Scene December 26, 2019

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

CONTENTS

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

Upfront

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Dashing through the snow

Feature

Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Davis

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In a 15 minute bus

'ET /UT

Creative Services Art Director/Production Manager Steve Miluch Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace

Over Cleveland we go

Business Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac Controller Kristy Dotson Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss

Art

Euclid Media Group Chief Executive OfďŹ cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating OfďŹ cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP Digital Services Stacy Volhein Creative Director Tom Carlson Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon www.euclidmediagroup.com

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Laughing all the way

Film

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Bells for bus stops ring

National Advertising Voice Media Group 1-800-278-9866, vmgadvertising.com

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Cleveland Scene 737 Bolivar Rd., #4100 Cleveland, OH 44115 www.clevescene.com Phone 216-241-7550 Retail & ClassiďŹ ed Fax 216-241-6275 Editorial Fax 216-802-7212 E-mail scene@clevescene.com

Making spirits bright

Music

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What fun it is to ride and sing

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

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| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

UPFRONT CLEVELAND PUBLIC LIBRARY WORKERS COULD GO ON STRIKE IF BARGAINING SESSION GOES SOUTH Photo by Sam Allard / Scene

CPL workers and their allies rally at Public Square.

LIBRARIANS, CLERKS, CUSTODIANS and other front line staff at the Cleveland Public Library have been bargaining with library leadership for higher wages and increased staffing levels across the system. If an agreement is not reached after a final session scheduled for Dec. 27th, the nearly 400 workers who are members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU 1199) could strike after their current contract expires at the end of the calendar year. “It’s a possibility,” said Debbie Hajzak, a 30-plus year CPL veteran who now works in the outreach and programming department. “We’re not at that point yet, but it’s certainly something a lot of our members are thinking about.”

Library staff and community members gathered at Public Square Friday Dec. 13 to send a message to top administrators before bargaining began. That demonstration followed a vigil held earlier in the month at CPL’s South Brooklyn Branch, where a 19-year-old was found with multiple gunshot wounds this summer. Library safety is among the topbilled concerns. But for workers, it’s just one area that has been affected by diminished staffing levels. “The biggest issue is staffing,” Hajzak said. “This is also certainly about wages, because our folks are far behind, and nobody can make it on the wages they were making in 2009. But there’s more and more demand on library services. There’s

more and more people coming in, and the library’s offering more and more things. But there’s not more staff. We’re just trying to come to the table and say, ‘Look, if we’re the people’s university, we need to have people there.’” In the background of the workers’ demands is the recently passed library levy, which is set to take effect in 2020. Library Executive Director Felton Thomas and the board of directors have laid out ambitious plans to revitalize neighborhood branches with new state-of-the-art facilities. Workers had hoped to see a corresponding commitment to staff. “Some of the proposals [library leadership] has come to the table with would outsource our work,”

said Hajzak. “Others would have volunteers doing our work. We’re this amazing institution, celebrating our 150th year, and administrators are talking about getting volunteers? That’s not the high-quality service that CPL should be offering. This is skilled work. It’s difficult work. And it’s important work.” Even more frustrating for the library’s union members is that when the State of Ohio started curtailing its investment in libraries in 2009, workers voluntarily entered a wage freeze and agreed to furlough days to help the system manage its budget. While many of them continue to be on wage freezes, the library has hired a slew of administrators who are earning big salaries with substantial

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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UPFRONT annual raises and bonuses, and are routinely securing title upgrades to trigger even higher pay. Hajzak said that while none of her colleagues entered the library profession to make “huge amounts of money,” they nevertheless get irritated when top administrators keep taking home enormous salaries while producing limited results for the system. “The picture from leadership a decade ago was ‘we’re all in the same boat, we’re all going to sacrifice,’” she said. “But then while we were on wage freezes, they added top administrators, people making $145,000 walking in the door. And now they come to the bargaining table and tell us there’s no money.” SEIU members noted that Felton Thomas, who makes a base salary of $220,000 with a guaranteed 5-percent raise every year, was just awarded a $10,000 “merit bonus” that was meant to recognize his years of service and to thank him, per his contract, “for foregoing raises for the years 2010 through 2013.”

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“We never got a merit bonus for not taking raises,” Hajzak said. She added that the focus should be about better libraries and better service to library users. She worried that leaders may have forgotten what libraries are all about. “Nobody who comes into a neighborhood branch needs an administrator making a lot of money,” she said. “They need somebody to help them learn computer skills, somebody to help them write a resume, somebody to help their kids do homework. That’s the stuff that people come to the library for, but that’s not where the administration has chosen to put the resources.” -SAM ALLARD

NAACP Suing Cleveland Water for Discriminatory Practices The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) last week filed a class action lawsuit against the City of Cleveland, alleging discriminatory practices by the Cleveland Water Department. The lawsuit brings claims under the Fair Housing Act, the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment, the Ohio Constitution, and the Ohio Civil

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

Rights Act and challenges several of Cleveland Water’s policies that the suit claims disproportionately affect predominantly black census tracts. Among these policies are overbilling and erroneous billing, shutting off water with little or no notice, and both not communicating the appeals process at the Water Review Board and denying legitimate claims for relief there. Another is Cleveland Water’s practice of converting unpaid water bills into liens on customers’ properties. The LDF reports that Cleveland Water placed more than 11,000 water liens in Cuyahoga County between 2014 and 2018, and that “significantly more” were located in majority-black census tracts than in majority-white tracts, “even when comparing neighborhoods with the same median income.” “For years, black Clevelanders have been plagued by excessively high water bills, service shutoffs, and the risk of losing their homes due to water liens,” said Coty Montag, the lead attorney on the lawsuit for LDF, in a statement provided to the media. “Cleveland Water must change its practices to ensure that all residents have access to clean, affordable water, a basic human right.”

LDF is currently representing five area homeowners in the suit who have been on the receiving end of Cleveland Water’s policies. One of them, an East Cleveland resident named Albert Pickett, has been living without running water in his home since 2013, but still owes, by his own account, “thousands of dollars” and has not been permitted to dispute the charges. The City of Cleveland would not respond directly to the lawsuit, saying that it had not yet been “formally served” as of last Thursday afternoon. But they did direct us to a statement from May, in response to the publication of an LDF report on water affordability in Baltimore and Cleveland, also written by Montag. In that statement, the city said that water equity was important to them and that they were continuing to analyze data to ensure they were doing “everything possible” to prevent water shutoffs. The city said it had implemented zero-percent rate increases in 2016, 2017 and 2018; billed the first 1,500 gallons of water each month at a discounted rate; offered multiple discount programs to assist customers; and provided payment plans to help customers who were behind on payments. These efforts,

along with a transition to monthly billing, led to an overall decline in water disconnections, according to the city. In the case of shutoffs, the city said its policy was to “send multiple notices, including leaving a card on the oor,â€? and that information regarding how to request a Water Review Board hearing were included in those notices. The city described its usage of water liens only as a “last resort.â€? “Most commonly, the tax lien process is used when property owners – many times absentee landlords – have walked away from their property, leaving the community with an abandoned home and Cleveland Water with no other collections recourse.â€? -ALLARD

Cuyahoga County Will Be Part of Giant Eagle’s Six-Month Plastic Bag Ban Pilot Project The grocery chain Giant Eagle has announced that it plans to eliminate all single-use plastics from its stores by 2025. Starting on Jan. 15, the chain will launch a six-month pilot in which it will no longer use plastic bags at

DIGIT WIDGET 930,000 Alleged new “jobsâ€? that the imaginary Hyperloop would create in the Cleveland–Chicago Megaregion, a ďŹ gure touted by state and local elected leaders.

930,000 “Man years� of work that the imaginary Hyperloop is projected to create over 25 years, via the feasibility study conducted by NOACA, released last week. That’s the equivalent of ~37,000 jobs, not 930,000 jobs.

18,000 Estimated number of trees lost due to suburban clear-cutting at 16 residential development sites between 2011-2017.

142,00

several stores in the Pittsburgh area, where the company is headquartered, and at stores in Cuyahoga County and in the Franklin County suburb of Bexley. Giant Eagle shoppers in Cuyahoga County will have the option to buy reusable bags for 99 cents or paper bags for 10 cents each. Giant Eagle will also offer Advantage Card perks for users of the reusable bags. After the pilot program, and based on customer interest, Giant Eagle intends to gradually curtail its plastic bag usage across its nearly 500 stores in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Maryland. Giant Eagle isn’t the only grocery brand making similar commitments to eliminating or cutting back on plastic waste. Kroger will phase out single-use plastic bags by 2025 and Big Y Foods will do the same by 2020. Wegmans has committed to a 10 million-pound reduction in its usage of single-use plastics by 2024, and Aldi has said that all of the packaging it uses will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. Cuyahoga County recently passed a plastic bag ban in an effort to reduce plastic waste in Lake Erie. Communities across the county, however, including Cleveland, are bowing to the will of chambers of commerce and elements of the retail lobby and opting out of the ban. Cleveland has opted out only for six months, the length of a county “grace period,� and says it wants to more thoroughly study the issue before potentially crafting legislation of its own. Meanwhile, at the Ohio statehouse, the House of Representatives has passed a preemptive ban on plastic bag bans. The Senate is now considering its own version of the bill, but any legislation is expected to face a challenge from Gov. Mike DeWine, who called a ban on municipalities’ ability to regulate plastic bags a “serious mistake.� The Greater Cleveland Partnership’s Joe Roman wrote an op-ed that appeared on cleveland. com last week claiming that his organization’s objections had to do with “potential unintended consequences resulting from bag ban policies that do not consider increased consumption of even more harmful products.� The Northeast Ohio Sierra Club, in a detailed and well-sourced Twitter thread, rebutted all of Roman’s specious claims. -ALLARD

Estimated number of seedlings required to replace what was lost at the same 16 sites.

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A

S THE YEAR COMES TO A close and the in memoriam lists come out, they will be littered with names that you know. Or at least a bunch of names you know: big names with big lives. While we’ll mourn their deaths, the list we assembled this year, once again, celebrates the lives of those whose deaths probably didn’t cross your radar. But amazing lives they lived, and their legacies — the music they made, the things they built, the ways they touched our lives — are worth celebrating, even if they left that legacy to all of us in a quiet fashion.

*** Andre Williams

(Nov. 1, 1936–March 17, 2019) Not many people get a big break in the music business. Andre Williams got two. Born in Bessemer, Alabama, Zephire “Andre” Williams first hit it big as an R&B singer when he moved to Detroit in the early 1950s and won an amateur-night competition. He soon signed to Fortune Records, becoming lead vocalist in the Five Dollars, then rechristened Andre Williams and the Don Juans. A prolific writer, he also scored solo hits, including “Jail Bait,” “The Greasy Chicken” and “Bacon Fat,” which cracked the Top 10 on the Billboard R&B chart. He also wrote Five Du-Tones’ “Shake a Tail Feather,” later performed by Ike & Tina Turner (and much later, featured in The Blues

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Brothers and Hairspray), and even served a brief stint as a songwriter for Motown, co-writing Stevie Wonder’s first song, “Thank You for Loving Me.” But by the 1980s, Williams hit rock bottom: Addiction found him homeless in Chicago. In the 1990s, however, Williams was rediscovered by the rock ’n’ roll revival scene. That led to records like Greasy, released jointly on indie labels Norton and St. George Records in 1996, and Silky, released on In the Red in 1998. More indie rock collaborations followed, with Williams recording tracks with Jack White, Mick Collins of the Dirtbombs, and the country band the Sadies. His proto-hip-hop sing-talking style, penchant for profane lyrics, and sartorial preference for flashy suits and matching hats earned him the nickname by some of “the godfather of rap.” Williams continued to struggle with addiction, but he also continued to make music, releasing I Wanna Go Back to Detroit City in 2016. He died in Chicago at age 82 from cancer, but he never stopped: His manager, Kenn Goodman, told Billboard a week before his death that the singer “was committed to trying to sing and record again.” — Lee DeVito

*** Russ Gibb

(June 15, 1931–April 30, 2019) If Iggy Pop is the Godfather of Punk, then Russ Gibb is its uncle.

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

After working as a Detroit-area schoolteacher, radio DJ and promoter, “Uncle Russ,” as he was known, became a major booster of Motor City rock ’n’ roll when he founded the Grande Ballroom in 1966, inspired by a visit to San Francisco’s Fillmore. The venue became known for booking local acts like the Stooges, Alice Cooper, the Amboy Dukes and the MC5, who served as the venue’s house band and recorded its debut Kick Out the Jams live there. That’s all in addition to booking national acts like Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, Cream and the Who, among others, many of whom played some of their first U.S. shows at the venue. Gibb was involved in other milestones in rock history as well. In 1969, while working as a part-time DJ on WKNR-FM, Gibb took a call from a listener who claimed the Beatles’ Paul McCartney died and was replaced with a look-alike, and that there were clues in the band’s lyrics and album artwork. The conspiracy theory soon went viral. (Perhaps it would come as no surprise that much later in life, Gibb would promote Donald Trump’s conspiracy theories about Barack Obama’s birth certificate on his blog.) Gibb closed the venue in 1972. But in the 1980s, he was back in the music business, providing financial backing for the Graystone Hall, a Detroit punk venue. All the while, Gibb worked as a history and media teacher at Dearborn High School; he died in April at 87 of natural causes. The Grande, however,

long abandoned and now sporting an MC5 mural, could soon see a new life: It’s now owned by Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church, who said they might lease it out for events — including possible music concerts. — DeVito

*** John Witherspoon

(Jan. 27, 1942–Oct. 29, 2019) “John Witherspoon is black history,” Twitter’s Rembert Browne tweeted after the comic actor died of a heart attack at his Los Angeles home in October at age 77. It was a fair assessment: Witherspoon’s filmography spanned decades, including appearances on The Richard Pryor Show, the Friday franchise, Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Wayans Bros. and The Boondocks, as well as Jay-Z and Goodie Mob music videos, among others. Born in Detroit to a family with 11 siblings, Witherspoon got his start taking theater classes in the Motor City in the early ’70s. He got into standup at the behest of his acting instructor, who thought he’d be funny in a holiday comedy show. Witherspoon soon relocated to Los Angeles, opening for the legendary Richard Pryor at the Comedy Store. Later, Pryor cast him as part of his short-lived NBC variety show in 1977 before it was canceled for being too risque. For many, though, Witherspoon

will always just be “Pops” — the amusingly cantankerous father to Ice Cube’s Craig Jones in the 1995 stoner comedy Friday. Witherspoon would reprise the role in 2000’s Next Friday and 2002’s Friday After Next, and was cast in a similar role as “Granddad” in the comic strip-turned-Adult Swim cartoon The Boondocks, which debuted in 2005. After years of development hell, a fourth Friday film was finally given the green light in 2017, but was only in pre-production at the time of Witherspoon’s death. He was also set to appear in a recently announced Boondocks reboot, though that project had not begun production yet either. In an odd way, Witherspoon got to enjoy a final goodbye. In 2012, when a false report of his death went viral, Witherspoon reacted to the news just as Pops might. “What the hell ya’ll talkin ’bout on here?!?!?” he tweeted. “I ain’t dead, I’m in Ft. Lauderdale.” — DeVito

*** Bernice Sandler

(March 3, 1928–Jan. 5, 2019) In 1969, Bernice Sandler was a bright young instructor at the University of Maryland, hoping to land a full-time spot on the faculty. She knew she was a good teacher, and there were seven open positions. So when she was barely considered, she asked a male faculty member if he had any insight. He conceded she was easily qualified, “but let’s be honest, you come on too strong for a woman.” Sandler, who died in January at age 90, probably repeated that quote thousands of times in interviews and speeches in the five decades that followed. “Sometimes people ask me what inspired me to get involved in women’s issues,” Sandler supposedly said in 2012 after receiving a human rights award. “I have to tell you, I wasn’t inspired at all. I was mad.” She began researching sex discrimination and found an executive order barring organizations that received federal money from discriminating based on race, religion, national origin or gender. Armed with that information, Sandler filed complaints against 250 universities, battling the system that routinely discriminated against female teachers and students. She partnered with crusading U.S. congresswoman Edith Green to pass Title IX. The 37-word bill, signed in 1972 by President Richard Nixon, has since become a versatile and powerful tool for fighting sex discrimination. Most famously, it has been applied to collegiate sports, guaranteeing female athletes

opportunities previously unheard of. Sandler spent the rest of her life advocating for equal rights. She served as chair of the National Advisory Council on Women’s Educational Programs under presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter, was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and has been cited as a hero by some of this country’s top athletes. But she never forgot that line about coming on “too strong for a woman.” It turns out, she was too strong to be stopped. — Doyle Murphy

*** Dan Robbins

(May 26, 1925–April 1, 2019) Dan Robbins was a little-known commercial artist at a Michigan paint company in the late 1940s when his boss asked him for an idea to help sell paint sets to adults. Robbins eventually settled on a system that allowed even the most unskilled, inexperienced customer to create paintings that looked professional, if not exactly imbued with an artist’s originality. His paintby-numbers kits were a bona fide sensation by the early 1950s. The early offerings were faint line drawings, created by Robbins himself, intricately divided into sections that corresponded to pre-mixed paint colors. Soon, an army of artists, working under the Craft Master brand for Detroit-based Palmer Paint Co., were churning out kits based on Robbins’ model. Using the slogan “Every man a Rembrandt,” 20 million kits were sold in 1955. Artists and critics were appalled that painting had been turned into a step-by-step instruction guide and mass marketed, but Robbins didn’t seem to mind. “I remembered hearing that Leonardo used numbered background patterns for his students and apprentices, and I decided to try something like that,” he once told the Associated Press. The paint-by-numbers craze crashed within a decade, and Robbins’ boss sold the business. But he made a mark, even penetrating an art world that derided his efforts. Andy Warhol riffed on the model, and the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History even displayed an exhibition of paint-by-numbers pieces in 2001 and 2002. Robbins died at 93 knowing he had influenced legions of people who might have never picked up a brush if not for him. “We like to think dad was one of the most-exhibited artists in the world,” his son Larry Robbins told AP. “He enjoyed hearing from everyday people. He had

a whole box of fan letters.” — Murphy

*** Norma Miller

(Dec. 2, 1919–May 5, 2019) People were done with the waltz and tired of the tango as the ’20s came to a close. The craze that came next was swing, a vivacious, freewheeling dance born in Harlem. Swing spread across dance floors the world over with the help of the dance group Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers, named for the Lindy Hop, an especially athletic member of the swing dance family. It was a specialty of Norma Miller, a dancer who earned her spot in a group that counted Dorothy Dandridge and Sammy Davis Jr. among its members, and whose skill and renown earned her the moniker “Queen of Swing.” Miller was a woman of many specialties. A Harlem native, she worked as a choreographer, actor, author and a Redd Foxx-backed comedian. But being a black girl in early 20th-century America was a circumstance with limited paths toward success. Her mother cleaned houses, and Miller likely faced a similar life of hard labor, but she was clearly an anointed talent. By 5, Miller was wowing locals at talent shows. She and her preternatural prance were discovered outside the famous Savoy Ballroom and, by 14, she was in Paris performing with Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers. Through the ’30s and ’40s, the group set the standard for swing on international tours and in movies like the 1941 major motion picture Hellzapoppin’. Miller, who passed away this year of congestive heart failure at 99 in her Fort Myers home, was not just the youngest member of Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers but also the last surviving member. Into her 90s, she was teaching swing courses, speaking at engagements, choreographing dances and composing music. In the documentary about her, Queen of Swing, Miller summed up the secret to her long and active life: “Keep on swingin’.” —Solomon Gustavo

*** Barbara Hillary

(June 12, 1931–Nov. 3, 2019) Barbara Hillary was not an explorer. Because she was the first black woman to reach the North Pole, and the first to summit the South Pole, she is often described as one, placing her in the company of intrepid trekkers like Robert Peary and Matthew

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| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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FEATURE Henson. She accomplished those firsts relatively recently, reaching the North Pole in 2007 and the South Pole in 2011, a century after men first set foot on either spot. Hillary was something more: a cultural adventurer, charting paths untrodden by black women like her — but also paths that few dare traverse. The Harlem native, born in 1931, made her pole expeditions in her 70s (North, age 75; South, 79). She always wanted to travel and, after retiring after more than 50 years as a nurse, began making plans to visit nontouristy locations. How many black women before her, how many people in general, have seen Paris? Now, how many have been to the very tippy-top and very bottom of the globe? She went to Manitoba to photograph polar bears, and went dog-sledding in Quebec, and then she learned no black woman had been to either pole before and decided to be the one. Those treks are arduous, with stretches of intense hiking and skiing requiring immense stamina against harsh weather conditions that would hamper an athlete of any age.

She hired a trainer and started eating more vegetables. It was the kind of challenge that appealed to Hillary, who habitually stared down towering obstacles throughout her life. She beat breast cancer in her 20s and lung cancer at 67. In Queens, New York, she founded and was the editor-in-chief of The Peninsula Magazine, a nonprofit multi-racial publication that was the first of its kind in the area. She said she avoided stress and maintained happiness and a youthful, polesummiting spirit, by choosing to stay unmarried. In 2017, she spoke at the commencement of the New School, her alma mater, and advised the grads, “At every phase in your life, look at your options. Please, do not select boring ones.” That was Hillary’s style. She created her own desires, destinations that she reached by following a compass of her own making. — Gustavo

*** Scott Walker

(Jan. 9, 1943–March 22, 2019) How could one craft an appropriate epigraph to sum up the singular musical life of Scott Walker? Can

you imagine Frank Sinatra in his later years collaborating with a doom metal band? Or Justin Timberlake chucking away stardom for cigarettes, sunglasses, Bertolt Brecht and slabs of raw meat as percussion instruments? Walker did it his way, and then some. Fresh from a stint as a teenage session musician in L.A., Walker (born Noel Scott Engel) became one-third of the Walker Brothers in the mid-1960s; they became immediate sensations in the U.K., mixing beat-combo moves with symphonic grandeur, yielding hits like “Make It Easy on Yourself” and the immortal “The Sun Ain’t Gonna Shine Anymore.” Soon enough, Walker found that the screaming fans and the pop life weren’t for him, at one point apocryphally retreating to a monastery to get his head together before being ejected by the monks as fans besieged the gates. Walker struck out on his own, and from 1967 to 1969 crafted four of the most exquisite and heartbreaking albums of all time, the eponymous Scotts 1 through 4. This was Walker at his most iconic: sunglasses, shag haircut and a soaring, unbelievably gorgeous voice offering no hope whatsoever. Latterly hailed as the gospel by artists from David Bowie to Thom Yorke, these albums had the net effect of destroying his career,

eventually forcing him back into the arms of the Walker Brothers for a reunion in 1975, but Scott couldn’t even do a cynical cash-grab right, penning the sinister “Nite Flights” and “The Electrician,” two gleaming hits of dystopian electro-pop that still sound state of the art, pointing the way to possible sonic futures even now. From there, Walker began his gradual disappearing act, retreating to a life based around the simple pleasures of bicycling, seeing movies, and going to the pub and watching regulars play darts. He’d emerge every few years with ever-more ambitious and mind-bending solo work — Climate of Hunter, Tilt and The Drift — but by the time Walker was given the hagiography treatment in the 2006 documentary 30 Century Man, it was clear he wasn’t going to give fans a triumphant return to the stage. Instead of the nostalgia circuit, he gave them strange and beautiful work like the instrumental piece for dance “And Who Shall Go to the Ball? And What Shall Go to the Ball?,” collaborations with Sunn O))) and Bat for Lashes, a final solo album, Bish Bosch and two film scores for Brady Corbet. Walker passed quietly this year due to complications from cancer, enigma fully intact. — Matthew Moyer

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Ken Nordine

(April 13, 1920–Feb. 16, 2019) You may not know Ken Nordine’s name, but chances are you’ve heard his voice. Over the course of a 60-year-plus career, Nordine put the “art” into the concept of a voice-over artist. His silky baritone graced the airwaves of Chicago radio stations, narrating The World’s Great Novels and other programs. He was also the voice behind several educational films, so if your teacher ever used a woefully out-of-date filmstrip in class, you might recognize his timbre. His most enduring creations, though, were his Word Jazz albums, on which, over backing tracks of cool jazz, Nordine tells stories or acts out scenarios with a particular focus on meter and sound. Nordine’s success with the Word Jazz series earned him a weekly program of the same name on flagship NPR station WBEZ in Chicago, and the show ended up running for more than 40 years. His 1967 Colors album, in which Nordine expounds upon the personalities of various hues, remains a favorite of those interested in offbeat curiosities from yesteryear. (It grew out of his radio commercials for the Fuller Paint Company.) Lines from his recordings have been sampled in songs by Aesop Rock, Pizzicato Five and the Orb, and in 2007,

David Bowie himself asked Nordine to perform at the High Line Festival in New York. Nordine passed away on Feb. 16, 2019, at the age of 98, preceded three years earlier by Beryl Vaughn, his wife of 71 years. — Thaddeus McCollum

*** Sahar Khodayari

(birthdate unknown, 1990–Sept. 9, 2019) Football — not the American kind — is the world’s sport, in part because of its low barriers to entry. You don’t need any expensive equipment to start a soccer game, just a ball. But in Iran, half the population is barred from entering sports stadiums. Women have not been allowed to watch their favorite teams in person since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. This has led some women to disguise themselves as men in order to attend games, even though being caught likely means imprisonment and possible torture. One woman, 29-year-old Sahar Khodayari, decided to take the risk to see a match at Tehran’s Azadi Stadium between Esteghlal FC — her favorite team — and Al-Ain FC. She dressed as a man, but didn’t make it to her seat before being noticed and arrested by security

guards for “openly committing a sinful act.” After being released on bail, Khodayari was told that she was looking at a six-month jail sentence. In protest, she left the courthouse, poured gasoline on herself and lit herself on fire. She died in hospital a week later. Since her death, FIFA, the international governing body of football, informed Iran that women must be allowed to attend scheduled World Cup qualifying matches taking place in Iran. On Oct. 11, the Iranian national team beat Cambodia 14-0, cheered on by 3,500 women sitting in a segregated section of the stadium. — McCollum

*** Lil Bub

(April 2011–Dec. 1, 2019) It’s been a bad year for viral cats. Not only did Grumpy Cat, perhaps the most commercial of all the internet animal celebs, die in May, but just as we finished putting this article together, the inimitable Lil Bub passed away in her sleep, victim of a persistent bone infection. Lil Bub’s “dude,” Mike Bridavsky, found her in an Indiana barn in 2011, the runt of a litter expected to die quickly due to her dwarfism and

other genetic anomalies. Enchanted by her bulging eyes and stubby legs, Bridavsky took in the toothless, droopy-tongued “permakitten” and gave her a life beyond feline imagining, full of hand-fed fishy yogurt and specialized medical attention — and she returned his attentive care tenfold in grit, spunk, and adorable cheeps, snorks and chirrs. (Truly, Bub seemed to speak a language all her own, related to but not the same as regular housecats’ meows.) Not only did Bridavsky’s many Bubcentric bits of merch — socks, T-shirts, plush toys, fridge magnets — prove catnip to her internet fans, the monies raised were donated to various animal shelters and rescues for special-needs cats. And not only did Bub’s oddball mug feature on consumer goods, she starred in a Vice documentary (Lil Bub & Friendz), hosted 14 episodes of a talk show (Lil Bub’s Big Show, with guests including Michelle Obama and Steve Albini), recorded her own album (Science and Magic, with a cover illustration by Orlando artist Johannah O’Donnell) and guested on Run the Jewels’ feline remix album, Meow the Jewels. Bridavsky always claimed Lil Bub was a “magical space being,” and whether she came from outer space or not, she certainly

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(May 30, 1928–March 29, 2019) She’s sometimes called the mother — or grandmother — of the French New Wave of cinema, but Agnès Varda was more of an Auntie Mame type: whimsical, generous, but nobody’s doormat or den mom. Her work was marked by a formal brilliance that inuenced her fellow Nouvelle Vague ďŹ lmmakers, but her ďŹ erce humanism — a deep concern for women and workers — buoyed her above the styleobsessed pack. Her recent collaboration with French muralist JR, Faces Places, gained her more attention in 2018 than she’d seen since the ’80s. With her two-toned bowl cut, sneakers and loose tracksuits and pajamas — although, we note, they were by Gucci — Varda was a welcome haimish presence on the awards season’s red carpets, looking like a comfy little kitchen witch among the gazelle-like starlets. She inhabited the ďŹ lm world in the same way — showing up when and where and exactly how she chose, following no rules but her own. Rather than stick with the narrative ďŹ lms that won her acclaim (ClĂŠo From 5 to 7; One Sings the Other Doesn’t) she followed her muse to documentaries (Mur Murs; Jacquot de Nantes). She made lightly dramatized biopics of her loved ones’ lives, cast family members as actors, and inserted herself into her documentaries; she made dramas, comedies, a sci-ďŹ parable and a feminist musical. More rule breaking: After losing patience with the traditional dance of studio backing, she founded her own production company to handle her ďŹ lms and those of her husband, Jacques DĂŠmy; but she ran the ofďŹ ce (located across the street from her home) like a shop, often hand-selling DVDs to visitors or allowing them to watch her editing. “I love being able to have the direct contact with people who are consumers. It’s like a peasant, you know, who grows tomatoes and you can come and buy the tomatoes at the farm,â€? she bubbled to Sight + Sound magazine in 2011.

Her ďŹ nal ďŹ lm, Varda by Agnès, was released posthumously in November. It’s a self-directed retrospective of her 60-year career, a knowing and playful wink to an oeuvre preoccupied always with human behavior in the face of mortality. — Young

*** Walter Mercado

(March 9, 1932–Nov. 2, 2019) Walter Mercado was much more than a TV astrologer born in Ponce, Puerto Rico. By the time he died at age 87 on Nov. 2, he had created a cultural legacy far beyond the televised predictions viewed by millions of abuelitas across Latin America: Mercado had become an icon and inspiration for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual people living in Latinx society. “This is a culture that’s been dominated by machismo and homophobia for a very long time,â€? ďŹ lm producer Alex Fumero told Fox News upon his passing. “He was really brave.â€? It didn’t take clairvoyance to know Mercado’s on-screen persona, a stylistic cross between Carolina Herrera and Liberace, was an act of courage. He owned more than 2,000 capes and pointed to viewers through the camera lens with ďŹ ngers adorned in colorful rings. He never publicly discussed his sexuality, but he deďŹ nitely let audiences know which team he played for. In his decades of appearances on Telemundo Puerto Rico, Mercado became a common point of relation between superstitious oldsters and open-minded youth — perhaps even more so after he moved to Florida to broadcast on Univision. In college, he had studied pharmacology, psychology and pedagogy, before becoming a well-known ballet dancer and theater star, and later appearing in telenovelas. His fans will perhaps remember him most by his catchphrase, somehow even more meaningful after his death: “Pero sobre todo, mucho, mucho, mucho amor,â€? or “Above all, much, much, much love.â€? — Dave Plotkin

*** Bill Buckner

(Dec. 14, 1949–May 27, 2019) When he hung up his cleats after a playing career that stretched across an incredible four decades, one of only 29 ballplayers to do so in baseball’s entire history, Bill Buckner laid claim to an incredible list of achievements. And those numbers and stats look

even more impressive now, 29 years after his retirement. He ranks among the top 200 men to ever play the game in hits (2,715, ranking 66th), RBIs (1,208, ranking 150th) and extra-base hits (721, ranking 174th). He was an All Star, a batting champion and an evangelist for the game long after he stepped off the field, until his death this year from Lewy body dementia at the age of 69. After 22 seasons with stints spanning the Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs, Angels and Royals, Buckner moved to Boise, Idaho, with his wife and three children, where he stayed involved with the game, joining the Boise State baseball team as a hitting instructor in 2012. For all his gaudy stats and contributions that helped the Red Sox make the 1986 World Series, his legacy was much more. As Gary Van Tol, who was the Boise State coach while Buckner was with the team, said, “He taught me humility, dignity, grace and patience.” And yet, he’s remembered in popular culture for one error, an infamous miscue during Game 6 of the 1986 World Series, when he was at first base for the Red Sox. The Red Sox lost the next game and with that the series; and Boston fans, rarely noted for the virtue of forgiveness, focused their ire on Buckner, raining taunts, boos and even death threats on him. The heckling was picked up by opposing teams and their fans, and followed him for years. Seventy-eight players, many of whom played far fewer games than Buckner during his career, have made more errors at first base than the legendary stalwart. None of them were forced to move to Idaho to spare themselves and their family the taunts and hatred of sports fans and reporters who care far more about the results of games than the humanity of the players that play them. — Vince Grzegorek

*** Donald “Nick” Clifford

(July 5, 1921–Nov. 23, 2019) We build things, large and small, temporary and permanent, and then years later we marvel at them. The names attached, through the names of these things themselves — built by, named for or dedicated to — are

monumental, notable ones. But we also marvel, perhaps without knowing or fully recognizing, at the people who built these things, the men and women who toiled in ways big and small, through ideas or labor, to make them reality. So for all the names associated with Mount Rushmore — the four presidents, to start with; followed by Gutzon and Lincoln Borglum, the father-son sculptor and artist team who designed the monument; followed still by Doane Robinson, the South Dakota state historian who first conjured up the idea of a sweeping mountainside sculpture to drive tourist traffic to a neglected part of the state — let us also immortalize Nick Clifford, who died this year at the age of 98. Clifford was the last living worker who helped build Mount Rushmore, a job he fell into after being recruited by the Borglums to South Dakota to play for a baseball team they’d put together. Work began in 1927 and lasted 14 years, and when Clifford turned 17 in 1938 and could qualify to work the site, he jumped at the chance to join the other 400 men. Half a century later, Clifford was unendingly proud of his contribution and was often present at the Mount Rushmore gift shop to sign copies of his book about the work, which paid tribute to the other workers who created the monument. Recognition for them was hard to come by prior to Rushmore’s 50th anniversary, but with the celebration came interviews and a chance for Clifford to expand on his and their histories, while paying respect to its designers. “None of us were sculptors,” Clifford, who was also a World War II veteran, said in one interview. “We had only one sculptor — that was Mr. Gutzon Borglum.” A few years before his death, Clifford said: “I feel like Mount Rushmore was the greatest thing with which I was ever involved. It tells a story that will never go away — the story of how America was made and the men who helped make it what it is today.” Clifford was one of them, and let us remember his story too.

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| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

MONDAY, JANUARY 6 7:00PM PLEASE VISIT WBTICKETS.COM AND ENTER THE CODE JMERCY553 TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES RATED PG-13 FOR THEMATIC CONTENT INCLUDING SOME RACIAL EPITHETS Please note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theater is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theater (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theater, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.

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GET OUT everything you should do this week Photo courtesy of the Agora Theatre

THU

12/26

COMEDY

Benji Brown Comedian Benji Brown likes to talk about how difficult relationships can be. “Brothers, stop hitting on the ladies,” he jokes in one routine. “Touch ’em, and you go to jail.” His animated routine calls attention to domestic violence in a humorous (but not offensive) manner. Expect to hear bits like this when he performs tonight at 7:30 at the Improv, where he has shows scheduled through Saturday. Tickets start at $17. (Jeff Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com. DRAG

GlamGore Monthly Drag Show Each month, GlamGore, a drag show at the Grog Shop, features a variety of performance artists under one roof. The shows include everyone from “beauty queens” to “drag monsters.” Tonight’s show theme is Merry Creepmas, and it’ll feature performers Aurora Thunder, Peach Fuzz, Robyn Banks and Flatty Patty. Tickets cost $10 in advance, $12 at the door, or $15 for VIP tickets that include a special photo opportunity/meet-and-greet with the cast at 8:30 p.m. The show starts at 9:30 p.m. DJ Zoë will attend to the turntables. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5588, grogshop.gs. COMEDY

Home for the Holidays Cleveland’s comedy scene just keeps getting better. New comics keep cropping up and the veteran comics on the scene continue to hone their skills. Because some of the best comics will be in town for the holidays, Hilarities has booked them for one special night. Dubbed Home for the Holidays, tonight’s concert features some of Cleveland’s finest comedians. The jokes start flowing at 7 p.m., and tickets are $10 to $15. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

Comedian Bill Squire brings his Christmakwanzakah to the Agora. See: Sunday.

2004 season. The zoo has reworked the bright spectacle to include thousands of lights, a visit from Santa, an extremely tall teddy bear and, of course, plenty of animals. Dubbed the Wild Winter Lights Festival, the event takes place today through Monday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; additional select dates, through Jan. 5, are listed on the website. Tickets start at $18.50 for those who aren’t members of the zoo and $15.50 for members. Find out more about the event and buy tickets on the website. (Laura Morrison) 3900 Wildlife Way, 216-661-6500, clemetzoo.com.

MUSIC + COMEDY

FRI

12/27

HOLIDAY HAPPENING

The Wild Winter Lights Festival The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo has brought back its holiday light event that was discontinued after the

wizardry, high-flying dunks and gut-busting comedy to the Wolstein Center today for two performances. This basketball/entertainment bonanza is fun for the whole family. Plus, rumor has it that, this year, the Globetrotters’ pitiable rivals, the Washington Generals, have been practicing with unprecedented rigor and focus. They are eager for a win. The guys play today at 1 and 6 p.m. Tickets start at $27 and are available via the website below. (Niesel) 2000 Prospect Ave., 888-324-5849 harlemglobetrotters.com.

SPORTS + COMEDY

The Harlem Globetrotters The Harlem Globetrotters bring their unrivaled ball-handling

Matt Johnson’s Dueling Piano Fiasco! Judging from the YouTube videos of pianist Matt Johnson’s dueling piano concerts, it’s safe to say the guy caters to bachelor and bachelorette parties. He can easily break into Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing’” and then segue into Billy Joel’s

“The Piano Man,” which he tends to alter with a few of his own ribald lyrics. Expect rowdy singalongs and a boisterous performance. Matt Johnson’s Dueling Piano Fiasco takes place tonight and tomorrow night at 8 at MGM Northfield Park’s Neon Room. Tickets are $10. (Niesel) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com. COMEDY

Julian McCullough Julian McCullough likes to joke about how he worked for a construction company for three days when he was 15. “They would hire a high-school student every summer to clean up their messes,” he says in the bit. When he tried to take down a storm window and almost got his face cut off, he realized construction work wasn’t his calling. It’s one of many narrative jokes in McCullough’s repertoire.

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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GET OUT He performs tonight at 7 and 9:30 at Hilarities, where he has shows scheduled through Sunday. Tickets start at $13. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. MIND READING

Mentalist Brent Webb Considered one of the world’s leading mentalists, Ohio-born Brent Webb brings his interactive, mind-reading presentation to Hilarities tonight. According to press materials, Webb’s show is a “breathtaking, dramatic and energetic voyage to the farthest reaches of your mind.” The show starts at 8, and tickets cost $20. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. FILM

Best of Conscious Cartoons International Animation Festival This touring program features 10 of the best animated videos from the International Animation Festival. Nine countries are represented in this collection of shorts from the festival that aims to “open eyes, hearts, and minds through the uniquely transcendent medium of animation.” The films screen at 1:45 p.m. today at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

SAT

Wanting Blue Holiday Bash. A deluxe VIP package for two — which include two seats in the first 10 rows, one hotel room at the adjacent Hilton Garden Inn, two passes to the “Hangover Breakfast” with the band, and a post-breakfast meet-and-greet with the band that includes a special acoustic performance — costs $350. The not-so-deluxe VIP package — which includes one ticket in the first 15 rows, one

Goodyear Theater in Akron. (Niesel) 1201 East Market St., Akron, 330-690-2307, goodyeartheater.com.

SUN

12/29

SPORTS

2019 Cleveland Classic Ohio State’s football team might get the most national attention, but this year’s

Rock Your Holiday

This season, grab your whole crew and head over to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for holiday jam sessions, spirited drinks & festive photo opps. Explore spotlights on your favorite artists inside Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll and then get your hands on real gear and jam inside The Garage.

Red Wanting Blue Holiday Bash Some “very special guests” will join the Columbus-based band for tonight’s third annual Red

18

The Agony and the Ecstasy Charlton Heston and Rex Harrison star in this film that references a disagreement between Michelangelo and Pope Julius II over the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The historical drama, based on Irving Stone’s novel, screens at 1:30 p.m. today and at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

Bill Squire’s Christmakwanzakah In what we assume is the attempt to be inclusive, comedian Bill Squire, co-host of the local radio program The Alan Cox Show, headlines tonight’s event he’s calling Christmakwanzakah. Comedians Al Jackson, Mary Santora and Ryan Dalton will join him for the show at the Agora Theatre. Squire’s comedy regularly touches on his “life as a step parent, divorce, dating and leaving the Mormon church in his early 20s,” as it’s put in a press release. The show starts at 7 p.m., and tickets cost $15 in advance, or $20 on the day of the show. (Niesel) 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

MON

12/30

COMEDY

SPORTS

MUSIC

FILM

COMEDY

12/28

Monsters vs. Charlotte Checkers The Charlotte Checkers come to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse tonight at 7 to face the Cleveland Monsters in the first of a twogame series. Tonight’s game is a Holiday Hockey Game, and the first 10,000 fans will receive a pair of Monsters Touchscreen Gloves. Monday’s game, the second of the series against the Checkers, takes place at noon, and there will be a postgame skate. Tickets to both games start at $10. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

for ticket prices. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

OPEN FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON* Extended Hours on Dec. 27th & 28th 10AM - 7PM *closed Christmas Day

pass to the “Hangover Breakfast” with Red Wanting Blue, a postbreakfast meet-and-greet with the band that includes a special acoustic performance, and a signed poster — will set you back $150. Regular admission tickets cost $35 to $49.50. Tickets are available on the website. The show starts at 8 p.m. at the

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

basketball team appears to be pretty good as well. The squad has been ranked in the Top 10. It comes to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse today for a special Cleveland Classic bout that puts it up against West Virginia University. Consult the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse website

Jeff Allen With humor that centers on marriage and living with teenagers, Jeff Allen is regarded as one of the best clean comedians out there. Full of family-friendly laughs, Allen’s clean-cut humor is a breath of fresh air. Appearing alongside other comedians in the film Apostles of Comedy, a profile of established funny folks, Allen demonstrates that you don’t need to be vulgar to make someone laugh. You can catch him tonight at Hilarities at 7 when he presents his new show, The America I Grew Up In. Tickets start at $25. (Martin Harp) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. TRIVIA

Monday Night Trivia Do you have tons of obscure music knowledge? Are you a student of fast food menus and their nuanced histories? What say you about the

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

apply for 3-D movies. (Alaina Nutile) clevelandcinemas.com. NIGHTLIFE

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

FAMILY FUN

Movie Mondays Every Monday, Cleveland Cinemas hosts $5 Movie Mondays, where film fans can catch up on the latest Hollywood flicks for significantly reduced prices. Bring your friends and family and make Movie Mondays a weekly tradition — many theaters even offer discounted concession stand items. Participating theaters include Apollo Theatre, Capitol Theatre, Cedar Lee Theatre, Chagrin Cinemas and Tower City Cinemas. Unfortunately, additional charges

FOOD + DRINK

Wing Dang Doodle Blues icon Howlin’ Wolf famously covered “Wang Dang Doodle,” the old blues tune penned by Willie Dixon. Prosperity Social Club in Tremont has adopted that slogan, calling its wing night Wing Dang Doodle. The weekly event features specials on Buffalo wings and cold brews. Prosperity will not only serve up substantial, $1 whole wings, but it’ll also offer meatless Monday “wing” baskets for vegans. Discounted drafts and a playlist of

vintage-electric blues and soulful R&B curated by local musician Clint Holley will be on tap as well. Wing Dang Doodle takes place every Monday from 6 p.m. to midnight. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.

TUE

12/31

PARTY!

Bar 32 New Year’s Eve Party Tickets to this party in the bar on the top floor of the Hilton Downtown include six drink tickets to be used on premium beverage selections, guaranteed seating, a reception-style dinner buffet including an ice sculpture seafood tower and carved chimichurri rubbed beef tenderloin, valet parking and festive party favors. DJs MIMO and Caffrey will provide the tunes, and there will be a champagne toast at midnight and a dessert buffet. It all starts at 7 p.m., and tickets cost $225. Send purchase inquiries to the email address below. (Niesel) 100 Lakeside Ave., 216-413-5000, CLEDO_Inquiry@hilton.com.

COMEDY

Kevin Bozeman Comedian Kevin Bozeman likes to joke about the mundane. “I got one thing out of college,” he likes to say. “Bad credit.” His problems are everyone’s problems. He has trouble with women and issues with his finances. Expect him to touch on social issues too, as he’s made fun of the fact that there aren’t any “brothers” in auto racing. He performs two special New Year’s Eve shows tonight at 7 and 10:30 at Hilarities. Check the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. MUSIC

Cleveland Pops: The Roaring Twenties New Year’s Eve Under the direction of Carl Topilow, the Cleveland Pops Orchestra will ring in 2020 with music from the past 100 years at what a press releases promises will be “the hottest concert and party in Cleveland.” The orchestra will deliver a two-hour performance with guest Connor Bogart O’Brien; a dance party featuring a midnight balloon drop will follow; and a $250 cash prize will be awarded to the person with the best ’20s costume.

The Ultimate Whodunit! JANUARY 25 – FEBRUARY 23 ALLEN THEATRE based on the Paramount Pictures film written by JONATHAN LYNN written by SANDY RUSTIN | directed by CASEY HUSHION additional material by HUNTER FOSTER & ERIC PRICE adapted from the board game from Hasbro, Inc. produced in association with Work Light Productions, The Araca Group and Michael Barra/Lively McCabe Entertainment

216.241.6000 clevelandplayhouse.com TICKETS START AT $20! | clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

19

GET OUT

WED

01/01

MUSIC + FOOD

It all begins at 9 p.m. at Severance Hall. Tickets start at $49. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. PARTY!

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INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO SEE

New Year’s Eve Gala at the Galley Tonight at the Ohio City Galley’s second annual New Year’s Eve Gala at the Galley, partygoers can enjoy hors d’oeuvres from all four restaurant concepts that call the Galley their home. There will be appetizers from 9 to 10:30 p.m. and stationed charcuterie throughout the evening. Tickets, which cost $85, also include an open bar and entertainment until 1 a.m. Get tickets on eventbrite. com/e/new-years-gala-at-the-galleytickets-82846950459. (Niesel) 1400 West 25th St., 216-525-9933, ohiocitygalley.org. PARTY!

New Year’s Eve Outerspace Bash Tonight, Punch Bowl Social will ring in the new year at the New Year’s Eve Outerspace Bash. The cosmic event includes a “stellar” playlist, a balloon drop at midnight and a sparkling specialty punch. Patrons are encouraged to dress in their best galactic gear and celebrate a new decade with a party that’s “out of this world.” There’s no cover, and the event starts at 9 p.m. (Niesel) 1086 West 11th St., 216-239-1508, punchbowlsocial.com. COMEDY

For your chance to win movie passes for two Send name and mailing address to togcleversvp@gmail.com

Five lucky winners will be chosen randomly.

No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. One pass per person. Each pass admits two. Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, while supplies last. No phone calls please. Seating is not guaranteed.

IN THEATERS JANUARY 3 /TheGrudgeMovie @GrudgeMovie

#TheGrudge 20

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

New Year’s Eve With David A. Arnold Comedian David Arnold has written for TV shows like Zoe Ever After and Real Husbands of Hollywood. He likes to joke about the differences between men and women and regularly makes home movies about everyday things like mopping the floor. “Get that spot!” he screams in one video. He performs at 7:30 and 10:30 tonight at the Improv. Tickets cost $35 for the early show and $50 for the late show, which will include a champagne toast at midnight. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

Dominick Farinacci Jazz Brunch Recently awarded the title of Global Ambassador to Jazz at Lincoln Center by Wynton Marsalis, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, a guy with deep ties to Cleveland, has performed in more than 120 cities in 14 countries around the world. He’s been a featured guest on ABC’s Good Morning America and is a TED speaker. He and his band perform at a special New Year’s Day brunch that takes place at Nighttown. Tickets cost $20. (Niesel) 12387 Cedar Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-795-0550, nighttowncleveland.com. SPOKEN WORD

Keep Talking Keep Talking is a monthly storytellers’ series that offers attendees the chance to grab a drink and a dog while listening to some of their Cleveland neighbors tell tall tales. Tonight’s show features the theme, “It’s a Funny Story.” The hosts are Adam Richard and Zachariah Durr. The program starts at 8 p.m. sharp at the Happy Dog. The program will repeat at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the Collinwood branch of the Cleveland Public Library. Admission to each event is free. Want to be a storyteller at a future session? See details at Facebook. com/KeepTalkingCLE. (Niesel) 5801 Detroit Ave., 216-651-9474, happydogcleveland.com. BRUNCH

New Year’s Day Brunch Today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Prosperity Social Club will be open for its annual New Year’s Day Brunch. Special menu items include shrimp and grits, buttermilk pancakes and other regular brunch favorites. Cocktail options include an apple cider margarita, a maple-ginger oldfashioned, an almond-maple hot buttered rum and a holiday sangria. Reservations are recommended but not required. The final reserved seating will be at 2:30 p.m. There is no dinner service available today. (Niesel) 1109 Starkweather Ave., 216-937-1938, prosperitysocialclub.com.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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ART A HOPEFUL VENTURE North Collinwood’s newly opened PhotoCentric gallery shines the spotlight on local art photographers By Laura Morrison IN PHOTOGRAPHER MICHAEL Loderstedt’s view, painting is not the only art medium where the Bob Ross-coined term “happy accidents” applies. “People don’t realize there are a lot of happy accidents in photography,” Loderstedt says. “We get a lot of gifts from just doing it and thinking about different ways to photograph. You can get some pretty interesting results by just coincidence.” And, by happy accident, the retired Kent State University photography professor got the opportunity to open PhotoCentric, a commercial photography gallery in the Waterloo Arts District of North Collinwood, earlier this month. The former Gold Building space at the corner of East 156th Street and Waterloo Road, which had been unoccupied for 20 years and was saved from demolition, took six months to whip into shape with reinforced walls, perfect lighting tracks and a gleaming new bathroom. Last week, Loderstedt was showing off the bright white gallery, which takes up only a sliver of the century-old building. He explains that this is the only commercial photography gallery in Cleveland proper. When people think of art, he says, they probably think of paintings first; but as photography has been around for 150-plus years, it’s time the art form got equal recognition. He says that opening up a new art gallery of any kind in the area shouldn’t be an anomaly. “I think we need three times as many art galleries here. We don’t have a collector base, and the way you establish that is by having art galleries,” Loderstedt says. “And when you have so few, there’s not really enough synergy to bring people to the city to look and talk and think about art, so we need a lot more of them.” Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of people willing to open up a new gallery, Loderstedt says, as it’s too much of a financial risk. The 62-year-old never saw himself

22

running his own photography gallery in retirement either. “But I’m excited about this for a whole lot of reasons,” he says. “It’s necessary, we need to build a community around artists and I think it’s going to be a good thing.” PhotoCentric’s inaugural exhibition is called Hopeful and includes works from mostly local photographers like Lori Kella (Loderstedt’s wife), Robert Aufuldish, Bruce Checefsky, Nancy McEntee and Arnie Tunstall, along with Loderstedt’s own stills. “I put this together on the fly as I was working so hard to get the space ready,” he admits. “Our upcoming exhibitions will be more curated and thematic. For this one, I just asked the people I knew who were still practicing to respond to the prompt ‘hopeful,’ because it’s a kind of a hopeful venture to open a commercial gallery and we’re also hopeful about what photography can do for society.” While all of the photographers put their own spin on the theme, about half of the works depict flowers and trees. As Loderstedt points out, the notion of plants and growth and regeneration is extremely hopeful. “I want to do something different and that is help out professional artists who live and work in the area, plus some who

Photo courtesy of the artist

“Art Thistles,” by Michael Loderstedt.

“It doesn’t cost much,” he says. “Photography and works on paper or prints are generally much cheaper than paintings. You can buy a photograph in this place right now for $100, which is really not that much. These are original works made by people you can meet. It’s supporting real people. Real artists do need real money to do their work. They have kids and houses and utilities bills like the rest of the world, so they need support. And that’s what you can do at a commercial gallery.

HOPEFUL THROUGH JAN. 18 AT PHOTOCENTRIC 15515 WATERLOO RD., 216-219-7568 FACEBOOK.COM/PHOTOCENTRIC1

don’t live in the area, and focus on the professional aspect of contemporary art photography,” he says. To combat the cost of running a professional gallery, Loderstedt plans to offer other services like framing and camera rentals along with various educational events and opening-night parties. The goal, of course, is to get more people in this city to think seriously about supporting local artists by buying art and putting it on their walls.

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

“I don’t know what the actual percentages are, but I bet you it’s only 20 percent of Cleveland houses that have original art, and that’s something to me that makes life enjoyable,” he says. “You can come to that photograph again and again and experience things about it and feel connected to a community. A person made that.” At the gallery’s opening night, part of the monthly Walk All Over Waterloo event, Loderstedt says hundreds of people came through

the new space and he even sold a couple of pieces of art. But there is still much to be done, including sprucing up the basement and an office space and putting together a robust website. Loderstedt, who lives in the neighborhood, says he plans to continue diversifying the gallery’s programming. That means not just a diverse set of producers but also the type of photographic style, like video, projected works and photographs on 3-D objects. He’s entirely hopeful that the more people learn about art photography — and not just what they garner from Instagram — the more they’ll want to be a part of that world. “A photograph shows us so much detail. It brings up issues of environment and social issues and, I think, things people want to know about,” he says. “A photograph is made from a machine, a camera, so it has the unique ability to capture that content. Whereas with other art forms, it’s much more subjective. You’re always making something of an abstraction.”

lmorrison@clevescene.com t@lowesays

MOVIES STAR CHORES Rise of Skywalker is visual spectacle but wimps out in service to fans By Sam Allard THERE ARE SO MANY SEQUENCES of explosive, spectacular action in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker that it’s easy to be distracted from the fact that you’re watching the conclusion to the largest pop-culture franchise of all time. Finales bear many burdens: to satisfyingly land major character arcs and tie up narrative loose ends, for starters. But in this case, the finale must also appease a rabid fan base, vocal contingents of which felt betrayed by the most recent installment. Given these burdens, The Rise of Skywalker, directed by J.J. Abrams, makes a heroic attempt to please and soothe. But in doing so, it feels like a limp and uninspired conclusion to something which has been almost biblical in scope and character since 1977. The film opened Thursday and screened in something like 15-second increments through the weekend at theaters across town. It will probably make a billion dollars. Rian Johnson’s The Last Jedi in 2017 was wildly polarizing among the Star Wars faithful. J.J. Abrams, the Lost and Star Trek-reboot maestro who directed the 2015 smash hit The Force Awakens, was then re-enlisted to steer the new trilogy home. This was a signal from the Disney overlords, who by now actually have dollar signs for pupils, that they preferred safe fan service to controversial treatments of beloved characters and story lines. There is pleasure in fan service,

Photo Disney/Lucasfilm

make no mistake. And Abrams is a skilled provider. He penned the script alongside Chris Terrio and filled it to the brim with cameos, gags and themes that lovingly recall the original trilogy. There is poignancy and heartfelt farewells in spades, thanks in no small part to the splendid ensemble cast. And while some may roll their eyes at the sentimental retreading — the film can feel like a Greatest Hits album — it’s impossible to deny the magnificent visual effects throughout. The full force of Disney’s technical wizardry has been brought to bear on the galaxies here portrayed, and the movie is repeatedly mind-blowing in the accomplishments of both its practical and digital effects. One pivotal light saber fight, which was featured prominently in trailers and promotional images, pits Rey (Daisy Ridley) against Kylo Ren

(Adam Driver) on the sunken shell of the Death Star as colossal waves crash around them. It’s an instantly iconic duel, the type of epic action sequence that’s difficult to conceive of in anything other than a sci-fi/ fantasy saga of Star Wars’ caliber and ambition. Memorable moments and confrontations are stitched together throughout the two-and-ahalf-hour run time. And yet, this final episode is frequently annoying in the ways that it reverts to old tropes and beats. The franchise’s relentless obsession with parentage is back, for one. Rian Johnson was castigated for daring to make Rey a central character without famous parents, and Abrams makes short work of retconning that decision. The return of Emperor Palpatine and retroactive revelations about his influence on key characters also seems pretty lazy, especially because

Darth Vader’s vanquishing of him in Return of the Jedi becomes much less consequential. A final battle is as over-the-top as the ultimate Avengers showdown and relies on some of the same dynamics to manufacture an emotional response. Given the animosity that followed Johnson after The Last Jedi, Abrams no doubt had a mandate to stick to what worked. This means that the film has the vibe, under the surface, of something created out of fear of its own fan base. And despite really fun performances — Ridley, Oscar Isaac and Jon Boyega are every bit as lovable as Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson in the Harry Potter films — and truly breathtaking action, the narrative core leaves much to be desired.

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

SPOTLIGHT: LITTLE WOMEN GRETA GERWIG HAS FOLLOWED up her masterful coming-of-age directorial debut Lady Bird (2017) with an adaptation of the famous 1868 Louisa May Alcott novel Little Women. The film, which opened in wide release on Christmas Day, has been nominated for two Golden Globes (Best Actress for Saoirse Ronan and Best Original Score for Alexandre Desplat) and is surely among the year’s best. Alcott’s novel of the domestic triumphs and tribulations of four Massachusetts sisters has been

adapted before, most recently in a 1994 screen version starring Winona Ryder, Christian Bale, Susan Sarandon and others. Gerwig’s new version exudes the same warmth as its predecessors, which is a tribute to the vitality of its source material, a seminal work of fiction that shed new light on the role of women in society and the psychological role of love in the lives of women. The specificity of the characters and settings in the book limits radical new interpretations; the chief departure in Gerwig’s script is that

she has elected to tell the story in a non-linear form, in which events seven years apart occur in parallel. This makes for a few narrative bumps at first but leads to dramatic payoffs. Gerwig is owed credit for the remarkable familial chemistry of the cast. Ronan, Emma Watson, Eliza Scanlen and Florence Pugh are incandescent as the March sisters. Their scenes together are a joy to behold. Timothee Chalamet, as wealthy neighbor and pal Theodore “Laurie” Laurence, vibes so well with Ronan that audiences will be

dumbstruck at their romantic fate, as in versions past. Florence Pugh imbues Amy March (easy to write off as the petulant, snobby March sister) with a soul and spirit that she’s never had before. Though the story plays out in the 1860s, Gerwig’s Little Women shows us just how universal, how timeless, the happiness and hardships of life really are. — Allard

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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EAT THE PROOF IS IN THE BASEMENT The Crust pizza team readies a new barbecue restaurant in their Tremont building By Douglas Trattner Photo courtesy of Crust

OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, the former Komorowski Funeral Home building on Professor Avenue has transitioned from a place of bereavement to a warren of joyful activity. On the top floor is Dave Ferrante’s inviting neighborhood bookshop Visible Voice, which reopened in its attractive new home following a four-year break. The main floor is home to Crust, which was also completely reshaped and reborn after relocating from its original home on Kenilworth. Next came the roomy sidewalk patio, allowing pizza patrons to enjoy their pies and pints al fresco. The latest phase of the building’s evolution has been underway for months, as Crust owner Mike Griffin readies the lower level for public consumption. When it opens in January or February, Proof Bar-BQ and Cocktails will bring Southern and Texas-style barbecue to Tremont. “We always liked the idea of barbecue, because we looked at Tremont and asked ourselves what’s missing and what does it need,” explains Griffin. Work on Proof actually began three years ago, when construction

on the 125-year-old building began. Knowing that every inch counts, management had the foresight to dig out the basement in the earliest stages of work in order to make the space serviceable down the road. More recently, masons covered the bland concrete interior walls with real brick. A quartz-topped bar is being fabricated, along with a small kitchen and unisex restroom. Honeytoned tongue-and-groove wood will blanket the ceiling. Banquettes will wrap around the room. And warm lighting will tie it all together. As for the food, Griffin has been working for months with consulting chef Pete Joyce to iron out a menu. The crew regularly fires up the Southern Pride smoker at Crust’s downtown kitchen to perfect recipes for brisket, pork, ribs, chicken and turkey. “I love drinks and cocktails and all that’s going to be great, but I’m always so focused on the food end of things,” reports Griffin. Guests at the 55-seat restaurant will enjoy craft barbecue, beer and cocktails. Starters and snacks might include chips and queso, loaded BBQ nachos, brisket mac and cheese, Frito

pie and a barbecue charcuterie board outfitted with smoked mozzarella, smoked cheddar, smoked portabellos, pulled pork, sliced brisket, smoked turkey breast and pork rinds. “It kind of hits everything we’re doing without having to purchase an entire meal of one or the other,” Griffin says of the sampler platter. Meats, smoked over fruit woods like apple and cherry, will be sold by the half and full pound. They will also appear in sandwiches and tacos, more wallet-friendly options than the big plates. Specials like giant beef ribs, burnt ends and smoked sausage will appear on weekends or more frequently. Housemade sauces likely will include takes on those from Texas, Kansas City, the Carolinas and the house cherry-bourbon. Barbecue will make its way to the bar in the form of creative craft cocktails. Diners can look forward to drinks like a smoked-orange old fashioned or smoky bacon Manhattan. A dozen draft beer lines extend to the brand new walk-in cooler out back. Speaking of out back … This final phase of the property’s ambitious transformation also is well under

way. A massive new concrete pad will be home to a 100-seat patio with bar and small outdoor kitchen, which is where the closet-size Southern Pride will live. Gas lines run to outdoor heaters and a fence will be adorned with an abundance of plants. The patio is a natural extension from the rear of Crust more so than Proof, which enjoys its own streetside front door. That said, diners likely will be able to order food from both spots, but perhaps from a limited menu. Down the road, weekend brunch, live music and projection-screened sporting events might be added to the mix. From Day 1, the goal has always been to squeeze as much life out of that old funeral home as possible, says Griffin. “It’s like its own ecosystem,” he says. “Hopefully, the whole building just flows: the bookstore, Crust, Proof, the patio … four different spaces, all in one.” When Proof opens in January or February, it will be dinner-only with no reservations.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

25

SIT DOWN WITH YOUR GUESTS.

EAT BITES An opening, a pause, and a ‘coming soon’ at Pinecrest By Douglas Trattner

ADVERTISE WITH SCENE. Call 216-241-7550 for more information.

BREAKING NEWS. HOT OFFTHE INTERNET PRESS.

Only at clevescene.com

SCENE

IN A MOVE DESIGNED TO increase its presence on the eastside of town, Saucy Brew Works will open a brewpub at Pinecrest, says partner-brewer Eric Anderson. This new spot is modest compared to other existing and planned projects. At 2,000 square feet, the pub will accommodate about 75 guests. The goal is to open in early spring. The move is just the latest in a rapid-fire release of expansion plans by the two-year-old brewery. Since opening its Ohio City taproom and brewery in 2017, Saucy’s ownership has revealed plans to build an impressive and stunning brewery and taproom in Independence, near the new Topgolf facility. A Columbus brewpub is also in the works. Located in the Harrison West neighborhood, the 3,000-squarefoot property is on pace to open in the first or second quarter of 2020. Saucy also operates a 1,500-squarefoot beverage-only concession area in the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and announced plans to open a new brewery in Detroit.

Dante Boccuzzi’s Goma is ‘On Hold’ at Pinecrest The original time line for Goma, a Japanese fusion concept from chef Dante Boccuzzi, called for a summer 2019 opening. Obviously, that date has come and gone. But now, diners can’t be sure that there will be a Goma at all. Boccuzzi, who also operates the 10-year-old Tremont mainstay Dante, the sushi eatery Ginko, the casual pasta shop D.C. Pasta Co., and a handful of other concepts, says that Goma officially is “on hold.” The chef provided no other hints as to whether or not it will happen. Described by Boccuzzi as “a modern Japanese, energetic, engaging experience,” Goma would have introduced an additional 180 seats to the already very crowded Pinecrest dining market. Red Steakhouse just opened the doors to its shiny new two-level, 7,500-square-foot eatery; Oak and Embers opened just days ago with another 220 indoor (and 40 outdoor)

26

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

Photo by Laura Morrison

Gettin’ Saucy at the FieldHouse.

seats — and those are just two of nearly a dozen dining option. Signs of stress? City Works Eatery & Pour House, a hulking 9,000-square-foot restaurant, closed last month after just a year and a half.

Oak and Embers Tavern Now Open at Pinecrest Oak & Embers, which launched five years ago in Chesterland, has opened a third restaurant. That restaurant officially debuted at Pinecrest on Sunday, Dec. 15. Owner Marc Garofoli’s B-based formula — one focused on barbecue, bourbon and beer — thus far has served him well. In addition to the original spot, Garofoli transformed the former Marcelita’s Mexican restaurant in Hudson into Spot No. 2, a boisterous 350-seat, 8,500-squarefoot saloon. Pinecrest Oak & Embers clocks in at 220 seats, with an additional 40 outdoors. The 6,000-square-foot family friendly eatery will offer the same great mix of smoked meats, Southern comfort foods, bourbon and craft beer. As is the case at the other two shops, all meats are smoked in-house in Southern Pride rigs that can handle 3,000 pounds at a go. From that rig will come the same delicious lineup of smoked meats like baby back ribs, beef brisket, pork shoulder, sausages and chicken wings. “We’re really excited to be there,” says Garofoli. “It’s a really great location on the west side of the development, across from the hotel.”

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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DECEMBER BOX OFFICE HOURS The box office will be open December 27–December 30 from 1PM–9PM and will open on New Year's Eve at 3PM.

12/28 BUCKCHERRY with Special Guest The Suede Brothers 1/10

VINCE NEIL The Legendary Voice of Motley Crue

1/11

WALT SANDERS "One Night With You" Elvis Tribute

1/15 1/16

MORGAN WALLEN'S Whiskey Glasses Road Show

1/30 2/22 2/28

GREAT WHITE & SLAUGHTER

2/29

TRACY MORGAN No Disrespect

3/13

DENNIS DEYOUNG The Grand Illusion 40th Anniversary Album Tour

3/21

GRAND FUNK RAILROAD Some Kind of Wonderful Tour 2020

UMPHREY'S MCGEE With Special Guest The New Deal

1/18 1/19

CHARLIE WILSON 8PM

1/31

TIFFANY HADDISH Live in Concert 8PM

2/7

CHRIS TUCKER Live in Concert 8PM

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

The World’s #1 Tribute to Bruce Springsteen & The E. Street Band

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BOX OFFICE IS OPEN DAY-OF-SHOW ONLY, THREE HOURS PRIOR TO DOORS. FOR ALL OTHER PURCHASES, VISIT TICKETMASTER.COM. ALL TICKET SALES FINAL. THIS ONLY APPLIES TO SHOWS SUNDAY - THURSDAY IN DECEMBER.

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| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

PHOTO BY BOB CARE Y

hen asked why Trans-Siberian Orchestra decided to bring back Christmas Eve and Other Stories for its current tour, drummer Jeff Plate says it was something that the late Paul O’Neill, the creator of TSO, had always wanted to do. “This is something that Paul had actually been talking about doing before we lost him a couple years ago,” says Plate in a conference call with musical director Al Pitrelli. TSO performs at 3 and 8 p.m. on Friday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. “He realized that this story was probably the most significant one in our catalog. You know, Christmas Eve and Other Stories was released in 1996, and that is really the CD that put us on the map. It has sold the best. We toured that story for the first 12 years of our touring existence, so this is what really made a mark with the fans all across the country. And it has always been a fan favorite and a band favorite; I can personally say it’s my favorite story that we’ve done.” First recorded by the prog band Savatage in 1995, “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24” would reappear on TSO’s debut, 1996’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories, and launch the band into the behemoth that it is today. The first-ever TSO show took place in 1996 at a New York hospital. New York DJ Scott Shannon, who O’Neill has described as “the most powerful DJ in America at the time,” invited the band to play Blythedale Children’s Hospital just north of New York City. O’Neill initially didn’t want to play the show, but once he visited the hospital, he couldn’t resist. | clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

Then, in 1998, the band recorded a TV show before it had ever toured. Filmed in an old Jersey City theater, the show features Ossie Davis, Jewel and Michael Crawford. O’Neill has said the band, though still in the early stages, captured a certain “magic,” as the special features some of the best songs from the band’s catalog at the time. At the urging of Cleveland disc jockey Bill Lewis, the group took its 1996 Christmas rock opera Christmas Eve and Other Stories, the first part of a trilogy of prog rock-influenced Christmas albums, on the road in 1999. Lewis had been playing the album’s single, “Christmas Eve Sarajevo 12/24,” on WNCX and had gotten great feedback from fans. The show has evolved over the years to become a visually intense production, complete with lasers and pyro. This year’s production will be no exception. “The last time we did Christmas Eve and Other Stories was in 2011, and we had a massive production at that point,” says Plate. “But, now it literally

“These characters and this story, Jeff [Plate] and I and everybody else in the organization, we’ve grown up with these. Twenty-five years ago, I was 32; this meant something different to me then than it does now. Now, as a 57-year-old father of five, when ‘Ornament’ or ‘This Christmas Day’ or any of these songs is presented live, I have children that I don’t get to see that often, it resonates with me, just like it resonates with everybody in the audience.” Pitrelli still remembers not knowing what to expect after the group played one of its first shows in Philadelphia. “I remember we looked down and I kind of looked at Jeff and I had half a heart attack,” he says. “We didn’t really know who was going to be in the audience. We knew that we sold a couple million records from ’96 to ’99, but we did our first show in ’99. And the lights went down in the Tower Theater in Philadelphia, and when I looked down there was a really attractive older couple in their Sunday go-to-meeting clothes and right next to them was this dude in a Slayer hoodie. And we kind of looked at each other and said, ‘This is either going to go really bad or really great.’ And two hours later, we realized that this was

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA 3 AND 8 P.M., FRIDAY, DEC. 27 ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE, ONE CENTER COURT, 216-241-2121. TICKETS: $26-$79.50, ROCKETMORTGAGEFIELDHOUSE.COM

fills up the whole arena. You know, we have a stage that expands the width of the arena, plus there’s production all the way out past the front of the house. The video content that we’ve been using the past several years has become so brilliant and fantastic, it just completely changes the dynamic of the show. Plus, the team that designs the video has really just stepped it up over the past couple years. Two years ago, when we were doing The Ghosts of Christmas Eve, the design that Bryan Hartley came out with was just fantastic, and it took several steps beyond the year before, and it’s kind of improved in those increments ever since.” Plate promises that even though TSO is revisiting music from its past, the current production will put a new spin on the old material. “This time, when you see Christmas Eve and Other Stories, it’s going to be a completely different show,” he says. Pitrelli maintains that the story remains relevant even though it dates back to the ’90s. “At the center of it all is Paul’s characters and this beautifully written story that he came up with,” he says.

the most amazing thing ever.” After 21 years of touring with TSO, Pitrelli still gets a charge out of hitting the road at the end of the year. “To go out and, first of all, bring this to life night after night, year after year, it’s an honor and a privilege, not only as a musician, but just as a part of the story-telling team,” he says. “To go from El Paso to Seattle to Boston to Providence to Chicago, and every city in between, once you close the doors on the arena and the lights go down, you really don’t realize, or I don’t remember necessarily, that we’re in a particular part of the country. I just know that we’re having like 18,000 of our closest friends get together to celebrate a genius’ work. To watch it night after night, matinee show after matinee show, year after year, to watch people’s expressions change in the audience and to celebrate these works [means] we get to have Christmas from Nov. 13 [when the tour starts] until the last show in December.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

@masoniccle @hobcleveland

@masoniccleveland

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Ten – Tribute to Pearl Jam w/ Best of Foo – Tribute to Foo Fighters The Four Horsemen – Tribute to Metallica w/ Maiden Voyage – Tribute to Iron Maiden Surfaces w/ Public Library Commute Cambridge Room SOLD OUT Magic City Hippies w/ Tim Atlas Cambridge Room Cash Cab’s Ben Bailey The Adicts Nightly w/ Sawyer, THE WLDLFE Cambridge Room Tori Kelly w/ Audrey MiKa CANCELLED Trampled By Turtles w/ Them Coulee Boys In Association w/ Beachland Ballroom Thunderstruck – AC/DC Tribute

Feb. 4 Feb. 7 Feb. 8 Feb. 9 Feb. 10 Feb. 11 Feb. 11 Feb. 12 Feb. 13 Feb. 14

iann dior w/ Landon Cube, POORSTACY Roddy Ricch SiriusXM presents Totally 80’s w/ The Motels, Bow Wow Wow, When In Rome II The Allman Betts Band w/ JD Simo, Jackson Stokes Jacquees NGHTMRE w/ KOMPANY, EFFIN, BLACK A.M. In Association with Cumulus Tall Heights w/ Victoria Canal Cambridge Room Badfish: A Tribute to Sublime w/ The Quasi Kings JJ Grey & Mofro w/ Neal Francis Boy Band Review - Demin Valentine Formal Dance

Buy tickets at Ticketmaster.com or 216-523-BLUE

Feb. 15 Feb. 20 Feb. 21 Feb. 25 Feb. 25 Feb. 26 Feb. 28 Feb. 29 March 6 March 7 March 7

Paul Fayrewether Chris Lane Iration w/ Ballyhoo!, Iya Terra, The Ries Brothers flor w/ Winnetka Bowling League Cambridge Room G Herbo Nicole Bus Cambridge Room Who’s Bad – Ultimate Tribute to Michael Jackson Gaelic Storm Allen Stone SiriusXM Hip Hop Nation pres. Young Dolph and Key Glock: No Rules Tour Elohim w/ Bahari Cambridge Room

MASONIC CLEVELAND: 3615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44115 HOUSE OF BLUES: 308 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44114 masoniccleveland.com / houseofblues.com | clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

MUSIC BORN AGAIN Birth returns with its first studio release in more than 15 years By Jeff Niesel Photo courtesy of Birth

FROM 1998 TO 2004, BIRTH, a Cleveland/New York-based saxophone, electric bass and drums trio, received attention and praise from some of the leading voices of the avant-garde jazz and creative music world. The group took a break in 2004 but reconvened in 2015, and next week it will release Almost Never, its first new studio album in more than 15 years. It’ll play a release party at 8 p.m. on Friday at the Bop Stop. Drummer Joe Tomino first started playing with saxophonist Joshua Smith way back in 1996. “Josh was a younger cat,” says Tomino one morning over coffee at Rising Star in Hingetown. “[Local musician] Eddie [Stevens] got me a gig with Josh at a place in Tremont, I can’t even remember where. We just hit it off. We decided to get together for a jam session. We had some bassist but whoever it was didn’t come through and we improvised as a duo. There was a spark, musically. We decided to explore that. I was really into electronic music, and Josh didn’t know much of that. He was into jazz.” That duo wasn’t known as Birth. But Smith knew Jeremy Bleich, who was also on the scene, and Birth was born. “When Jeremy came over, that first session was it,” says Tomino. “We started to write compositions then too.” The group would release its self-titled debut in 1999. It recorded the disc at Mr. Small’s Funhouse in Pittsburgh. “It was the first Mr. Small’s, before they moved up the hill into a church and made it into a concert venue,” says Tomino. “We did four or five days there. We did the second record, 2001’s Find, there as well.” After the second album, the band cut a series of CD-Rs with original artwork. “They never made it to print officially,” says Tomino. “That was material that never got recorded. It was all live stuff. It’s one thing to see it and hear it live where it’s very visceral and engaging, but I wanted to record those songs at some point too.” After a performance at the High Mayhem Festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 2004, the group went on

an indefinite hiatus as its members dispersed to various corners of the country. Smith relocated to just north of San Francisco, where he has performed with various groups under his own direction and as a sideman. Bassist Bleich moved to the Southwest and Tomino decided to devote his time to studio and touring projects. “The music right at that time, when we were still giving it a go, had reached its height. And since we weren’t playing regularly or

Rowan, Blaine Sprouse, Ches Smith, Sean Hayes, Mike and Ruthy, Tao Seeger, Ben Goldberg, Trevor Dunn and Simon Lott. Bleich moved to Santa Fe in 2005 and composed music for Lifesongs, Wisefool New Mexico, the Santa Fe Opera’s all-arts integration program. He recently won a grant to write the rock opera, Love and Emma Goldman, and also produces music for his Grasshopper Music label. Tomino performed and/or recorded

BIRTH 8 P.M. FRIDAY, DEC. 27 BOP STOP, 2920 DETROIT AVE., 216-771-6551 TICKETS: $15, THEMUSICSETTLEMENT.ORG

rehearsing, it wasn’t going any further. We didn’t want to do the music a disservice. We thought when the time was right we would come back together.” Members made significant strides during the hiatus. Smith worked with the Scott Amendola Quartet, performed with Wilco’s Nels Cline and served as the musical director for leave me alone, the Harvey Pekar opera featuring music by Cleveland native Dan Plonsey. He also performed with bluegrass and jazz acts such as Peter

with the Fugees, Lady Gaga, Mike Patton, Wyclef Jean, Matisyahu, Blondie, Rahzel, Del Amitri and many other artists. “It all started with Birth,” Tomino says of playing with so many notable musicians. “Having brought New York and Chicago artists to Cleveland, I made a bunch of connections, and when I moved to New York I had already met people in the scene. It has been really satisfying. Touring-wise, I’ve always been hired to do what I would do as a solo artist. They hire me

to do what I do and not just play the parts.” The group would reconvene in 2015 when Smith returned to Cleveland and set up a session with Tomino and Bleich. “We again played in the basement, and it was still there,” says Tomino. “The magic was still there. The tunes were still there. The spark was still there.” In 2016, the band played its first public show in more than a decade at Mahall’s in Lakewood. “That show was magic,” says Tomino. “We had fans from Cleveland, from upstate New York, and from Michigan. It was special.” At that point, they decided to record a new album at a new studio space in the Masonic Temple in Ohio City. “We had written new material and rehearsed it and did three days there at the Masonic,” says Tomino. “When we first checked it out, we went into all these different spaces to find one that had the right juju. We picked the right one, and there was beautiful natural reverb and a good vibe. It culminated with a gig at the Bop Stop.” The first single, “Dust,” comes in at more than eight minutes. It picks up where the band had left off and starts with a head-spinning sax solo that then simmers into something more traditional once the bass and drums kick in. In the wake of the Bop Stop show, the group hopes to tour in support of the new record. “I’d love to get this band over to Europe,” says Tomino. “I booked a Birth tour back in the early 2000s, and it was a huge success. I would love to do that again. With a little bit of work, we can do that. I think we’ll do some coastal stuff, and we’ll definitely do a Midwest thing. If we get in front of a fan base that just loves music, even if they don’t get the language of jazz, they’ll dig it. There’s a noise element and an avant-garde element and a groove element and electronics. It’s about getting those fans out.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

LIVEWIRE

all the live music you should see this week Photo courtesy of Tropidelic

THU

12/26

Good Morning Valentine/Alan Madej/Istvan Medgyesi: 8 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Happy Holidays With Dr. E.: 7 p.m., $20. Bop Stop. Hathaway Brown Alumni Show: 7 p.m., $10. Nighttown. Kristine Jackson Band (in the Supper Club): 7 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Carlos Jones & the P.L.U.S. Band Holiday Revival: 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Northeast Ohio Drum & Music Jam: 9 p.m., free. Beachland Ballroom. Local heroes Tropidelic host a New Year’s Eve party at House of Blues. See: Tuesday.

FRI

12/27

Birth: Double Vinyl Release Party: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Leaf Borbie & the Family Tree/ Vital Organs/Beach Stav: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Brainwashed Youth/Nature/Kill the Hippies: 9 p.m., free. Now That’s Class. Jamey Haddad & Friends: 8:30 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Happy Hour with DJ Dollar Country: 6 p.m., free. Happy Dog. Heart and Lung/Harvey Pekar/Slug Fest: 9 p.m., $6. Happy Dog. Lone Thunder/Brian Dubber/Joseph Maxwell: 8 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Mushroomhead/Half Raised Heathens/Inducing Panic: 6 p.m. Agora Theatre. The Nth Power/Mike Dillon Band: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Angela Perley, Mimi Arden, Taylor Lamborn: 7:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Ten – A Tribute to Pearl Jam/Best of Foo – Tribute to Foo Fighters: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. House of Blues. Trial By Fire (featuring Dave Katz & Steve Sweney of Ekoostik Hookah)/Mo’ Mojo: 9 p.m., $15. Grog Shop. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown.

SAT

12/28

Dave Banks Big Band: Winter Heat: 8 p.m., $20. Bop Stop. Billy Joel Tribute by The Stranger: 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. Music

Box Supper Club. Buckcherry/The Suede Brothers: Buckcherry is the band that just won’t die. Initially, the hard rock group dissolved in 2002, but after that short hiatus, band founders Josh Todd and Keith Nelson reformed the group in 2005 and got a good second wind when the song “Crazy Bitch” went viral thanks to a racy music video. Just recently, the band issued its latest studio album, Warpaint. Expect to hear songs from it along with all the “hits,” or “hit,” as the case might be. (Jeff Niesel) 8 p.m., $22. MGM Northfield Park. Cheap Clone/Ma Holos/Xanny Stars/Red Devil Ryders: 9 p.m., $6. Happy Dog. DEAD EARTH w/ Bonesaw, Sparrowmilk and Sleeplord: 9 p.m., $5. The Winchester. Everyn/Esoteria/Vollstin/Silver Lights: 8 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. The Four Horsemen – The Ultimate Tribute to Metallica/Maiden Voyage – Tribute to Iron Maiden: 8 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. House of Blues. Fuzz Aldrin/Griefshark/Dream of Sleep (in the Locker Room): 8 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. GTS presents Rockmare After Christmas: 5:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop. Hubb’s Groove “Tribute to George Benson” w/Dan Wilson: 8:30 p.m., $20. Nighttown. Hyper as Hell/Burning Lesbians/2 Wide 4 Lipps/Plasma Alliance: 8 p.m., $8. 8 p.m., $8. Now That’s Class. Into the Blue: Grateful Dead Revival: 9 p.m., $11 ADV, $14

DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $15. Music Box Supper Club. Listen, Little Ma: 8 p.m., $7. CODA. The Mega 80s: 7 p.m. Agora Ballroom. Princemas with DJ Darrick Grant: 9 p.m., $10. Grog Shop. Dave Smeltz Project/Steelyard Soundsystem: 9 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown.

SUN

12/29

Moises Borges & Joshua Smith: 7 p.m., $15. Nighttown. GWAR/Unearth/Savage Master: 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. House of Blues. Honky Tonk Sunday with Ohio Civil Power & Cory Grinder Band: 9 p.m., free. The Winchester. Night Terrors: 8 p.m., $7. Bop Stop. Second Annual Pre New Year’s Eve Pre Game: King Chip vs Chip the Ripper: 7:30 p.m., $15. Grog Shop.

MON

12/30

2 Chefs and a Beat: 8 p.m., $12. CODA. Johnny in the Grave/Zip-Zapp/ Lonely Pirate Committee: 8:30 p.m., $10. Beachland Tavern. Reggie Kelly & David Thomas Trio: 7 p.m., $15. Nighttown. The Nightmare After Christmas Tour Featuring Michael Wavves x Jerome/Downhill Collective/ Superstaralvy/PRES: 8:30 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop.

Roots of American Music Presents Bluegrass Jam: 7:30 p.m., free. Beachland Ballroom.

TUE

12/31

’80s and More Dance Party with the Sunrise Jones: 9 p.m. Music Box Supper Club. Bruce in the USA – A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen: Taking “tribute band” to a whole new level, the members of Bruce in the USA don’t just sound like the Boss and his boys, they even dress like the guys. Frontman Matt Ryan began imitating Springsteen in 2000 and went straight to Sin City where he joined up with the Legends Las Vegas shows. Four years later, he expanded his band, dubbed Bruce in the USA, into a full sevenpiece ensemble. The late Clarence Clemons once called these guys “the greatest tribute band ever,” suggesting they’re not just your run-of-the-mill tribute act. Expect to hear all the Springsteen hits — everything from “Born to Run” to “Pink Cadillac.” By the end of the show, you’ll forget they were just covers. The show starts at 8 p.m. at MGM Northfield Park – Center Stage. (Nikki Hunt) $12 ADV, $15 DOS. MGM Northfield Park. Anne Cochran/Abe LaMarca & Band: 8 p.m., $40. Nighttown. CODA NYE: The Katy/Punch Drunk Tagalongs/The Rosies: 9 p.m., $10. CODA. Sammy DeLeon Latin Jazz Septet: 8:30 p.m., $30. Nighttown. Dueling Pianos with Cleveland Keys (in the Supper Club): 9 p.m. Music Box Supper Club.

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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KentStage =HGÍM FBLL MA>L> @K>:M LAHPL MB<D>ML HG L:E> GHP

Ekoostik Hookah

Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Tue December 31

Mon February 3

Hard Day’s Night Sat February 22

The High Kings

We Banjo 3

Dave Mason

Mon February 24

Wed March 4

Sat March 7

Carbon Leaf Sun March 8

Eric Johnson Mon March 9

The Howard Jones Trio Tue March 10

Christone “Kingfish” Ingram

Robert Cray

John Waite

Fish Grease 2: A Juke Joint Tour Thu March 12

Sat March 14

Fri March 20

Marc Cohn

Bob Mould

Sat March 21

Wed March 25

The Brubeck Brothers Quartet Sat April 11

LIVEWIRE Ekoostik Hookah: The grandfathers of Ohio’s expansive jam band scene — culturally and musically — have always maintained close ties to the Cleveland area. From 1991’s Under Full Sail to 2013’s sweetly groovin’ Brij, Ekoostik Hookah have kept their fire burning across time. Check out “Whiskey Woman” for a fine example of the hookahladen chops still hooked around each of the band’s compositional outings. Given the band’s personal history, rife with small shows and Hookahville Festivals alike, every chance to be a part of the fun is a necessary diversion from life out there. (Eric Sandy) 8 p.m., $20-$25. The Kent Stage. Dominick Farinacci: 7:30 p.m., $40. Nighttown. The George Martins’ Swingin’ ’60s New Year’s Eve: 8 p.m., $15-$50. Beachland Ballroom. Into the Blue New Year’s Eve Bash: 9 p.m., $10. The Winchester. NYE 2020 Fhloston Paradise Dance Party: 8 p.m., $15. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Scarface + Full Band/MANN/P_ FRMDATRIBE/Watts: 9:30 p.m., $45-$95. Grog Shop. Tropidelic/Bumpin’ Uglies/The Palmer Squares/Joey Harkum/ DJ Toby: The local act Tropidelic, a group that plays a mix of ska, rock and hip-hop, will release a new EP, Flyover Renaissance. The first single, the woozy “Money & Time,” is currently available where music is streamed or sold. Recorded at RCR Recording Studios, the album represents Tropidelic’s second release in partnership with Ineffable Music Group, and the band aims to build the momentum of its last album, Heavy Is the Head, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Reggae Chart in 2017. The album features special guest Jonny 5 of Flobots and the Palmer Squares. The group brings the Freak Drop, its annual New Year’s Eve bash, to House of Blues tonight. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $32-$42. House of Blues.

WED 50th Anniversary of The Music of Cream Wed April 22

Four Bitchin’ Babes

Shawn Colvin

Fri May 8

Mon May 18

ALL SHOWS AT THE KENT STAGE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED Tickets available at thekentstage.com or 877-987-6487 GMK [w cw i {{ © a{ B e~ JJHJF

36

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

01/01

New Year’s Day Soul Brunch with DJs Mark and Mindy: 11 a.m. Beachland Tavern.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

12/25

Merry Christmas! 12/26 | 7PM | $20

Happy Holidays WITH

DR. E 12/27 | 8PM | $15

BIRTH:

DOUBLE VINYL RELEASE PARTY 12/28 | 8PM | $20

DAVE BANKS BIG BAND:

WINTER HEAT JANUARY 1, 2020

Happy New Year!

SIT DOWN WITH YOUR GUESTS.

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SUN 3/29 | clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

37

BAND OF THE WEEK SCARFACE Emanuel Wallace

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

MEET THE BAND: Scarface (vocals,

production) GETTING A ‘GRIP:’ Rapper Scarface (nee

Brad Jordan and fka DJ Akshen) cut his teeth as a member of the seminal rap group, Geto Boys, back in 1989 on their album Grip It! On That Other Level. He quickly became the breakout star of the group and released his first solo album, Mr. Scarface is Back, in 1991. As a member of the Geto Boys, Scarface played an integral role in hit songs such as “The World Is a Ghetto,” “Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangsta” and perhaps the group’s most popular song, “Mind Playing Tricks On Me.” As a solo artist, Scarface has released 12 albums and collaborated with the likes of Devin the Dude, Ice Cube, Jay-Z, Master P, Nas, Beanie Sigel and 2Pac among a plethora of others. To date, he has three RIAA certified platinum albums, along with three certified gold LPs. STILL RELEVANT AFTER ALL THESE YEARS:

“I’m just a real musician,” Scarface says in a previous interview for one of his many local appearances. He credits that for his ability to remain relevant for so long. “I don’t do anything else. I’m authentic. People see that and people respect that about me.” While Scarface may be a real musician, he’s certainly not solely a musician. His time in the music industry has seen him pivot to being an executive with Def Jam South and also an author, as he collaborated with Benjamin Meadows-Ingram to write his memoir, Diary of a Madman, in 2015. SCARFACE FOR CITY COUNCIL: Never one

to hold his tongue on political issues,

38

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

Scarface has strong feelings about the now-impeached President Trump. “You already know what that is,” he said in reference to Trump’s fearmongering “Anyone that has a prejudice toward something, hate toward someone or a fear, that’s an ideal candidate to vote for. He ain’t goin’ no-goddamnwhere. You see the hate, you see the prejudice and you see the fear.” Most recently, Scarface became serious about making a run for city council in his home city of Houston. In a runoff election to represent Section D (bandmate Willie D also attempted to represent Section B before pulling out), Scarface lost to Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz just this past week. WHERE YOU CAN HEAR HIM:

bradscarfacejordan.com. WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR HIM: Scarface’s

most recent albums are 2015’s Deeply Rooted and 2017’s Deeply Rooted: The Lost Files. He’s doing it all through his own imprint these days, Facemob Music — without a major label backing him. The bulk of his career was spent with Rap-A-Lot Records before releasing The Fix with Def Jam South. As of late, Scarface has performed with a live band at some of his shows. He even occasionally strums his Les Paul between verses; rumor has it he’s an avid collector of the instruments. WHERE YOU CAN SEE HIM: Scarface

performs with MANN, P_frmdatribe and MYNAMEISBRAVO at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31, at the Grog Shop in Cleveland Heights.

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SAVAGE LOVE OPEN ENDED by Dan Savage I’m a mid-20s cis straight man. After my girlfriend and I finished college, she moved overseas to start her job. We’ve broken up twice and gotten back together twice. We are interested in opening up our relationship, but I have reservations. She wants the freedom to throw herself into her new world without the constraint of having to shut down non-platonic sparks. My girlfriend has brought up marriage several times. While she admits she doesn’t have a good track record with monogamy, she insists marriage will change that. Another concern: The last time she was in an open relationship, she cheated on her then-boyfriend with me. “No exes” was one of their rules, and I was her ex at the time. (I didn’t know she was with someone else.) Another wrinkle: When I confided in her recently that I had developed romantic feelings for another person, she asked me to choose between her and them, and so I aborted this burgeoning connection. That felt unfair, seeing as she wants her freedom. She is also bisexual and wants to have experiences with women. I would be fine with her hooking up with women, but it makes me sick to my stomach to think about her with other men. She would be willing to put her desire for experiences with other women to the side in order to be with me, she says, once we are married. I would love to hear your thoughts on these things: (1) Whether we should open our relationship. (2) My male/female hookup distinction. (3) How to move forward if your partner is unsure whether they are built for monogamy but nonetheless wants to settle down in a married, monogamous relationship. — Onto Processing Entirely New Situation 1. Don’t open it. End it. It’s time to put this dumb, messy, pastits-expiration-date shitshow of a relationship behind you. Would knowing your girlfriend is already fucking other people help you do that? Because your girlfriend is almost certainly fucking other people. Already. Because when someone with a shitty track record where monogamy and nonmonogamy are concerned

asks their partner for an open relationship while at the same time demanding their partner “abort” any potential “non-platonic” friendships they might have … yeah, that motherfucker is already fucking other people. They just don’t want to give their partner the same freedom they’ve already seized for themselves. 2. It seems like a silly distinction to me, OPENS, one that comes from a place of insecurity. (And a “no other dick” rule would make most gay open relationships impossible.) But sometimes, working with your partner’s insecurities — accepting them, not fighting them — is the key to a successful open relationship. And since many bisexuals in monogamous oppositesex relationships often ask to open the relationship because they want to act on their same-sex attractions (or, indeed, have their first samesex encounter), keeping outside sex same-sex — at least at first — isn’t an entirely unreasonable request. But this is irrelevant in your case, since your girlfriend is already fucking anyone she wants. 3. Your soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend is hilarious. People who are bad at monogamy don’t get better at it once they’re married. If anything, people who were good at monogamy tend to get worse at it the longer they’re married. If your soon-to-beex-girlfriend isn’t bullshitting, if she isn’t bringing up marriage and monogamy to complicate and extend your conversations about opening up this doomed relationship, then she’s deluded. And if your girlfriend cheats because she gets off on risk, danger, or deception, getting married — which would obviously make cheating riskier and more dangerous — could make cheating more appealing to her, not less.

*** I’m a bisexual man married to the most beautiful trans woman. I can’t keep my hands off her. But why can’t I fuck her anally like we both want? I can’t seem to push past the gates, which sends a signal to my brain that I’m doing something wrong, which make me Mr. Softee. Every other

thing we do in bed is smooth as silk. Help! — Limp Isn’t My Preference I’d have to see video to guess at what might be wrong — not an ask, LIMP, don’t send video — but it never hurts to use more lube, engage in more anal foreplay, and sometimes do butt stuff without even attempting anal intercourse. And when you do go for it, maybe instead of you trying to fuck her/push past the gates, LIMP, you could lie still and let her take charge. In other words: Don’t fuck her with your dick, let her fuck herself with your dick.

*** I’m a twentysomething bi man in a loving relationship of three years with a straight woman. Last year, we opened up our relationship. At the beginning, we set some ground rules. One of her rules was that I could get together only with women, no men. It bothered me at the time, but it was the only way she would be okay opening up, so I didn’t press her on it. Fastforward to a couple days ago, when I brought it up again. She eventually admitted she’s afraid I will leave her for a man, and that’s why the idea of me being with other men makes her uncomfortable. She knows these are stereotypes, but she says she can’t get over it. I ended that night angry and hurt. Now I don’t know what to do. To be honest, if we weren’t in an open relationship, I wouldn’t be bothered by the fact that I can’t be sexual with men. But now that I know she is not okay with me doing so because of these bi stereotypes, it drives me nuts. I’m not going to end our relationship over this, but how can I get her to understand my bisexuality is not a threat? — Bye-Bye Bisexuality? “BBB obviously isn’t going to leave his girlfriend for the first man he sleeps with,” said Zachary Zane, a “bisexual influencer” and a sex writer for Men’s Health. “All bisexual men are not secretly gay. But this is a lie — a vicious stereotype — that BBB’s girlfriend has heard countless times. So even though she

knows this logically, she still can’t shake that concern. Fear often isn’t rational and it can override logic. She’s simply insecure.” And while accommodating a partner’s irrational insecurity is sometimes the price we have to pay to make an open relationship work, accommodating your partner’s insecurity — one so clearly rooted in biphobia — isn’t going to be sustainable over time. You’re already angry and hurt, BBB, and you’re going to get more upset with every dick you have to pass up. So what do you do? “The key to helping BBB’s girlfriend understand that his bisexuality isn’t a threat is for him to reassure her often that he’s not going to leave her for a man,” said Zane, “and to tell her and show her how much he loves her. He might also ask if there’s a way she’d feel more comfortable allowing him to be sexual with a man. Maybe they have a threesome. Maybe she prefers that it be someone she knows, or someone she doesn’t know. There’s a lot to discuss.” But eventually, for your own sanity, you’re going to have to insist that your girlfriend get over her biphobia. She can’t just throw up her hands and say, “I can’t help it!” “Perhaps I’m giving BBB’s girlfriend too much credit, but it sounds to me like she’ll come around in time,” said Zane. “And while BBB is angry — and validly so — the anger shouldn’t be placed on his girlfriend. It should be placed on a society that has ingrained in her the belief that bisexuality isn’t valid and that bi men will always leave their wives/girlfriends for another man if given the opportunity.” And if she never comes around, BBB, then you can show her how silly and irrational her fears were by leaving her for another woman. Follow Zachary Zane on Twitter @ZacharyZane_.

On the Lovecast, do you trust gay men more to sell you clothes? Science has the answer: savagelovecast.com.

mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage

| clevescene.com | December 26, 2019 - January 2, 2020

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