Guitar man was here
He’s tHe Hero Cleveland deserves, and tHe Hero eli Fletcher needs. By eric sandy
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Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Chris Keating Associate Publisher Desiree Bourgeois
Upfront
Editor Vince Grzegorek
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Cleveland teachers confront the administration, a Chagrin Falls nanny school goes to court, and more
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Behind the scenes of Mayor Frank Jackson’s State of the City speech
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Check out our best photos from the past week
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East Cleveland Councilman Nathaniel Martin discusses his city’s uncertain future
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Guitar Man is the hero this city deeserves, and the hero Eli Fletcher needs
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magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 5
upfront cmsd struggles, concerns underscored amid marathon meeting
tHIS WEEK
Cleveland Metropolitan School District teachers packed the auditorium at Collinwood High School March 26 and confronted the administration for more than hour over budget cuts that aren’t matching individual schools’ needs. The new and current district funding model — “student-based budgeting” (SBB) — has the money follow the student. On its face, teachers conceded, it sounds ideal. But with declining enrollment across the board, most schools are left with demands to slash budgets and staff for next school year — $3.4 million districtwide — a move that teachers say will inordinately cut actual support for each student. Enrollment is projected to fall by 375 students next year. One teacher explained that the SBB model is predestined to “dismantle” the district and boost charter school enrollment. Even in simple terms, the funding perpetuates a cycle: As budgets are cut, students flow out of the district, which in turn forces budgets down further. In a broader sense, the unionized teachers were angry that the rhetoric surrounding the Cleveland Plan has yet to match up to the reality. Teachers referenced many times the 592-day countdown on the district’s website, which signals the next levy renewal attempt. They reiterated that the community would be happy to pass that measure once even the most baseline operating levy promises come into effect (working heat in buildings, for instance, or gym time that doesn’t cram two full classes into the lesson at once). It was also notable that most of the people who spoke out against the administration were retired teachers or in union leadership positions. One
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retired teacher told Scene that the culture of fear at CMSD is “worse than it’s ever been,” with looming threats of reprimand for any teacher who speaks out against policy. “I ask you to visit schools,” Cleveland Teachers Union President David Quolke said during the meeting. “I ask you talk to these teachers. Ask them if they feel like this district views them as leaders and with respect. Ask them if the district is delivering on the promises they made. Ask them if this district has a shared service model or if it is more top down and heavy handed than ever.” Rounds of rolling applause followed each of his points. The administration, seated atop the high school stage, remained silent.
tax lien titan sanctioned in cuyahoga county Tax lien titan Aeon Financial LLC was sanctioned last week to the tune of $16,850 for loading unexplained fees on top of a homeowner’s paid-in-full tax lien certificates. The mysterious company has notched a foothold in Cleveland and other large cities since the foreclosure crisis bottomed out, and the county judge’s recent order against its lawyers signals a contrast to a more typical look-the-other-way syndrome. (A blogger at REALNEO was the first to report on this story.) In 2011, Archie Lewis was hit with a foreclosure complaint on an East 134th Street house he owned. Aeon Financial had purchased the property’s tax lien certificates as part of a bulk transaction. With fees and an 18-percent interest rate, the total cost to be repaid came to $7,427.60. Lewis, now 65, paid that in full over time, and the court dismissed
HELL OF AN OFFSEASON
Browns GM Ray Farmer suspended for four games following inquiry into “Textgate.” No draft picks were lost, which means we’re still in the running for a shitty QB later this month.
137 JURORS DISMISSED
ctu members confront the administration
Aeon Financial’s case in 2013. The following year, however, Aeon Financial opened a new case, seeking payment on the exact same liens. The company has a known record of opening up cases with intent to overbill homeowners. This case came before magistrate Tracey Gonzales. Read her full order on clevescene.com. Gonzales wrote: “[Aeon Financial employee Joseph] Lord testified that even though the [payment] schedule created by his office may indicate a zero balance, it doesn’t necessarily mean a zero balance. There may be additional fees hanging out there that need to be paid. This Court is amazed. What fees? Where do they come from? Why do they exist? Why weren’t they on the schedule you created? [Lewis] has already turned $3,397.54 of outstanding taxes into $8,671.00. However, according to Mr. Lord’s testimony, there may still be a few unaccounted for, unlisted, unexplained fees and costs that need to be paid. In other words, even though one has completed their end of the agreement, [Aeon Financial] may just arbitrarily call and demand more money from you.” The judge went on to call the litigation “shameful to our profession” and sanctioned Aeon Financial LLC, ordering the company to pay thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees. The civil case against Lewis is but one of hundreds filed against homeowners in similar tax-strapped positions by Aeon Financial in recent years. The Washington Post published a 2013 investigation into Aeon Financial’s activities in the DC metro
Judge John O’Donnell grants Cleveland Patrolman Michael Brelo bench trial in lieu of jury verdict. Bailiff tells media that “this sort of stuff” is just easier without all those people in the room.
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
BRIGHTS LIGHTS, BIG CITY
City estimates up to $10-million economic impact following last week’s NCAA games at the Q. Also: 20 million photos of East Fourth Street uploaded to Instagram accounts by people from Kentucky.
area, as well as in Ohio. “In Cleveland,” the Washington Post wrote, “Aeon took the deeds to dozens of houses and then failed to care for them when they didn’t sell, leaving rotting porches, shattered windows and collapsed walls, prompting the city to levy more than 100 code violations.” For instance, Aeon Financial presently owns the house at 1357 East 170th St. The property was transferred to the company in December 2011. Since then, more than $4,000 in property taxes have accrued. Aeon has paid nothing to the county. And in April 2013, Aeon Financial obtained the property at 13504 Earlwood Road in South Collinwood. More than $2,500 in property taxes since then remain unpaid.
nanny case heads to couRt A Chagrin Falls “nanny school” that trains nannies before placing them with rich families is in court this week, three and a half years after a former student and former employee filed a lawsuit, saying the school’s owners retaliated after the student reported she saw a wealthy client sexually abuse his daughter in 2011. The English Nanny and Governess School and its unsurprisinglynamed owners Bradford Gaylord and Sheilagh Roth are accused of trying to suppress a report made by Christina Cruz, an ENGS student, who said she witnessed a wealthy Philadelphiaarea businessman sexually abuse his 9-year-old daughter while she was on a three-day “extended interview” with
YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE
We’ll see you at the Jake next week.
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 7
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the family following her completion of the school’s three-month program. Gaylord and Roth urged Cruz not to say anything — emphasizing that reporting child abuse “can ruin lives” and that her “her career prospects would suffer if she made the report, including by communicating that her access to job opportunities through their placement service would be contingent on whether she made the report or not,” Cruz’s lawyers say. They were worried about losing business of “high-caliber clientele” and the public image of the school if she went through with it. “What is this mess?” Roth is accused of saying to Cruz. “You’re not going to be reporting anybody, you’re not a professional, you’re not going to report our client.” After Cruz made the report, which she was likely to have been required to make by state law and the school’s own teachings and policy, Gaylord and Roth are accused of engaging in a smear campaign to discredit her and limit her job prospects by saying that she was mentally “unstable” because she previously saw a therapist and her parents had divorced and remarried. “Mrs. Roth said that Christina’s parents had several marriages and of course that creates an unstable person,” a then-employee recorded in the following weeks. They stopped responding to Cruz’s inquiries and stopped attempting to place her with other clients, which they are contractually required to do for its students, the suit states. The other plaintiff in the case is former ENGS placement director Heidi Kaiser, who was fired after she “refused to participate” in Gaylord and Roth’s “attempt to suppress Cruz’s report.” Just weeks before the incident Roth wrote to an acquaintance how glad she was to have her at the school (“I hired her immediately and she is a wonderful asset to [ENGS].”) When Kaiser didn’t play ball with them following the incident — and refused
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to place other nannies with the client whom Cruz said abused his daughter — the owners are accused of saying she had an alcohol problem and didn’t do a menial task as pretext to fire her. A Chester County (PA) detective — a witness for the plaintiffs — wrote an affidavit saying he did not find anything in his investigation that was “inconsistent” with what Cruz reported. He also stated there was a previous complaint of child abuse against the man based on a cell phone video taken by his youngest daughter of him in bed with his naked older daughter. Because of Cruz’s report and subsequent investigation by the detective and the Chester County Office of Children and Family Services, the two children were removed from his custody, and the case remains open. At issue in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas this week are Cruz’s claim of intentional infliction of emotional distress against Roth and Gaylord, Cruz’s complaint against ENGS for breach of contract, and Kaiser’s claim of wrongful termination.
community center.” Funding for the purchase of the new location is coming from an anonymous donor and the Milton and Tamar Maltz Family Foundation, the latter of which has committed up to $500,000 in a matching endowment for the transaction. One point brought up in the survey is the organization’s partnership with A Place for Us, a new affordable apartment complex for LGBT seniors. The LGBT Community Center will be provided programming at the 54-unit apartment complex, located between West 116th and 117th streets on Madison Avenue. The survey floats a specific option for the center’s new location: “There may be an opportunity for the Center to purchase additional space next to the new housing which could be used as the new permanent home of the Center...[And] if the Center does not consider this option for its new permanent home it will not negatively affect the programming that will be provided to the residents.”
LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER IS MOVING
“Our job is to find truth, based on evidence, and publish it,” Ohio Auditor of State Dave Yost posted to his Facebook page last week. “There are many things I believe to be true that I cannot prove. Without proof it doesn’t go into an audit report.” Yost was likely responding to comments by Beachwood Law Director Brian Reali suggesting that Yost could not prove the facts in his 2013 audit of Beachwood, released last month. That audit found that Mayor Merle Gorden collected $900 in illegal wedding fees and received illegal travel reimbursements in 2013. (The only surprise here is that it took so long for an auditor to actually label Gorden’s activities illegal, which they’ve long been. We tend to call him “the Merle of Free Sandwich” for his unscrupulously expensed meals.) Beachwood officials pouted and cried foul, and Reali kicked the beehive when he said the audit
The Facility Search Committee of the LGBT Community Center is seeking feedback in its efforts to find a new home for the organization. A survey can be found online (see clevescene.com for more info.) The move comes in tandem with the center’s 40th anniversary here in Cleveland, and a number of neighborhoods across the city are being considered for the new spot. The organization, one of the longestrunning such centers in the country, has been in Gordon Square for 15 years. “I always start any conversation with ‘If you’re a Clevelander, please be proud that the city of Cleveland has an LGBT community center,’” Executive Director Phyllis Harris says. “We love it here [in Gordon Square], but we are ready for the next step in our life as a
Final attendance tally for the Cleveland International Film Festival, the first time CIFF has eclipsed the six-figure mark in its 39-year history.
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BEaChwOOd KICKS BEEhIVE FOLLOwING MaYOR’S aUdIT
Age of Trevor Noah, who will succeed Jon Stewart on The Daily Show sometime later this year.
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
1,297
Number of miles between Cleveland and Houston, where the Tribe will play the Astros in their first game of the season on April 6.
wouldn’t withstand a legal challenge. Yost disagreed: “When we publish a report, it means that we have the facts — and we’re ready to defend it in court if we need to,” he wrote. Sensing which way the wind was blowing perhaps, Gorden decided to pay back the city $2,800 in March to cover portions of 2013’s illegal activity. Reali hinted that Gorden was saving the city big money by not engaging in a costly legal battle with the state. We’ve listened to NEOMG’s Mark Naymik argue that Gorden ought to pay back a lot more, and there’s certainly something to that. Both Naymik and WKYC’s Tom Meyer reported that Gorden’s been collecting wedding fees totaling more than $9,000 since 2007. And in 2014, while Yost was working on the 2013 audit, Gorden collected $1,725. (Trivia tidbit: The city charged a $125 fee for weddings, but enforced a kind of surge pricing model. On weekends, the fee was doubled to $250.) Beachwood City Council is meanwhile stressing the fact that the audit team has never brought up these issues before, so why should we believe them now?!! As recently as July, 2014, they point out, a team reviewed the facts and determined that there were no matters that required reporting. County Prosecutor Tim McGinty’s office confirmed to Scene that they were reviewing the auditor’s report but said nothing more regarding next steps. Beachwood Law Director Brian Reali told Scene by email that the findings were limited to 2013, so it doesn’t sound like he’ll be eager to enforce Yost’s ruling retroactively. Most of this happy news arrived only days after the NEOMG published a salary survey of suburban mayors, highlighting once again the decadence of Merle Gorden’s tenure. Gorden’s $240,000 in total compensation last year makes him far and away the highest-paid public official in the state of Ohio.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
$21,000
Median household income in East Cleveland, where the mayor is considering a political and geographic merger with the city of Cleveland.
Photo by Jeff Niesel
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magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
news hard times
Behind the scenes of the mayor’s State of the City speech By Sam Allard Just in case you were wondering: Mayor Frank Jackson never “rehearsed” the State of the City conversation with Beth Mooney, president and CEO of KeyCorp and chair of the Greater Cleveland Partnership. Jackson communicated to Scene via a spokesperson that to prepare for his annual address earlier this month, he had a couple of informal conversations with Mooney, but they were “few and far between,” and Jackson’s staff didn’t participate to “coach” or help craft a message. This story is old news, perhaps, and as we’ve spoken with folks in the immediate and less-immediate aftermath of the address, the most persistent frustration we’ve encountered with the selection of Mooney — and with the address itself — has come from the media. That’s likely because, in the two previous years when Jackson has opted for a similar Q&A format, he sat across from journalists. “Every journalist in that room wanted to be on the stage that day,” said Russ Mitchell, the WKYC anchor who moderated the State of the City in 2014. “I mean what an opportunity: to be able to press the Mayor on those issues, in a year of such incredible highs and incredible lows, and in such a public forum. But it was probably presumptive of us to assume that this was a ‘Meet the Press’ moment.” It’s Jackson’s party, and he can deliver the message any way he wants to, basically. He told journalists after the address that he may select a media member as moderator next year, or he may not. The selection of Mooney was just what he wanted to do this time around. Which is fine, I guess, or at least the result of certain easy, logical, political calculations: Business leaders are by and large the folks paying for tables at the venue (this year, the Cleveland Public
Auditorium); business leaders should get one of their respected luminaries onstage. Right? Sure. But the way officials were treating the selection of Mooney, which is to say silently, left journalists no choice but to speculate, a sinister business indeed. Everyone was so tight-lipped about the whole thing. Before the address, city spokespeople and Dan Moulthrop, City Club CEO, wouldn’t reveal Jackson’s interviewer. “You’ll find out soon,” was their go-to line. Mitchell said that after he had been approached by the city to moderate last year’s address (an invitation he was honored to accept), he, too, met informally with Jackson. But he said there was never any directive about topics that were on or definitively off the table. “I never received, not even a whiff, from the Mayor or his office, any indication that they wanted me to ask certain things. In fact, I would say that in the actual event, 60-70 percent of the things we talked about were not necessarily things we’d talked about in previous sessions. I felt very comfortable in having the autonomy and the freedom to pretty much go anywhere I wanted to,” Mitchell told Scene. On the one hand, this is encouraging intel. It calms the skeptics who would suggest that the Q&A format is a farce or illusion, a speech disguised as conversation; that when Mooney set out the rules of the conversation in her prologue — “be candid, don’t be afraid to ask the hard stuff, and leave plenty of time for questioning” — she intended to follow them. But on the other hand, the autonomy of the interviewer means that his or her priorities become the content of the State of the City address, not the mayor’s. And that’s more like a missed opportunity than a problem, as it’s the one official chance Jackson gets each year to articulate his agenda and priorities.
City Councilman Brian Cummins, along with many of his council colleagues, was tweeting during the address; he suggested that he wasn’t terribly fond of the Q&A format. He elaborated when we reached out to him the following week. “A straightforward speech gives the mayor a format to completely own his message, the topics he covers, etc., and allows the speaker to be concise and on point. It allows the speaker to directly engage with the audience,” Cummins wrote in an email. “Because the City Club puts this on, we know there will be a free-form Q&A, so there seems to be no need for the one-on-one discussion.” Cummins’ point is an interesting one. There’s already a Q&A built into the program, so an entree conversation seems not only potentially rudderless, but self-evidently redundant. One of the big knocks on Mooney, even from non-media observers, was that she failed to corral Jackson when he repeated himself, and didn’t do a very good job managing the public Q&A. KeyCorp’s External Corporate Communications VP Drez Jennings, a crisis communications specialist, didn’t stray far from the company message when we inquired about State of the City prep from Mooney’s camp. Did she receive any guidance, we wanted to know, either from the city or from the City Club? When and how was she invited? What were her goals as moderator? Did she feel she achieved them? What was the reaction from her Greater Cleveland Partnership colleagues? Here’s Jennings, in full, via email: “Beth was very pleased and proud to accept the request, as she believes Cleveland’s rejuvenation requires collaboration between the business community and the city. Cleveland is a city on the move, and the partnership between the business community and the City helps to
drive that momentum.” Straight out of a glossy tri-fold: Cleveland is a city on the move, folks Moulthrop wouldn’t respond directly either when we followed up on some cryptic comments he’d made on social media relating to the selection of Mooney: “Some decisions are more collaborative than others,” he’d tweeted. In an email to Scene, he said only that the mayor was “very substantive in his comments on a range of issues. And, true to City Club tradition, he took unscripted questions from the audience, and those questions came from members and guests.” “It’s worth saying,” Moulthrop added, “that we remain committed to free speech and inviting all of our speakers and panelists to work in the format that best helps them deliver their message and connect with the community.” The business community, anyway, in this case. GCP President and CEO Joe Roman certainly found a way to misappropriate a Jackson quote in a hurry. At the press conference announcing the final funding and construction start-date for Public Square, two days after Jackson’s address, Roman kicked off his remarks with a “paraphrase” of Jackson’s most oft-quoted line: “Cleveland is hard times. Hard times is what we do,” a message meant to celebrate Cleveland’s gritty, by-the-bootstraps approach to selfpromotion and -betterment. Roman’s version was only barely recognizable as a paraphrase: “Cleveland is public-private partnerships. Public-private partnerships is what we do.”
Send comments to sallard@clevescene.com t @scenesallard
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 11
framed! our best shots from last week Photos by Emanuel Wallace, Joe Kleon*, Ashley Taylor**.
Cheers! @ Champagne Under the Chandelier
Say wine and cheese @ Champagne Under the Chandelier
Dat hair @ the Mega 80s at the House of Blues
Slappa da bass @ the Mega 80s at the House of Blues
Fly @ the Mega 80s at the House of Blues
Cleveland Rock City @ the Mega 80s at the House of Blues
Rock and Roll @ the Tangier in Akron*
Fists and glasses raised @ the Tangier in Akron*
Fashionistas @ Cleveland Fashion Week
Fashion-forward @ Cleveland Fashion Week
On the runway @ Cleveland Fashion Week
Almost time for summer @ Cleveland Fashion Week
Reppin’ ‘tucky @ March Madness Midwest Regionals
Open art for all @ Spring Open Studio at the Screw Factory**
Sing it, Barry @ the Wolstein Center*
Never miss a beat! See more pics @ clevescene.com
Under the lights @ Cleveland Fashion Week
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facetime crossroad blues East Cleveland councilman Nathaniel Martin on his city’s uncertain future. By Eric Sandy When news broke last week that East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton was initiating a signature-gathering effort ahead of a potential merger campaign, we were as surprised as anyone. The mayor, who steadfastly refuses to speak on the record with Scene, has long insisted that he will not pursue a merger with the city of Cleveland. This week, we touched based with longtime Councilman Nathaniel Martin to learn what’s up with the dubious future of East Cleveland.
Were you surprised with the mayor’s announcement? One thing that concerns me: I saw the article in the Sunday Plain Dealer. They showed that picture of him. If you’ve been coming around to see what’s going on, it’s mismanagement. There’s been some reckless spending and, as far as we’re concerned, malfeasance and dereliction of duty since he’s been there. What I have to say about what I’m seeing is — this talk about ‘We can’t do this, we can’t do that’ — well, you have to go back to the $20 million that the Cleveland Clinic gave us [to close Huron Hospital] and what he did with the $8 million [given in cash]. That was a deal he cut exclusively with the Clinic that council had nothing to do with. We never got a comprehensive, defining report on that. It was never explained to you? Never been explained. And if you look at that $8 million, there’s no reason we should be in the financial situation we’re in right now. That’s why there’s gonna be a recall. We’ll know in the next couple days when the signatures come in [ed. note: This interview was conducted on March 30.]. If there’s enough signatures, we’ll have a recall election. Has there ever been a mayoral recall in East Cleveland? This is new ground for us; I don’t think we’ve ever had a recall. But when you get to the point where you
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can’t fill in potholes and you can’t get basic services — you know, our biggest problem with Mayor Norton is that he never takes credit for anything wrong, for anything bad. It’s always somebody else’s fault.
In the event of a recall, what next? Our personal hopes are that we get a mayor — and there are a number of people who would probably kick in who care about the people and not cutting deals with powerful people behind the scenes. That’s what we’re hoping for. It starts with the people and ends with the people. We’ve got someone who’s not looking out for the people’s interests but looking for out for corporate interests, that’s why we’re gonna have the election. People feel he’s not looking out for their interests. From what you can gauge, is there any support for a merger? I mean, that would ultimately have to go through a vote, too, no? Right. The people oppose the merger. I would say 60, 70 percent of the people are opposed to the merger. That’s just from me being out there all the time. I had a forum about 10 months ago with Norm Krumholz, Ed Jerse, Chris Ronayne and all of them. We discussed the pros and cons of annexation. The pros and cons boiled down to — after all that was said by these experts, it boils down to the voters of East Cleveland and the voters of Cleveland. Unless the state steps in. The other options for stability include negotiations with creditors and bankruptcy. Where do you land on those possibilities? As far as I know, the city hasn’t done anything. What I’ve done is I’ve sent a letter to Gov. Kasich, asking them to help us and step in with those rainy day funds. You know how much money they have in those rainy day funds. There’s over $1 billion. Our city, according to the article in Sunday’s Plain Dealer, which I agree with to some extent — we can function with
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
East Cleveland City Council (Nathaniel Martin is second from the right).
$17 million. They can step in and help us. Take control of the spending. Every financial director that we have serves at the discretion of the mayor. So if they don’t do what the mayor does, they lose their job. You understand what I’m saying? I don’t think they’re as responsible as they should be. And I share their trepidation about the whole thing.
You see the mayor’s leadership as the first problem to overcome? Before finances? It’s a mixed bag to a large extent. But we don’t feel comfortable with him in there. We don’t feel he’s looking out for the people’s interests. You are downtown, right? Yeah. You drive through Cleveland, don’t you? I do. Do you drive around potholes and all that kind of stuff when you drive through Cleveland? Absolutely. So what are they gonna do for us? That’s the question. What are they gonna do for us? They got their own issues! Mike Polensek and Jeff [Johnson] and them are crying about the potholes! Can’t get out of their driveways. So what are they gonna go for us and the 3.1 miles we have? They’ll take our numbers, our 17,000 [population mark] and get [federal] grants and all that. But the question is: What are they gonna do for us? And I don’t see much.
So then what is East Cleveland going to do? University Circle wants to come in. They’ve been there on Euclid. They can make new office space here. We have the land, we have the location. It’s only a matter of time. We have to make sure we negotiate the best thing for our citizens, and that is — we don’t want a whole bunch of nonprofits in there, sucking up the land and paying no taxes on it. You’re looking to grow the tax base. We want the employees of University Circle — University Hospitals, the Cleveland Clinic, all the museums — we want them to move in. I see homes being built, being renovated. The trend today is to be closer to where you’re working. We have the land, we have the location. Is the mayor doing anything on that front, from your perspective? Not that I know of. I will share this with you: A lot comes through the mayor’s office and his chief of staff that they do not share with council. There’s a lot getting ready to develop, but they don’t tell us. How do you run a government that way? The land is precious now. It’s precious. Every time a developer wants to do something, they go the mayor. It’s up to the mayor to share that with council. This mayor does not.
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He’s tHe Hero Cleveland deserves, and tHe Hero Eli FlEtchEr needs. By eriC sandy “Hey, Hollywood!” Guitar Man is pointing back at a flock of young women seated inside a restaurant on East Fourth Street and mugging for a photo through the front windows. People are always asking for photos. Guitar Man is always obliging. He grips an acoustic Ibanez and really leans into the pose, muscles flexed against a megaton grin; the ladies inside click their iPhone cameras and smile at their digital souvenirs. With a hearty laugh, Guitar Man scoops a D-major into the air and strums with patent joy. Errant young professionals dot East Fourth like fauna on a quiet Midwestern prairie. It’s Thursday night. Early spring. Kinda empty around here, really. A pair of suits gawk at Guitar Man as they wheel their Audi into the valet lane. Our superhero lumbers slowly, his grizzled goatee and blond mane accenting a red-and-blue getup with a touch of the 1960s and a dash of weathered uncle shopping at a thrift store. He eyes the landscape, looking for the next soul in need of salve. “I’m Cleveland’s only real superhero,” I can remember him telling me when I first met him on a snowy December evening. The wind snapped and cars slipped through icy
Ohio City that night, but there was Guitar Man, strumming “Beautiful Day” out on Market Street. He asked if I’d like to hear another. Why not? Tonight is no different, though it’s quieter out here. And people aren’t really picking up what he’s laying down. Yet. See, Guitar Man has a job to do, and — well, goddammit — if Cleveland’s not living up to its potential, Guitar Man will just have to work that much harder. The siren’s call of the millennial rolls through the wind: “WOO-oo-OO!” It’s Emily’s birthday tonight. She and three friends are out for a night of Clevelandpolitans. Ever the charmer, Guitar Man reels them in with the promise of song. “I’m gonna use all my superpowers, Emily, to create a perfect birthday song just for you — never before heard in the city of Cleveland!” His hands are flitting around his head, conjuring electrons from the air and buzzing with some unseen neurological energy. His eyes roll around, looking for that inspiration known only to worlds of superheroes and legends. “And I got it!” Guitar Man launches into a jaunty rockabilly rhythm: “Happy birrrrthday to you…Happy
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feATURe birrrrthday to you …” The girls join in a call-and-response refrain. They’re loving it. They’re dancing now, and Guitar Man seems wrapped in a haze of rock ’n’ roll — blue cape billowing as he rounds the corner toward the final line: “Happy birrrrthday to youuuu.” Applause. There’s always applause and, without a doubt, smiles. “I want to warn you,” Guitar Man says directly, and Emily’s face drops for a moment. “Do not under any circumstances let me catch you not having fun tonight.” She and her friends burst into laughter. “All right, ladies. I’d love to stay and chit-chat. But clearly I’ve got a city to save.” I receive a call in January from a man named Eli Fletcher. He says he’s got something to tell me about Guitar Man, that ubiquitous character Clevelanders have undoubtedly encountered roaming the streets of one entertainment district or another. Fletcher’s place is on West 90th, far from superhero land. I knock on the wrong front door at first before Eli bursts from another portal on the side of the house and greets me on his porch. “Come on in!” Two cats — Bongo and Ouija — scamper about the house and fall into impromptu and short-lived scraps beneath tables. Ouija was a stray brought in by Eli. She spends her days pissing off Bongo now. “I washed a mug just for you,” Eli says, ambling into the kitchen to pour some coffee. I settle in and gaze across the accoutrements of his home studio: a massive Santa Claus statue holds court beneath a grandfather clock hanging horizontally on the wall. Here, a bust of Ludwig von Beethoven. There, a washtub bass. “I hope this’ll do it for ya,” he says with a raspy voice and hands me a teacup of coffee. He looks like Guitar Man, and I can’t quite grasp how. The goatee? The eyes? Something seems so familiar. He turns on the stereo and cranks up some of the music he’s been working on lately. Then I see it: the acoustic Ibanez, leaning against a closet door. Eli starts to play a song. He says it’ll all make sense. It’s called “That’s My Buddy,” a tune about a beloved little pet dog. By the end of it, Eli is wiping a tear from his eye. He writes a lot of happy songs, he says, but he writes a lot of sad songs too. That’s
kinda how life goes. He grew up on the city’s westside, poor and nomadic. But musical instruments were always around — somehow. Through a cousin’s drum set or a friend’s guitar, Eli found a way to play. He didn’t have his own, nor his own lunchbox nor color television. When he first saw The Wizard of Oz, that part where everything blooms in technicolor blew his mind. This is what it must be like to be rich, he thought. There’s a story he’d like to share with me, he says. His first guitar was stolen when he was 16. Right here on Cleveland’s westside. More than 30 years later, some guy offered to sell him a guitar that sounded mighty similar. It had to be his, he thought. After a wild goose chase across the neighborhood, the guitar changing hands a couple of times between sellers, Eli tracked it down in a consignment shop on Madison. Things like that — the serendipity of being in the right place at the right time or the wrong place at the right time, whichever you please — have defined his trip. After he was kicked out of his parents’ house as an elder teenager, he took up life at a “hippie commune” on Woodbine Avenue with fellow musicians Gary Emond and Sam Phillips. There, he found himself surrounded by kickass gear: Gibson SGs, 73-key Wurlitzers, and more of the finer things in musical life he simply wasn’t exposed to while growing up. “I got into an environment that was conducive to learning,” he says. This was in the late 1970s. Ohio City was very different back then. The neighborhood tried to harden young men’s souls. He picked up a bass when called upon for a one-off jam session. “I said, ‘Nothin’ to it.’ Never touched one in my life,” Eli says decades later. “Picked it up, figured I’d pick one note and just hammer on it. Found a rhythm. Figured, well, I’ll find another note that goes with this one. Oh, that’s gettin’ a little better. I started mixing it up. Next thing you know, I’m playing the shit out of the bass guitar.” Soon enough, Eli began playing the shit out of the bass guitar onstage in the City Band and later, and more prominently, the Joe Average Band. Wild times, at least those that Eli can remember. He played all over town, even gigging on the streets for dough. “I was determined to not let go until something happened,” he says. “I’d like to resurrect it all, but, you know, the discipline it takes to play on that level … I always felt I was working toward something; but looking back, I was already there.
feATURe
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Eli Fletcher, middle, performs with the Joe Average Band outside of what is now TownHall
I just didn’t know it.” Eli shifts the conversation to the present: “Do you want to see my movie poster? I’m gonna make a movie.” There he is, in cinematic glory: Guitar Man: The Movie. And bedecked by looming, Star Wars-esque typeface, a simple message: “In a world where terror and chaos reign and all that is left is music, humanity’s only hope is Guitar Man.” In 2013, half of Cleveland shut down to make way for Captain America. For most of us, all that meant was a longer commute and the chance to see some cars blown up downtown. Captain America wasn’t here to save Cleveland. He wasn’t real, after all. Guitar Man showed up in town right around that same time. Erumpent with panache, clad in the colors of our country and the spirit of days past, he began kicking around Ohio City and making merriment in the neohip corners of town, the parts with the bars and restaurants and people. GUITAR MAN blazed across his chest in bold letters. He could brighten your day with a smile or a well timed G-chord or a,“Hey, good lookin’!” Like right now: These four guys are hanging around East Fourth the night before the Kentucky Wildcats take to Quicken Loans Arena for a Sweet 16 NCAA game. They were trucking back to the hotel before Guitar Man calls out: “How’s it goin’, fellas!” “What’s your story? Howyadoin?” “I’m Guitar Man, Cleveland’s only real superhero. I’m out here saving Cleveland one song at a time. You guys want to hear a tune?” Hooked. Guitar Man launches into one his classics, “Free Beer,” and the guys whip out smartphones, snapping photos and shooting wobbly video. One of them shuffles his feet in rhythm. A Mercedes honks, breaking up the dance party as the driver tries to make his way to a garage entrance. The guys eye the luxury car warily, returning to the fun as Guitar Man reaches the final verse. You know the one. The same summer that Guitar Man
arrived in Cleveland, City Council barred police from ticketing and harassing street performers. The move came after Maurice Reedus Jr. — better known as the Sax Man — threatened to skip town after receiving citations. The Sax Man is a local legend and, not coincidentally, was the subject of a well-publicized documentary that was filming the very year that council made the about-face. “I’m glad that they finally did something, but I’ve been doing this a long time,” Guitar Man says. “I’ve been kicked around and mistreated as much or more than Maurice. I’ve been fighting the good fight the whole time and nobody seemed to give a shit.” Lots of bar owners came out to support the legislation, those same owners and managers that had kicked Guitar Man to the curb in the past and cursed him out against a crowd of onlookers. They said that street musicians made the neighborhood vital and hip, though, sure enough. The city ordinance covers all sorts of performing arts, including: “acting, singing, playing musical instruments, pantomime, juggling, magic, dancing, reciting and clowning.” The city ordinance does not, however, protect performers from the douchebag gentry. Guitar Man is saving Cleveland one song at a time, but he’s up against stiff odds. Most people, to be clear, are respectful and receptive to his duty. Most people in this world, if you believe the songs, are good people. But there’s the air of class warfare on the streets of Cleveland these days if you look with the right eyes. The overtones don’t square with what this town used to be, according to some who’ve been around. Guitar Man’s been around. And deep down, he tells me, he’s been Guitar Man his whole life. Through his career, Eli worked in scenic artistry, audio engineering, lighting — pretty much every behindthe-scenes theater and stage gig you could imagine, all working toward the goal of working for himself and
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working onstage. He had pulled work in junkyards for years on and off, but he began putting in time at Tri-C and BaldwinWallace in set design, as well as on Cash Explosion. “1994 was a big year for me,” he says. That was when he worked on the set of the Rolling Stones’ video for “Out of Tears” (he encountered Charlie Watts and his family congregating on rickety old floorboards in an abandoned building on set and insisted they move elsewhere, saving the drummer’s life, no doubt). He did time on the set of Double Dragon, an early Robert Patrick and Alyssa Milano movie shot partially on a then-unsavory East Fourth Street. Then he hit the road for nine years as a designer with Rhythm In Shoes, an internationally renowned dance company. Fell in love with a girl out there. It didn’t work out. Eli never married, though a litany of lost romances and women-who-gotaway riddle his past like an epic poem. He had a daughter along the way. He’s tried to be a good man, he says as he surveys his past. In more recent years, Eli has taken it upon himself to pursue happiness — for himself and for others. He wouldn’t trade the careerism he sought on the road for so many years, but he’s still not sure what to make of the great roadmap of his life. “Man, this was all for everybody else,” he says, thinking back to the dance troupe days. “They’re gettin’ rich, and I’m making a few bucks. The only way this is gonna stop is if I stop it. Not for hire. Not anymore. I’m working for me, and my boss is a real prick.” And so he set about an idea, an origin story. He had seen enough shit to know that more than a few wrongs needed righting in this world. See, Eli is an ideas guy. The wheels never stop turning for him, and even after he landed on the audacity of becoming a superhero, well, even then he never slowed down. When Captain America arrived, Eli rode the wave and hit westside thrift stores in search of gear: a mask, a cape, the shoes — oh, the shoes show that you mean business, he says. The name was simple enough: selfexplanatory and to-the-point. Guitar Man began hitting the streets nightly, particularly in the warm weather months that followed. West 25th. East Fourth. West Sixth. Tremont. He’s trying to branch out more this upcoming summer, trying to keep up with the tidal shifts in neighborhoods across Cleveland. Still, the basics will remain the same:
Guitar Man only plays his own stuff on the streets, save for the ubiquitous “Happy Birthday.” And when people come calling for “that ‘kush and coffee’ song,” that’s about as high a compliment as he can get. He’s a songwriter, to square the whole tale rather simply. “Now, I always sing for free, but I don’t discourage tipping,” he says to passing audiences. En route to saving the city one song at a time, Guitar Man will pull in some change to supplement a trickling income. He was tossed a $100 bill once; that was a wonderful moment. And some woman gave him three tickets to the 2013 Indians-Rays Wild Card game. More often than not, though, Guitar Man is slipped a single, a five, or nothing at all. It’s another cold bitch of a night here in Cleveland, and Guitar Man has gotta find some dough. He trucks down to Market Street in a rumbling pickup and grabs a coffee on the way to his perch. The guys he runs into don’t have any dough on them. One guy’s got some brownies, though, so Guitar Man knocks back a few. He flits his head around, constantly looking for an audience, and Guitar Man tells me he’s been playing the streets of Ohio City for decades: “It’s a lot different. I liked it better back then, but …” There’s a dissonance in Cleveland lately. Come not as you are, come as you’d like to be marketed. “I think the problem is that everyone talks about Cleveland’s ‘identity,’” Guitar Man says between sips. “They talk about identity for Cleveland, but then they do everything they can to make it just like every other fuckin’ place. Now we got a fuckin’ casino. Not on the outskirts, but right smack in the middle of downtown. “They’re talkin’ about condos and high-end restaurants and bars and bullshit, high-end shopping and bullshit for a select group of people that can afford to be there. That’s not Cleveland. Here’s Cleveland’s identity, or what it should be: the one place that says ‘no’ to that shit. This is the place. You can develop some of it, but don’t turn everything into a fuckin’ clubs district. This whole town’s a club district now. Not every place has to be a destination.” But a lot of things don’t have to be the way they are. Guitar Man says that, ever since the City Council legislation, more and more street performers are showing up in Cleveland. Not a tsunami of guitarists or anything, but a good river of musicians have come to kick around the streets. Even as the streets
feATURe become more sterile in many ways, you can’t keep the creativity down. Creativity and weirdness built this city. Cleveland is for weirdos. And the last thing you want to do is lose that voice in the conversation, marginalize them. “As a matter of fact, there were less of us back then,” he says. “There were more opportunities for musicians. There were a lot of hillbilly bars around here, country bars. The scene changed, and I’ll tell ya ... If they can get somebody for free who’s okay, that’s better than getting someone who’s really good and paying them.” Guitar Man says he’s seen the power of the almighty dollar quite often in his life, from the outside looking in. We walk down West 25th and people come and go, alternately ignoring the man with the cape and engaging him in witty banter and selfies. A lot of people just say no when they’re asked if they want to hear a song. They’ve got places to be, and that’s quite all right with Guitar Man. He’s just trying to share his music. “I think that what we really need is jugglers and that kinda stuff,” he says. “We need the town chock - full of that.” He imagines the freak power of the old days, the sense of righteousness that everyone knew would prevail. Shouldn’t there be something to fight for these days? “A lot of people today are struggling to find an identity, which used to kinda naturally occur,” Guitar Man says. “But now there’s so much going on that they’re trying to find one. Nothing really nails them down to their time.”
online show, he can be seen watching old reels of Underdog and Speed Racer: “vital superhero research.” He never stops learning, never stops mining the world around him for new ideas. “I’m combating negative G-forces with positive musical vibrations,” he says with all the seriousness of a reallife superhero. That’s a lot to ask of one guy, but he’s up to the task. In search of a busier scene — some place more poppin’, he says — Guitar Man boards the bus downtown. Back to East Fourth, the great magnet of the New Cleveland. He tells me he’s rolling out a
lunchbox series sometime soon. Guitar Man lunchboxes, a firm nod back to the nostalgic. Growing up in Ohio City, he never had his own lunchbox. Times were tough back then, for a young hero in training who had yet to find his niche. He was a smart kid, he says, and he did what he needed to do to get by. He’s taken some shit in his life. Most people know who he is, even if they don’t know who he is. He’s not often called Eli on the streets, and even more rarely is he called by his birth name. “Guitar Man!” they’ll say with arms outstretched and an ear bent toward an impending song. And if they haven’t met the man
with the cape? He’s always up for introductions. If you’re not careful, though, and you find yourself caught up in the bubble of Cleveland cultural trivia, you may just mistake him for someone else. Happens all the time. “I’m not Superman, I tell ’em; I’m Guitar Man. Now, I can understand where someone would make that mistake. “And I tell ’em, well, you know the difference, don’t you? “Well, Superman is made up. I’m real.”
esandy@clevescene.com t @ericsandy
Often, you can spot the cape from a good block or two away. His lumbering gait is distinct. His warmly gruff vocals are tell-tale signs that he’s somewhere nearby. He’s everywhere, really. “I think it’s pretty obvious Cleveland needs a superhero,” Guitar Man says. He’s working another coffee on Market Street, a mean wind whipping around his cape. He casts an arm toward that crosswalk on West 25th — the “honor crosswalk” that has no streetlights, no cause for safety. He says that Cleveland should have superheroes all over the place — superheroes like Blam-O the crossing guard clown, for instance, who would help people cross the street safely and maybe even dish out a few laughs. Superheroes should leave the city better than it was when they encountered it. During a recent episode of his
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 21
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get out everything you should do this week 04/02
Dyngus Day celebrates all things Polish. See: Monday.
(Photo by Emanuel Wallace
thu SportS
Beat the Heat The Cavs have struggled this season against LeBron James’ former team, the Miami Heat. It’s a bit of a surprise because the Heat simply isn’t a great team, especially since losing star forward Chris Bosh for the season. Still, the Heat play good defense and that’s kept them in the playoff race. Since tonight’s game is at home, expect the Cavs to prevail in what could be a preview of the first round of the Eastern Conference NBA playoffs. Tipoff is at 8 p.m. and tickets, if you can find ’em, start at $25. (Jeff Niesel) 1 Center Ct., 216-420-2000, theqarena.com. Film
Dark Matters Story of My Death puts two iconic figures up against one another as an aging Casanova (Vicenc Altaio) meets a bloodthirsty Dracula (Elisea Huertas) in 18th century Switzerland. A clash-of-cultures film, Story of My Death offers “the portrayal of the eclipse of Enlightenment rationality by the violent forces of Romanticism.” Director Albert Serra paints a very bleak and mysterious picture with this film, providing a real feel for the era it represents. It screens tonight at 8 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $9 (Martin Harp) 11141 East Blvd., 216-421-7450, cia.edu. Comedy
A Late-Night Staple Growing up surrounded by relatives, comedian Dom Irrera had an easier time telling jokes when he was a kid. Irrera got his big break on the ’80s TV showcase Nothin’ Goes Right, which starred Rodney Dangerfield, an early supporter. Since winning awards for his 1988 HBO standup show, Irrera has become a late-night staple and has had small roles in a few films. He’s done so much standup over the years, it’s now second nature. He performs at 8 tonight at Hilarities and has performances scheduled through Saturday. Tickets are $22 to $28. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. leCture
Dove’s Day One of the best-known poets in the country, Akron native Rita Dove
has written extensively about her Northeast Ohio roots. Over the course of a lengthy career, she’s published nine collections of poetry, including the Pulitzer Prize-winning Thomas and Beulah, a collection of poems about her maternal grandparents. The former U.S. Poet Laureate, Dove is currently a Commonwealth professor of English at the University of Virginia. Today, Kent State University’s Wick Poetry Center will host Dove as part of the Fourth Annual U.S. Poet Laureate Reading. Dove will participate in a question-and-answer session at 1 p.m. in the University Library in the Quiet Study Area on the first floor. Then, at 7:30 p.m., she’ll read from her work at the Kent Student Center Kiva. You’ll find more information on the website. (Niesel) kent.edu/wick. Comedy
A Man with Many Faces Known as the “the man with many faces” because his facial expressions are just as descriptive as his words, comedian Darren “DS” Sanders is one fun act to watch. Sanders has a routine that mainly centers on his daily life and observations of the world — he jokes about how he thinks state troopers are in fact ninjas. He likes to keep things upbeat and fast-paced while he’s on stage, never letting up with jokes and always keeping the crowd laughing. Sanders performs tonight at 7:30 at Hard Rock Rocksino’s Club Velvet. Tickets are $13 to $18 and additional performances are scheduled at Club Velvet through Sunday. (Harp)
10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, hrrocksinonorthfieldpark.com. Comedy
The Mind of Mencia Comedian Carlos Mencia has no filter during his standup routine. It’s not a show for the easily offended or the weak of heart: in fact, Mencia even warns the audience during his shows to expect to be offended and upset at some point. He’s best known for his comedy show Mind of Mencia that aired from 2005 to 2008 on Comedy Central. Much like his show, his style of comedy often centers on the issues of race, social class and culture. Mencia is nothing short of explosive on stage as he rants and raves in the angriest fashion possible. You can see him tonight at 7:30 at the Improv. Tickets are $30 and performances are scheduled through Saturday. (Harp) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com. Art
Mixed Media The days of the Cleveland Institute of Art’s Gund Building are numbered. With the campus set to unify next fall, the building will close permanently at the end of this school year. The latest exhibition in the Gund’s Reinberger Galleries features five women artists living and working in Northeast Ohio. Participating artists include Christi Birchfield, Mimi Kato, Eva Kwong, Hildur Ásgeirsdóttir Jónsson and Lauren Yeager. Birchfield and Yeager graduated from CIA in 2006 and 2009, respectively. The artists work in a wide
variety of media including drawing, painting, photography, ceramics, tapestry, mixed media and installation. Stop by for the free opening reception today from 6 to 9 p.m. Women to Watch runs through May 2. (Josh Usmani) 11141 East Blvd., 216-421-7407, cia.edu. Art
The Photographic Process Daniel Levin, curator of Heights Arts’ latest exhibition, Impermanence, hosts a discussion of “rephotographic survey,” which is both the theme of the exhibit and the process used by the photographers to create their works. The evening will also include remarks by incoming and outgoing Cleveland Heights poet laureates Meredith Holmes and Kathleen Cerveney. They will be joined by poets Bunny Breslin, Diane Kendig, Robert McDonough, Jill Sell and Catherine Wing, who will read original works responding to selected works from Impermanence. Stop by at 7 tonight for Heights Arts’ Impermanence Artist Talks and Ekphrastacy. The evening is free. (Usmani) 2175 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-371-3457, heightsarts.org. theAter
Something Celestial Clevelanders are constantly worried about the city’s future, what with the decline in population and the sheer challenge of living in a world with limited resources. The topic emerges in a new play from the local theater troupe Theater Ninjas. Dubbed The
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 25
get out THIS WEEKEND! April 2-4
5 SHO S ONLYW !
CARLOS MENCIA Comedy Central’s “Mind of Mencia”
SPECIAL EVENT!
April 9-12
ARIES SPEARS ·“MADtv” ·“Shaq’s “All Star Comedy Jam” · CBS’s “NFL Today” ·“Jerry McGuire”
fri
SPECIAL EVENT!
04/03
Art
Presented by
Friday, April 17th @ 8pm F E A T U R I N G
CHERIE BlONdEll & BRANdI WINE HOSTEd By
dOm & RUSS 2017 E. 9th Street, Cleveland, OH 44115 Tickets $25 each/$75 Couples Wine Package Available
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Grand Celebration of the Celestial Mystery, the play is about “a secret society that accidentally starts channeling ancient mythological forces as they argue over the future of Cleveland; it’s a play/party inspired by the sacrifices people make for their home, while mashing up contemporary civic politics, conspiracy theories, TED Talks, kungfu movies and Sumerian mythology.” Wow! Scene contributing writer Patrick Stoops wrote the musical score, which he’ll perform live. The play officially opens tonight at 7:30 at Negative Space Gallery and continues through Sunday. Tickets are $10 to $20 on the Ninja website. (Niesel) 3820 Superior Ave., 216-470-6092, theaterninjas.com.
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
Art Walk April’s Walk All Over Waterloo takes place today from 6 to 9 p.m. (individual business hours vary). You’ll want to stop by Waterloo Arts for I Am: A Trans Art Exhibit. The show features 15 artists from around the country commenting on transgender experiences. Represented media includes painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography and more. Opening night includes outdoor light installations, live music by Christine Louis, performance art by Scene theater critic Christine Howey and an after-party at the Beachland Ballroom courtesy of Ohio Burlesque and DJ David Tasslehoff. Gallery One Sixty debuts Creatures of Flight by Kerry Lange, with special musical guest We Can Never Leave. Also, you’ll have another opportunity to see mixed media collaborations by Kristin Rogers and Pita Brooks at the Maria Neil Art Project, and In Orbit, the latest collection of installation art at Loren Naji’s Satellite Gallery. All exhibitions and related events are free. (Usmani) facebook.com/waterlooartsdistrict. theAter
Derived from Chekov The Tony-Award winning play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike revolves around the relationships of three middle-aged siblings, all named after Anton Chekov creations by their theater-loving parents. Several of the play’s elements actually stem from the works of Chekov, and critics have praised the production as a humorous adaptation of Chekov themes that
doesn’t require familiarity with Chekov. Vanya and Sonia live in their family home in Pennsylvania and have spent their entire adulthood caring for their now-dead parents. Both unemployed, they depend on movie star sister Masha to pay the bills. Masha returns home and brings new boy-toy Spike, constantly sparking up arguments with resentful sister Sonia. Vanya tries his best to keep the peace but is often distracted by Spike, who takes advantage of every opportunity to strip down and show off his muscular body. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike opens tonight at 7:30 at the Allen Theater, and performances continue through April 25. Tickets are $39 to $79. (Kaitlin Siegel) 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. SportS
Here Come the Canadians After losing three games in a row in mid-March, the Lake Erie Monsters recovered with a 4-3 win at home against Grand Rapids. The Monsters, who’re playing .500 hockey this season, finish up a three-game home stand tonight against the Toronto Marlies. The game begins at 7:30 p.m. and tickets start at $10. In support of Autism Awareness Night, the players will wear special hockey jerseys during the game. It’s also $1 dog and $1 soda night so feel free to bring the family. And stick around after for a postgame skate. (Niesel) 1 Center Ct., 216-420-2000, theqarena.com. Nightlife
Identity Issues April’s MIX Happy Hour, happening tonight at the Cleveland Museum of Art, is all about identity. The theme will be explored through exclusive tours of the museum’s current exhibitions, Senufo: Art and Identity in West Africa and Constructed Identities. Throughout the evening, the museum’s atrium will be filled with the sounds of West African music spun by DJ Dongo. There will even be a mancala tournament. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $8 in advance; $10 at the door; and free for CMA members. (Usmani) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. food
Something Fishy Today is the final day for Prosperity Social Club’s Fish Fry-Day Lenten specials. You can get everything from haddock to chowder. New for 2015 is the “Gotta Haddock,” an “ultimate Lenten meal” for diners who want to try it all; it includes coleslaw, a cup of
chowder and two potato pierogi with all the “fixings.” Special lunch hours today are from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Easter is this Sunday so get the fish fry while you can. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com. Nightlife
A Spring Thing The Beachland Ballroom has hosted a number of terrific burlesque shows and it has another one slated to take place tonight as Le Femme Mystique presents Spring Fling Strip. The MCs for the evening will be Abby Downton and Ken Schneck. The show includes headliners Bianca Dagga, Freya West, Eileen Galvin, Honey Merlot and Cleveland’s own Bella Sin. Cece Noir and Sable Champagne will also perform and the event will include the burlesque debuts of the graduating class of Cleveland Burlesque Academy and abstract art from Tobey Anne Russell. Tickets are $17 advance, $20 day of show, with reserved tickets available for $25. VIP passes will set you back $30. (Niesel) 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com. film
Top of the Hill The documentary Miss Hill: Making
Dance Matter tells the inspiring tale of Martha Hill, a woman whose life was defined by her love of dance. It follows Hill as she fights to establish dance as a legitimate art form in America. Interviews with friends and archival footage tell the story of Hill’s journey from childhood in Ohio to becoming the founding director of the Juilliard dance division. Follow Hill on her journey tonight at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque at 7:30. Tickets are $9 with another screening tomorrow. (Harp) 11141 East Blvd., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.
sat
04/04
Art
Akron Art Walk Join more than two dozen artists today in downtown Akron for the Downtown Akron Art Walk. Regularly scheduled for the first Saturday of each month, tonight’s galleries will feature handblown glass, pottery, ceramics, paintings, textiles, jewelry and more. Live bands will play too. Free trolley service will be running the entire route allowing for flexible and painless parking. Plenty of galleries will also be having openings so be sure to check them out as well. The events start at 5 p.m., and most vendors will be
open from 5 to 10 p.m. Galleries are located in the Northside District, along North High Street, and East and West Market Street. The event is free. (Paige Magulies) downtownakron.com/enjoy/artwalk. film
Death Becomes Him Drawing from real life, the film Uzumasa Limelight tells the story of aging movie extra Seiichi Kamiyama (Seizo Fukumoto) who specializes in being killed in “jidaigeki” films (period films involving sword fighting). In real life, actor Fukumoto just so happens to be the most killed stunt man in Japanese cinema history, falling victim to the sword more than 50,000 times. Drawing inspiration from his life, Uzumasa Limelight tells the story of the passing of the torch from one generation to the next. It plays tonight at 8:45 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $9. (Harp) 11141 East Blvd., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.
You can also partake in a variety of fun activities including Highlights Tours, Target Talks and the One Hour, One Work program. Kids 10 and under can visit the ArtSquad Plays Workroom featuring activities, books and games designed to use art as an educational tool. (Usmani) 11400 Euclid Ave., 216-421-8671, mocacleveland.org.
sun
04/05
SportS
Beat the Bulls The NBA’s Eastern Conference features just five teams playing above .500. The Chicago Bulls are one of them. Even without superstar Derek Rose, the Bulls are a formidable opponent and threaten to take the No. 2 seed from the Cavs. Expect today’s game to be a real battle. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. at the Q and tickets start at $25. (Niesel) 1 Center Ct., 216-420-2000, theqarena.com. food
Art
Mutual Savings Thanks to a generous gift from Medical Mutual, every first Saturday of the month is free at MOCA Cleveland. Stop by today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. to see a large exhibition by Joyce J. Scott.
Easter Brunch The monthly Gospel Brunch has been a spiritual Sunday staple for years at the House of Blues. Curated by famed gospel singer Kirk Franklin, the recently reinvigorated show puts a bit more emphasis on the music. Today,
FREE PERFORMANCES BY LOCAL ARTISTS THAT
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JIMMIE “JJ” WALKER
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• 1970’s Time Magazine “Comedian of the Decade” for his starring role on Good Times • Recent appearances include The George Lopez Show and Everybody Hates Chris with Chris Rock
featuring Kevin Kinner
featuring Todd Link
APRIL 15
ROCKIN’ OUT WINTER WITH ELVIS Rick Alviti: A Tribute to Elvis
Join us as we celebrate the King’s 80th birthday with a tribute show performed by Rick Alviti!
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Armstrong Bearcats Nitebridge Hard Rock Rising: Battle of the Bands Rocksino Finals The Juke Hounds Michelle Romary Band Circa 92 Monica Robins & The Whiskey Kings The Ohio Weather Band Hard Rock Rising: Battle of the Bands Finals Tony Koussa Jr. Trio
ALL SHOWS 21 & OVER. Schedules subject to change without notice. Visit www.hrrnp.com for the most up to date information. For free, confidential help 24/7, call the Ohio Problem Gambling Helpline at 1.800.598.9966.
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 27
get out the local group Lafayette Carthon and Faith performs. With seatings at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., the all-you-caneat musical extravaganza features Southern classics like chicken jambalaya, biscuits and gravy, and chicken and waffles. Tickets range from $18 to $38. (Niesel) 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.
mon
Meredith Holmes, and express your gratitude to outgoing poet laureate Kathleen Cerveny. Both women will speak during this special ceremony. (Usmani) 40 Severance Circle, 216-291-4444, clevelandheights.com. NightliFe
Trivia Pursuits Do you have tons of obscure music knowledge? Are you a student of fast food menus and their nuanced histories? What say you about the
Night Trivia. Starting at 8 p.m., expect themed rounds — it’s a crapshoot — and general knowledge questions that seem considerably trickier than some of the other live trivia locales in town. Obviously, have a hot dog and a craft brew while you’re at it. And arrive early. The tables fill up quickly. (Sam Allard) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com.
Vegan Flatbread (think fresh tomatoes, chiles, mushrooms and vegan cheese), Tofu Etouffee (blackened tofu, onions, tomatoes and brown rice) or many of the regular menu items made vegan. If you’re still feeling skeptical, know this: Monday night is also Craft Beer Night and all 36 crafts are only $3 from 6 p.m. to close. Cheers! (Alaina McConnell) 1909 West 25th St., 216-344-9400, townhallohiocity.com.
Food
tue
Vegan Mondays
04/06
leCture
#SonicSesh
Comedy
Comedy by Accident Promoter and comic Ramon Rivas is the man behind the Accidental Comedy Club, a weekly open mic session that takes place every Monday night at Hofbrauhaus. The weekly series features local comics as well as special guests from the region. Shows are free if you make a reservation in advance (simply email accidentalcomedyclub@ gmail.com) or $5 at the door. Comedy starts at 8:30 p.m. (Niesel) 1550 Chester Ave., 216-621-2337, chucklefck.com.
art
A Special Ceremony Stop by Cleveland Heights city hall tonight at 7:30 to welcome the seventh poet laureate of Cleveland Heights,
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Drink and Think It’s Brews & Prose time again, Cleveland literati. Come on down to Market Garden Brewery on West 25th to celebrate National Poetry Month with Shane McCrae and Allison Seay. As is usually the case at such things, the writers will stick around to chat and sign books afterwards. It all begins at 7 p.m. in the brewery basement. Other than the cost of your beers, it’s free. (Allard) 1947 West 25th St., 216-621-4000, marketgardenbrewery.com. leCture
Festival
Dyngus Day Now in its fourth year, Cleveland Dyngus Day, also known at Wet Monday, keeps getting bigger and better. Today in the Detroit Shoreway, Hingetown, Tremont and Ohio City neighborhoods, various bars and restaurants will celebrate Polish Easter Monday with food and drink specials. Kishka’s Heavenly Beer Tent will be on the southeast corner of West 58th and Detroit Avenue in the Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood, with live entertainment and polka bands. At 4 p.m., the Beer Tent and Stage will host a Frankie Yankovic Tribute; at 5 p.m., the Miss Dyngus pageant will take place. The Accordion Parade will commence at 6 p.m. There will be food by Sterle’s Slovenian Country House and Rudy’s Strudel and Bakery as well as vegan pierogies from Cleveland Vegan. Other featured venues are Spice Kitchen + Bar, XYZ the Tavern, the Happy Dog, Luxe Kitchen and Bar, Toast Wine Bar, the Harp, Great Lakes Brewing Company, the Southside and Jukebox CLE. Lolly the Trolley will shuttle participants throughout all neighborhoods. (Niesel) clevelanddyngus.com.
04/07
TUESDAY APRIL 14 2015
7 PM Doors 8 PM Show
Good as Gold The City Club of Cleveland, Cleveland Council on World Affairs and International Partners in Mission present tonight’s Happy Dog Takes on the World lecture. It features Michael N. Melampy, Ph.D., an ecologist and biology prof at Baldwin Wallace University, and Steve Cagan, a Cleveland-based photographer who’s been leading a multimedia project to expose the impact of gold mining in El Chocó, Colombia. They’ll talk about the price of gold and other precious metals in the global market, and they’ll try to assess the real cost of these commodities. It starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Happy Dog, and it’s free. (Niesel) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com. theater
with Alex Cameron TICKETS: $ 5.50 (including fees)
On sale now at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame box office, or online at rockhall.com
1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., Cleveland, OH 44114 geographic evolution of Scotch whisky? Tonight’s your chance to wow your friends, make yourself instantly more desirable to someone you’re newly dating, and hang with Cleveland’s headiest hipsters and hot dog lovers. It’s the Happy Dog Monday
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
If you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, or just plain interested in trying something new, head over to Townhall in Ohio City this evening from 5 to 10 p.m. for Vegan Night. Work your way through the delicious and healthy vegan menu, featuring hits like Veggie
Kinky Boots to Fill Broadway’s high-heeled hit Kinky Boots is a joyous musical that features songs by Grammy- and Tony-winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, and tells the story of Charlie Price, who inherits a shoe factory from his father. Struggling to live up to his father’s expectations, Charlie forms an unlikely friendship with cabaret and drag performer Lola to save the family biz. You’ve probably guessed that highheeled boots are involved. Kinky Boots won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical. This production is directed and choreographed by two-time Tony Award-winner Jerry Mitchell, who
previously worked on Hairspray and Legally Blonde. It opens tonight at 7:30 at Connor Palace. Performances continue through April 19; tickets are $30 to $100. (Siegel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.
Appearing at Playhouse Square The Very Best of Celtic Thunder
Film
Sexual Healing When Ronah (Brooke Bloom), a sexual surrogate in New York City, begins working with an emotionally unstable client (Marc Menchaca), her life begins to unravel. That’s the premise of She’s Lost Control, the directorial debut of writerdirector Anja Marquardt. The film was recently nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. It makes its local debut tonight at 7:30 at the Capitol Theatre. It screens again at 7:30 tomorrow night at the Apollo Theatre in Oberlin. Tickets are $9 for the Capitol screening, $6 for the Apollo screening. (Niesel) 1390 West 65th St., 216-651-7295, clevelandcinemas.com.
wed
Wendy Whelan – Restless Creature
America’s Favorite Ballerina with Four Top Contemporary Choreographers
April 15
April 25
Luke Kempner’s impressions of Downton Abbey characters are
“GLORIOUSLY FUNNY!” INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY
04/08
music
Ancient Artistry Grammy Award-nominated musician Wu Man is a soloist, educator and composer with a deep comprehension of the 2,000year history of her instrument, the lute. Named Musical America’s 2013 Instrumentalist of the Year, she became the first recipient of a master’s degree in pipa at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Tonight at 7:30, at the Cleveland Museum of Art, she performs a multi-media program dubbed Ancient Dances: Three Poems by Li Bai. Tickets are $42 to $55 for the general public, $38 to $50 for museum members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.
Annual Baldwin Wallace collaboration musical
May 1-3
April 18
C.S. Lewis
See Satan’s psychiatrist at work!
April 19 at 3 & 7 PM
Public radio’s
Ira Glass
comedy
Simply Unpredictable Comedian Dave Landau is one of the more unpredictable stage acts. His unique style allows him to go from telling a normal joke to hitting you with a dark, twisted and hilarious punchline you never saw coming. His act centers around his own faults, his family and society today — but with a dark turn. Landau says he “finds jokes where others would find tears,” and he doesn’t fail to deliver on that. He will keep you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out just where he’s going to go next. Landau performs tonight at 8 at Hilarities. Tickets are $13 to $18. (Harp) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.
Find more events @ clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
(host of “This American Life”) in
3 ACTS, 2 DANCERS 1 RADIO HOST May 2
Hundreds of performances to choose from for just $10!
May 3
216-241-6000
Group Sales 216-640-8600 playhousesquare.org
playhousesquare.org/smartseats
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 29
ART
Zoe Renee Lapin “J” 2014
Telling TruThs
Ohio’s first transgender-themed art exhibition opens By Josh Usmani With all this talk about boycotting Indiana, did you know it’s legal to discriminate against transgender people here in Cleveland? Before you start boycotting Cleveland though, there’s some good news coming out of Collinwood’s Waterloo Arts District. As part of April’s Walk All Over Waterloo, Waterloo Arts is hosting an opening reception for Ohio’s first transgender-themed art exhibition from 6 to 10 p.m. this Friday. Local artist Craig Matis was inspired to initiate the project after attending a trans family support group meeting at the LGBT Center of Greater Cleveland. Matis was invited by his friends, who have a transgender child. After hearing personal stories at the meeting, Matis was moved to contact local galleries with a proposal for a transgender-themed art show. He found an eager partner in Waterloo Arts, who also hopes to share the voice of transgender people with a wider audience. “As I consulted trans individuals to help refine the parameters of the show, I heard their personal stories, which was an important step in changing my understanding of gender identity,” explains Matis. “For those of us who have not experienced gender as something separate from our biological birth sex, it is natural to assume they are tethered together. Hearing the story of someone who doesn’t feel those two things aligned, of someone who had to risk everything in order to be themselves, it is easy to see that gender identity and biological sex are not the same.” I AM: A Trans Art Exhibit features 15 artists from throughout the U.S. I AM was juried by a selection committee including Evan Fusco, Lorence Hyler, Craig Matis, Jeanette
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Thomas and Douglas Max Utter. The exhibitionincludespainting,sculpture, print, photography and ceramics. “Lively, often brilliant submissions for this show came in from all over the country,” says Cleveland-based artist and art critic Douglas Max Utter. “The art we selected includes bronze sculpture, a book-format photographic essay on transgender identity and a series of curious life-style genre paintings (watch out for that alligator in the bathtub!). It was both fun and enlightening to curate, and should interest a broad audience.” Participating artists include Seyi Adebanjo, Ianna Book, Raisa Cabrera, Mara Goldfine, Nicki Green, Golden
to highlight trans lives through education, community engagement and art. Spotlighting the impact of our unique identities and recognizing the power of cultural contributions is how we move beyond tolerance and towards appreciation.” Beginning at 6 p.m., Friday’s opening night festivities include outdoor light installations, performance art by Scene stage editor Christine Howey and live music by Christine Louis. At 8 p.m., the nearby Beachland Ballroom (15711 Waterloo Rd.) hosts the Spring Fling Burlesque Show featuring Ohio Burlesque, DJ David Tasslehoff and more. The Spring Fling Burlesque Show will double as
I AM: A TRAns ART ExhIbIT Friday, april 3, From 6 to 10 p.m., Waterloo arts Gallery, 15605 Waterloo rd., 216-692-9500. Free, Waterlooarts.orG
H/ours, Alex Holland, Oliver Klicker, Zoe Renee Lapin, Kean O’Brien, Iram Roberts, Gavin Rouille, Maxx Sizeler, Kate Weakley and Milo Wissig. Organizers hope to explore the topic of gender identity in three ways: the visual art exhibition itself, personal stories from transgender individuals (as well as friends and family) and through educating the community on the socio-political issues surrounding gender, including changing gender language. “This project is an amazing opportunity to support positive visibility of the transgender community,” says Phyllis Harris, executive director of the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland. “I am especially pleased that a local arts organization thought to present a comprehensive program
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
the after party for Friday’s opening reception at Waterloo Arts. Trans Ally shirts, stickers and buttons will be available for purchase, with proceeds benefiting Margie’s Hope. Additionally,Clevelandindependent filmmaker Mai-Kim Dang is creating a series of interviews, featuring stories and experiences from members of the transgender community. These interviews will be posted on Waterloo Arts’ website and social media outlets. Waterloo Arts has also created a resource page on its website and will be sharing these resources via social media during the next two months. Further, members of the public are invited to upload their own videos through a camera application on Waterloo Arts’ website. Parents, siblings, children and friends of transgender people are encouraged to
join the conversation. “Art tells a truth,” explains Alana Jochum, Northeast Ohio director of Equality Ohio. “Not necessarily the truth or all truths, but it tells a truth about humanity. We are glad that Waterloo Arts has brought this exhibit to Cleveland. Discrimination against transgender people is still legal in Cleveland, so there is an opportunity for education here. I hope people come out and engage with the art and deepen their understanding of the issues facing the transgender community.” Gender identity isn’t a new topic for artists. Decades before gender-bending personas like Ziggy Stardust and Marilyn Manson, legendary modern artist Marcel Duchamp was dressing in drag as his femme fatale alter ego, Rrose Sélavy (circa 1921). Performance artists of the ’60s and ’70s were also very interested in exploring identity as it related to issues of race, sex, class, gender and sexual orientation. More recently, Matt Parker and Trey Stone explored transgender (or transginger) issues in South Park’s “The Cissy” (Season 18, Episode 3, 2014). While the episode shouldn’t be taken too seriously, its message was one of tolerance and equality. On May 1, Waterloo Arts will host a 7 p.m. documentary film screening. The film will be followed by a panel discussion and Q&A session. Waterloo Arts is planning a closing reception for May 24, but no times have been announced yet. For more information, contact Waterloo Arts or visit their website.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
stage review
Like most men, he is confused.
A NIGHT AT THE (FARCICAL) OPERA A base tenor triggers laughs in Lend Me a Tenor at Beck Center By Christine Howey Come to BeCk Center in April and see the Doors. No, not the renowned Jim Morrison rock band — they ain’t getting back together anytime soon. We’re talking about the six doors that fly open and slam shut during the farce Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig, now at the Beck Center for the Arts. Of course, you need to bring along an industrial-strength dose of the medicine that powers all farces: a willing suspension of disbelief. Armed with that potent elixir, this bundle of silliness will tickle your funny bone in numerous places. One only wishes that Ludwig and director Scott Spence would have opted for some of the fiercely focused, go-for-broke mendacity that can elevate farce to another comedic level. Set in our dear hometown of Cleveburg in 1934, an internationally famous opera singer is making his American debut in a performance of Verdi’s Otello. He is the carousing and womanizing Italian tenor Tito Merelli (he’s nicknamed Il Stupendo, presumably for his vocal prowess). Of course, Tito is late showing up, throwing the local opera impresario Henry Saunders (a fulminating, grape-spitting John J. Polk) into a panicky frenzy. His assistant, the meek wannabe-famous tenor Max, tries to calm the waters. Fat chance. Once Tito and his spitfire wife Maria arrive in
their luxe hotel suite (designed with tasteful Art Deco lusciousness by Don McBride), the convoluted architecture of the proceedings begins to take shape. In brief: Tito has a tummy ache (he overindulges pasta as he does le belle donne) so Maria (hot-headed Carla Petroski) goads him into taking two tranquilizers. Not Tums? Of course not, this is a farce. To prove his devotion, Tito takes four of the pills. Meanwhile in the next room, Max is under orders from Saunders to make
elixir mentioned above) and concoct a plan. Faced with a presumably dead star and an opera going up in a few hours, Saunders convinces Max to impersonate Tito by donning the tenor’s Otello costume, including the dark makeup and frizzy wig. And as the costumed Max leaves for the theater, Tito suddenly sits up in bed. The first act consists of a lot of set-up for the boffo second act, and as a result the first hour of Tenor is only mildly amusing. But Tito’s co-star
lend me a tenor
THROUGH apRiL 26 aT THe beck cenTeR fOR THe aRTs 17801 detroit ave., lakewood, 216-521-2540, beckcenter.org
sure Tito get some sleep, so Max mixes some sleeping pills into Tito’s wine. Oh yes, then there are the Doors. Max’s lukewarm girlfriend Maggie, who is Saunders’ daughter, is all turned on to get close to the Italian stallion, so she hides in a closet, where Maria finds her, gets incensed that Tito is cheating on her, scribbles a goodbye note to her hubby and storms out another door. Drugged Tito stumbles in through still another door, woozily reads the note and, in despair, fails to kill himself before passing out. Max and Saunders find the collapsed Tito and leap to the conclusion that he’s dead (it’s time to take a swig of that
Diana (Leslie Andrews) appears in the hotel suite, trying to get a rise out of Tito so he’ll give her career a goose. Then, along comes Julia (Lissy Gulick), the gray haired doyenne of the Opera Guild with her own sexy intentions and an irritating Tito fanboy and bellhop (Zac Hudak). Finally, we have achieved enough bodies on stage for farcical lift-off. And the whole enterprise does get airborne, especially when both Maggie and Diana simultaneously bed a different version of Tito, in stereo, in different rooms. The conversations leading up to those encounters are so loaded with double entendres, you have to beat them off with a stick.
Although he doesn’t have the girth of most operatic tenors, Matthew Wright as Tito has the pipes and knows how to land a punch line. As Max, Scott Esposito also sings well and manages to transform himself from a wimp into a confident Tito clone. When he finally gets it on with his beloved Maggie, as Tito, his joy is palpable. And thanks to a wry, understated performance by Emily Pucell Czarnota as Maggie, we actually begin to care for these kids. Trouble is, many of the key characters (except Maria) don’t have the cutthroat, go-for-broke intensity that can make farce really sparkle. At various times, Saunders, Tito, Max, Maggie and Diana go soft, acceding to others’ needs instead of doubling down on their own selfishness. That sucks a bit of the air out of the premise. Sure, there are appropriately lousy Italian-ah accents-ah and the expected overacting. But what the whole show needs is the headlong, furious rush that is displayed in the curtain call coda, as the actors reprise the plot, silent movie style. That gimmick reminds us that characters in a farce have to be insanely committed to their own agendas in order to truly satisfy.
scene@clevescene.com t @christinehowey
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 31
STRIKINGLY CONTEMPORARY!’’ “
-MARK KERMODE, THE OBSERVER
A FEMINIST FAIRYTALE! Dakota Fanning excels as a sleeping beauty
“
slowly awakening.’’
-GRAHAM FULLER, FILM COMMENT
A LITERATE LOVINGLY MOUNTED WATERCOLOR “
,
DELICATE TALE OF INDIVIDUAL FEMINIST EMANCIPATION.
Emma Thompson’s screenplay dissects the cruel curiosities of Victorian gender politics.’’ -GUY LODGE, VARIETY
“
VISUALLY SUMPTUOUS!
Written by, co-starring and conceived with uncommon female sensibility by esteemed actress Emma Thompson (Emma Thompson, you rock!).’’ -PRAIRIE MILLER, WBAI RADIO
OUR AUDIENCE. For your chance to win two complimentary passes to the Cinemark Strongsville Theatre to see The Met’s Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci, visit: http://tinyurl.com/SceneTMCRP No purchase necessary. While supplies last. Tickets are good for admission for 2 at the pre-specified theatre chain on 4/25 or 4/29 and guarantee you a seat at the theatre until ten minutes before show time. Tickets cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. Void where prohibited by law. No phone calls please. All entries must be submitted by 9AM on 4/13/15. Passes need to be exchanged at the box office.
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For your chance to win a pass, visit gofobo.com/ RIDECLEScene2 THE LONGEST RIDE HAS BEEN RATED PG-13 FOR SOME SEXUALITY, PARTIAL NUDITY, AND SOME WAR AND SPORTS ACTION. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. One entry per person. NO TELEPHONE CALLS ACCEPTED. Passes are distributed on a first come, first served basis. Quantities are limited. Seating is limited and not guaranteed. A recipient of tickets assumes any and all risks related to use of ticket, and accepts any restrictions required by ticket provider. 20th Century Fox and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of a prize.
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movies in theaters
Review of the week
alSo opening
effie gRay, the victoRian-eRa drama written by Emma Thompson and starring Dakota Fanning, purports to dramatize the “scandalous” love triangle between art critic John Ruskin, his teenage bride Effie, and Ruskin’s protege, the pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millais. What it does in actuality is dramatize a mirthless and certainly sexless marriage, casting Ruskin as the churlish mama’s boy. If you’re into this sort of sullen period piece, it opens Friday at the Cedar Lee. Ruskin and the young Effie arrive at Ruskin’s country home after nuptials in Scotland. Though electricity wasn’t yet commonplace, the interior lighting — to say nothing of the decorating — echoes the tenor of the household in which Ruskin was raised: dark and oppressive. His cloying parents-cum-benefactors (David Suchet and Julie Walters) still live there and remain obsessed with their son’s success. To Effie’s dismay, they refuse to let husband and wife begin their life together in the traditional sense. Indeed, the couple are rarely afforded a moment alone. When Ruskin is scribbling away in his baroquely appointed study, the best thing Effie can do to help, she’s told, is leave him alone. This life of neglect and disdain is captured on film with no shortage of Dakota Fanning’s fey and forlorn face. She becomes afflicted with an array of minor ailments. Her hair begins to fall out in ratty clumps. After a gondola-centric stint in Venice, she’s largely confined to bed or chair, looking about as excited to be alive as mold. The rakish Millais (Tom Sturridge) is commissioned by Mr. and Mrs. Ruskin to paint a
Furious 7
>>
The latest action flick in the Fast and Furious franchise will undoubtedly put up big summer movie-like numbers at the box office when it opens areawide on Friday.
portrait of their son. And so the unhappy couple plus Millais trundle north to a rainy Scottish hillside to give Effie some fresh air — doctor’s orders! — and let Ruskin pose for his picture while he writes. And on this highland retreat, even when Ruskin abandons Effie and Millais for a lecture series, there’s not one steamy secret rendezvous to be found! Ruskin continues to be the negligent, beastly husband and Millais merely takes note, registering increasing opposition. Effie does spy a naked Millais in the nearby loch, and we perceive a quickening of her pulse, but the “affair” is never consummated. Emma Thompson writes a screenplay about once per decade. In 1995, it was Sense and Sensibility. In 2005, it was Nanny McPhee. Effie Gray is certainly her most bloodless offering to date; it’s rarely more than a portrait of a dismal coupling. It embraces neither the passion of illicit romance nor the dry humor the British favor when they speak of sex. Thompson’s Lady Eastlake, the wife of a bigwig in the artist community, is the only character in the film that can be bothered to smile. Credit is due both to the production designer and the cinematographer, who composed shots which themselves seem to have been inspired by the coloring and postures of early portraits. And as a visual display, Effie Gray succeeds. As a story, though, and as a romance, it’s a dud. — Sam allard
Kumiko the Treasure Hunter >>
Kumiko (Rinko Kikuchi), a Japanese woman who lives in solitude, obsesses over the buried treasure in the film Fargo in this drama. It opens on Friday at the Capitol Theatre.
Spotlight it’S not a SuRpRiSe that the concept for Backcountry, director Adam MacDonald’s new horror film about a couple who ventures into the wilderness and encounters a big, bad black bear, came to him on a camping trip. The film screens at 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 2, at the Capitol Theatre and then opens there on April 10. The April 2 screening will feature an introduction and post-film discussion with Harvey Webster, the director of wildlife resources at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. “I was in a tent with my wife,” says MacDonald when asked about the inspiration for the story. “I woke up at the earliest crack of dawn and I heard something walking around the tent. I don’t know if it was a dog or a bear or a raccoon, but it really scared me at first. I thought of Open Water in the woods. That morning, I told my wife I wanted to make the film. Five years later, it’s bizarre to see it finally come to life.” The film follows a couple (Missy Peregrym and Jeff Roop) as the two hike out to a remote campground. Along the way, they encounter a black bear that starts tracking them. “When I started writing the script, I started doing research and came across true stories of bear attacks,” MacDonald says. “There was a young couple that got attacked in the backcountry of northern Ontario. That inspired me. There was this couple in Algonquin Provincial Park as well. That gave me the weight and anchor and emotion of the story, thinking of those people. It’s a fictionalized account for sure.” MacDonald admits the film is a “slowburn.” It’s certainly paced much slower than your average horror flick, which will often start slow and then pour on the blood and guts and gore. And yet that’s also its strength. It builds so slowly, it catches viewers off guard when the violence hits. “Some of my favorite films are slow-burn films,” says MacDonald. “I’m a bit tired of the scare every five seconds and the films that give away the ending at the beginning. It’s fine but one of my favorite horror directors is Rob Zombie. He does that but in his own way. Alien is a good example. That’s a slow burn in many ways and so is The Shining and Ti West really changed things with House of the Devil. When I saw that, I knew I wanted more of those films. When I was writing this film five years ago, I thought if I’m bombarding you with all these elements and the pace is so fast, it won’t be realistic. When you’re hiking, things can go from slow to fast in a hurry. I wanted to capture that and for some people it’s too slow but it’s the movie I wanted to make.” \— Jeff Niesel
Merchants of Doubt
>>
A group of pseudo-scientific spin doctors spread confusion about things like climate change and toxic chemicals in this documentary that opens on Friday at the Cedar Lee Theatre. magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 33
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magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
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323 E. Prospect Cleveland, Ohio 44115 216-781-7782 flannerys.com
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Helping hands.
Roll that beautiful pickle footage.
Put a Pickle On it
The artisinal pickle movement comes to Cleveland By Douglas Trattner In a now-classIc portlandIa episode, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein take on the identities of the ultimate hipsters, who manage to remedy a diverse assortment of inventory surpluses with the same riposte: “We can pickle that!” For some strange reason, pickles have become the emblem for the entire hipster movement, the oft-mocked band of brothers and sisters who cherish antiquated transportation, clothing, music and food. It’s tempting to poke fun at the bearded Andrew “Randy” Rainey for pursuing such a predictable path as pickles, but it’s hard to argue with his success. Rainey and his partners sold their very first jar of Randy’s Pickles last June at the Gordon Square farmers market. Less than one year later the cuke-filled containers are on the shelves at Heinen’s Fine Foods, Giant Eagle Market Districts, Miles Market and numerous smaller retail shops. “We are making 30 cases a day and we can’t keep up with demand,” says Rainey, elastic hairnet firmly in place. After graduating from college Rainey briefly worked in real estate, but his heart wasn’t in it. In fact, his heart was broken, he recalls, torn asunder by a relationship gone south. “After the breakup I went to the grocery store and was standing in the pickle aisle — pickles have always been a comfort food for me — and (Photos by Emanuel Wallace)
remember thinking to myself that it was all garbage.” Rainey knew as much about making pickles as he did real estate, so he enlisted the help of his grandmother who, as it turns out, knew as little about the old-timey process as he did. Together they experimented, enjoyed each other’s company, and ended up making some pretty good dill pickles. Along with his friends/business partners Ryan Snyder and Pat Routa, Rainey enrolled in the Food Business Incubator program at the Cleveland Culinary Launch Kitchen (CCLK). There he developed his recipes,
spears and placed into clean jars along with the herbs and spices. The jars are filled with hot vinegar-based brine, sealed and heated just long enough to make them shelf-stable without resulting in a limp pickle. Randy’s Pickles will last about two years unopened and a couple months opened and refrigerated. “I hope it doesn’t take people two months to finish a jar!” Rainey says. His top-seller, he notes, is the Mustache on Fire variety, which is a hotter version of the already peppery Spicy Dill. Also on store shelves are jars of Black Pepper Chip Pickles and Grandma Knows Best Peppers,
Various farmers markets randyspickles.com.
formulated a business plan and learned the regulatory ropes. It wasn’t long before his traditional dill pickles started popping up at markets and attracting a loyal following. Hard at work in the commercial kitchen space at CCLK, Rainey describes the straightforward procedure that turns cucumbers into pickles. The fresh cukes are graded by size, with the irregularly shaped ones being reserved for sliced (or “chipped”) varieties like the Bread ’n’ Butter. The veggies are washed, cut into long
sweet-hot peppers inspired by his Hungarian grandmother. In addition to the regular flavors, special batches have included pickled asparagus, maple bourbon bread-and-butter, and a failed attempt at pickled cuc-a-melon. “I don’t consider those failures; I just discovered a few new ways it didn’t work,” he says. At $7.99 per jar, Randy’s Pickles cost more than many commercially available products. “Yeah, they cost a couple bucks more than most,” admits Rainey. “That’s my biggest challenge.
But this is a hand-made product. And look at the jar! We’ve got nothing to hide. You can see the fresh garlic, you see the fresh dill, you see the cucumber.” Rainey, who relocated from Columbus to launch his business, says he couldn’t have chosen a better spot at a better time. He joins a host of like-minded entrepreneurs who chose to ditch the cubicle and follow their passion. The revival of artisanal food production — small-batch provisions made locally for locals — is alive and well in Cleveland. And many of the most buzzworthy startups have made (or are making) their way through Cleveland Culinary Launch Kitchen. “We never would have gotten where we are now without CCLK. It’s that simple,” Rainey says. “It’s so helpful to be able to work with people who have worked in the industry forever who can tell you what you need to do instead of you having to research every single step.” The next logical step in Rainey’s pickle progression is to get back into the real estate game, but this time his customer is himself. “My next move is to find our own space,” he says. “I don’t really care where we end up as long as it’s a brick building with no windows. Just a place where I can make my pickles.”
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 35
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magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
www.melissa-univhts.com
32950 Walker Road Avon Lake, Ohio 44012
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eat bites it’s alive!
Fermentation on Wheels rolls into Cleveland By Nikki Delamotte “For so long, we’ve been afraid of bacteria,” Tara Whitsitt reminds us from New York, where she has spent a month visiting numerous East Coast cities teaching workshops on fermentation. In fact, since launching Fermentation on Wheels (fermentationonwheels.com), Whitsitt has spent two years touring the country in a 1980s police bus, teaching lessons on producing food with naturally occurring microbes. As fermentation devotees fill their kitchens with brine-filled crocks of cabbage waiting to become kimchi and soybeans soon to become miso, the bourgeoning interest in the antique practice continues to reach new audiences. Whitsitt will drive her bus to Cleveland on April 4 for a wild vegetable fermentation class from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at Market Garden Brewery. It’s a fitting location considering the brewery’s current expansion project, a 43,000-squarefoot “palace of fermentation” facility just north of the West Side Market. The city has experienced a wealth of fermented startups recently, from Cleveland Kraut to Bearded Buch kombucha. It’s no surprise that ferment-based foods are garnering a loyal following. The opposite of stripped-bare, overly processed, industrial ag-formulated products, fermented foods are rich in live, active probiotics. “It’s part of this new trend of acknowledging bacteria are good, and we need to consume these things to keep the balance within our bodies,” explains Whitsitt. Whitsitt noticed changes in her own health after spending time in Denmark, where kombucha and pickles were part of her regular diet. When she returned, she began learning to make sauerkraut and wine on her own. Her interest quickly grew into an obsession. She often collaborates directly with farmers, swapping ferment lessons for produce to take on tour. While passing through New Jersey, for example, she taught rice farmers how to make the sweet Japanese beverage amazake. During time spent on dairy farms in the Southwest, she created cheeses and kefir, a dairy libation that
resembles a drinkable yogurt. At each stop, she uses seasonal ingredients tailored to the city. “Culture swaps” provide low-cost opportunities to take home jarred starter culture, the natural agent that rouses the fermentation process.
The low impact, energy conserving process of fermentation is part of Whitsitt’s personal goal to be self sufficient. Recently, she even retrofitted her ride with solar panels. “I want Fermentation on Wheels to be a place where people can come to have thoughtful conversations about food, farming and sustainability,” she explains. “I know there’s a lot of disappointment in the food system and I think it’s easy to get down about that. This is a way to take control.” With frequent stops in larger cities, Whitsitt realized her program had to evolve to easily cater to urban neighborhoods if she was going to
reach as many people as possible. By using vegetables that can be fermented wildly — such as cabbage, which only requires salt and no other starter culture — her classes can resonate even in areas that lack regular farm fresh options. “A lot of people believe this is dangerous or difficult,” she states. “That’s why it’s important for me to open it to being more accessible to the masses.”
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 37
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magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
fast-growing food-focused pop-up firm dinner lab coming to cleveland By Douglas Trattner Dinner Lab, an unDergrounD, members-only dinner club that unites diners with emerging culinary talent in unexpected places — aka a pop-up — is expanding into the Cleveland market. Cleveland will be the 33rd market for this fast-growing culinary organization, which launched in New Orleans in 2012. Dinner Lab works differently from other pop-up dining events in a number of ways. For starters, participants must be members or guests of members. An annual fee of $125 per person earns the member advance access to the events, for which they can purchase up to four spots. Events in Cleveland will cost around $55 to $60. Also unique is the fact that a large portion of the talent will originate outside of Cleveland. “About 40 to 50 percent of the chefs will be from outside Cleveland,” explains co-founder Zach Kupperman. “We’re telling the story of the chefs and letting them bring their cuisines to other markets.” These “culinary road shows” allow chefs to explore other markets, test drive their menus and cuisine, and fine tune their cooking skills in advance of opening their own place. “In terms of the chefs, we typically try to take the second in command, like the sous chef or really talented line cook at a top restaurant, who is looking to showcase their own menu,” adds Hallie Dietsch, director of human resources. The chefs — whether local or visiting — are given free rein when it comes to the menu. “We don’t dictate anything from the culinary perspective,” says Kupperman. “We’re just the facilitators.” The five-course meals include featured cocktails and unlimited beer and wine. While some markets support up to two events per week, Cleveland likely will maintain a pace of one per month, say staffers. Also distinctive is the range of event spaces that the organization utilizes. “Our settings have run the gamut from abandoned churches, an old YMCA, a helipad, to the top floor of
parking garages,” says Dietsch. “They might be abandoned spaces right before they are getting refurbished, which serves to introduce our members to that neighborhood and the revitalization taking place there and to introduce those people to our members.” A local, rented kitchen plus a fully equipped mobile kitchen help make these events more elaborate than typical catered events. Of course, there is a lot of advance work in a new market, which takes time, says Kupperman. That’s why Cleveland’s first event will not take place until July 24. “Part of the job involves a lot of legwork like finding chefs, finding locations, tracking down the landlords, connecting with experts like you. We don’t just roll into a city, host an event and leave; we actually open an office, set up a kitchen, and establish roots there.” Dinner Lab eventually will hire two to five fulltime staffers in addition to 25 to 30 part-timers. Another key feature of these events is the feedback that is collected from diners and delivered to the chef, says Kupperman. “Every diner rates the chef on everything from taste, quality, presentation — can the chef cut it in the real world. We take that feedback and give it to the chef to help them improve from event to event. People love being the restaurant critic.” The chef for the first event will be Daniel Espinoza, who has been hosting Dinner Lab events for the past year. Before that he was a chef at the award-winning Chicago restaurant Mexique. He will be preparing a menu of modern Mexican food. The location will not be announced until immediately preceding the event. For more information, visit dinnerlab.com.
dtrattner@clevescene.com t @dougtrattner
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music
Photo by Shawn Brackbill
Matthew E. White thinks deep thoughts while sitting on a tiny chair.
The WhiTe STuff
Singer-guitarist takes an old-school approach on his soulful new album By Jeff Niesel Singer-guitariSt matthew e. White started listening to music very early on. He initially began playing drums, but his mom “didn’t want drums in the house,” so he switched to guitar instead just to make her happy. Turns out, he made the right call. “I became a pretty serious guitar player,” he says via phone as he drives to a L.A. tour stop. “I was mainly interested in doing my own thing and writing stuff. I know very few other people’s songs. I never learned them. I constantly wrote.” He went to music school “to get better at all things music.” When he got out of music school, he formed his own label, Spacebomb Records, with the hopes that it would become something along the lines of Stax or
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Motown, labels that featured a house band and full roster of acts that record with that band. “I needed an artist to come in and debut the process, and I had a lot of ideas about a record I might want to make,” he says. “It’s been on from there.” It quickly became apparent that he
albums. “The success of my first record took us by surprise, but we were built for that,” he says. “We were built to have records do well. That was the goal. We started the label to succeed. The surprise is more in how quickly people were recognizing what we did as something unique. It’s a
MatthEW E. WhitE With WilsEn
8:30 p.m. friday, april 3, Beachland Tavern, 15711 WaTerloo rd., 216-383-1124. TickeTs: $10 adv, $12 dos, BeachlandBallroom.com
was that “artist.” His vision is finally starting to become a reality as White has just released Fresh Blood, the second of two highly acclaimed solo
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
complicated thing. I don’t think I saw it any particular way. I just wanted to create energy. I wanted to spin the wheel as fast as I could spin it.
The solo career hasn’t been the most expected thing, but it makes sense for the skill sets that I have and what I have to share as an artist. It’s been an exciting thing. It doesn’t feel like a fork in the road.” After releasing that first solo album, 2012’s Big Inner, the accolades started to accumulate. Rolling Stone magazine anointed him an “artist to watch,” and other music magazines heaped equal amounts of praise on the disc. His soulful voice and expansive arrangements distinguish him from other neo-soul acts who try to evoke the sounds of a bygone era. “For me, it was about making records that were centered on arrangements and utilizing that process,” he says when asked about
his approach on Big Inner. “You record a rhythm section, and then the horn arrangements, and you’re done. Tons of Motown records were made in this way. It’s complicated in the process, and it takes a lot of accomplished musicians, so it takes administrative efforts. Once you get that on the table, it’s pretty simple. There’s a lot of trust in your collaborators. There’s purity to the process I was going for. I wanted the songs to be good songs and good arrangements and good playing and see where that ended up.” With Fresh Blood, he set out to “improve upon” the template he created with Big Inner. “There was one thing I didn’t want to do,” he says. “Beck has his country
music has floated away from that, the colder it’s become. I look at music like Kanye West or Kendrick Lamar or Frank Ocean or Beyonce. They’re tied to the black American experience. R&B, which is as old as rock ’n’ roll, hasn’t aged as ungracefully. R&B is still vibrant.” Though it might sound as if White is a throwback who would prefer to be recording and touring in another era, the musician says that’s not the case. “I know that a lot of the things I do are [a throwback] to some extent because the process is that way,” he says. “I think some of that is me figuring out how to do it still. You only get to do it once every two years. You don’t get a lot of practice.
“I would make records every three months if someone would let me, but they won’t.” — Matthew E. White album or his funky album or his dark album or that kind of thing. I didn’t want to get into that. I wanted to take the vocabulary I had started and add to it and continue to develop my own voice and dig deeper into those ideas. I was wary of not going down that path. That’s not who I am. The process is owed more respect than that. It’s not just the things that are going into that. I was committing to people and getting the most musical stuff out of that relationship as you can and digging into the skill sets. That’s so much bigger than the genre. That’s mainly what I wanted to get at.” In the song “Rock & Roll is Cold” he expresses his philosophy about the future of rock ’n’ roll. “Rock ’n’ roll don’t have no soul,” he croons over cooing backing vocals and a brisk piano melody. “I think first and foremost, it’s a little tongue-in-cheek,” he says of the song. “As writers and musicians we all like to talk about what we love and don’t love in music. Generally, people I meet in this field have strong opinions and like to share them.” He ultimately says that he doesn’t take himself (or the song) too seriously, even if it does represent a mantra for the type of music he makes. “For me, rock as a cultural movement is finished,” he says. “It doesn’t mean that really great music can’t be made. Just as a cultural movement, it’s over. To me, rock ’n’ roll has become a caricature of itself. That started early on with Elvis and the Stones. Rock comes from the black American experience. As the
You don’t get the chance to make improvements. For me, I’m still learning so much. There’s absolute truth in getting musicians together in a room. I think that’s what music is about. It’s about community. I believe in that. I also believe in making things as a team.” He cites Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On as the type of album he aspires to make. And he says it took a team to make it. “No one could have made that but him,” he says. “He led a team of people and engineers that made music he couldn’t make on his own. That’s a powerful thing. I wanna do that. Believing in a team and believing in musicians playing together has nothing to do with genre. Big Inner is me figuring out how to put the pen to paper and make something.” He says his music will continue to become more adventurous with each album. “It takes such a big, heavy, unwieldy operation to make a record like [What’s Going On],” he says. “It takes the learning curve and pushing ahead, which I’m really dedicated to. You can’t move at the same speed as if you were doing laptop shit in your room. I don’t say that in a derogatory way at all. Not at all. It’s just harder to push forward as fast as I might like to. I would make records every three months if someone would let me, but they won’t.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t @jniesel magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 43
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(Photo by Marcus Haney)
Music
Blast from the Past
These guys look like they’ve been around for 50 years.
Moody Blues celebrate release of boxed set, prep for 50th anniversary of Days of Future Passed By Jeff Niesel
Given that most bands are lucky to celebrate a 10-year anniversary, it’s remarkable that the Moody Blues were still around to mark the 45th anniversary of Days of Future Passed, the concept album that put the British progressive rock band on the musical map. The group came through town in 2012 in support of that album’s anniversary, and it’s been plenty active since. The band has just embarked on a tour in support of a new box set Timeless Flight — The Polydor Years. It features their most memorable hits from 1986 to 1992 and even features the live recording of a 1986 Cleveland show that paired the band with an orchestra. In addition, singer-guitarist Justin Hayward has launched a new PBS show. Recorded live at the Buckhead Theatre in Atlanta, it features music from his current solo album Justin Hayward: SPIRITS...LIVE. Singerbassist John Lodge will also release 10,000 Light Years Ago, his first solo album in more than 30 years. It features him reuniting with Moody Blues alumni flutist Ray Thomas and keyboardist/mellotronist Mike Pinder, who make cameos on the record. It’s the first collaboration for all three members since the late ’70s. The Moody Blues first formed in 1964, as band members ditched their previous musical commitments with the hopes of building on the success they’d already had. “We formed the band out of survival,” says drummer Graeme
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Edge via phone from Florida, where he’s lived for the past 24 years. “We got a lot of gigs and our first gig was in May. In July, we were spotted in a club and we were down in London in September and were recording in November. The song ‘Go Now’ was a hit when it came out in January. From the band first forming to having our first hit record was nine months. It was a wild ride and it didn’t stop for 10 years.” The band’s biggest hit was arguably 1967’s Days of Future Passed. The album, which yielded
that pleased with it. They quickly changed their minds as it did sell their stereo systems and they had a lot of success with it. In 1974, the band decided to take a break, potentially derailing the momentum it had achieved. “We went into the studio to make an album, it would have been our eighth,” says Edge. “We recorded three or four songs and they were crap. We realized we had nothing to write about. For the previous seven years, we made seven albums. We had been on the road and were
Moody Blues 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, april 7, e.J. Thomas hall, 198 hill sT., akron, 330-972-7570. TickeTs: $45-$75, uaevenTs.com
hits such as “Nights in White Satin,” was originally commissioned to sell stereo equipment. The band’s label asked the group to do a rock version of Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” to demonstrate their stereo systems, which weren’t really getting off the ground, except with the classical market. Decca introduced them to Romantic string arranger Peter Knight. He suggested the band do its own songs and they knocked out some songs in three days. And it worked: The trippy songs actually helped sell the stereo equipment. Within three days, the whole thing was presented as a fait accompli but the folks at Decca weren’t
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
prisoners of our own success. We were in dressing rooms and on airplanes. We were having no new experiences and we were basically tapped out and exhausted, not so much physically — because we were young — but mentally. We didn’t break up. We just naturally went our own separate ways. We recharged our lives.” When the band reconvened in the late ’70s, it came out swinging and quickly ended up back on the charts. It would stay on the charts throughout the ’80s as well. “We have one really good songwriter in John Lodge, the bass player, and one superb songwriter in [singer] Justin [Hayward],” says
Edge when asked about the key to getting back on the radio. “We had the material, and that’s what made a difference.” Edge says he doesn’t think the band needs a “piece of product” to hit the road and admits that the group isn’t likely to record new material anytime soon. But he says the looming 50th anniversary of Days of Future Passed will be a reason to celebrate. “We need to do something for that, but what it will be, I don’t know,” he says. “There are ideas about cruise ship shows or doing a special concert with an orchestra at Radio City Music Hall. We’re kicking around ideas to see which one we can afford to do, which one we want to do and which one we can get someone else to pay for.” Edge sounds as if he’s only halfjoking when he admits that, after all these years, he only has one tiny little regret. “There’s a certain part of me that wishes we had some really heavy balls-to-the-wall rock songs because drummers love playing that kind of thing,” he says with a laugh. “I wouldn’t want to do it all the time because it would drive me nuts. That just goes to show that no matter how well off you are, you’re never completely happy.”
jniesel@clevescene.com t @jniesel
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 47
Music
She’s a little bit country and he’s a little bit Cajun.
SWAmP POP
FEUFOLLET OFFERS UP A MELTING POT OF MUSIC By Jeff Niesel The Louisiana acT FeuFoLLeT shaped its sound into something it calls “Cajun swamp-pop” on its terrific new album Two Universes. On it, the group explores a meltingpot sound that meshes Cajun, classic country, indie rock, swamp pop and Americana. Some tunes even sound like ’60s pop. Given that original singer Anna Laura Edmiston, who joined the band when she was only 16, left the group a few years ago, it’s all the more impressive that the band has been able to rally behind new vocalist Kelli Jones-Savoy. “Anna was a big part of our band because she was one of the lead vocalists along with me,” says singer-guitarist Chris Stafford via phone from an Atlanta tour stop. “She was a big part of the sound. In terms of songwriting, she was another songwriter. It took some time to retool. We’ve tried a few different things but we’ve known [singer and multi-instrumentalist] Kelli Jones-Savoy for a long time. Our bassist and I have done other projects with her, so we knew it would be a good fit. She’s a good writer and a good singer. We knew we had a musical connection. It’s been really easy-going. It took us a minute to figure out what to do but it’s been a great experience.” Jones-Savoy really struts her stuff on Two Universes. She wrote
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several of the songs and sings lead vocals on the album’s opening tune, “I’m Tired of Your Tears,” a song that practically could pass as bluegrass; Jones-Savoy’s twangy vocals give the song a country feel while the accordion helps keep it in Cajun territory. “We like all different types of stuff,” says Stafford. “We grew up playing very traditional Cajun music but as the years go on, we have more influences and our writing takes shape in different
songs for years and years. I’ve had other groups. That would have been sung in French with a more traditional flavor. With this record, we wanted to go in a more alloriginal music route. In the past, we relied more heavily on more traditional tunes that are part of the repertoire, or on more obscure songs that we would retool to make them different and fit our band. We picked up songs that I had laying around.” Both “Know What’s Next” and
feufollet
7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 5, Music Box Supper Club, 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250. Tickets: $12 ADV, $15 DOS, musicboxcle.com ways. Also, Kelli is a big country music fan. Her material has that kind of flavor. She grew up playing old-time fiddle music. It’s part of her upbringing and experience, and it feeds into the sound overall. With its spacey organ riff and steady drumbeat, “Know What’s Next” almost comes off as psychedelic rock. It was written as a rock song with no intention of being played by a Cajun band. “I wrote that song close to 10 years ago,” Stafford explains when asked about the tune. “At the time, I don’t think it would have been a song that would have gone on one of our records. I’ve written
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
the title track are older songs. The poppy “Two Universes” finds Stafford and Jones-Savoy harmonizing. “I wrote it as a country song or a singer-songwriter song,” Stafford says of the title track. “The aim was to take the stuff we all had. Kelli had some stuff that was written a long time before this album was put together. We wanted to assemble that stuff and figure out ways we could make it all fit together. It’s a love song. It’s one of those things that’s maybe a reminder to not be complacent and not let yourself get bored in the relationship. It’s important
to keep surprising each other and keep some kind of spark going. That’s the theme of it. I wanted to make it sound like a ’60s pop song. It’s weird; the melody just came to me. It has a happy little feel.” Two Universes represents an exciting new chapter for the Lafayette-based band, but Stafford says he doesn’t really know if the group will continue to mix altcountry and Cajun music on the next offering. “I don’t know that we have any idea what we’ll do next,” he says. “We’re releasing the record on this tour. We’ll tour on it for a little while. We have some new songs. I have a few songs and Kelli has a few songs. Who knows what will come out of us next? I don’t think we have any expectations or kinds of ideas. A lot of it will come out once we get together to think about it. That will dictate the kind of sound and feel that we’ll go for with the next one.”
jneisel@clevescene.com t @jniesel
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 49
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Indie 80s, 90s, Throwback Party Jams
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THURSDAY 4.2
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magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
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MATT & KIM
livewire all the live music you should see this week Thu
04/02
Amen Dunes/Weyes Blood/Forest Management: Returning from a U.K. tour with the War on Drugs, Amen Dunes have been kicking around some really cool acoustic-psychedelic music lately. The band’s January 2015 EP, Cowboy Worship, exemplifies Damon McMahon’s rambling freeway songwriting style. This is off-kilter Midwestern folk filtered through New York City’s transient way of life. Album opener “I Know Myself (Montreal)” is a nice, straightforward tune that buzzes with youthful energy before seguing amid studio banter into “Song to the Siren.” The latter is jangly and wandering, but McMahon’s emotional vocals string everything together in an enticing manner. Keep an eye out for this band. 8:30 p.m., $12. Beachland Tavern. (Eric Sandy) Sinatra Night with Michael Sonata (in the Supper Club): Canton native Michael Sonata has always been involved in plays and choirs and was a member of the University of Notre Dame Glee Club. In 2004, he auditioned for a role in a Sopranos spoof that required a character based on Frank Sinatra. Sonata got the part and has been imitating Ol’ Blue Eyes ever since. He includes some 90 songs in his repertoire and covers all eras, including the Columbia years and the Capitol years. He even takes requests from the audience. 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club. (Jeff Niesel) Bad Boys Jam: 9 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Anne Cochran/Abe LaMarca & the Abe LaMarca Band: 8 p.m., $25. Nighttown. Culture Featuring Kenyatta Hill/The Ark Band: 7 p.m., $7. Grog Shop. Zach Farlow/KG: 6:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Agora. Chris Hatton’s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. King Tuff/Herzog: 8:30 p.m., $15. Beachland Ballroom. Spyder Stompers/Hot Djang/Michael Howard: 6 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
fri
04/03
Big Data/On an On/Chappo: 2.0, the new album from producer extraordinaire Big Data (Alan Wilkis), features guest appearances from Twin Shadow, Rivers Cuomo, White Sea, Kimbra, Jamie Lidell, and many more. The “paranoid electronic” artist saw major success in 2014 with his hit single “Dangerous (feat. Joywave),” which claimed the No. 1 spot on the Alternative chart at Billboard. The song features a beefy
(Photo by Leo Pia
A very sharp-dressed David Mayfield. See: Thursday.
guitar riff, handclaps and falsetto vocals. It sounds like the Bee Gees on steroids. The video, which features two buxom female runners in an off-thewall sneakers’ ad, is pretty cool too. “Originally, I had an idea to do a video that was a commercial for a running sneaker,” says Wilkis. “It became evident that the sneaker made you do something evil. That was all I had. I met the two directors and the three of us turned it into more of a story. What is the evil thing that the shoe makes you do? Who is the company behind it? Who are the people at the advertising agency? It’s taking a crack at advertising and consumerism and how we’re being sold stuff that the companies know is bad for us but they still sell it to us. They use sex and violence and bright colors and smiles. It’s poison. I wanted to do that while using sex and violence to sell my own music. There’s some irony in there.” For the live show, Wilkis says he tries to keep things as organic as possible. “Basically, having played guitar and being in bands in my background, I knew I wanted the show to feel like a band,” he says. “I didn’t want it to be a cheesy DJ thing. I like real musicians and I like when there’s showmanship.” 8:30 p.m., $15. Grog Shop. (Niesel) Big Ups/The Pizza Creeps/Rubber Mate: 9 p.m., $7. Now That’s Class. The Bottom Line: 9 p.m. Vosh Club. Jimmy Buffett Tribute: Tom Watt “The
Big Data after some digital distortion. See: Friday.
Buffettman” & the Fruitcakes: Not many artists have been able to emulate the success that Jimmy Buffett has had. It’s kind of funny to think such a seemingly laid-back guy is such a brilliant businessman as well. He single-handedly developed Margaritaville Cafe, named after one of his songs, which has expanded to restaurants all across the country. He also created the widely consumed LandShark Lager in 2006, and his brand continues to grow. Buffett, originally from Mississippi, moved to Key West in the early ‘70s when he began developing the easy-going beachbum persona he’s fondly known for. Accompanied by the Coral Reefer Band he produced hits like “Cheeseburger in Paradise” and “Come Monday.” Rejoice Parrotheads. The Buffettman & The Fruitcakes, one of the best Jimmy Buffett cover bands in the land, is coming to Music Box Supper Club tonight to play all those cheesy(burger) songs you love. 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.(Kaitlin Siegel) The Steepwater Band/Outdated View: With a relentless emphasis on good times and a keen sense for bitchin’ grooves, the Steepwater Band has been serving up killer music since 1998. In 2011, the band released Clava, which highlights the band’s throwback rock ’n’ roll roots. Jeff Massey lays down some seriously dynamic vocal
work throughout the album and his guitar washes rinse the music nicely in feedback and flange. Each song on the album, in fact, lets those elements play out patiently and properly. Tod Bowers’ percussive throwdown steadies the rhythm as Joe Winters modulates the background with his basslines. Dig “Vanishing Girl” for the desert rock vibes that you’re sure to find strewn about the disc. 10 p.m., $10. Musica. (Sandy) The Suffers/Travis Haddix Blues Band (in the Supper Club): On this 10-piece Houston outfit’s debut EP, it’s clear from the first notes that they mean business. Gripping the neo-soul scene with all the force of a groovy hurricane, the Suffers have already established a gotta-have-it jazzy ensemble vibe. The slinky “Make Some Room” will get anyone with a pulse dancing (dig those tabla beats), and “Giver” will accent any set with its laid-back, contemplative lounge trip. They’re sure to be mainstays on festival circuit after doing time at joints like the Voodoo Music and Arts Festival and South by Southwest, so keep a lookout for ’em. 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. (Sandy) Cleveland’s Breakfast Club: 10 p.m. Brothers Lounge. George Foley: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Elijah Gilmore Quintet: 8:30 p.m., $10. Nighttown.
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 51
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Kopecky/By Light We Loom/Mick Reiter: 7 p.m., $10. Musica. Anthony Lavano (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Nights/Midnight Slander/Sails: 9 p.m., $8. The Euclid Tavern. The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus/A Skylit Drive/Wolves at the Gate/Fires of Vermilion/Alteras/Peacekeeper/The Conditioned/Goodnight Tonight Music/ Daydreamer/Atlas Uncharted/Keys & Corridors/Hello Weekend: 5:30 p.m., $14 ADV, $16 DOS. The Outpost. Sammy Slims/DJ Dave P/The Sleeps: 9 p.m., $5. Happy Dog. A Tribute to Buddy Rich Featuring the Dave Banks Big Band: 8 p.m., $18. BLU Jazz+. Jim Volk/Xe La/George Foley & Friends: 5:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Walk the Moon/The Griswolds: 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $27 DOS. House of Blues. Matthew E. White/Wilsen: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern.
SAT
04/04
The Smithereens: Way back in the late ’80s and early ’90s, the Smithereens broke big out of their native New Jersey. Songs such as “Only a Memory,” “Blood and Roses” and “A Girl Like You” effectively channel ’60s pop; their catchy choruses and sharp hooks helped the band cross over from college to commercial radio. The band’s track record in the ‘00s has been spotty at best. At one point, singer-guitarist Pat DiNizio held down a gig on the Vegas Strip where he performed “Confessions of a Rock Star,” a show that featured songs and stories from throughout his life. The group doesn’t have a new album to push but it’ll undoubtedly draw fans who remember it fondly from the days when MTV actually helped break new bands. 7 p.m., $30 ADV, $35 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. (Niesel) The 2015 Moondog Coronation Ball Featuring Smokey Robinson, Randy Bachman, Mark Lindsay, and B.J Thomas.: $38.75-$68.75. Quicken Loans Arena. Gypsy Daze/Essential Groove/Riptide: 9 p.m., $7 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Beverly/Ju Ju Shrine: 9 p.m., $10. The Euclid Tavern. Vicki Chew CD Release: 4 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Disco Inferno: 9:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Fo Mo Deep: 8:30 p.m., $15. Nighttown. From Indian Lakes/The Soil & the Sun/ Come Wind: 6:30 p.m., $12. Musica.
Jared & the Mill/Honeybucket (in the Cambridge Room): 7:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. House of Blues. Bill Lestock/Porch Swing: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Pete Mills: 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., $12. BLU Jazz+. The Moxies/Time Cat/The Allies/Lethal Synergy: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Wand/Heaters: 9 p.m., $8. Happy Dog. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Wes and Joey (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Whiskey River Revival Hosted by Hillbilly Idol — The Music of Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and More (in the Supper Club): 6 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club. Who’s Bad: 9 p.m., $12.50 ADV, $15 DOS. House of Blues.
Sun
04/05
Achtungs/Xetas/Smooth Brain/ Sweepyheads: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Feufollet (in the Supper Club): 7:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Cory Henry & the Funk Apostles/Nth Power: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Nostalgia Factor: 3 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
mon 04/06 Allegaeon/The Agonist/Product of Hate/ Orwellian/Throne to the Apocalypse: 7 p.m., $10 ADV, $13 DOS. Agora. Buck Biloxi and the Fucks/Giorgio Murderer/Heavy Lids/A Giant Dog/ Chomp/Fat Vegan: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. The First Five: 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. George Foley & Friends/Chris Newman: 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Kind of Like Spitting/The City on Film/ Lee Corey Oswald/Annabel: 8 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Velvet Voyage (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Whirr/Adventures: 7 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes.
Tue
04/07
Reptar/Icky Blossoms/Idol Hour: Bands that hail from Athens, Georgia, have a sort of kinetic energy buzzing about their name well before you even toss them on the ol’ Victrola. There’s something about that town. Anyway, Reptar, firmly rooted in the upbeat electronic dance music of the day, has been developing a nice vibe in the past few years. The band’s latest release, Lurid Glow (out this week!), is their
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most complete and bitchin’ work yet. Guitarist and singer Graham Ulicny blends his lines against seemingly eight-armed keyboardist William Kennedy and show-stealing marimba man Reid Weigner throughout the album with aplomb, and the rest of the band conjures up full-bellied, often exotic dance grooves (see “Cable,” “Breezy”). 8:30 p.m., $12. Grog Shop. (Sandy) Ernie Krivda and the Fat Tuesday Big Band: 7:30 p.m. Vosh Club. The Moody Blues: 7:30 p.m., $45-$75. E.J. Thomas Hall. Mr. California’s Happy Hour with Homostupids: 5 p.m., free. Now That’s Class. Open Mic Night with Gary Hall: 8 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern.
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Axis: Sova/Obnox: “Low-brow, highimpact. One note philosophy,” claims the Chicago-based psych band and, upon spinning Early Surf, that seems pretty spot-on. A few years back, guitarist/songwriter Brett Sova was experiencing some sense of divine intervention amidst Jimi Hendrix’s Axis: Bold as Love, resulting in that wah-infused, far-out lead guitar work that riddles his latest album. Lo-fi, indeed; Sova works his way through sprawling guitar anthems and punkrock grooves, all seemingly filtered through a two-by-four. There are enough ideas circulating in the album to keep the listener listening (the gypsy melodies of “Secret Hand” push on to weird organ drones in “Glass”). 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. (Sandy) Broadway Tunes with Moss Stanley and Jessica Yafanaro (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club. 10 X 3 Hosted by Brent Kirby (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge. Diamond Rugs/New Madrid/Justin Collins: 8:30 p.m., $15. Grog Shop. The Exrementals/Grin and Bear It/Kill the Hippies/The Safeties: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Fortunate Youth/Hirie/SensaMotion: 8:30 p.m., $12. Beachland Tavern. Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors/ Humming House: 8 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Robert Earl Keen: 8 p.m., $35. The Kent Stage. Gary Leidy/John Kerver/Barbarossa Brothers: 6:30 p.m. Barking Spider Tavern. Eliot Lewis: 8 p.m. Akron Civic Theatre. Rittz/Crooked I/Snipez: 6 p.m., $16 ADV, $20 DOS. Agora.
scene@clevescene.com t @cleveland_scene magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 53
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“We like to think that there’s a Western sound to our music and that’s the direction we wanted to go in.”
Meet the Band: Jared Kolesar (vocals), Michael Carter (banjo, mandolin), Larry Gast III (guitar), Chuck Morris III (bass), Josh Morin (drums), Gabe Hall-Rodrigues (accordion, keyboards) Phoenix Rising: Jared Kolesar and Michael Carter have played music together since they were kids growing up in Phoenix. “We became friends in middle school and then started playing guitar together in high school,” says Kolesar, who adds that he grew up listening to folk and classic country but was inspired to perform after seeing Elton John and Billy Joel perform together. In 2011, after he hosted an impromptu jam session with another musical duo, Josh Morrin and Larry Gast III, Jared & the Mill was born. a PRoMising deBut: In 2013, the band issued its debut, Western Expansion. The twangy album has much in common with acts such as Mumford & Sons and the Lumineers. Album opener “Breathe Me In” puts the banjo up front in the mix and has become a fan favorite. “We felt really passionate about it as we were recording the songs,” says Kolesar. “It’s our first big project with the band together. There are songs on it that we literally wrote the day before in the studio. It was a nice way to start and we’ve built off that chemistry.” Why you should heaR theM: The band describes its music as
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something that “ain’t blues and ain’t country.” Due out in mid-April, its new EP, Life We Chose, lives up to the billing. It features mid-tempo rock tunes such as “Hold On.” The tune shows off the group’s pristine vocal harmonies and sharp songwriting skills. “I think everyone will be surprised by it,” says Kolesar when asked about the EP. “The songs are about what we’ve given up to pursue this life we’ve chosen.” Kolesar says the group was “more prepared” for the EP, which it recorded with producer Tony Berg (Snow Patrol, the National, Fiona Apple). “We had songs we knew we wanted to record and practiced them hundreds of times so when we met up with Tony Berg we had a nice canvas for him to work with,” says Kolesar. “It was a whirlwind of amazement and pleasure working with him. It was inspiring and humbling. We like to think that there’s a Western sound to our music and that’s the direction we wanted to go in. He helped us bring that out.”
WheRe you Can heaR theM: jaredandthemill.com. WheRe you Can see theM: Jared & the Mill performs with Honeybucket at 8 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, at House of Blues Cambridge Room. — Jeff Niesel
jniesel@clevescene.com t @jniesel
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C-notes local music news sessions at the summit By Jeff Niesel
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eric Hutchinson will kick off studio C sessions.
Beginning on Friday, April 3, Studio C Sessions, a new weekly TV program featuring exclusive live music performances, will begin airing on Western Reserve PBS (WNEO 45.1/WEAO 49.1). The program, which airs at 9 p.m. on Fridays, is a public broadcasting collaboration between Western Reserve PBS and the Summit (91.3 FM Akron/Canton and 90.7 FM Youngstown/Warren/Western Pennsylvania). It’ll feature “live performances that capture artists and audiences connecting in the closest of confines.” The line-up for the first three sessions is really solid. Singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson and Scars on 45 perform on April 3; OK Go and Kate Tucker play on April 10; and Wild Cub and Patrick Sweeney perform on April 17. For more information about upcoming programs, visit WesternReservePBS.org or thesummit.fm. Studio C Sessions will repeat on Western Reserve PBS on Saturdays at 3 a.m. The program will also air on Fusion (WNEO 45.2/ WEAO 49.2) on Sundays at 8 p.m.
Jim Clevo R.i.P. Throughout the ’90s and ’00s, local promoter Jim Clevo tirelessly championed Cleveland rock bands. Clevo, who passed away last month at age 57, put out several compilations featuring Cleveland acts and at one point christened himself president of the Cleveland Music Group (CCG). He didn’t just promote bands in Cleveland, either. In 1999, he attended South by Southwest, the annual music conference in Austin that provides showcase opportunities for up-and-coming bands, and hosted a party featuring Cleveland acts.
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(Photo by Jeff Lipsky)
Here’s what we wrote about his event: “Flying the pirate flag in SXSW’s face, man-about-town Jim Clevo captained the 10th annual Regional Roundup Party on Saturday night. Ten bands played the unofficial event, including Cleveland punkers Hostile Omish. Clevo said that, after their set, the Omish boys took their butter churners into the street and busked, earning $60. The money, Clevo figured, would cover the Omish’s gas money, provided they didn’t ‘blow it at Graceland on toenail clippers or something.’”
induCtion PResenteRs AnnounCed The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has announced presenters for the induction ceremony that takes place on April 18 at Public Hall. Paul McCartney will induct fellow Beatle Ringo Starr, Stevie Wonder will induct Bill Withers, Patti Smith will induct the late Lou Reed, Peter Wolf will induct the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Fall Out Boy will induct Green Day, John Mayer will induct Stevie Ray Vaughan and Steve Cropper will induct the “5” Royales. Performers include Beck, Dave Grohl, Joe Walsh, Tom Morello, John Legend, Jimmie Vaughan and others to be announced. The presenter who will induct Joan Jett and the Blackhearts will be announced later as well. The show will air on HBO on May 30. For more information on the 30th Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony activities, visit rockhall.com.
jniesel@clevescene.com t @jniesel
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savage love never enough By Dan Savage Dear Dan, I think my husband is addicted to porn. I find porn in his browser history almost every single day. He says I’m the only one he wants, but I find that hard to believe knowing he watches nonstop porn before fucking me. He also parties every time he goes on a business trip. Needless to say, I also suspect he cheats. He says he would never cheat on me because he “doesn’t need to.” But what does that mean? I think he is a liar. Every time I even try to bring anything up with him, it is flung back in my face because I cheated on him. He has the ultimate trump card. In his eyes, he can do no wrong because it will never be as bad as me having slept with someone else early in our relationship. Anyway, my question is mostly related to porn: Why does he watch it? I feel as though I am not enough. I am 29 and attractive. What should I do? Wife Is Feeling Entirely Yucky You should stop looking at your husband’s browser history. I have no way of knowing exactly what your husband means by “doesn’t need to [cheat],” WIFEY, but here’s the best-case scenario: You’re his only sex partner, he’s totally into you, but like all humans — including wife humans — he’s wired to desire a little variety and some novelty. No one is “enough” for anyone, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar. Which is not to say that everyone cheats (because not everyone does) or that cheating is okay (because it rarely is), but cheating is common enough that forgiving an isolated infidelity (or two) should be our default setting, not immediately lawyering up and filing for divorce. (And truly forgiving someone for cheating means not flinging it in her face during subsequent disputes.) Back to the best-case scenario: Your husband wants to have sex with other people (and so do you) but he doesn’t (and neither do you). Instead of cheating, WIFEY, your husband scratches that variety itch with porn. He pops into his favorite sites once or twice day, just like millions of other people, but he’s not cheating on you. (Unless you define viewing porn as cheating — in which case, good luck finding a man who won’t cheat on you.) I would advise you, again, to
stop scouring his browser history for evidence of what you already know to be true — your husband is attracted to other people and sometimes looks at porn — and make up your mind to enjoy the effect porn has on your husband, i.e., it revs him up and stokes his desire for you. Now here’s the worst-case scenario: Your husband is cheating on you, perhaps during those business trips, and “doesn’t need to [cheat]” was an insincere blandishment. But absent some other compelling evidence of cheating — incriminating text messages, mysterious credit-card charges, brand-new STIs — you’re just going to have to take him at his word.
Dear Dan, I have a question about the price of admission. I am a male in an eight-year het relationship. The sex is unquestionably amazing. The thing is, my girlfriend made it clear at the beginning of our relationship that blowjobs were not gonna happen often. She’s done it a few times over the years, but I could see her heart wasn’t really in it. I love going down on her, but she only tolerates it on the way to penetrative sex. She says this is not open for debate, but I would like to talk about why she doesn’t like it. She’s said I don’t have an unattractive penis or anything like that, but the conversation quickly devolves into: “If you wanted blowjobs, you should’ve picked someone else.” I feel like we’re missing out on something — passionate and mutual oral sex — that could be great. Wanting Into Some Head Pick someone else, WISH, but only if getting oral back in your life is more important to you than having this particular girlfriend in your life. She was up-front about her disinterest in oral sex — maybe she had early and unpleasant/ traumatic experiences with oral, maybe she tried it and doesn’t like it — and just getting her to talk about it is unlikely to result in long sessions of passionate and mutual oral sex. If you can’t see yourself going without oral for the rest of your life, WISH, either get permission from this girlfriend to get oral elsewhere or get yourself a new girlfriend.
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MDT College of Health Sciences, Inc. Gainful Employment information for this program is available on our website at http://www.atsinstitute.edu/cleveland/documents/gainemppn.pdf Registration # 97-1014791
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 61
CA$H FOR JUNK LAPTOPS
Transportation Parts/ Services
GO GREEN & GET GREEN for your broken laptops flatscreen TV’s, etc... The newer the better! Laptop Junkyard 216-832-8402
**TOP $$$ PAID FOR**
TOP $$$$ PAID JUNK CARS, TRUCKS, VANS, RV’S SUV’S & BATTERY’S
Rollins Towing Service
216-322-1184
JUNK CARS, TRUCKS, VANS, RV’S SUV’S & BATTERY’S Rollins Towing Service 216-322-1184
UNCONTESTED DIVORCE
Merchandise For Sale
$195 Plus Filing Fee, Attorney
BIG FUN
Cleveland’s Best Toy Store. Cash for Old Toys, Legos Star Wars, GI Joes, Transformers, Hot Wheels, NINTENDO, Action Figs Rock Concert T-shirts 1814 Coventry Rd. Cleve Hts. 216.371.4386 WE BUY SELL TRADE
216-.621.4100
Massage - Certified 2 & 4 HAND MASSAGE $40 intro massage for couples & singles, by married couple. 330-741-0001
Professional Services
Days & Evenings, weekends. Warm candlelight atmosphere. Lakewood/West Suburbs Linda 216-221-5935
SR22/Bond Bad Driving Record BEST PRICES DAVID YOUNG INSURANCE 440-779-9800
minerals and other oil & gas interests. Send details P.O. Box 13557, Denver, CO 80201
Professional Services
THE OCEAN CORP. 10840 Rockley Road, Houston, Texas 77099. Train for a New Career. *Underwater Welder. *Commercial Diver. *NDT/Weld Inspector. Job Placement Assistance. Financial Aid available for those who qualify. 800-321-0298.
Rentals: West/Suburbs BROOKSIDE OVAL APARTMENT
CARING MASSAGE
AUTO INSURANCE
Bulletin Board WANTS TO PURCHASE
HOME BUYERS!!!
FREE MONEY!!! DOWN PAYMENT PROGRAM*
Located on Park Fulton Oval near the Cleveland Metroparks! 216-351-6936 Choose from any of our newly remodeled 1 & 2 bdrm apartments, all w/ modern kitchens & bathrooms. All feature air-conditioning & Garage parking also available. Brookside
is located close to I-480, I-71, and I-90, just minutes from downtown Cleveland. Come home to the beautiful park-like setting of Brookside Apartments! You’ll be happy to call Brookside home.
CLIFTON
2 Br+ Beautiful Georgian Style large suite 7 minutes to downtown Cleveland. 1300 sq feet gas, water, and trash removal Included. Custom paint throughout fireplace. Extra large living room- refinished hardwood floors, formal dining room kitchen, all appliances bathroom new floors and fresh paint- additional den/sunroom- lots of closet space foyer storage laundry on premises, garage and parking space. Quiet building. Rent is $995+security. Call for appointment. 440-590-3975 or 440-590-0704
ELBUR AVE. APARTMENTS
13540 Detroit Ave. Spacious 1-2 bedroom apts Vintage Bldg., Private tree lined street Off street parking, Heat & Water included Park like setting New Energy Efficient Windows Cats & Small Dogs are welcome call 216-392-5384 for details ***some restrictions apply*****
LAKEWOOD CLIFFS APARTMENTS
18900 Detroit Extension Newly Renovated , 1-2 Bedroom Apts Heat & Water Included Updated Laundry on Site Off Street Parking , Air Conditioning, Secure Entry, Lake and Park Views Call for our Specials 216-392-5384 *****some restrictions apply*****
BUY YOUR DREAM HOME!!! Plus Get Up To $100k + More* (for new kitchen, new roof, new carpet, appliances, paint, basement waterproofing, windows, heating & cooling)*
NEVER EVER EVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BUY A HOME!!! Great Low Fixed Interest Rates* When your dreams come true... our dreams come true!!!
Real Estate: East/Suburbs FOR SALE BY OWNER EUCLID
Nestled near 260th & Lakeshore this unique 1920’s historical property is perfect for the savvy investor.This beautiful 9 bdrm home features 3 full baths & a basement, & has a solid structure. New electric, roofing, siding & windows have recently been installed. Formerly zoned commercial now is zoned two family. Grants may be available for historical renovations. Asking $45,000 / negotiable. Please contact Barbara to view this unique property. Barbara 216-647-1973 babs4445@gmail.com
Real Estate: West/Suburbs OLD BROOKLYN
Stunning brick townhome. 7 yr tax abatement. Built in 2006. Minutes from I-480 & downtown. 1640sqft. 2 LG BDRM 2.5 BA 1st floor open floor plan. Living room w/ gas fireplace leading to kitchen, breakfast bar, lightly used appliances & track lighting. Walk out to relaxing porch/patio. Bright end unit. First floor 1/2 ba. Walk in closet in mbr. Lower level front porch large laundry room with stationary tub, washer & dryer. Two closets for storage. Oversized two car attached garage entry door. Central air, upgraded blinds throughout. Cool soft colors, wide stairways, low maintenance, snow removal & landscaping. Just lock the door & go! Carefree living $139,900 Marilyn Yesberger 216-403-0972 Mls #3645969
440.342.7355 (SELL) To Buy...or Sell
Call Grizzell *Some restrictions may apply *for those who qualify... we consider...
good credit • bad credit • bankruptcy
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DESIGNER FASHIONS FOR THE FAMILY
than depression. When symptoms persist, there may be more you can do. If feelings such as depressed mood or lack of energy are keeping you from the things that matter to you, you may be eligible for this research study. It’s evaluating an investigational drug designed to work with antidepressants to see if it can help address unresolved symptoms of depression. All eligible study participants will receive at no cost: Consultation with study doctor
Study drugs
Study-related care and visits
GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES
Forman Mills is a successful off price retail company with aggressive expansion plans. We are looking for talented retailers that thrive in a fast paced environment and are high energy, hands on talented merchants who can dazzle us with their merchandising skills. If you are looking to grow your career with the best, we have outstanding opportunities available. POSITIONS AVAILABLE:
DISTRICT MANAGERS STORE MANAGERS ASSISTANT MANAGERS DEPARTMENT MANAGERS
TO LEARN MORE:
(BIG BOX REQUIRED • SOFTLINES PREFERRED) Evenings & Weekends Required
North Star Medical Research, LLC 440.234.5700
Send Resumes to hr@formanmills.com or Apply Online at: www.formanmills.com or call 855.4FM.JOBS (855.436.5627)
Whether or not you are currently taking an antidepressant, you may be eligible to participate.
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RETAIL MANAGEMENT SUPERSTARS
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015
COMPETITIVE SALARIES • COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING • BENEFITS • MERCHANDISE DISCOUNTS EOE, M/F/D/V Drug Free Workplace • www.formanmills.com • @formanmills1
magazine | clevescene.com | April 1 - 7, 2015 63
Rock & Roll Hall of fame Inductee tHe RIgHteous BRotHeRs’
BIll medley
APRIL 11
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TICKETS AVAILABLE ON TICKETMASTER.COM AND AT THE ROCKSINO BOX OFFICE, OPEN DAILY FROM 1PM - 9PM. 10777 NORTHFIELD ROAD | NORTHFIELD, OHIO 44067 HRRNP.COM | 330.908.7625 ALL SHOWS 21 & OVER
SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. FOR FREE, CONFIDENTIAL HELP 24/7, CALL THE OHIO PROBLEM GAMBLING HELPLINE AT 1.800.598.9966