Scene January 22, 2020

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

| cl cclevescene.com leves eves ev e ceene ne.c .co .c om m | January Jaanuar Jan aryy 222 - 228, 8 22020 8, 0 0 02

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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 Claudia Ugbana

Upfront

6

When you’re related to Mayor Jackson, the law deals with you differently

Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose

Feature

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

9

As opioid overdose deaths drop, meth has made a dangerous comeback

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

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

5

UPFRONT CHOKING A WOMAN AND BEATING HER WITH A TRUCK HITCH IS A MISDEMEANOR IN CUYAHOGA COUNTY IF YOU’RE RELATED TO THE MAYOR Photo: Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department

THE 23-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON OF mayor Frank Jackson, Frank Q. Jackson, pleaded guilty last week to drastically reduced charges stemming from a violent encounter in June. In that incident, he choked and punched an 18-year-old woman while in a vehicle and then beat her with a truck hitch after dragging her from it.

In a deal with prosecutors, the younger Jackson agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge. He has received a sentence of 18 months probation. Jackson managed to avoid the harsher felonious assault charge and an abduction charge, for which he faced up to eight years in prison. Two counts of failure to comply had been dropped before the trial began last week.

Prosecutor Michael O’Malley’s office said that after testimony from Delilah Swift, the woman who claimed Jackson attacked her, they weren’t convinced they could obtain a felonious assault conviction. They agreed to the plea deal at the request of Jackson’s attorney, Jeffrey Saffold, and characterized the result as a “fair and equitable resolution.”

Saffold’s comments after the deal (which of course were in his client’s best interest) were remarkable in the sense that they described the trial and its results in terms that are exactly opposed to prevailing sentiment.

He said that the younger Jackson had initially been overcharged because of “public pressure.” Though he didn’t elaborate, he likely was referring to the uproar in the wake of Cleveland.com’s reporting, by Adam Ferrise, which showed that the younger Jackson’s crimes had been entirely ignored by city prosecutors.

When presented with the evidence, everyone recognized the crimes instantly as felonious, but the city had not passed the case along to the county, which is protocol.

The picture that emerged to all but Saffold was that Frank Q. Jackson had received especially

6

lenient treatment because of his familial relationship with the mayor. Indeed, in a lawsuit filed against Frank Jackson and police chief Calvin Williams in November, the mother of a murder victim — whose death was linked to Frank Q. Jackson — alleged that Mayor Jackson’s repeated interference in the prosecution of his grandson and great-grandson caused them and their associates to believe that they were “above the law.”

But according to Saffold, this “terrible case would have never have been brought were it not for who his grandfather is. It’s a shame we had to go through all of this.” Anyone else who choked a young woman, punched her in the face, dragged her from a vehicle and then beat her with a truck hitch would have had a much

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

fairer shake, in Saffold’s view.

In lengthy cross-examination of Swift, who is now 19, Saffold tried to characterize her as the aggressor in what was, by multiple accounts, a volatile long-term relationship. He got Swift to admit that she had no visible injuries from the truck hitch beating and that as Jackson dragged her across a field near a CMHA housing complex, she was clutching the leg of his pants, refusing to let go.

In additional evidence, Saffold played Instagram videos that showed Swift throwing juice on Frank Q. Jackson’s current girlfriend, who is pregnant with Jackson’s child. Swift explained the video by saying she had been challenged to a fight at the mayor’s house. Saffold also showed messages between Swift and Jackson

which showed that Swift still had a romantic interest in him after the beating.

Assistant county prosecutor Brad Meyer maintained, correctly, that this evidence was hardly relevant to the violent attack which took place on June 10. Though Swift had admitted to Saffold that she was not a “passive” participant in being assaulted, she confirmed to Meyer that it was Jackson who threw the first punch. It was Jackson who was the aggressor. It was Jackson who had the weapon.

The attack, which Swift said began for “no reason,” should recall the violent (and indeed, felonious) assault by former prosecutor Lance Mason of his then-wife Aisha Fraser, whom he would later violently murder after he was released

early from prison and immediately given a job in the Frank Jackson administration.

Mason was driving his SUV on that day in August 2014, and his two children were in the back seat. Aisha Fraser was in the passenger seat.

Mason slammed on the brakes and began striking Fraser repeatedly in the face. He choked her and smashed her head against the dashboard, breaking her orbital bone, before kicking her out of the car.

In Jackson’s case, he was driving a truck while Swift was in the back.

They were parked at a gas station when Jackson turned around to punch Swift in the face. Then he moved to the backseat to more effectively choke her. Then, after driving Swift and her friend to the Outhwaite Homes housing complex, he dragged her out of the car and struck her with a truck hitch.

The mayor was in the courtroom during the proceedings, but did not address the media after Wednesday’s deal. “I’m happy for my grandson,” is all he said. — Sam Allard

Mayor Jackson Hasn’t Attended A Single Weekly Board of Control Meeting Since 2008 Mayor Frank Jackson has not attended a single weekly meeting of the Board of Control since May 28, 2008. The Board of Control (BOC) is the body which governs the city’s division of purchases and supplies.

It ensures “fairness, transparency and best value” in the authorization of competitively bid purchases for the city.

The meetings appear every week in Jackson’s calendar and sometimes last only minutes, but he never attends. The BOC meets either 50 or 51 times annually — they have not typically met the first week of the year, including in 2020 — which means that Jackson has missed more than 590 consecutive meetings.

These absences, reflected with crystal clarity in the recently updated City Record, once again call into question how the mayor occupies his time. (In 2019, Scene reported on the mayor’s calendar in 2017 and 2018 to show how he had all but disappeared from public life.)

They also demonstrate that Jackson’s lethargy and inactivity are not aberrations of his fourth term. He hasn’t bothered to preside over these meetings in more than a decade.

The meetings these days are overseen by law director Barbara Langhenry. A city spokesperson told Scene that it was “common practice”

for the director of law to serve in the capacity of BOC chair.

That practice was indeed common in the past. Both mayors Jane Campbell and Mike White attended roughly 50 percent of the BOC’s meetings during their tenures, the City Record shows, and their law directors routinely served as alternates. But Jackson has abandoned the weekly responsibility entirely.

The City Record shows that Jackson’s attendance gradually dropped through his first term.

In 2006, his first year in office, he attended 32 of 51 meetings (63 percent). In 2007, he attended 21 of 51 meetings (41 percent). In 2008, he only showed up for seven of the year’s 51 meetings (14 percent), with his final appearance coming in May. He hasn’t bothered to attend since, which means he did not officially advise or vote on city purchases even once during his second, third and fourth terms in office. Many of these pivotal purchasing decisions occurred during and after the height of the Great Recession.

It has been an unchallenged talking point that Jackson’s careful and prudent leadership is what kept the city afloat financially during those trying years.

He was “a great steward of Cleveland finances at a challenging

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7

UPFRONT moment when the Great Recession made Cleveland Ground Zero in the foreclosure crisis and state officials were slashing budget support to Ohio cities,” Cleveland.com opined in their most recent Jackson endorsement editorial.

But Jackson, the steward in absentia, was clearly less hands-on than previously thought.

The city’s spokesperson had no answer or explanation for Jackson’s decade-plus run of consecutive absences.

Instead of answering our questions, a generic emailed statement advised us that the BOC’s meetings are “open to the public and are held regularly every week to take action on its agenda items.”

— Allard

Whistleblower Gary Brack Suing County for Records Showing that Budish Knew about Jail Crisis Before Deaths After an email from terminated Cuyahoga County budget director Maggie Keenan was appended to a state lawsuit in the ongoing county

corruption investigation, former county jail nurse (and whistleblower) Gary Brack is suing Armond Budish for public records.

Brack’s suit, which was announced last week by the Chandra Law Firm, alleges that Budish failed to produce existing records which would have shown he knew about the critical nursing shortage as early as April 2018, weeks before the first of eight inmates died that year.

Keenan’s April email to Budish and then-chief of staff Earl Leiken sounded the alarm in explicit terms. She said nursing vacancies, low wages and a failure to attract new hires was creating risk for the county, referencing the potential for legal settlements if inmates died. Keenan estimated that filling the nursing vacancies and increasing wages would cost the county $400,000, which would be less expensive in the long run because it would lead to less staff turnover and would minimize the county’s financial risk.

Brack was terminated shortly after he spoke at a Cuyahoga County council meeting in May 2018, at which he testified that former jail director Ken Mills had been blocking the hiring of nurses. (Brack has an additional pending lawsuit alleging that Budish commanded MetroHealth CEO Akram Boutros to fire him in retaliation for

speaking out about the county jail’s woes.)

On July 16, 2019, Brack requested records from the county, including emails between Budish and Keenan from Jan. 1, 2018, through the day of his dismissal on May 24, related to the county jail.

“In four separate letters — on July 31, 2019, August 20, 2019, October 7, 2019, and October 21, 2019 — Budish’s county law department falsely denied any such emails existed,” a statement from the Chandra Law Firm reads.

Brack’s attorney, Ashlie Case Sletvold, said in a statement that the county’s failure to produce Keenan’s email and other relevant records was “symptomatic of the crisis of integrity plaguing our local government. It is long past time for Cuyahoga County to come clean about all aspects of the human-rights crisis it has created — and known about — at the jail.”

— Allard

Cleveland Prepared to End Penalties for Low-Level Marijuana Possession, Last Major Ohio City to Do So Come early February, the city of Cleveland is expected to no longer

prosecute low-level marijuana possession offenses. As is Cleveland’s habit, it will do the right thing, but only after many other cities, nationally and statewide, have come to similar conclusions.

City council’s safety committee yesterday unanimously approved the ordinance, which would mean no more fines or jail time for those possessing 200 grams or less of marijuana, as well as no criminal record. That ordinance moves on to the finance committee now, with an expected hearing before city council for approval on Jan. 27. Mayor Jackson, should all that happen, is expected to sign the legislation.

Ohio’s other major cities — Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo, Dayton — have already enacted comparable measures.

Councilman Blaine Griffin, who sponsored the legislation, told Cleveland. com: “We believe we are at a pivotal moment in our society where people are beginning to rethink how we deal with marijuana. We have to change our way of thinking.”

Currently, low-level marijuana possession statutes in Cleveland can carry fines, up to 30 days in jail, and a misdemeanor record.

— Vince Grzegorek

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

B

RAD WEARS SANDALS even though it’s the coldest day of December. He and a few friends greet me at a gas station in East Cleveland. I follow them as they cross the street, squeeze through a tight alleyway, and maneuver through a backyard zoo of mutilated grills and scooters.

A door opens with a kick and we descend into a chilly concrete basement.

Brad is short but formidable.

Up close, though, a sickly green haunts his hair, his cheeks, his lips,

his arms. We step past towers of junk and into hallways filled with crushed Coke cans, stained pipes, and sleeping bags peeking from the shadows.

We enter a den painted in murderous red. In a flash, everyone empties their pockets. Fresh syringes, mini-baggies, and taped paper are thrown onto a black countertop. Brad holds up a plastic pouch of clear shards so I can see it.

Crystal meth.

“Meth has come back tremendously,” Brad says in a

gravelly voice as he tidies the shards in a spoon. “It used to be $200 a gram; now it’s like $50. And it helps with the withdrawal and sickness of heroin.” He tears the tape off the paper with his teeth and carefully pours a fine mustard powder — “dog,” the street name for fentanyl — into the spoon. One of Brad’s friends, head mummified in a tight hoodie, adds: “Everyone got used to injecting their drugs — we do it for meth now too.”

Brad squirts some lemon juice onto the meth and fentanyl brew

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

9

FEATURE to sterilize it, then extracts the mixture into a syringe. He yanks up his sleeve and points to a gory abscess the size of a half-dollar. “That’s from meth,� he says.

Brad stabs his forearm with the needle. A small red bead forms at the tip. He ďŹ ddles until he hits the vein. Blood rises into the syringe.

He sends it back home and draws in a long breath as the hairs on his arm begin to rise.

*** Methamphetamine — a stimulant known for its ability to spike energy, focus, and sexual libido, and, more darkly, induce psychosis, days of hellish paranoia, and degenerate orgies — was ďŹ rst synthesized in crystalline form by a Japanese chemist in 1919 using red phosphorus, ephedrine and iodine.

Today, production of the drug revolves around ďŹ nding these chemicals or their equivalents, particularly from cold medicine, the most accessible source of pseudoephedrine.

Meth was once legal, given to Japanese kamikaze pilots in World War II before their ďŹ nal missions, and later, sold over the counter to dieters, truck drivers and college students. After being completely outlawed by Congress in 1970, meth production shifted to biker gangs and Mexican cartels.

When the Amezcua brothers of the Colima Cartel were arraigned in 1998, the DEA estimated they controlled 80 percent of the American methamphetamine market. The DEA’s efforts choked off the cartels’ supply of pseudoephedrine for a while, but

those efforts precipitated the rise in homeland manufacturing.

At the time, the most popular technique was the “Nazi method,� which substituted anhydrous ammonia, found in fertilizer, for red phosphorus. This method, which required empty acres for the highly suspicious smell to dissipate, imploded into the “red phosphorus� labs like those seen in Breaking Bad. In these kitchens, cooks harvested red phosphorus from striker plates on matchboxes.

The labs’ relative conďŹ nement allowed meth production to spread easily into the suburbs.

Red phosphorus labs had their drawbacks. With more tubing and buckets than a game of

“The effects of meth are more on blood pressure, pulse, heart rate — the autonomic nervous system — whereas opiates suppress your respiratory drive, the animal part of your brain where it tells you you don’t need to breathe.�

Mouse Trap, they were impossible to easily disassemble when law enforcement knocked. This led to a new innovation in meth production, called the “one pot� or “shake and bake� method, in the late 2000s. A 2-liter or Gatorade bottle housed a volatile mixture of pseudoephedrine and lithium.

While clandestine, this too had its aws: “The lithium was twacking out motherfuckers so bad,â€? Brad recalls. “Fucking them in their heads.â€?

On a top oor in the Summit County jail, inspector Bill Holland remembers a simpler time in meth prosecution — when monitoring the local buys of cold medicine

labs,� Holland notes ominously.

He describes crystal meth seized on the street that’s cheaper and stronger than anything law enforcement has encountered before.

The question is: Where is it coming from?

*** Detective Ben Hill, a narcotics detective for the city of Barberton, a suburb of Akron, Ohio, sits in a police cruiser in an abandoned parking lot on Wooster Road.

Hill’s eyes dart between drivers with the ďŹ xation of a hungry cat. “This is where all the drugs come in,â€? he murmurs, stroking his auburn beard. “Here and State Street.â€?

Hill has been on the force for seven years; he was promoted to narcotics detective in 2017. “Two years ago I started noticing a big inux of meth again,â€? he says. “It seemed like the heroin overdoses went down a bit, and then it just seemed like everybody switched to meth. But it’s not the shake and bake crap from before ‌ everybody has crystal meth now.â€?

Hill clears his throat and declares the culprit: “It’s the cartels.�

He continues: “They’re ooding everywhere with it. They’re manufacturing the meth in big labs in Mexico and shipping it up here in liquid form, and then ďŹ nishing it up in places around here — adding acetone and hardening it into crystals. Big scale stuff.â€?

Border seizures conďŹ rm the phenomenon surfacing thousands of miles away in Summit County.

In 2014, 19,613 pounds of methamphetamine was conďŹ scated at the southern border. In 2019, that number more than tripled to 68,585 pounds. For comparison’s

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overdoses over the past decade, meth numbers were dwarfed by heroin yet invariably rose.

Statewide numbers released this month showed that overdose deaths for all drugs fell across Ohio in 2018, except for one: psychostimulants, the category that includes meth and cocaine.

Across the country, meth overdoses more than quadrupled from 2011 to 2017, and across Ohio, drug task forces have reported skyrocketing rates of meth usage. “Recently, what we’ve been seeing is a huge uptick in meth seizures and arrests for meth. But what we haven’t seen are the meth

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could point investigators toward meth cooks. Scene previously reported that from 2000 to 2012, Summit County accounted for a third of all labs discovered across Ohio, with 256 busts inside Akron alone. Local ofďŹ cials speculated this didn’t come from higher rates of local usage, but the Akron police department’s notoriously dedicated “Methbustersâ€? unit. “We had such strong enforcement on it, we started to see it wane and go away and that’s when the opioid crisis struck,â€? Holland says.

The starkly higher body count of the opioid crisis sucked away America’s attention. Yet meth stubbornly lingered like a barnacle: On any graph of drug

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

sake, heroin seizures inched up from 4,356 to 5,427 pounds in the same time period. Just last year, in Hudson, two Mexican nationals and a Cleveland man were charged with possession of over 140 pounds of methamphetamine — the largest meth seizure in Ohio history.

After a few minutes, Hill’s police radio crackles with a request for backup. He deciphers the message for me — “the driver just tried to jump out of the car” — and jams the stick down, the engine yowling.

Moments later, we screech

onto a cul-de-sac crosshatched by the shadows of bare trees. The attending officer is patting down the handcuffed driver. Hill strides over to help. The driver is skinny, almost emaciated, wearing an oversized shirt and a fake chain and a tilted hat. The officers ask to search him. He consents, but when they reach into the gym shorts underneath his jeans, all hell breaks loose.

The driver starts smashing his head against his car and caterwauling toward the sky.

“I can’t go back to county,” he wails. Hill gingerly extracts a few

baggies from the driver’s shorts.

It hasn’t been one hour with Detective Hill and he’s already found the drug du jour. He holds up a plastic pouch of clear shards so I can see it. Crystal meth.

*** History doesn’t repeat, but it rhymes. Methamphetamine’s return as the primary drug of choice is a wormhole back to 2006, when the U.N. World Drug Report called meth the most abused hard drug on the planet, or 1998, when the Mexican cartels dominated its

means of production.

This epoch, however, is distinctly characterized by meth’s relationship with opioids. In an obvious carryover from heroin usage, a majority of meth users now inject the drug as opposed to smoking it. Cindy Koumoutzis, executive director of drug advocacy nonprofit OhioCAN, estimates that at least 60 percent of participants in the Canton needle exchange program are meth users. “Five years ago, that number would have been 10 percent,” she says. “But someone with prior heroin usage, they’re

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

FEATURE not afraid of that needle.”

Various street legends have transformed meth into an appealing supplement, if not replacement, for heroin. The fear of heroin being cut with fentanyl has led to users loading their syringes with meth as a buffer against fentanyl’s kiss of death.

Veteran users still experiment with fentanyl, but they prefer to mix it themselves, as Brad did.

The theory is that combining an upper and a downer would keep your heart racing in the event of an overdose. “I haven’t seen an official study on it, but it doesn’t easily make sense,” says Doug Smith, medical director of the Summit County Addiction Mental Health Services Board.

“The effects of meth are more on blood pressure, pulse, heart rate — the autonomic nervous system — whereas opiates suppress your respiratory drive, the animal part of your brain where it tells you you don’t need to breathe.”

Fentanyl’s insidious nature has led to another piece of drug lore: that meth is more trustworthy — less likely to be laced with fentanyl — than other hard drugs. This has some bearing in reality: Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation statistics confirm that only 2.8 percent of confiscated meth is cut with fentanyl, compared to 11 percent of cocaine. Detective Hill noted that the old-school homemade “shake and bake” methods were “cut 100 times,” but one “can’t really cut crystal meth, because you can see the crystals — it’s chunks instead of powder.”

Other claims helped meth climb atop the rubble of the opioid crisis: There is no physical withdrawal from meth (though the psychological withdrawal can be horrifying); cheap meth can provide precious dopamine when the dope runs low; meth works for those on Suboxone or other opioid blockers. These are all basically true. But meth is still highly addictive, recovery rates are traditionally low, and it thrashes one’s beauty with sores and rot and decay. It may not kill easily, but it certainly zombifies.

on,” Hill says. He opens the door and bends his head inside. The screams stop. Hill gets in the car and we begin driving back to the station. “That’s how people on meth are — they’re just over the top,” he says. “They get angry really, really fast.”

Hill silenced the man with the promise that he could work off his charges. In this way, meth has become subsumed into more traditional narcotics work. “There used to be a big difference back when the cartels weren’t involved,” Hill remembers. “I don’t want to say it was easier, but we had more tools. I could watch the pseudoephedrine logs and see who was buying and where they’re going.”

Now, with production outsourced south of the border, Hill follows the protocol he would for cocaine from Colombia or heroin from Afghanistan: After arresting someone for possession, he tries to get them to do three buys from a drug house, then he gets a warrant for the drug house, then he raids the drug house.

“I do two months of work for 10 minutes of fun,” he remarks dryly.

Most people Hill nabs are lowlevel street dealers three or four degrees of separation from the cartels. He is confident, though, that there’s a cartel house in Barberton, and “plenty in Akron.”

When he catches a whiff of such bigger machinations, he turns it over to the Summit County Drug Task Force or the feds.

For all his efforts, Hill acknowledges he is just chopping off the tentacles of a Cthulu that will soon regrow them. “I’d like to think we’re making a difference, but I’m not stupid,” he says. “As soon as you take a meth house down, another one pops up. But it makes a difference to those neighbors who are complaining that there’s drug traffic coming in and out, that there’s needles laying around. They call me and say, ‘Thank you so much for getting that out of my neighborhood.’”

Back at the station, Hill and I crowd into a small evidence room to weigh the meth, test it, and laminate it in case of a trial. He drops the meth into a small plastic baggie with three tubes and then crushes the tubes. A liquid forms the color of amber — a positive identification. Crystal meth.

*** The driver who Hill arrested is trying to kick out the windows of the other police cruiser. “Hold

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

GET OUT everything you should do this week

Cleveland Beerfest returns to the Huntington Convention Center of Cleveland. | Photo by Emanuel Wallace

WED

01/22

SPOKEN WORD

Film Cafe As part of the Music Box Supper Club’s Film Cafe series, Robert Banks and John W. Carlson talk tonight about shooting on film versus shooting digitally. Like the Music Box’s Cleveland Dinner Stories series, the event will feature a threecourse dinner option for $20. Doors open at 5 p.m., dinner is served at 6, and the conversation starts at 7. (Jeff Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com.

at 7:30 at Connor Palace. Additional showtimes continue through Jan. 26.

Tickets cost $39 to $119. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

SPORTS

Monsters vs. Rochester Americans Tonight, and on Wednesdays throughout the season, the Cleveland Monsters offer what they called Hockey Hoppy Hour tickets. For $12, you can sit in the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse’s lower level and receive one free drink. Today’s game against the Rochester Americans takes place at 7 p.m. Consult the website for the full range of ticket prices. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

THEATER

Jersey Boys This hit musical tells the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and chronicles how the group went from the streets of New Jersey to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Expect to hear hits such as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “December 1963 (Oh What A Night).”

Tonight’s performance takes place

COMEDY

Brad Wenzel Comedian Brad Wenzel once started a routine on Conan by saying, “Let’s get to the issues.” He then proceeded to make fun of “little people” and his own outdated choice of clothing (he likes flannel shirts). Wenzel doesn’t write narrative jokes; rather, he delivers a series of off-kilter oneliners in a monotone. He performs

tonight at 7 at Hilarities. Tickets cost $10 and $15. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

THU

01/23

FILM

Burning Cane Winner of the prize for Best Narrative Feature at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival and nominated for two Independent Spirit Awards, Burning Cane represents the directorial debut of 17-year-old Phillip Youmans, a director with a Terrence Malick-like approach. This film centers on a mother living in southeastern Louisiana who worries about both her unemployed, alcoholic son and a conflicted preacher.

The movie makes its theatrical debut in Cleveland tonight at 6:45 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

SPORTS

Cavaliers vs. Washington Wizards Much like the Cavaliers, the Washington Wizards are in the process of rebuilding what was once a playoff-caliber team. Shooting guard Bradley Beal makes up the heart and soul of the team and rookie Rui Hachimura shows great promise, but the Wizards don’t have much else going for them. The game against the Cavs starts tonight at 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Consult the website for ticket prices.

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

COMEDY

Nelsin Davis Shop local. Eat local. Laugh local.

That’s what Cleveland-native Nelsin Davis hopes you’ll do tonight when he performs at the Improv.

Davis has been making his rounds throughout the state for the last few years, leaving a trail of side-split Ohioans in his wake. The situational comic focuses on storytelling in his routine, so expect more of a clever audiobook than a standup performance. Davis takes the | clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

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GET OUT stage at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15.

(Brittany Rees) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

DRAG

at 7 p.m. (Emanuel Wallace) 2530 Superior Ave., Unit 500, 330-283-3666, facebook.com/pg/ SnapHouseCle. MUSIC

MUSIC

Theresa May: Classic, New, Borrowed & Blue Classically trained trumpeter and native Clevelander, Theresa May — an artist whose repertoire spans opera orchestral music to bending genres as the trumpeter

Midwinter Blues and Other Tunes In an attempt to beat back the wintertime blues, the Akron Art Museum has launched a new winter concert series, dubbed Midwinter Blues and Other Tunes. Once a week, including tonight, the museum presents an evening of local music

PRINCE Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images

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 offers a toast to all the mistakes you’ll make in 2020, and the theme is inspired by the films The Great Gatsby and Eyes Wide Shut. 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.

Cinematheque. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

COMEDY

Joe Machi With a resume worth boasting about, Joe Machi has been endlessly touring the U.S. as a headlining standup comedian. Between performing on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, appearing as a regular on Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld on Fox News and winning countless comedy competitions (including the 2013 NY Comedy Festival’s Funniest Comedian Competition), it’s hard to understand how Machi even has time to constantly tour the country. Offering relatable topics delivered hilariously, Machi performs at 7 tonight at Hilarities where he has shows scheduled through Saturday. Consult the website for ticket prices. (Danielle Immerman) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

THEATER

The Office! A Musical Parody An off-Broadway hit in New York, The Office! A Musical Parody satirizes the TV show that centered on a group of employees who work at a paper company in Scranton, PA. The show promises to include “all favorite moments from all nine seasons mashed up into one ‘typical’ day with Michael, Jim, Pam, Dwight and others.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 8 at the Hanna Theatre, where performances continue through Saturday. Tickets cost $42.50. (Niesel) 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

FRI

01/24

COMEDY

Chico Bean Fast-talking diminutive comedian Chico Bean likes to joke that he “can’t tolerate a taller woman” because she might superglue his keys to the ceiling fan to make sure that he can’t retrieve them.

Bean started his comedy career in Greensboro, North Carolina, and became a founding member of the Freestyle Funny Comedy Show along with fellow cast members B-Daht and Darren Brand. Bean is also part of the podcast 85 South Show with fellow cast members Karlous Miller, DC Young Fly and Clayton English. He performs tonight at 7:30 and 10 and tomorrow night at 7 and 9:30 at the Improv. Tickets cost $20 to $30. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

Play It Loud celebrates instruments that are as iconic as the musicians who played them. Explore how they defined the artist’s sound & elevated their identity, and witness the wild aftermath of the ultimate rock gesture, smashing guitars. Co-organized with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. FEATURING INSTRUMENTS FROM:

FILM

BEER!

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound In this new documentary film, veteran Hollywood sound editor Midge Costing explores the history and power of movie sound through interviews with prominent directors such as George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, David Lynch, Sofia Coppola and Ryan Coogler and with such pioneering sound designers as Walter Murch, Ben Burtt and Gary Rydstrom. The movie screens at 8:25 tonight and at 8:15 tomorrow night at the Cleveland Institute of Art

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(Admission at the door is $9 for members and $12 for non-members.)

However, admission to the museum galleries and lobby is free and open to all. Weekly performances continue through Feb. 13. (Niesel) 1 South High St., Akron, 330-376-9185, akronartmuseum.org.

NANCY WILSON OF HEART

KIRK HAMMETT OF METALLICA Cleveland Rocks! Northeast Ohio residents receive exclusive offers on admission with a valid ID at the box office.

Go to rockhall.com/visit and start planning your tour today.

in the acclaimed group, Mourning [A] BLKstar — has produced and curated an evening of chamber music and collaborative projects for brass instruments, voice, piano and animation to kick off upstart Fresh Perspectives’ season of performances at Snap House Studios. It all begins

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

along with art activities, live artist demos and additional musical performances in the galleries. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the headliners take the stage at 7 p.m. Tonight, Shivering Timbers headlines; advance tickets are $8 for museum members and $10 for non-members.

Cleveland Beer Fest An annual event, the Cleveland Beer Fest returns to the Huntington Convention Center today and tomorrow. There will be more than 350 craft beers, live music and local food vendors.

Early admission both tonight and tomorrow night begins at 7. Doors open to the general public at 8 p.m.

Ticket prices range from $50 to $90; consult the website to see your options. Proceeds benefit the Ohio Music Education Society, the Music Settlement and numerous other

local non-profit organizations.

(Niesel) 500 Lakeside Ave., 216-928-1600, clevelandbeerfest.com.

THEATER

Flanagan’s Wake No one knows grief and mourning like a Catholic, let alone an Irish Catholic. Flanagan’s Wake transports the audience to an Irish wake where villagers tell tales and sing songs for their dearly departed Flanagan. Finding the humor in life and death, the wake acts as a dark backdrop to an otherwise hilarious show in which alcohol fuels the humorous reminiscing. Sort of like a tragic Tony ’n’ Tina’s Wedding, the interactive and improvised show engages the entire audience as the guests are treated as the friends and family of the deceased. Tonight’s show starts at 8 and repeats tomorrow night at 8 at Kennedy’s Theatre. Performances continue weekends through April 25. Tickets are $27. (Patrick Stoops) 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

life and work of Paul Gauguin examines the artist’s legacy through the lenses of art history, gender and postcolonial politics. It also provides an up-close and personal guided tour of The Credit Suisse Exhibition: Gauguin Portraits at London’s National Gallery. The film screens at 7 p.m. today at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $15, or $11 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

SPORTS

Monsters vs. Toronto Marlies Tonight at 7 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the Cleveland Monsters kick off a two-game series against the Toronto Marlies. Tonight’s game will mark the Monsters’ 500th game in Cleveland, and the team will offer $1 Pepsi, $2 Sugardale hot dogs and $3 select beers as part of its regular 1-2-3 Friday promotion. Tomorrow’s game is Family Day and the first 2,000 kids under the age of 12 will receive a Castaway Bay day pass.

That game begins at 1 p.m. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

FILM

Gauguin From the National Gallery, London This documentary film about the

COMEDY

Paula Poundstone Over the course of a career that

stretches back nearly 40 years, comedian Paula Poundstone has been a regular guest on several NPR programs and has performed for the likes of Hillary Clinton and Johnny Carson. In her books, including There Is Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say and The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness, she provides a humorous look at life and zeroes in on the never-ending quest for happiness. Expect Poundstone to improvise plenty at tonight’s show, which takes place at 8 at the Ohio Theatre. Tickets start at $10. (Niesel) 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

SAT

01/25

COMEDY

Cash Cab’s Ben Bailey Comedian Ben Bailey is bringing his Ben Bailey Live standup tour to House of Blues tonight. The guy has won Daytime Emmy Awards for his game show Cash Cab; a second batch of new episodes premieres on Bravo next month. Bailey has also starred in two specials for Comedy Central.

His most recent, Road Rage and Accidental Ornithology, is currently

streaming on Netflix. He also hosts the popular podcast Tall But True.

Tonight’s performance starts at 7:30 p.m. Consult the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

SPORTS

Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls There was a time when the Chicago Bulls and the Cleveland Cavaliers, both of whom play in the same division, had a fierce rivalry.

Since both teams now dwell in the division’s cellar, the rivalry has simmered. Still, at this point, the two teams are evenly matched and tonight’s game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse should be a close one.

Tipoff is at 8; consult the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

THEATER

Clue Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, this theatrical production of Clue at the Cleveland Play House promises to be the “ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.”

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 | January 22 - 28, 2020

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$11, or $8 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

GET OUT

TEA TASTING

Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Allen Theatre, where performances continue through Feb. 23. Tickets start at $20. (Niesel) 1407 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, clevelandplayhouse.com.

COMEDY

January 24 Call 216-241-6000 Group Sales 216-640-8600 playhousesquare.org

Jeff Shaw Over the past three decades, comedian Jeff Shaw, a guy whose spiky hair makes him look a bit like rocker Rod Stewart, has performed nearly 9,000 shows across North America and the Caribbean. The squeaky voiced comedian likes to joke about how he admires millennials for being so hopeful and optimistic about the future. “I turned 50 and now I just want to be in bed by 9:30,” he jokes.

He performs tonight at 7 at Hilarities.

Tickets cost $23. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

FILM

The White Sheik To mark what would’ve been director Federico Fellini’s 100th birthday, the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque will present two screenings of The White Sheik, a film that focuses on a young bride who abandons her new husband to meet her longtime romantic idol (Alberto Sordi).

Screenings take place at 5 today and at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow. Tickets cost $11, or $8 for Cinematheque members and students. (Niesel) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

SUN

01/26

FILM

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

63 Up The ninth and perhaps final film in director Michael Apted’s long-running documentary series about the passing of time and the effect it has on all of us comes to the Cleveland Museum of Art today at 1:30 p.m. In the original film, Seven Up!, Apted profiled 14 British school children who were all 7 years old. He has caught up with them every seven years since to see how they’ve fared; the resulting series of films has been called “spellbinding in its sense of accumulated meaning,” by The New Yorker. In this film, there is a sense that Apted is starting to wrap things up, as he asks questions that cut to the heart of each participant’s personal journey. The movie screens again at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, and tickets cost

Adventures in Tea by Paula Hershman of Storehouse Teas Today at 3 p.m., Paula Hershman from Storehouse Teas hosts Adventures in Tea, a special event that takes place at 5 Points Tea and Coffee. Hershman will showcase a variety of organic, fair-trade loose leaf teas. Attendees can taste three to four teas and discuss brewing, differences in processing, health benefits and the history of artisan loose leaf tea. The $10 ticket includes tea tasting and a freshly baked Irish raisin scone. RSVP and pay at the shop or online via 5 Points’ Facebook page. (Niesel) 3600 West Park Rd., 5pointscafe.com.

COMEDY

Joe DeRosa Comedian Joe DeRosa likes to talk about people who have become too entitled and can’t say “sorry” without sounding sarcastic. He says he’s ethical to a fault because of his ItalianAmerican parents. DeRosa, who got his start in comedy in the early ’00s as part of a comedic musical duo called Deep at the New Road Brewhouse, performs tonight at 7 at Hilarities.

Tickets cost $15 and $20. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

MON

01/27

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

FOOD

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

save the date

01/28

SPORTS

Cavaliers vs. New Orleans Pelicans The New Orleans Pelicans got off to a rough start this season when No. 1 pick Zion Williamson went down with a torn right lateral meniscus.

As a result, the team hasn’t won many games, and the Cavs should be able to notch a win against the Pelicans when the two teams face off at 7:30 tonight at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Consult the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com.

MUSIC

Open Turntable Tuesday Tonight from 6 to 9, the Winchester hosts its weekly Open Turntable Tuesday. Jason Gokorsch will book guest DJs and offer slots to people who want to bring their own vinyl and spin their favorite songs or deep tracks. First time DJs are encouraged, and equipment is provided. Patrons can also bring records for the night’s DJ to add to their set. Sign up on Northeast Ohio Vinyl Club’s Facebook page. (Niesel) 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/ TheWinchesterMusicTavern.

MUSIC

Vinyl Night Jukebox owner Alex Budin has described his 1,350-square-foot music-focused bar in the Hingetown ’hood as “a place where people can expect to hear and learn about music of multiple genres, all of which is concentrated in a constantly evolving jukebox.” The club hosts a vinyl night every Tuesday that serves as a listening party for new releases, partnering with Loop in Tremont, so patrons can hear a new album on vinyl. You can bring your own vinyl and spin it too. It all starts at 5 p.m. (Niesel) 1404 West 29th St., 216-206-7699, jukeboxcle.com.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

APRIL 6-12, 2020 Every day is

Taco Tuesday during Taco Week.

We ’r e b r in gin g you $2 Tacos f r om s ome of CLEVELAND’s most popular taqueros!

clevelandtacoweek.com | clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

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Get your ticket early and SAVE 20%!

Now through January 31 only.

USE CODE MARDI2020

\{x w G © GH ¤ J A Charity Bar Crawl to benefit A Special Wish Cleveland, a charity organization that grants wishes for local kiddos with a life-threatening illness.

5TH ANNUAL

The GOT inspired bar crawl will feature seven of Tremont’s most popular bars:

MARDI GRAS CRAWL

THE TREEHOUSE | THE SOUTHSIDE | HI & DRY DANTE | CODA | THE FLYING MONKEY | CRUST

Saturday, February 22 12 p.m. - 5 p.m.

TICKETS

$

25

Ticket Includes: Game of Throne’s themed drink specials based off of fanfavorite episodes at each bar. The attendees will receive a passport card that will give the crawlers a route to follow throughout the bar crawl and will include all the drink specials at each stop! Bar crawlers will also receive a Game of Throne’s sweatshirt at registration and a GOT themed stadium mug at the After-Crawl Celebration which will be held at The Treehouse!

For additional information and to purchase tickets, visit: GOTwinteriscoming.eventbrite.com

Tickets $10 (plus processing fees)

Photograph by Ruddy Roye

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! flatseastbank.com Presented by:

Benefitting:

Alley Cat Oyster Bar / Aloft Hotel–WXYZ Bar / Backyard Bocce Flats Beerhead Bar & Eatery / Bold Food & Drink / Dante’s Inferno Flats LAGO / Magnolia Cleveland / Margaritaville Cleveland The Big Bang Dueling Piano Bar / Thirsty Dog East Bank / Truman’s 216

Must be 21 or older with ID for entry. Tickets are non-refundable; event will occur regardless of weather conditions. Portions of the event will be held outside, so please plan appropriately. While supplies last. Rules and regulations to be posted by 2/22/2020 on the Flats East Bank Mardi Gras Facebook Event Page.

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

January 20 through November 2020 A photographic celebration of everyday Cleveland in honor of CPL’s 150th anniversary.

Cleveland Public Library, Main Library, Brett Hall • 325 Superior Avenue, Cleveland OH, 44114

MOVIES METTLE OF HONOR Vietnam pic The Last Full Measure assembles aging stars

By Sam Allard SEBASTIAN STAN (CAPTAIN America: Winter Soldier) stars as an ambitious Department of Defense staffer tasked with gathering combat testimony from Vietnam for a posthumous Medal of Honor request in The Last Full Measure, a VFW tearjerker that opens Friday at select area theaters.

Directed by Todd Robinson (Phantom), the film assembles a smorgasbord of actors in their 60s and 70s to deliver emotional monologues about the terror of a botched 1966 operation and the valor of an Air Force para-jumper, William Pitsenbarger (Jeremy Irvine), who saved many of their lives. William Hurt, Samuel L. Jackson, Ed Harris and Peter Fonda (in the final performance before his death) are all thus featured. Many of their scenes are performed with big and often vividly externalized emotions, but they become somewhat tiresome in the aggregate.

Christopher Plummer — still appearing in at least one film per year at age 90 — portrays the father of Pitsenbarger. It’s he who is responsible for the film’s most touching scene, a monologue about the things he misses about his son, (how he folded his clothes for this mother, how he tapped his cleats for good luck when he stepped up to bat, “and how he always found my eyes when he crossed home plate”), and his sorrow that his son never got to have children of his own.

Photo courtesy of Roadside Attractions

The film is overwhelmed with heartfelt content of this sort. It almost feels like a stage play designed as an actors’ showcase.

The flashbacks to 1966 — Vietnam’s actual “Operation Abilene,” featuring Charlie Company, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment — are too brief and harried to establish anything but the chaos of the day in question.

Despite the trauma of the men involved, and the cruelty of the bureaucracy which strategically failed to honor an act of uncommon courage — “The dirty little secret is that the medals go to the officers,” Stan’s character is advised at one point — Full Measure’s project is to sentimentalize. It’s got more

American flags per minute than any film in recent memory. One pivotal scene is literally staged in front of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

It’s a little much, in other words.

The patriotic celebration of the heroism of individual soldiers is hard to disentangle from the patriotic celebration of war itself. And while the heroism of individual soldiers can and should be celebrated, the Vietnam War — which the vast majority of Americans regard as fundamentally wrong and immoral — is never questioned or condemned.

Stan is a convincing DOD climber, and while his gradual transformation from perturbed company man to conscientious advocate for veterans is

a familiar arc, it’s a central plot line that accommodates the large, highprofile ensemble.

It will come as no surprise that the culmination of the film is the awarding of the Congressional Medal of Honor, only three of which have ever been awarded to enlisted airmen.

The film argues that these medals are crucially important, that they allow vets and their families to come together, to share their stories. And while the tearful rah-rah stuff was too on-the-nose for this reviewer, the film certainly pleads its case.

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

SPOTLIGHT: TURN OUT THE LIGHTS BASED IN CLEVELAND, DIRECTOR Jonathan Elihu Klein has been making videos since before he can remember. Homeschooled while growing up, he dedicated his free time to video production. As a child, he saw movies as a way of exploring the world beyond where he lived in the suburbs.

Once YouTube came along, he started his own production company, Get the Pix Productions.

He made some animated films using only Paint and Windows Movie Maker. Those films generated some significant interest, and they

continue to drive traffic to the channel.

Klein recently turned his attention to making feature-length films, and his third movie, Turn Out the Lights, will have its premiere at 7 p.m. on Friday at Andrews Osborne Academy in Willoughby.

Locally based actor and writer Jesse DiFranco wrote the film’s script. DiFranco began writing for Get the Pix Productions in 2018 when he penned the thriller, Sic Transit Gloria. Since then, he’s collaborated with Klein on many projects.

An account executive for Marcus Thomas, where he uses his writing and communication skills to manage projects and deadlines, DiFranco acts and writes for many independent film projects throughout Cleveland.

Turn Out the Lights centers on four twentysomethings — Jimmy (DiFranco), Leslie (Janna Klein), Franky (Brandon Ferris) and Will (Paul Ulle) — who set out to solve a 17-year-old murder case that occurred in their neighborhood.

Press materials describe the movie as “a nostalgic lighthearted

film about childhood and the things we sometimes leave behind unwittingly.”

Doors open at 6 p.m. for the screening. Advance tickets cost $10, and general admission will be $15 at the door. Guests are encouraged to dress up since photos will be taken of the event. But if you don’t dress up, that’s fine too. Any appropriate garb will be permitted.

Go to getthepix.org for more info.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel | clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

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IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CHICKEN, RIBS, FISH & OUR OWN 13 GOURMET SAUCES! V’s HOURS

We can customize your catering order with many Gourmet options such as:

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EAT TICKET TO RIDE At Zhug, chef Doug Katz charts a Middle Eastern adventure you shouldn’t miss

By Douglas Trattner FOR MOST EASTSIDERS, THE drive up Cedar Hill into Cleveland Heights is so routine that few sights manage even to register. But lately, commuters have begun to observe thick knots of people milling about on the sidewalk, peculiar given the outdoor temps. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that these folks aren’t waiting for the doors to open at some raucous concert club; they are scrambling for seats at Zhug, the latest restaurant from chef Douglas Katz.

With the unveiling of this new venture, Katz has created a new gravitational center for this side of town, attracting diners with such force that many get turned away. The beneficiaries of all that cosmic energy are “planets” like Nighttown, Parnell’s Pub, Vero and the Fairmount, all of which eagerly absorb the overflow.

If your idea of Middle Eastern food consists largely of tightly wrapped falafel sandwiches, shawarma carved from a twirling spit and grilled beef shish-kabob on a bed of rice, Zhug will expand your culinary horizons in a million little ways. With its dazzling small plates, meticulously crafted cocktails and ripped-from-Tel Aviv-vibe, this cosmopolitan eatery upends every Cleveland dining convention.

It all starts with the environment, a casually sophisticated space with warehouse windows, high ceilings, low-slung furniture and restrained design elements. An open kitchen, prominent bar and club-like soundtrack prevent the mood from going gloomy, while the riveting 30-item menu promotes a spirit of adventure. What diners discover on the other end of that journey is a bazaar full of compelling spices.

At Zhug, humdrum hummus becomes a canvas on which to present bold ideas. The silky textured spread is sculpted into a vessel to receive ingredients like burnt onion and nigella seed ($9) or curried lamb with apricots ($14). In the former, bitter-sweet onions and herbaceous nigella seeds are joined by cumin and dried chili powder to create an earthy, smoky spread. In the latter, already a must-order dish, warm-spiced braised lamb is nestled

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

into its hummus bed and topped with olive oil and fresh dill.

Before long, the table is festooned with beautiful pottery containing various dips and spreads like cool and creamy labneh ($5), rustic and smoky eggplant-based lutenitsa ($7) and plush, warm pita-like clay bread.

The fun lies in building little bites of this and that atop the bread and hummus and capping it off with dollops of the namesake zhug, an electric-green chutney made with

potatoes, olive puree and dollops of saffron aioli. Less ambitious but still satisfying, flattened and schmaltzfried potatoes ($7) come with mustard creme fraiche. Duck fat fried parsnip pancakes ($11) arrive hot and crisp, but oozing oil. We also didn’t go crazy for the whole roasted cauliflower ($12), which seemed stuck somewhere between raw and cooked, hot and cold, and bland and seasoned.

From the outside, the house-

ZHUG 12413 CEDAR RD., CLEVELAND HEIGHTS 216-862-2508 ZHUGCLE.COM

enough serrano peppers to KO Stipe.

Some diners might find the menu layout maddening as there is no clear division between vegetable, seafood and meat dishes. Not that there is a right or wrong way to proceed, but servers can be helpful when charting a course. Octopus ($14) is everywhere these days, but few preparations are as stunning as this. Coins of braised, cold-smoked meat are arranged like stained glass in crimson chili oil with quartered

smoked pastrami ($17) looks like it might be dry. But these wide planks of shocking-pink meat are made from short rib, and they melt in the mouth. They come capped with pickled red cabbage and perched in a buttery celery root puree. In the hands of Katz and executive chef Andrew Mansour, a seemingly simple donut becomes an expedition down the famed spice route. Dosa-battered delicata squash rings ($11) are fried until

golden brown, set atop a slick of chai-spiced glaze flavored with tea and cardamom, and drizzled with a clove-scented maple gastric. A tropical blood orange salad joins the plate.

After a handful of visits, we only scratched the surface, which is fine because a menu like this gives diners numerous reasons to return to try different dishes as well share old favorites with new companions.

Get to Zhug early on weekends and you battle the crowds for a table (the restaurant does not accept reservations). Sure, you can put your name in, walk down the block for a drink, and wait for the phone to buzz. Better yet, come during the week, or a little later in the evening on weekends when the place loosens up. As the early-bird crowds depart, they invariably are replaced by younger, thirstier diners with nowhere to go but the next course. The lights get dimmer, the music gets louder, and the wine and cocktails begin flowing like the River Jordan.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner | clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

23

Photo courtesy of Ohio City Galley

EAT BITES Popular Tinman burger to land permanent home at Eugene Kitchen at BottleHouse Lakewood

By Douglas Trattner MICHAEL SCHOEN MADE A splash at the Ohio City Galley with his OG Tinman Burger, a double smash burger with American cheese, special sauce, and sweet and spicy pickles on a brioche bun.

When Schoen ended his Galley residency at year’s end, fans were understandably heartbroken but clinging to reports that it — and its creator — would soon find a more permanent home.

That home has been found in Lakewood, says Schoen.

“I was approached by the guys from the BottleHouse about six or seven months ago,” he explains.

“They asked me to take over the kitchen space at their brewery in Lakewood. It’s a huge kitchen that isn’t really being utilized.”

It’s been about four years since the Cleveland Heights-based

brewery took over the former Sullivan’s Irish Pub space (13368 Madison Ave.) near the Birdtown neighborhood of Lakewood to focus on its line of meads. The large kitchen, when it was used at all, was the province of popup providers and caterers, who supplied the food for a neverending stream of private events like weddings, baby showers and bachelorette parties.

When Eugene Kitchen at Bottlehouse opens in March or April, it will introduce a more constant source of sustenance for bar patrons.

“With all of these breweries popping up, you’ve got to have food,” notes Schoen.

In keeping with the now-familiar taproom model, the process will be fast-casual, with diners walking

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

up to an open kitchen to order and pay. To that end, a pass into the kitchen will be created. In addition to those Tinman burgers with fries or shoestring onion

rings, Eugene Kitchen will offer sandwiches, beer-friendly snacks and a few entrees. Guests can look forward to dips and spreads like housemade nduja, salt cod dip

and roasted eggplant served with housemade speck-grain toast.

Daily dinner features will be served family-style with all the fixings. Imagine fried chicken or a Sunday roast served with mashed potatoes and Yorkshire pudding.

Schoen says that diners also can look forward to considerably lower prices given that the Galley arrangement results in higher tariffs.

Meatball-Themed Polpetta in Rocky River Has Closed Polpetta, the meatball-themed eatery that began life in the tiny kitchen of Porco Lounge and graduated, last year, to a brickand-mortar restaurant in Rocky River, has closed.

“We made the tough decision,” says partner Stefan Was. “There was no way that we could keep this thing alive.”

While flexible, fun and delicious — with stellar cocktails to boot — the restaurant struggled to earn a regular following on Cleveland’s west side.

Management tried adding lunch service and introducing new entrees, but being tucked deep into a shopping plaza proved an insurmountable obstacle.

Lilly Chocolates and Confections in Old Brooklyn Has Closed Sadly, it’s the end of the line for Lilly Chocolates and Confections. The high-end, handmade sweets shop that launched in Tremont in 2008 and relocated to Old Brooklyn a year and a half ago has closed.

Owners Amanda and Joshua Montague announced in a Facebook post that they shuttered the shop to take advantage of a career opportunity with a cannabis-fueled wellness company.

“Josh and I have accepted fabulous career opportunities at a wonderful new company called Buoyant Brands Inc. Buoyant is a health + wellness company that produces and sells a premium line of intelligently formulated food products predominantly infused with hemp-derived cannabinoids and complementary natural ingredients. The company’s first products consist

of a line of infused chocolates, as well as infused Dog Chews!”

Cilantro Taqueria’s Second Location Now Open in Shaker Heights Cilantro Taqueria opened its first location just one year ago when it took over the former Chipotle spot on Coventry. Last week, the Mexican restaurant officially expanded with a new location in Shaker Heights at 20090 Van Aken Blvd., inside a former Qdoba.

As we noted when that first Cleveland Heights restaurant opened, the spot “is a windfall for fans of authentic Mexican and CalMex food like tacos, tortas, burritos and bowls.” Patrons can also score margaritas and beer. The food menu is the same at each location.

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The Boiler 65 is Now Open in South Euclid Quietly opening its doors Dec. 21, with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, the Boiler 65 is now all systems go in South Euclid (13957 Cedar Rd.), giving eastsiders yet another steamed seafood option.

The seafood-in-a-bag concept took both sides of Cleveland by storm back in 2017, with multiple similarly themed restaurants opening around that time. Boiler 65 opened its first spot in Gordon Square; and, like others of its kind, it offers diners a wildly fun, social and atypical way to enjoy seafood, but the table looks like a bloody massacre when you’re done.

The new location, found at the former Levin Mattress outpost, offers the same rowdy atmosphere as its westside sister operation, along with Cajun/ Asian-spiced shrimp, crab, lobster and crawfish.

And as always, bibs and gloves are included.

The new Boiler 65 is open Monday through Thursday from 3 to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday from noon to 11 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. —Morrison

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P h o t o c o u r t e s y o F PA M L O S H A K

S

AD MUSIC, SAD COMEDY, A TOUR featuring comedian/actor Nick Thune and singer-songwriter Damien Jurado, finds the two artists sharing headlining duties (and collaborating too).

Thune, who’ll appear in the HBO Max romantic comedy anthology series Love Life alongside Anna Kendrick, also recently shot the ABC drama pilot Heart of Life, inspired by the John Mayer song of the same name. He’s also released two one-hour standup specials — Nick Thune: Good Guy and Nick Thune: Folk Hero.

Jurado started making albums in the late ’90s and last year released his first acoustic album, In the Shape of a Storm.

They bring their tour to the Beachland on Sunday.

During a recent conference call,

26

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

Thune, who said he was relaxing in a hot tub, and Jurado, who said he was sitting in his Christmas pajamas in his recliner, spoke about the tour.

Can you each talk about your backgrounds a bit? Damien, what drew you to music; and Nick, what drew you to comedy?

Jurado: I stated out doing visual art as a kid. I grew up in a big family of Mormons. That fizzled out. At around 11 or 12, I got into hardcore music and was into that. I played in hardcore bands until I was 19. In 1994, I put out my first cassette of acoustic music. I signed to Sub Pop Records and did four records with them. In 2001, I signed to Secretly Canadian, and I just signed with Mama Bird Recording. That’s me in a nutshell.

Thune: I started performing at church.

jniesel@clevescene.com | t@jniesel

They brought me in as the funny guy to do announcements. It was like, “Don’t park over there; park over there.” I found a lot of fun bringing humor into this very serious place. I realized [performing for] the audience of the church is something not to learn to perform in the real world. I got some stage chops and started performing at poetry open mics as a serious poet but I was really messing with the audience and then started doing standup. I moved from Seattle to L.A. because I wanted to go to a city where I didn’t know anyone. I just wanted to fail in front of people who didn’t know me. Bombing on stage in Seattle in front of people I went to school with got old. It just happened quickly. I got up in front of the right people. A month later, I was on The Tonight Show, and two months

later, they had me back. I started to make a name for myself in the comedy world. I got deals with Comedy Central and Netflix. I’ve been acting and doing standup ever since.

How did you first meet? What were your initial impressions of one another?

Thune: We met at a [singer-songwriter] Richard Swift memorial. We’re friends with Richard. I knew everything Damien had put out. I was a fan. Richard had talked about him, and I knew a little about their working relationship. I had seen live performances and was glad to meet him.

Jurado: Same thing for me. I first knew about Nick through Richard. I knew about Nick and, being a fan of comedy, I knew Nick’s name and heard his animals. I did a show at [the L.A. club]

Photo By: VIKESH KAPOOR

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

27

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MUSIC Largo that he put together. I was not impressed at all. His comedy is great but, personally, I wasn’t that impressed. Hopefully, this tour can fix that.

Thune: I’m just here to serve. I’m also working as tour manager on this tour.

How did the concept for the tour come together?

Thune: We had a fun time doing a show together. It’s fun. As a musician, you get used to touring in other bands and with other musicians. As a comedian, vice versa. So I’m constantly looking for a way to make what I do more fun. I’m trying to give the audience a unique, in-the-moment experience. Doing stuff like this helps create that.

Is there a precedent for this tour?

Was there another comedy and music tour that you looked to for inspiration?

Thune: I’ve done a few rock club tours and I opened for the Mates of States once and have done shows with local bands. I don’t know how many co-

having that contrast. I thought maybe it was time to give them an acoustic record. That was my driving decision.

We did it in like an hour-and-a-half or two hours. It’s all live in one take.

Nick, can you talk about what was it like to make your two comedy specials?

Thune: I love the experience. The difference between music and comedy is that material for comedy is built on the road. There’s no way to write something and think, “I think people are going to like this.” You do get better at knowing whether something will work or not, but it’s not anything until it’s performed live and built in front of a live audience. After enough time of doing that, you get to dump it. You get to perform an hour of stuff they haven’t heard that you have dialed in, and then, it’s over. It’s weird that way. You can’t really tour on it anymore. Making an album, you write it and then tour behind it. It’s a backwards way of doing it. There are so many comedy specials coming out and the problem is that lots of people are putting them out and just kind of doing it. It used to be that people would wait 10 years to put out a special. I want mine to be dynamic and well-thought-out to every breath. Right now, I’m building the next one and I

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

Beachland Ballroom, 15711 Waterloo Rd. 216-383-1124 | Tickets: $25 ADV, $28 DOS beachlandballroom.com

headlining tours have been done like this. I can’t think of one. I know it’s usually one or the other opening. Our stuff is radically different, but it works well together. People know it’s not just a comedy or a music show. It’s a full experience that’s about a performance.

Jurado: I open, and Nick closes out the night, but we also do stuff together.

Damien, can you talk about your new album, In the Shape of a Storm.

The songs are really beautiful. Did you want to do something differently this time around?

Jurado: I never set out to accomplish much when it comes to the records. I just want to put them out there. When I did that record, I took so long that fans were wondering what was going on. My records tend to have lots of production going on, but my live sets are different.

They’re more stripped down. I like

want to take my time knowing that I can take my time touring and make it perfect. I need to find the right home too. Someone wanted me to put one out next month and it’s not there yet. The tour is where you really put it together.

How’d you come up with the name?

“Sad” music and comedy makes it sound like it’s going to be lame since “sad” has that connotation.

Thune: Maybe [Lame Music, Lame Comedy Tour] would have been a better name. I wish we would’ve named it that.

Any great memories from performing in Cleveland in the past?

Thune: The last time I was there, Boyz II Men and Backstreet Boys were coheadlining. I view myself as Boyz II Men and Damien as Backstreet Boys, so I feel like we’re coming back.

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

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| clevescene.com m | January 22 - 28, 2020

MUSIC SOUL PROVIDERS Seratones opt for a more mature sound on their new album, Power

By Jeff Niesel THOUGH POWER , THE LATEST effort from Seratones, a Shreveport, Louisiana-based band fronted by gospel-trained singer and activist A.J. Haynes, features songs about women’s reproductive rights, Haynes doesn’t think the songs should be seen as a response to the right turn the country has taken with the last presidential election.

“I don’t think it’s a political record as much as it is my day-to-day lived experience,” says Haynes in a recent phone interview. Seratones perform with Tom Evanchuck at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Beachland Tavern. “Our experiences become politicized, but I’m just talking about what’s in front of my face. I’m reticent if not turned off by calling things political. Politics is the language of naming, and it’s imbued with power dynamics. [The songs on Power feature] me talking about things that are stigmatized like access to health care and poverty and being scared and the kind of fears you live with if you are an ‘other.’”

Haynes got her start by singing in her church at age 6. She says her mother encouraged her to join the choir and didn’t really give her much choice in the matter.

“I always associated singing with some kind of spiritual work of some sort,” she says. “Singing is something I just do. It’s a noise that just comes out of my body. My grandmother really encouraged me to sing for people. She would ask me to sing for a group of her friends.

She would give me a few dollars if there were a lot of people there. In a very early age, she instilled that in me. It was like, ‘If you’re not going to sing in church, then people need to be paying you.’ I’m really thankful for that. She built in that workman mentality.”

With that in mind, Haynes first launched a cover band because that was the best way to ensure she’d find steady work.

Given the singer’s strong-willed nature, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the cover band wasn’t your typical cover band.

“We didn’t do ‘Brown-Eyed Girl’ and ‘Mustang Sally,’” she says. “We

Photo by Dylan Glasgow Guice

learned deep cuts from CCR and Duane Allman and Aretha Franklin and Radiohead and T-Bone Walker and Arthur Crudup and the Cramps and whatever the fuck we felt like doing. We did Jefferson Airplane. It was on a whim. We’d play whatever

“We were so comfortable in a live space,” she says. “Shifting from that to a studio space was difficult. As a new artist or any kind of novice, you tend to approach things with preconceived ideas of how they should be, and that’s the dumbest

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we thought we could pull off.”

After the band dissolved, she started working on her own songs, and that’s when Seratones began.

Haynes describes the making of the band’s debut, Get Gone, as a “volatile” experience.

thing to do. You should walk in with no expectations. You should be informed by sound and history but allow yourself space to create.”

With Power, the band abandoned the raunchier punk side of its sound for something more soulful and

accessible. Album opener “Fear” has an old-school soul feel and sounds like it could be a track by a ’60s girl group. The rest of the album follows suit.

“I shifted into becoming a grownass woman,” she says. “I don’t feel the same as I did two years ago.

There’s so much that changes from your mid-twenties to early thirties.

I’m more interested in myself, not in a way that’s narcissistic. I needed the refuge of soul music. I needed to see myself in a different way.”

She wrote one album highlight, “Lie to My Face,” with producer Brad Shultz of Cage the Elephant fame.

He came to the studio with a demo of the tune that the two of them then tweaked.

“The second he played that, I was like, ‘What if we did it like Otis [Redding] instead of doo-wop?’” she recalls. “I sang it like that and knew that’s the way it should be. My lyrics are about creative and romantic relationships. Someone hasn’t taken accountability for their actions and shifts the blame to me. Everyone has been there. It’s about a relationship or two romantically and a creative relationship from the past.”

The album closes with the beautiful ballad “Crossfire,” a track the group recorded on the last day of the recording session.

“I started writing it out of a place of, not despair, but of feeling so hollow and powerless because of gun violence and police brutality and the dangers of living in this world,” she says. “The last time we performed that song, when it really hit me, was when we were in Paris. The year prior, we had played at the Bataclan at the re-opening of that space after the tragedy. The simple act of going to a movie theater or a Walmart can be fatal. I was singing [the song] in a way that’s about doing things in the face of those fears instead of ignoring them. I just wept and went out into the crowd and continued to weep and cried with people. It just needed to happen.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

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BRITTANYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RECORD SHOP (Cleveland) LOOP (Tremont) MY MINDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EYE RECORDS (Lakewood) RECORD REVOLUTION (Cleveland Heights) RECORD SHOP (Willowick) SQUARE RECORDS (Akron) THE VINYL GROOVE (Bedford)

| cl clev clevescene.com evesce ev c nee.c .com m | January Janu Ja nuuar y 22 2 - 228, 8, 202 2020 20

TUESDAY 1.28 LYRICAL RHYTHMS (9pm) Live Band Open Mic Poetry Hip-Hop Soul Experience

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all the live music you should see this week Photo by Joe Kleon

blues-rock tunes. Over the years, he’s cut his teeth touring with the likes of Jeff Beck and the Rhythm Devils, tapping into some serious rock ’n’ roll DNA. While he weaves a nice Celtic influence into his material (he went to high school and formed his first band on the Isle of Man), Knowles hews closely to American rock songwriting structures. (Eric Sandy) 7 p.m., $15 ADV, $18 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.

School of Rock: 12 p.m., free.

Beachland Ballroom.

Shelter Pup/Soot Sprites/Pollen Eyes/Learning Curve (in the Locker Room): 7:30 p.m., $8.

Mahall’s 20 Lanes.

So Many Roads Presents: A Be Kind Benefit: 8 p.m., $10. The Winchester.

Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free.

Nighttown.

Snoop Dogg comes to House of Blues for a sold-out show. See: Friday.

SUN WED

01/22

The Co-Existence Showcase Party Hosted by Trapboi Manikin: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop.

DJ Jack Da Ripper/DJ Freddie Mack: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop.

Will Schmid Quartet: 9 p.m., free.

Bop Stop.

THU

01/23

Croce Plays Croce: Nashville-based singer/songwriter A.J. Croce has recently created a very special concert experience that celebrates both his own music and that of his father, the late Jim Croce.

Entitled Croce Plays Croce: Two Generations of American Music, the show features A.J., who was only 2 when his dad died in an airplane crash, performing his songs, his father’s tunes and music that influenced both of them. The idea came to him when he was digitalizing some of his father’s old tapes and came across a cassette filled with covers of old blues and folk tunes by Fats Waller, Bessie Smith and Pink Anderson. It was a revelation to him. Jim Croce, who died in 1973, remains as popular as ever. His record sales have surpassed the 45 million mark, and his songs have

appeared on over 375 compilations.

(Jeff Niesel) 7:30 p.m. Music Box Supper Club.

Maria Jacobs CD Release Party: 7 p.m., $15. Bop Stop.

Julian Lynch: 8 p.m., $8. The Winchester.

Magic City Hippies/Tim Atlas: 8:30 p.m., $17.50 ADV, $20 DOS. House of Blues Cambridge Room.

FRI

01/24

Acid Cats: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop.

Constant Source/Yuck Puddle/ Gigantor Smith: 8 p.m., $7. CODA. Dave Matthews Band Tribute by Trippin’ Billies: 8 p.m. Music Box Supper Club.

Doctor P + Cookie Monsta: 9 p.m., $30. Beachland Ballroom.

Guy & the Citizens/Salt Sinclair/ Sky Rockets/Rick Ray Band: 8 p.m., $5. The Winchester.

Lea Marra/Jason Kaminski/Tired Silos/Owney the Postal Dog (in the Locker Room): 8 p.m., $8.

Mahall’s 20 Lanes.

School of Rock/A.P. Thunder: 7 p.m., $5. Grog Shop.

Snoop Dogg: The artist, the legend, the smoker of all the weed …

Snoop Dogg is coming to drop it like it’s hot in Cleveland once again as part of his I Wanna Thank Me tour. Snopp Dogg was last in Cleveland in 2018, promoting his stage play Redemption of a Dogg. At that time,

he was also spotted stopping by a Cleveland Browns practice, even though he is a supposed Steelers fan. The California rapper, aka Martha Stewart’s BFF, is sure to bring all kinds of cool to the House of Blues show, including songs from his most recent album, I Wanna Thank Me, along with all of his hits. (Laura Morrison) 8 p.m., $59.75 ADV, $70 DOS. House of Blues.

Springsteen Tribute by Swamps of Jersey (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club.

Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free.

Nighttown.

SAT

01/25

The Allman Brothers Tribute by Revival: 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $20 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.

Birdog Cats: 8 p.m., $7. CODA. Blockhead/Arms and Sleepers/ il:lo: 9 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Grog Shop.

Facility Men/Hawk Baby/Burnin’ Loins: 8 p.m., $7. Now That’s Class.

Great Good Fine OK/Aaron Taos: 8:30 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Beachland Tavern.

Kneebody: 7 p.m., $25. Bop Stop.

Davy Knowles (in the Supper Club): Davy Knowles is sure to hit Cleveland with a spring in his step. His latest album, 1932, is a groovy collection of upbeat

01/26

EEJ Firelands Quartet: 7 p.m., $15.

Bop Stop.

Honky Tonk Sunday with Cory Grinder Band/OHIOCVLPWR/ Merry Go Rounders: 9 p.m., free.

The Winchester.

Damien Jurado and Nick Thune: 8:30 p.m., $25 ADV, $28 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.

School of Rock: 12 p.m., free.

Beachland Ballroom.

MON

01/27

The Adicts: 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $29 DOS. House of Blues.

Angel Cardona: 8:30 p.m., free. The Winchester.

Chris Farren/Retirement Party/ Macseal (in the Locker Room): 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes.

TUE

01/28

Courtney Barnett/Hachiku: 7:30 p.m. Cleveland Museum of Art. Nightly/Sawyer/THE WLDLFE: 7 p.m., $12 ADV, $17 DOS. House of Blues.

Phillip Phillips: 7:30 p.m. Music Box Supper Club.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

35

BAND OF THE WEEK UPTIGHT SUGAR

By Jeff Niesel Photo courtesy of Uptight Sugar

1/22 | 7PM | $12

WILL SCHMID QUARTET 1/23 | 7PM | $15

MARIA JACOBS CD RELEASE 1/24 | 8PM | $15

ACID CATS 1/25 | 7PM | $25

KNEEBODY 1/25 | 9:30PM | $20

KNEEBODY 1/26 | 7PM | $12

EEJ FIRELANDS QUARTET 1/29 } 8PM | $7

NIGHT TERRORS WITH

MEET THE BAND: Dave Hamilton (lead vocals, keyboards), Matt Vance (lead guitar, vocals), Mike Murray (keyboards, guitars, vocals), Adam Christian (bass), Dan Jankowski (drums, percussion)

CHRIS BOBER 1/30 | 7PM | $15

RANDIE SHANE PRESENTS A MUSICAL TRIBUTE TO

STEPHEN SONDHEIM 1/31 | 8PM | $15

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

guitarist Mike Murray and singerkeyboardist Dave Hamilton started the band as an outlet to play the type of music they play with their cover band, Sunrise Jones. But with Uptight Sugar, they decided to play original music. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while,” says Hamilton when asked about the band’s origins. “We got this lineup together about a year or two after Sunrise Jones had formed in 2013.”

Uptight Sugar released its first EP, Under Blue Light, in 2018. “We were neck deep in our cover band aspirations at the time and having a ball doing that,” says Murray. “We learned all these complicated songs to play with Sunrise Jones, and that inspired us to want to write some original music, and Dave [Hamilton] had a huge catalog of stuff that he had cultivated for years. I wanted to give it a shot and start recording material in a way that feels modern but feels like an homage to the music by the bands we were learning. The record was born from that.”

Murray’s basement. For the drums, they went to Superior Sound Studios and worked with veteran engineer Jim Stewart. “[Stewart] helped us put it all together,” says Murray.

“He’s fantastic to work with.” Jimmy Weaver of Welshly Arms mixed the album, and Becker Mastering in Los Angeles handled the mastering.

Late last year, the band released the Beatles-esque “Fell for You,” the first track off their next record planned for 2020. “This is the first time we’re getting together as a group and focusing on songwriting from the ground up,” says Murray when asked about the forthcoming album.

“We have an eclectic mix of songs.

We’re really exploring the genres.

It’ll feel cohesive but in a very cohesive way — I hope.”

WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM:

uptightsugar.com.

WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: “Crawl,” one of the highlights on I’m Ok, You’re Ok, features echoing vocals and lush synthesizers, echoing ’80s acts such as Pet Shop Boys and Tears for Fears. With its mix of taut electric guitars and synths, “Die Before I’m Dead” also recalls British pop/rock bands that were popular in the ’80s. A piano ballad, “The Blue Light (Parts 1 & 2),” opts for a more somber sound.

THE FOLLOWUP EP: The 2019 five-

track compilation, I’m OK, You’re OK, followed. “That first EP was like, ‘Let’s put our toe in the water and check the temperature and see where we’re at,’” says Hamilton.

“We had so much fun with it and people seemed to like it and relate to it. I’m OK, You’re OK is more like us stretching our legs a bit to see how far we can take it.” Writing and early production was done in

WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Uptight

Sugar performs with Window Dogs and Spirit of the Bear at 7 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 24, at Stella’s Music Club and with Apostle Jones at 8 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31, at Collision Bend Brewery.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

SAVAGE LOVE THE LONG GAME

by Dan Savage I’m a 30-year-old bi male. I’ve been with my wife for five years, married nine months. A month into our relationship, I let her know that watching partners with other men has always been something I wanted and that sharing this had caused all my previous relationships to collapse.

Her reaction was the opposite of what I was used to. She said she respected my kink, and we both agreed we wanted to solidify our relationship before venturing down the cuckold road. Fast-forward a couple of years, and we are in a healthy relationship, living together, regularly visiting sex clubs (though playing only with each other), and beginning to add some cuckold dirty talk to our sex play. Then after I proposed, we got busy … with wedding plans. Sex and experimentation were set aside.

Once we got married, we started … looking for a house. Sex again took a back seat. Life has settled down now, and when I bring up my desire to see her with other men, she tells me she’s willing, but the conversation quickly ends.

I have suggested making profiles on various websites, but it doesn’t happen. Am I doing something wrong? I fear that saying, “Let’s make a profile right now,” is pushy, and I absolutely do NOT want to be the whiny and pushy husband. Any advice you might have would be amazing.

— Wannabe Cuckold Growing Frustrated So you don’t want to be pushy where the wife is concerned, WCGF, but you’ll send me the same email half a dozen times in less than a week.

Look, WCGF, some people mean it when they say, “We can have threesomes/go to BDSM parties/try cuckolding once our relationship is solid.” But some people don’t mean it. They tell their kinky and/or nonmonogamous partner what they want to hear in the hopes that after the wedding and the house and the kids, their husband and the father of their children (or their wife and the mother of their children) isn’t going to leave them over something as “trivial” as a threesome, a

public spanking or cuckolding.

Complicating matters further, some people say it and mean it and then change their mind.

To figure out what’s going on (and to figure out whether you’re doing something wrong), you’re going to have to risk being a little pushy — not about putting up a profile, but about having a conversation. You’re ready for this to happen, she tells you she is willing, but nothing ever happens.

If she does want it to happen, what steps can you take together to make it happen? If she doesn’t want it to happen — if she never wanted it to happen — you need her to level with you.

Remember, WCGF, she’s the one being asked to take the risks here — it’s her picture you want to put on a profile, not yours; she’s the one who’s going to potentially be meeting up with strangers for sex, not you; she’s the one who is risking exposure to STIs, not you. (Although you could wind up exposed, too, of course. But just because you’re comfortable with that risk doesn’t mean she is.) She also might worry that you’re going to want her to fuck other guys way more often than she’s comfortable with. There are a lot of solid reasons why she might have developed cold feet, and by addressing her concerns constructively — no face pics, no strangers, no cream pies, it can be a very occasional thing — you might make some progress.

But if it turns out this isn’t something she wants to do — because she never did or because she changed her mind — then you have to decide whether going without being cuckolded is a price of admission you’re willing to pay to stay in this marriage.

*** I did one of the things you always say is bad, immature and hurtful. I was a jerk to my girlfriend for weeks because I wanted her to break up with me.

I know it was cowardly. I think she is a great woman, but I just wasn’t into the relationship and I

let it go longer than I should have.

I felt terrible that she loved me and I didn’t love her back, and I didn’t want to hurt her. My question is this: Why do you think sabotaging a relationship in this way is so bad?

I’m glad she hates me now. She can feel anger instead of sadness.

I didn’t want to be a “great guy” who did the right thing when the relationship needed to end. I want her to think I’m awful so she can move on with her life. If I said all the right things, that makes me more attractive and a loss. I’ve had women do that to me — break up with me the “right” way — and I respected them more and felt more in love with them and missed them more. I still think about them because they were so kind and respectful when they dumped me.

I prefer the relationships I’ve had that ended with hatred, because at least I knew we weren’t good for each other and the end was no skin off my back. Isn’t it better this way?

(I’ve got no sign-off that creates a clever acronym. Make one up if you want to publish my letter.)

— Annoying Shittiness Should Help Outraged Lovers Escape I did what I could with your sign-off.

Being a jerk to someone you’re not interested in seeing anymore in the hopes that they’ll dump you is never okay. It’s certainly not a favor you’re doing them, ASSHOLE, if for no other reason than they’re unlikely to call it quits at the first sign of your assholery. When someone’s actions (jerkishness, assholery) conflict with their words (“I love you, too, sweetheart”), the person on the receiving end of crazy-making mixed messages rarely bolts immediately. They seek reassurance. They ask the person who’s being an asshole to them if they’re still good, if everything’s okay, if they’re still in love.

And those aren’t questions the person being an asshole can answer honestly, ASSHOLE, because honest answers would end the relationship. And that’s not how the asshole wants it, right? The asshole doesn’t want to honestly end things themselves; the asshole wants to dishonestly (and dishonorably)

force the other person to end the relationship. So the asshole says we’re good, everything’s okay, I still love you, etc., and then dials the assholery up a little more.

Does the other person bolt then?

Nope. The other person asks all those same questions again, the asshole offers up the same lying assurances, and the other person asks again and is fed more lies.

This sometimes goes on for years before the person being emotionally abused by a lying asshole decides they can’t take it anymore and ends the relationship — often over the objections of the person who wanted out all along!

Gaslighting isn’t a term I throw around often or loosely, ASSHOLE, but what you describe doing — and what you’re attempting to rationalize as a gift of some sort — may be the most common form of gaslighting. Nothing about being gaslighted in this manner makes it easier to bounce back after a relationship ends. It makes it harder. Yeah, yeah, your ex “gets” to be mad at you, but she’s going to have a much harder time trusting anyone after dating you because your assholery will likely cause her to doubt her own judgment. (“This new guy says he loves me, but the last guy — that fucking asshole — said he loved me, over and over again, and it was a lie. What if this guy is lying to me, too?”)

These brand-new insecurities, a parting gift from you, may cause her to end or sabotage relationships that could have been great. As for your worry that a person may wind up carrying a torch for an ex who ends things with kindness and respect, well, torches have a way of burning out over time, and it’s even possible to will yourself to set a torch down and walk away from it. But the kind of emotional damage done by actions likes yours, ASSHOLE? That shit can last a lifetime.

On the Lovecast, erotic hypnosis with Michal Daveed: savagelovecast. com.

mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage

| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

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| clevescene.com | January 22 - 28, 2020

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TATTOO KITS ARM RESTS ◆ CHAIRS POWER SUPPLIES TRANSFER MACHINES AFTERCARE TRANSFER PAPER STENCIL STUFF GREEN SOAP MADACIDE SANIDERM Much Much More!

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We invite you to

An Evening Filled with Hope & Inspiration “There is a massive power in this that can embrace the world.

It brings great hope…

It is truly a touch of heaven.”

—Daniel Herman, former Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic

AL L- NEW P R O D U CT I O N WI T H L I V E O R CH EST R A

“It’s like being in heaven!”

—Paul Behrends, consultant

“It is breathtaking! I am walking away deeply inspired and profoundly moved!”

—Rita Cosby, Emmy Award-winning journalist

“The energy, the precision, the beauty...

I’m just overwhelmed. It’s so beautiful!”

SHEN YUN brings to its audiences a whole new experience, revealing a China untainted by communist rule. Be prepared to traverse time and space and be mesmerized by the action, humor, and beauty of five millennia. It’s an experience that will uplift your spirit and touch your heart.

—John Anthony, retired judge

5,000 Years of Civilization Reborn

Playhouse Square®

Shen Yun’s unique artistic vision expands theatrical experience into a multi-dimensional and deeply moving journey through one of humanity’s greatest treasures—the five millennia of traditional Chinese culture. Featuring one of the world’s oldest art forms—classical Chinese dance—along with innovative multimedia and all-original orchestral works, Shen Yun opens a portal to a civilization of profound wisdom and divine beauty. Prepare for an experience that will take your breath away.

March 21–22 •

216.241.6000

ShenYun.com/Cleveland

T

hroughout history artists in almost every culture looked to the divine for inspiration. Art was meant to uplift, bringing joy to those who created and experienced it. Today, Shen Yun Performing Arts pays homage to this tradition, weaving the wisdom and virtues of Chinese civilization with ancient legends and modern heroic tales on stage.

“I’ve reviewed about 4,000 shows.

None can compare to what I saw tonight.”

—Richard Connema, Broadway critic

Playhouse Square®

[Get the best seats call to action goes here] Use Code: 012345

March 21–22

•

216.241.6000

ShenYun.com/Cleveland

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An Ancient Legend...

Discover Profound Wisdom & Divine Beauty

tells of divine beings who came down from the heavens to bestow a glorious civilization upon humankind.

Witness this ancient legend come to life…

“Awe-inspiring sensation!”

—ABC

“Superb… Every performance was stunning!”

—WNYC

“I was filled with hope…

The cares of the world were shed from my shoulders, I was uplifted… The world is a better place because of Shen Yun.” —Richard Swett, former U.S. Congressman

“Breathtaking!”

—CurtainUp

“A visually dazzling tour of 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture.”

—San Francisco Chronicle

“Simply gorgeous stage magic.

A must-see!”

—Broadway World

T

he breathtakingly beautiful Shen Yun performance is at once exciting, moving, and inspiring. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. The secret? Shen Yun’s works are steeped in a classical aesthetic and timeless virtues. Its art transcends the trends and tastes of our day. Shen Yun is your ticket to the world of classical Chinese culture as it was meant to be. Discover a new realm of divinely inspired beauty and artistic mastery.

Playhouse Square®

March 21–22 •

Tickets $180 $150

216.241.6000

$120 $100

$90 $80

Order Your Tickets Today

ShenYun.com/Cleveland

Playhouse Square®

March 21–22 •

216.241.6000

ShenYun.com/Cleveland