music Organ Studio session that takes place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27.

Conservatory musicians from the Cleveland Institute of Music in the studio of acclaimed organist Todd Wilson will present an afternoon recital of works for solo organ on the museum’s McMyler Memorial Organ.

Then, African superstar Fatoumata Diawara performs at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2. Hailed as one of the most vital standardbearers of modern African music, Diawara is “boldly experimental,” yet respectful of her roots.

China native Wu Wei swings into town at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 11. A sheng soloist who has helped to develop this 4,000-year-old Chinese wind instrument into an “innovative force” in contemporary music, Wei studied the sheng at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music and was a soloist with the Shanghai Chinese Orchestra before studying at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin, where he’s now based. His performance will include traditional and contemporary Chinese music as well as masterworks of the European baroque period.

A professional chamber choir conducted by Donald Nally, the Crossing performs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 25. It’s committed to working with creative teams to make and record new, substantial works for choir that explore and expand ways of writing for choir, singing in choir and listening to music for choir. The concert includes the world premiere of Stacy Garrop’s “In a House Besieged.” It’ll feature guest organist Scott Dettra. Garrop’s

work is the first Robert G. Schneider memorial commission. Schneider taught for more than 30 years as the chair of the Music Department and director of choirs at Shaker Heights High School; he died in 2018.

Tabla master Zakir Hussain performs at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 20. The preeminent classical tabla virtuoso of our time, Hussain is renowned for his genre-defying collaborations. He’ll deliver an evening of Indian classical music with guests Kala Ramnath (violin) and Jayanthi Kumaresh (veena).

The Creative Fusion: Composers Series Performance will feature Aleksandra Vrebalov’s Antennae at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 13, in the Ames Family Atrium. Inspired by the CMA’s Icon of the Mother of God and Infant Christ (Virgin Eleousa) on view in CMA›s Byzantine gallery, Antennae is a site-specific concert.

The evening-length work for large choir, organs, trumpets and percussion will feature three Serbian monks singing a Byzantine chant while surrounded by the Cleveland Chamber Choir and other musicians from the community. Vrebalov’s music ranges from concert music and opera to music for modern dance and film, and has been performed by Kronos Quartet, Serbian National Theater, English National Ballet, Belgrade Philharmonic and many others.

In addition, organist Nicole Keller, associate organist at Trinity Cathedral (Episcopal) of Cleveland and faculty member at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, will play at a date to be announced. She’s performed around the world in venues including St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and the Kazakh National University of Arts in Astana, Kazakhstan. Her concert at CMA will be a solo recital on the McMyler Memorial Organ and will feature works by Johann Sebastian Bach, Calvin Hampton, Rayner Brown, Paul Hindemith, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Florence Price.

Unless noted, all performances take place at the museum’s Gartner Auditorium.

Fatoumata Diawara.

Kenny Mathieson

Tickets for individual performances are on sale now, and prices range by location of seating. Members receive a 10 percent discount on tickets. Special student rates are available for select performances. Tickets can be

reserved by calling the CMA’s ticket center at 888-CMA-0033 or by going to cma.org/performingarts.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

37

Phone Lines

EXPLICIT CHAT WITH SEXY LOCALS Get your FREE TRIAL! 18+ CALL The Night Exchange NOW! 216.502.4388 / 440.499.6400 www.nightexchange.com

HOT LOCAL URBAN SINGLES!

Are looking to hook up now!

Try it FREE! 18+ 216.367.1010 / 440.424.0303 www.metrovibechatline.com

CALL NOW, MEET TONIGHT!

FREE to try! 18+ 216.626.7777 / 440.325.7777 Other Cities: 1.888.257.5757 www.questchat.com

100’s OF SEXY LATINO SINGLES

Meet Hot Latin Locals!

Get your FREE trial! 18+ 216.626.7777 440.325.7777 www.questchat.com

38

| clevescene.com | February 23-March 8, 2022

SAVAGE LOVE SUB OPTIMAL

By Dan Savage Hey, Dan: I’m a submissive gay man with a 15-year-old nephew. Through his actions and words, both his parents and I have gathered he might be gay, which is absolutely no issue.

However, we’ve also recently discovered that he seems to be interested in D/s themes with him as the sub. Besides the occasional veiled comments and sketchy online searches, he’s also described situations where he’s convinced other boys to subtly Dom him, both in vanilla ways and some decidedly more borderline. We’re being careful to teach him about healthy boundaries and appropriate behaviors, but I have an additional struggle with all this. As a gay sub, I’ve had no lasting relationships. I’ve never found a man who wanted me as both a partner and his slave. I know there are success stories out there — sub guys with partners and families — but I’m not one of them. I want to be a good gay uncle, but honestly, I’m a poor role model. If this is the path he ultimately takes, I want him to be safe, happy, and loved. But I’m a poor advisor. Any suggestions?

Uncle Good Heart “By emphasizing the importance of consent, UGH is already getting the most important thing right,” said Hadrian Temple, a dominant gay leatherman, blogger, and erotica author. “UGH’s nephew needs to know he has a right to say no to any form of play he feels uncomfortable with.

He should also know that until he has agreed to some sort of power exchange with a potential Dom, they are interacting as equals. He doesn’t have to start obeying the Dom until he’s agreed to start obeying, and he can withdraw his consent at any time and stop the play.”

Your nephew also needs to be told that “convincing” other boys to “subtly dominate him” isn’t ethical.

If these boys don’t realize what your nephew is doing — and what they’re doing for your nephew — then they haven’t consented to playing D/s games with him. And just as your nephew wants to avoid bad Doms lurking on the other end of sketchy online searches — and any adult Dom willing to play with a 15-year-old boy is by definition bad and untrustworthy — your nephew needs to avoid being a bad/creepy/

manipulative sub.

“And besides, pushing vanilla guys to dominate him is not a great long-term strategy for finding a Dom,” said Temple. “One of the hardest things for novice subs to understand is that vanilla guys don’t like to be dominant — if they did, they wouldn’t be vanilla. Sure, there are some guys who don’t realize they’re kinky until a sub comes along, but he shouldn’t assume every hot guy he likes is a potential Dom.” And while exploring his sexuality with an age-appropriate partner who shares your nephew’s kinks would be safer, more appropriate, and legal, finding someone his own age who’s not just gay but also attracted to him and into dominating someone is a tall order. Instead of searching for someone to play with right now, reading about, thinking about, fantasizing about, and masturbating about his kinks would be a far better and less frustrating use of his time.

As for whether your nephew needs to know about your saddo experiences…

“In one sense, it doesn’t matter if UGH is a ‘poor role model’ where long-term relationships are concerned,” said Temple. “He can still offer his nephew good advice... And UGH shouldn’t assume he’s a bad sub — or a bad role model — because he hasn’t found a long-term kinky partner. There are lots of reasons why a sub might not have met the right Dom, and only a few of those reasons really come down to being a bad sub.

Most kinksters feel there are more subs out there than there are Doms.”

And while kinks can complicate a person’s search for a partner, being vanilla — or pretending to be vanilla — does not guarantee someone a partner. Just as there are lots of happily partnered kinky people out there (some partnered with people who aren’t kinky), there are lots of 100% vanilla people out there who are unhappily single.

To get a young sub’s perspective, UGH, I shared your question with Gimpboy95, a 26-year-old gay sub in Chicago. (Gimpboy95 is his handle on Instagram, and it’s how he wanted to be identified in the column.) Not too long ago Gimpboy95 was in your nephew’s shoes: another gay, kinky,

inexperienced teenager scouring the Internet for information, porn, and connection.

“There are some shady/sketchy people out there, of course, but there’s a lot of good out there too,” said Gimpboy95, who had his first sexual experiences at age 18. “UGH’s nephew can do his research, figure out what he likes, and ultimately find his community, just like I did.”

Finding community means making kinky friends, not just matching with kinky sex partners.

“Having a shoulder or boot to lean on has helped me tremendously,” said Gimpboy95. “So once UGH’s nephew is old enough, he shouldn’t be afraid to put himself out there — and not just on the internet. Meeting other people in the kink community at local events who were open and accepting — whether their identities were centered around kink or kink was more of a hobby — really has been the most fulfilling part of my journey.”

Follow Hadrian Temple on Twitter @HadrianTemple and check out his blog and his erotica at gaybdsmfiction. blog. Follow Gimpboy95 on Instagram @Gimpboy95.

Hey, Dan: I have a vagina and I’ve been happily married to someone with a penis for fifteen years. In general, I have always enjoyed banjo players more than harmonica players. Honestly, cunnilingus doesn’t do it for me. I just get bored. In fact, the only way I can reliably cum is by fingering myself, although being fingered by my partner is great too. In the last year my partner has really gotten into cunnilingus. Are there any tricks or toys that can make it less boring so I can stay in the mood?

Bored Over Ravenously Eating Dude Let him play the harmonica while you pluck that banjo.

Hey, Dan: I’m a lesbian in her 30s located in SF. I am in a pretty healthy relationship with my partner of three years. During quarantine, sex has become less frequent and less exciting, and we’ve talked, but still no solution. I think we can turn things around and I’m in love with her and see myself

with her in the future, but I would like to open our relationship. On the flip side, I’m not sure this will make things better. I have brought this up to her directly, but it never goes well.

I have a solo work trip coming up and I can’t stop thinking about how easily I can have a one-night stand and some meaningless, fun sex. I feel bad about this, but think it could help me figure things out. I’ve brought up how I want to open our relationship, and she’s entertained the idea, but we haven’t come to a mutual agreement.

What can I do?

Desperate Lesbo There’s the right thing to do… which is to honor the monogamous commitment you’ve made while continuing to be honest with your partner about your desire to renegotiate the terms of your commitment and slowly move towards the openness you want while making sure your partner feels safe, secure, and prioritized at every moment along what is likely to be a long journey, and one that may never get you to your desired destination… and then there’s the thing a lot of people wind up doing… which is to have impulsive sex with some rando on a business trip and then get caught or confess, thereby creating the kind of crisis that forces a rapid renegotiation of the terms of your commitment. The former approach might never get where you want to be — your partner might never agree to open the relationship — while the latter approach usually (but not always) gets you dumped.

You say that things can’t go on like this forever. You aren’t sexually fulfilled, and it doesn’t sound like you ever will be, unless your partner agrees to open the relationship*. Since that’s the case, DL, you could opt for a variation on the right thing to do: demand a rapid renegotiation without cheating. She’ll feel pressured, yes, but better to feel pressured than betrayed and pressured. * Not everyone in an open relationship is sexually fulfilled. Just saying.

mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage www.savagelovecast.com

February 23-March 8, 2022 | clevescene.com |

39