Scene January 8, 2020

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Eastern, Metropolitan, Western and Westshore campuses and Brunswick University Center Need help with registration or financial aid? Not sure what classes you need? We’re here to help you! Arrive early to make sure you have time to complete the enrollment steps. Register and pay for classes to be entered into a drawing for one of three $100 Dining Dollars gift cards!* *Veterans and current military not eligible for gift cards.

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Recommit to your health this New Year. You deserve it. Your local Planned Parenthood health center can get you started with: Ĺ˜ STI screenings and treatment Ĺ˜ Contraceptive services Ĺ˜ Pap and HPV tests Ĺ˜ And more.

Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Music Editor Jeff Niesel Senior Writer Sam Allard Staff Writer Brett Zelman Web Editor Laura Morrison Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Visual Arts Writer Dott von Schneider Copy Editor Elaine Cicora Interns Alice Koeninger

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More fuckery from Tony George

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A new year, a ton of new Cleveland music to know about

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CONTENTS

All the best things to do in Cleveland this week

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UPFRONT NORM KRUMHOLZ LEAVES LEGACY OF EQUITY CONSCIOUSNESS FOR CLEVELAND Photo courtesy of CSU

NORM KRUMHOLZ, CLEVELAND’S former planning director and professor at CSU’s Levin College of Urban Affairs, died a few days before Christmas in Bethesda, Maryland, at the age of 92. He leaves behind a legacy of equity consciousness for the region’s planners and public officials, many of whom he taught and whose thinking on urban planning he helped shape. “We all ask the question: ‘What would Norm do?’” said Chris Ronayne, planning director for former Cleveland mayor Jane Campbell and now executive director of University Circle Inc. “Norm is the conscience of Cleveland when it comes to how we deliver services to those most in need. He asked the question that still rings in my ears and resonates in my mind: Who pays and who benefits?” Krumholz, who was born in New Jersey, arrived in Cleveland from Pittsburgh at the invitation of mayor Carl Stokes in 1969. He served under three successive, wildly divergent, mayors: Stokes, Ralph Perk and Dennis Kucinich. Kucinich told Scene that Krumholz “elevated urban studies to an art form” and that he applied “a moral and intellectual measure of fairness” to his assessment of proposed development projects. “Norm was there at the beginning of my career and I often relied on his advice during my years in city council,” Kucinich said. “When I became mayor, I was privileged to have him serve in our administration, where his advice on Muny Light, tax abatements, Cleveland ports, transportation policy, and directing city resources to our neighborhoods was invaluable.” In 1975, under Perk, Krumholz and his staff of advocacy-oriented planning professionals authored a seminal policy report that advanced the theories of what was called “Equity Planning.” “Equity requires that government institutions give priority attention to the goal of promoting a wider range of choices for those Cleveland residents who have few, if any, choices,” the report stated. These

views shifted the conversation in planning circles across the country. Professionally, Krumholz’ vision was of the city’s planning staff as doers. He thought it was vital that planners use their expertise to solve the problems of income inequality, substandard housing and transportation. That was a vision he would later pass on to thousands of students at Cleveland State, where he taught fulltime in the College of Urban Affairs until he was 90 years old. “If the CSU mantra is engaged learning, that’s Norm Krumholz,” said Ronayne, who served as Krumholz’s graduate assistant in 1994-1995 and became a close personal friend. Ronayne said he valued how

Krumholz used the city of Cleveland as a learning lab for his students and constantly encouraged them to provide “real counsel” to the city and its neighborhoods. “If there was an assignment on the St. Clair-Superior neighborhood, you didn’t just write about it from history books,” Ronayne said. “You lived it. You went to go work at the CDC. You met with CDC officials. You walked the block. I always said to any student coming into CSU, ‘Take a class with Norm Krumholz. It’ll open your eyes to the world.’” The dean of Levin College, Roland Anglin, said that Krumholz was a countervailing force to “the narrative of the expert” that dominated planning thought in the mid-20th century, when urban renewal and

federal highway policies decimated historic communities in urban cores. “Based heavily in democratic (sic) theory and practice, [Krumholz’] counter narrative values the history, culture, and economic contributions that made these communities part of a vibrant urban ecology,” Anglin wrote Scene in an email. “In this way of thinking, the expert becomes the learner and collaborates with community residents to bring about a community vision that can attract wider support. The planner, here, advocates for the community not in a paternalistic way but in a manner that places their professional skills in service to communities and residents. “Norm left us a rich and important legacy in equity planning. We celebrate it in the significant number of Levin students who go into community and economic development, run for and are elected to public office, staff a planning office, or manage large public agencies. Our graduates are known for avoiding the ethos that they are the experts and have the answer; what you often hear them say is, ‘What does the community want, and what can we do to help them help themselves?’ That is the influence and impact of Norm Krumholz on Levin and urban planning writ large.” Late in his life, under mayor Frank Jackson, Krumholz was appointed to the City Planning Commission, where he was often the lone “nay” vote on flagship development projects, including upgrades to the Cleveland Browns Stadium and the renovation of Public Square. He was also an opponent of the Opportunity Corridor, which has failed to attract the private investment its promoters swore it would. “Most votes by the Planning Commission are unanimous, but there were a few issues where I tried to keep the mayor from being embarrassed,” Krumholz told the Plain Dealer in 2014. Krumholz was not re-appointed to the Commission after serving for seven years. Jackson, in an official statement, called Krumholz a “pioneer” in city planning. | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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UPFRONT “His passion for urban development and transportation issues gave voice to the issues of individuals who were most impacted by development policy but least empowered,� Jackson said. “The legacy of Norm Krumholz is forever cemented in Cleveland’s planning and development history.� Friends and students remember Krumholz’ warmth, his moral conviction and his sense of humor. For decades, Krumholz hosted a “baloney lunch club� at CSU with members of his former planning staff, plus tag-alongs like Bob Jacquay, a city planner under mayor George Voinovich, and local muckraker Roldo Bartimole. It was a regular gathering of what Ronayne called “Norm groupies.� “Norm would literally bring baloney, mustard, bread and chips, and we’d bring the conversation,� he said. “We’d go at it about various administrations, what was going right and wrong in planning and politics. It was a blast.� Roldo Bartimole said that Krumholz was a product of the Great

Depression and World War II and that he “never forgot the poverty of the depression.â€? “As a planner, he didn’t simply look at the city as a place for zoning and trafďŹ c issues but made inequality the center of his strategy,â€? Roldo said. “He drew a staff of young people, many of whom remain in Cleveland today. It’s a testimony to his value that so many of his former staff people continued the task of ďŹ ghting inequality.â€? Ruth Gillet, a former Krumholz staff member who now leads the county’s ofďŹ ce of homeless services, said Norm was both a friend and a role model. Krumholz is remembered as being faithful to his staff and earning the deep respect of all whom he worked for and with. He was a brave thinker and a force for change in Cleveland, paving the way for what would become the community development corporation network that still operates. He was a true giant of Cleveland’s 20th century history. “We all have to acknowledge that we stand on Norm’s shoulders when we’re having conversations about inclusive growth,â€? Ronayne said. “When I think, ‘What would Norm do?,’ I remember when I was leaving grad school, he told me two things.

He said, ‘Get out of the cube and apply yourself because a planner’s place isn’t at a desk. It’s in the community. And don’t spend all your time with the highway guys.’� — Sam Allard

Tony George’s Vindictive Council-Reduction Proposals Headed to 2020 Ballot The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has conďŹ rmed that if the initiatives to drastically reduce the size of Cleveland City Council and the compensation of its individual members are ďŹ led before Jan. 17, they will indeed appear on the March 2020 ballot. The dual measures propose that the number of elected councilpeople be reduced from 17 to nine, and that the current council pay be slashed from roughly $83,000 per year to $58,000 per year. A sufďŹ cient number of valid signatures (6,270+) have already been submitted for both measures. They were collected by the socalled “Clevelanders Firstâ€? group, a creation of the unsavory restaurateur and Westlake-resident Tony George.

In an online mission statement, the members of Clevelanders First say that they believe in “simple, effective, and honest government free from political bias, and selfserving leadership.â€? They say that they expect all government workers to have government educations “where needed,â€? and demand “qualiďŹ ed workers to ďŹ ll government positions.â€? The statement then takes a hard turn into Trump rhetoric. “We believe in a strong, fully staffed law enforcement,â€? it says, apropos of nothing. “Finally, we believe in public service, honor and making Cleveland one of the best cities in America once again.â€? A spokesperson from the group did not respond to an email seeking answers to a short list of questions. Because the initiatives propose changes to the city charter, they must be introduced at Cleveland City Council. A council spokeswoman said that both initiatives would be introduced Monday and would be submitted to the Board of Elections in time for the upcoming ballot. City council president Kevin Kelley, for obvious reasons, strongly opposes the measures. As articulated in a written statement to Scene, his three

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primary objections are that Clevelanders already voted to have proportional representation based on a formula of approximately one council member for every 25,000 residents; that a reduction in council size would deal a “direct blowâ€? to citizens by decreasing their access to local government and minimizing their voices on important issues; and that a smaller, weaker legislative body would cede yet more power to the mayor’s ofďŹ ce. “Finally, this initiative did not arise from the citizens of Cleveland with legitimate concerns over the structure of our government,â€? Kelley wrote. “This initiative to reduce Cleveland City Council to only nine members is being spearheaded and funded by a millionaire who lives in suburban Westlake, where one council member represents about 4,600

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constituents. Comparatively, one council member in the City of Cleveland represents about 24,000 constituents. If the proposed reduction initiative prevails, it would double the number of constituents for each member of Cleveland City Council. Clearly, an erosion of our citizens’ democratic representation in city government.� — Allard

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“JENYâ€? from #WHOISJENY Billboards Revealed The identity behind the “JENYâ€? referenced in all those minimalist local billboards with the WHOISJENY hashtag was revealed Friday morning. JENY is not, as it turns out, a person. It refers to the new FM radio station, 107.3 JENY, which purports to be “the pulse of the North Coastâ€? and will be targeted exclusively to Generation Y. (Gen Y, get it?) On social media, the station announced that it was launching Friday morning with 10,000 songs in a row without commercial interruption. It remains unclear how a station targeted exclusively to Generation Y (millennials) will differ from any other radio station. The birth of JENY means the death of “The Wave,â€? Cleveland’s home to smooth jazz. Current owner Rubber City Radio group purchased the station in 2011 and returned it to jazz after a brief experiment in alternative rock. Among other things, the Wave was beloved by local musicians because the station regularly programmed their singles. Longtime local radio personality Delvis Valentine told Scene the format change would be a “death blowâ€? to local artists because other commercial stations are so difďŹ cult to break into. “Radio still matters; it gives you cachet,â€? he said. — Allard

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By JEFF NIESEL

A

new year means new music and 2020 is shaping up to be a good one for the local music

scene, which continues to thrive. As a result, the new year promises to bring with it music festivals such as the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival and WonderStruck in Cleveland, new releases from acts such as the Vindys and Nathan-Paul, and new music-related podcasts and lectures. Here are 14 things we think you should Local jazz musician Nathan-Paul will release a new EP in February. Photo: Rope-a-dope Records

The Akron Art Museum Will Launch a New Music Series In the attempt to beat back the wintertime blues, the Akron Art Museum will launch a new winter concert series. Dubbed Midwinter Blues and Other Tunes, the series begins this month, and concerts will take place every Thursday through Feb. 13. Each week, the museum will feature local music 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. “We want to brighten everyone’s January and February with great music and unforgettable events in an incredibly cool venue,” says

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the museum’s deputy director and chief experience officer Seema Rao in a press release. “We’re planning surprises in the galleries and in the lobby for visitors to enjoy and see the museum in a new way. The concerts are an exciting way to see these bands in a different setting. At 150 seats, it’s an intimate, unique experience for the audience and the bands.” The schedule includes performances by the Beyonderers (Jan. 9), Cory Grinder Band (Jan. 16), Shivering Timbers (Jan. 23), Floco Torres (Jan. 30), Lemon Quartet (Feb. 6) and King Buu (Feb. 13). Admission to the museum galleries and lobby is free. However, January’s headlining concerts in the museum auditorium

| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

know about the local music scene in 2020.

are paid admission and require tickets. The February concerts are free.

*** The Crooked River Arts Council Will Present Four Music Festivals The Crooked River Arts Council (CRAC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting music, arts and culture, community support services and education. Last year, the Kent-based organization donated more than $12,000 to area organizations to assist in fulfilling their missions. The money went to Habitat For Humanity, Main Street Kent, Family & Community Services, Big Brothers And Sisters

of Portage County, Kent Roosevelt Music Boosters, Akron Children’s Hospital, Ben Curtis Foundation and Kent State University/Head Start music program. “We are very proud that we were able to produce these well-received music events, to make a cultural and economic impact, and to also help these wonderful organizations this year,” says Mike Beder, one of the founders of CRAC, in a statement. “Kent is a great city, and these groups add immensely to the fabric of the community.” Marty Student, the organization’s director of development, says community support has been integral to the group’s success. “Our organization simply could not do this work

without the support of our festival sponsors, the participating venues and musicians, and area patrons,” says Student. “We are also pleased to announce that Wayside Furniture will again be our presenting sponsor in 2020.” This year, the Crooked River group will again present four popular annual music festivals: the Kent BeatleFest (Feb. 21), the Kent American Roots Festival (April 24), Kent BluesFest (July 17) and the ’Round Town Music Fest (Sept. 18).

*** Gotta Groove Records Will Reissue Tom Wachunas’ Spare Changes Two years ago, locally based Gotta Groove Records kicked off its OH Wax Series, which is dedicated to reissuing “lost” albums that are collectible and have a high demand in the used market due to the limited numbers that were originally pressed. At that time, the label reissued Salem’s Rise, a 1985 album by the Dayton hard-rock band Witch. The Gotta Groove folks tracked down the original label’s founder to rerelease the disc, and the black vinyl reissue edition was limited to 500 copies worldwide. This year, the label will reissue Spare Changes, an album by visual artist, journalist and teacher Tom Wachunas. From 1977 through 1991 Wachunas resided in New York, where he painted and exhibited extensively and curated shows for “alternative” galleries. He has been an accomplished arts journalist since 1986, writing hundreds of reviews and features on the visual and performing arts for numerous regional and international publications. Locally, since 2001, he has had one-man shows at Millworks Gallery in Akron, the Canton Museum of Art, Kent State University Stark campus, Malone University, and Second April Galerie in downtown Canton. He is a regular exhibitor in many area group shows.

He’s currently the curator for Gallery 6000 on the KSU Stark campus, where he teaches a class called Art as a World Phenomenon.

*** The Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival Returns to the Ohio State Reformatory in July Inkcarceration, the annual music and tattoo festival, returns to the Ohio State Reformatory (the place is also known as the Shawshank prison) in Mansfield on July 10, 11 and 12. Limp Bizkit, Weezer and Blink 182 will headline the third iteration of the festival. “We are extremely humbled by the support the fans put behind this festival in 2019 and wanted to bring them something even bigger in 2020,” the production team says in a statement. “For year three, we put together an extremely eclectic lineup that brings together all forms of rock. This festival is becoming known as the most unique event in the country, so we wanted to construct a lineup as unique as the venue itself! And, of course, it’s still the only rock festival held at a famous haunted prison! Expect lots of site upgrades from VIP to camping. We can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store!” The festival will feature more than 40 bands on two outdoors stages, and 60 tattoo artists will be on hand as well. There will be reformatory tours, gourmet food trucks, camping and the return of the popular haunted house attraction Escape from Blood Prison. Papa Roach, Halestorm, Mastodon, Underoath, Hollywood Undead, Steel Panther, Falling in Reverse, Candlebox, Badflower, Atreyu, Static-X , Puddle of Mudd, New Politics, All That Remains, We Came as Romans, the Devil Wears Prada, Emmure, Attila, Stick to Your Guns, New Years Day, Escape the Fate, Cold, Carnifex, The Aquadolls, Band-Maid, Stitched Up Heart,

The High School Rock Off returns to the Rock Hall in February. | Photo: Emanuel Wallace

September Mourning, Damn Nation, Paralandra, Along Came a Spider, A Killers Confession, MissYou, Sink the Ship, Dread Engine, Mollo Rilla and Saving Escape are all slated to perform as well.

*** Jesse Jukebox Will Release His Third Kids’ Album Local singer-songwriter Jesse Jukebox (aka Jesse Friedberg) will release his third kids’ album, Awesome!, on Jan. 17. The songs center on overcoming disabilities, and Friedberg draws upon personal experience for the tunes. “When I was a child, I felt misunderstood. I didn’t quite fit in,” he explains in a press release. “I had speech problems — I couldn’t say anything but the ABCs until I was 3, vision problems — I’ve had glasses my entire life, teeth problems — my overbite was out of control, learning problems and behavioral problems. As a toddler, I was kicked out of a Daddy & Me class. When I was a bit older, I struggled in school. It was so hard to pay attention and understand the lessons.” One teacher even told him he was stupid. “The faculty just gave up on me and

advised my parents to expect me to never be more than an average to below-average student,” Friedberg says. “My parents didn’t give up on me though, and, with their support, I finally began to get the help I needed when I was diagnosed with ADHD. This led to many positive changes in my life. I switched to a new school and saw lots of different specialists for speech, motor and learning. It was then that I began to understand myself, and this opened the door to learning the skills I would need to enjoy a happy and productive life. Awesome! is meant to remind kids who might be going through similar trials that they aren’t alone and to urge everyone to go on a treasure hunt for that sense of ‘awesome’ that lies within, waiting to be discovered.” Produced by Grammy winner Dean Jones, the album is, as Friedberg puts it, “beautifully flawed, just like people are.” Friedberg, who graduated from Berklee College of Music with a major in songwriting, recorded his first kids’ album back in 2012. He currently teaches interactive early childhood music classes in Ohio City, at the Mandel JCC in Beachwood and at synagogues and | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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The Shootouts will embark on a spring tour that includes a stop at the Ameripolitan Music Awards in Memphis. | Photo: Aimee Lambes

preschools throughout the greater Cleveland area. He also works with inner city kids in the Notes for Notes program at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Cleveland.

*** The Peter Laughner Boxset Is Now Available as a Digital Download Last year, Smog Veil Records, an imprint known for reissuing albums by Cleveland punk bands, issued Peter Laughner, a five LP/ CD box set compilation plus that includes massive liner notes and a bonus 7-inch single. Focusing on the 1972 to 1977 period of the Cleveland singer-songwriter’s career, the set features previously unreleased performances by Laughner’s bands Rocket From the Tombs, Fins, Cinderella Backstreet, Friction, Cinderella’s Revenge and the Original Wolverines, as well as solo and collaborative efforts. The set also includes “significant sonic upgrades” of material that was previously released on various outof-print and bootleg compilations. Local photographers such as Anastasia Pantsios and Janet Macoska contributed material as well. Since most of the music that label owner Frank Mauceri obtained was recorded on cassette and some was on reel-to-reel, it all had to be re-mastered. “We compiled all the recordings we had and made digital dubs to pick the tracks we wanted to use,” says Mauceri. “Once we picked the tracks, we went to Jeff Lipton and Maria Rice, who are Grammywinning engineers, at Peerless Mastering. They applied all of their magic to these tracks to make them sound at the highest fidelity that will ever be available on a Peter Laughner compilation.” The compilation chronicles how Laughner began

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by playing folk and blues and then gravitated toward noisier music. At the beginning of this month, Smog Veil released the album digitally.

*** LaureLive Will Adopt a New Name and Move to a New Location Last year, the Elevation Group, the people behind the annual LaureLive festival, announced they’ve rebranded the event and found a new home for it too. The festival’s new name is WonderStruck in Cleveland, and the event, which takes place on June 6 and 7, will move from its previous location at Laurel School’s Butler Campus in Russell and Chester Townships to Lakeland Community College in Kirtland. “We loved our four-year relationship with Laurel School, and we are forever grateful to the school for taking a chance on the festival,” says festival producer Steve Lindecke in a press release. “We will always look back on the Butler Campus with fond memories, particularly our working relationship with the Laurel high school students who joined our operations team each year. Continued growth is important to the sustainability of any large-scale event, and Lakeland Community College provides us with the space necessary to execute on our vision. Plus, as we learned this past August at WonderBus, our new Columbus music festival, onsite parking is a highly valuable asset. We are thrilled that Lakeland Community College and their administration are welcoming us and our style of music festival, one appropriate for all ages.” Lakeland Community College president Morris Beverage agrees the festival makes sense for the community college, which also hosts a jazz festival each year. “At Lakeland, our purpose is to

| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

impact lives through learning which includes arts and cultural opportunities,” says Beverage. “The music festival will bring new visitors to campus, complement our robust Arts at Lakeland programming and provide music lovers across the region with a first-hand glimpse of our campus community, stateof-the-art facilities and studentsfirst culture. Together with Elevation Group, we will continue to build memories through music at Lakeland.” Organizers will announce the lineup in the middle of this month. Past performers at LaureLive have included Sheryl Crow, Gary Clark Jr., Stephen Marley, Brandi Carlile, Foster the People, Trombone Shorty and Hozier. Early bird and VIP tickets are now on sale.

*** Local Writer Thomas Mulready Has Expanded and Updated His Multi-Media Presentation About David Bowie David Bowie famously gave his first U.S. performance on Sept. 22, 1972, in Cleveland, leaving a lasting impression on all who saw the show and plenty who didn’t. For the past couple of years, local writer and Bowie-ologist Thomas Mulready has chronicled Bowie’s Cleveland connection in A Night With(out) David Bowie, his interactive lecture devoted to the man. He traces the

brunch there on Jan. 12. On Friday, Jan. 17, he brings the lecture to the CLE Urban Winery in Cleveland Heights. You can see a full list of his upcoming gigs at BowieShows.com.

*** Nathan-Paul Will Release a New EP on Ropeadope Records Following a 2018 summer tour with Moon Hooch, the terrific local jazz/funk/rock act Nathan-Paul & the Admirables discovered a new stripped-down way to play that included only bass, drums and horns. Last year, the reconfigured band released a new single, “Catch Me if You Can,” that features solos that show off band members’ musical chops. “It was quite the transformation in sound, so free and surprisingly full,” band leader Nathan-Paul told us at the time. “We all compensated to make up for the lack of guitar and this music had been heavily chord based. We went into the studio right after and captured that sound. It’s free and open sounding like Ornette Coleman’s music, but it grooves like rock and funk music. It’s one of my favorite accidents.” NathanPaul recently inked a deal with Ropeadope Records, and he’ll release “The Shakedown,” his first single for the label, on Jan. 17. A three-song EP mixed and mastered locally by Jeff Koval and engineered by Jim Stewart comes out on Feb. 14.

***

Amythyst Kiah performs for the Roots Rearview podcast. | Photo: Courtesy of Clint Holley

Thin White Duke’s life from his birth in the suburbs of London to his breakthrough as glam rock icon Ziggy Stardust and then discusses his every move until his untimely death in 2016. The lectures feature newly released details and previously unreleased materials, including rare video, demo tracks, and rare photos of Bowie in Cleveland by photographers Anastasia Pantsios and Janet Macoska. This month, he’ll present A Night With(out) David Bowie at the Bop Stop on Jan. 10. He’ll also host a Bowie benefit at the club on Jan. 11 and a Bowie

The Rock Hall Inductions Will Take Place in May at Public Hall In October of last year, the Rock Hall announced the list of acts eligible for induction at this year’s ceremony which takes place here in Cleveland. To be eligible for nomination, an individual artist or band must have released its first commercial recording at least 25 years prior to the year of nomination. Nominees such as Dave Matthews Band, the Doobie Brothers, Motörhead, the Notorious B.I.G., Pat Benatar, Soundgarden, T.Rex, Thin Lizzy and Whitney Houston are on the ballot for the first time. The other 2020 nominees — Depeche Mode, Judas Priest, Kraftwerk, MC5, Nine Inch Nails, Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan and Todd Rundgren — have been nominated in the past. Inductees will be announced this month, and the induction ceremony will take place on May 2 at Public Auditorium. Fans have the opportunity to participate in the induction selection process, and they can go to Google and search “Rock Hall Fan Vote” or any nominee

name plus “vote” to cast a ballot with Google, vote at rockhall.com or at the museum itself. The top five artists as selected by the public will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2020 inductees. A week of festivities will precede the May 2 induction ceremony.

*** The Roots Rearview Podcast Will Return with Four New Episodes Last year, the Roots of American Music launched Roots Rearview, a podcast devoted to “celebrating, remembering, and revealing the history and the music of Ohio, the Rust Belt and beyond.” Recorded at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Louis Penfield House on River Road in Willoughby, the first episode, “The Ghost of Frank Lloyd Wright” centers on rare blueprints Wright created for an additional house that was never built. The episode also includes a musical performance by singer-songwriter David Childers, who performs in the house. Other episodes center on Robert Crumb, the American cartoonist and musician who released three albums on the Blue Goose record label and Johnny Kilbane, a world champion featherweight boxer from Cleveland who held his title longer than did any other fighter in any weight class in history. The Crumb episode was recorded at the 78th Street Studios and features musical performances by singer-songwriter Tim Easton. The Kilbane episode was recorded at the power generation facility in Battery Park that now houses Terrestrial Brewing and features music from local singer-songwriters Doug McKean and Rory Hurley. The most recent episode, “Journey

LaureLive has a new name and location. Photo: Chad Cochran

to Ripley, Many Steps to Freedom,” highlights songs and stories of the Ohio River and the role that the John Rankin House played in helping African-Americans flee slavery from Northern Kentucky. That podcast

features narration and storytelling by Betty Campbell from the John Rankin House, Dewey Scott from the John P. Parker House in Ripley and Carl Westmoreland from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati. It also features a direct-to-disc recording session with Grammy nominated Amythyst Kiah held at the John Rankin House Visitor Center. This year, local musician and recording engineer Clint Holley, who hosts the series, will record another five episodes, the first of which will center on Hotz Cafe. Episodes can be found at rootsofamericanmusic.org.

*** The Shootouts Will Head to the Ameripolitan Music Awards in Memphis in February Based out of Akron, the Shootouts formed when founding members Ryan Humbert and Brian Poston bonded over a mutual love of heartfelt, authentic country music. Specifically, they love the music of Roy Orbison and Bob Wills, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives and Dwight Yoakam. While the two were busy performing Humbert’s original pop-rock songs, they often discussed the idea of starting a new honky-tonk band. “We’re both big advocates of the traditional side of country music,” says Humbert. “We wanted to play something we really loved — not that we weren’t having fun with the Ryan Humbert Band or other projects. If someone then had told me that this would be what I would pursue as my main musical outlet, I’m not sure I would have believed them.” The group played its first show in October of 2016 and has actively gigged since then. Last year, it released its debut album, Quick Draw. The album serves as a throwback to the music that came out of Nashville, Texas and California in country music’s golden years. The band recorded the album in Brooklyn, New York, with producers Luca Benedetti and Jim Campilongo (Cake, Norah Jones, the Little Willies). The release spent more than nine weeks on the Americana Radio Top 50 album chart and reached the AltCountry Radio Top 20 chart. It was nominated for an Ameripolitan Music Award for Best Honky-Tonk Group, and the group will embark on a spring tour and travel to this year’s ceremony, which takes place in Memphis in February. Locally, the group is slated to play Suzie’s Dogs & Drafts in Youngstown on Jan. 10 and the Music Box Supper Club on Jan. 17.

*** The Tri-C High School Rock Off Returns to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in February The 24th annual Tri-C High School Rock Off event returns to the Rock Hall in February. All High School Rock Off tickets will include admission to the Rock Hall and access to its newest exhibits. “High School Rock Off is a great showcase for these talented young artists,” says Greg Harris, the Rock Hall’s president and CEO, in a press release. “In addition to being an incredibly fun experience, select participants also perform at Hall of Fame events and for some, the Rock Off has been their launchpad

get to record one original song at Tri-C’s Gill and Tommy LiPuma Center for Creative Arts, and the winning band will receive $1,000 cash and $250 for its high school music program. Second place will receive $250 cash and $100 for its high school music program, and third place will receive $100 cash.

*** The Vindys Will Release a New Album The Vindys, a Youngstown-based rock band that regularly performs in the Cleveland area, are in the process of recording a new album and were recently featured in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Friday Night Rocks campaign. They saw a huge spike of

The Vindys, a Youngstown rock band that headlines this year’s Brite Winter, have a new album in the works. | Photo: Leslie Davis-Cusano

to successful music careers.” High school seniors participating in the Rock Off will have the opportunity to apply for three PNC scholarships to study in Tri-C Creative Arts programs. PNC Bank will provide scholarships of up to $2,000 each to eligible students who enroll at Tri-C. “The level of talent displayed in the High School Rock Off has amazed us year after year,” says Pat Pastore, PNC regional president of Cleveland. “We hope these scholarships will encourage students to follow their dreams and build the foundation for their careers which will create a stronger Northeast Ohio economy in the long run.” All of the participating bands will have access to the bookers and marketing directors at House of Blues Cleveland, the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern, the Grog Shop, Mahall’s and Musica. This “incubator relationship” will give the bands the opportunity to book shows or have a CD release party at one of the sponsoring clubs. Performances at the Rock Hall take place on Feb. 1, 8, 15 and 22. The “final exam” occurs on Saturday, Feb. 29. Finalists will

over 40,000 views over a course of a week when the video for “Are You Ready,” which was shot at Jergel’s Rhythm Grille in Warrendale, was shown on Friday Night Rocks. The group includes classically trained musicians from Capital University Conservatory of Music, Dana School of Music, Slippery Rock University, and Mike Curb College of Music, and they’ve played shows with national acts such as Judah & the Lion, Smallpools, Hunter Hayes, Drive-by Truckers and Reeve Carney. They’ve performed at festivals such as Summerfest in Milwaukee, where they won the Emerging Artist Series’ fan favorite of the day. Past winners include Walk the Moon, Nathaniel Rateliff, Maren Morris, Walk Off the Earth, X Ambassadors and more. This year, they headline Brite Winter, the annual outdoor music and arts festival that takes place on Feb. 22 on the West Bank of the Flats.

jniesel@clevescene.com | t@jniesel | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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GENERAL ADMISSION: Includes Entry, 6 Vodka Samples, And A Souvenir Glass. Tickets Are $35 This Week.

VIP ADMISSION: Includes Entry, 8 Vodka Samples, A Souvenir Glass, Light Appetizers, And Early Entry At 6 P.M. Tickets Are $45 This Week.

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

GET OUT everything you should do this week

The Illusionists bring their magical act to Connor Palace. See: Wednesday. | Photo courtesy of The Illusionists

WED

01/08

COMEDY

Steve Gillespie Fearless, light-hearted and hilarious are some of the many terms used to describe comedian Steve Gillespie. He combines aggression and absurdity to create a humorous show filled with laughter. He has a crass sense of humor and is not afraid to speak his mind, which makes him appealing and relatable to the audience. He jokes about whatever crosses his mind, such as his own looks and personality, having children, and being forced to grow up and mature. He performs tonight at 8 at Hilarities’ Frolic Cabaret. Tickets are $10 and $15. (Hannah Borison) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com. THEATER

The Illusionists – Live From Broadway This show featuring a slew of up-and-coming magicians has reportedly shattered box-office records across the globe. It promises to “dazzle audiences of all ages with a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts

ever to be seen on stage.” Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where performances continue through Jan. 11. Tickets start at $10. (Jeff Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. COMEDY

Bobby Lee Bobby Lee is the black sheep of his very Korean family. He was supposed to take over the family clothing store, but instead he played in some bands and decided to become a comedian. His parents often tell him how ugly he is, and every girl he brings home hears all about how he ate dog poop when he was a kid. His self-deprecation ranges from the nine long months it took for his mustache to grow to the limited expression he has in his eyes. His stories of awkwardness and compromising situations will have you cracking up. He performs tonight and tomorrow night at 7 at Hilarities and has shows scheduled through Saturday. Check the website for ticket prices and other details. (Liz Trenholme) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

THU

01/09

MUSIC

Bronfman Plays Mozart After his opera The Marriage of Figaro opened to mixed reviews, Mozart struggled financially and emotionally. His Piano Concerto No. 24 reflects that struggle. Tonight, the Cleveland Orchestra performs the piece with a little help from pianist Yefim Bronfman, a longtime favorite of Cleveland audiences. The concert begins at 7:30 at Severance Hall, where performances continue through Saturday. Guest speaker David Rothenberg, from Case Western Reserve University, gives the pre-concert talk that takes place an hour before the show. Consult the orchestra website for more info. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com. COMEDY

DeRay Davis Comedian-turned-movie-star DeRay Davis has been a regular on the standup circuit for a while, so it isn’t surprising to see that his most recent standup special includes a clip showing his veteran ability

to completely dismantle a heckler. Between bits from his attitudelaced routine, which touches on everything from rappers with AIDS to the perks of being a Hollywood actor, Davis shows that his quick wit comes naturally as he thinks of insults on the fly. Though one hopes he wouldn’t have to deal with the same situation tonight, when he comes to the Improv, , his ability to talk down a rude audience member could make for a truly memorable show nonetheless. The funny stuff starts at 8 and Davis and has shows scheduled at the club through Sunday. Tickets are $35 to $40. (Jacob DeSmit) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com. COMEDY

Lisa Lampanelli Known for her racy and controversial style of comedy, Lisa Lampanelli originally worked as a journalist before she began her standup career in New York in the early ’90s. She got her big break at the New York Friars Club roast of Chevy Chase in 2002 and has roasted Donald Trump, who was a reality TV show star at the time. She performs tonight at 7:30 at the Lorain Palace Theatre. Consult the | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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GET OUT website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 617 Broadway Ave., Lorain, 440-245-2323, lorainpalace.org.

joke about life’s many paradoxes. In one bit about how marriage benefits women more than men, he makes fun of all the pomp and circumstance that accompany a typical wedding. In the routine, he says, “I’m just saying that there should be something for men to balance out the ring. I think men should get a car.” Tonight’s show

tonight at Hilarities, you might want to think twice about sitting in the front row. The comic loves to pick on audience members and make fun of their body language, or ask personal questions about their sexual preferences. Though he’s not nearly as manic as Robin Williams, he still possesses Williams’ unhinged energy. And he’s a talker.

MUSIC

Midwinter Blues and Other Tunes In the attempt to beat back the wintertime blues, the Akron Art Museum launches a new winter concert series tonight, dubbed Midwinter Blues and Other Tunes. Each week, the museum will present an evening of local music 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, the Beyonderers perform, and admission to the museum galleries and lobby is free and open to all. However, headlining concerts in the museum auditorium are paid admission and require tickets. Advance tickets are $8 for museum members and $10 for non-members. Season passes to the four January concerts are $18 for members and $36 for nonmembers. Admission at the door is $9 for members and $12 for non-members. (Niesel) 1 South High St., Akron, 330-376-9185, akronartmuseum.org.

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.

MUSIC

FEATURING INSTRUMENTS FROM:

Photo by Paul Bergen/Redferns/Getty Images

New Soft Shoe Nine years ago, on what local singer-songwriter Brent Kirby calls a drunken dare, a group of Cleveland friends and musicians showed up at the Happy Dog to play a couple sets of tunes by the late, great Gram Parsons. Dubbed the New Soft Shoe, the group has been at it ever since, spreading the gospel of what it refers to as “Gram’s Cosmic American Music.” Anything that Parsons played, the New Soft Shoe covers. As a result, the group plays tunes from the International Submarine Band, the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers. It also plays songs from Parsons’ solo album GP/ Grievous Angel. Tonight at 8, the band performs in the Waldorf Hall at Forest City Brewery. Admission is free, but a donation is requested. (Niesel) 2135 Columbus Rd., 216-228-9116, forestcitybrewery.com.

PRINCE

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Disney on Ice Presents Road Trip Adventures In what’s become a tradition for this time of year, Disney on Ice storms into town to take over the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for a 10-day period, sending the Cavs and Lake Erie Monsters out on long road trips so parents can bring their toddlers and tweens to the arena for some family entertainment. Expect to see familiar figures such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Disney princesses. There will be singalongs to songs from films such as Finding Dory, Frozen, Toy Story and more. Tonight’s performance begins at 7, and shows continue through Sunday, Jan. 19. Tickets start at $15. (Niesel) 1 Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketmortgagefieldhouse.com. MUSIC

A Friday Night With(out) David Bowie This interactive presentation by Cool Cleveland publisher and Bowie-ologist Thomas Mulready traces the Thin White Duke’s life from his birth in the suburbs of London to his breakthrough as glam rock icon Ziggy Stardust. It then chronicles his every move until his untimely death in 2016. This month, Mulready presents the program on three successive Fridays in January at three different venues. Each presentation will contain slightly different material. Tonight’s program takes place at 8 at the Bop Stop. Tickets cost $25; find them and other details on the website. (Niesel) 2920 Detroit Ave., bowieshows.com. MUSIC + FOOD

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.

takes place at 8 at Hilarities. Check the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

FRI

01/10

COMEDY

Akaash Singh Born in India but raised in Texas, comedian Akaash Singh likes to

FAMILY FUN

COMEDY

Ian Bagg If you end up going to see Ian Bagg

| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

He’s been a regular on all the usual late-night shows and currently hosts his own podcast, The Ian Bagg Show, where he and a couple of pals riff on popular culture for two hours at a time. He performs at 7 and 9:30 tonight at Hilarities, where he has shows schedule through Sunday. Consult the website for ticket prices. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

Ghosts of Gatsby Opera Dinner The first-place winner at this year’s National Opera Association Dominick Argento Chamber Opera Competition, the Ghosts of Gatsby, a co-production between Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and Cleveland Opera Theater, comes to the Music Box tonight for a special performance that includes a threecourse prix fixe dinner package. The performance starts at 7:30, and tickets cost $60. A special matinee performance takes place at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Those tickets cost $25 in advance, $30 day of show. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. MUSIC

The Music of Billy Joel and Elton John Cleveland native Michael Cavanaugh, a guy who was handpicked by Billy Joel to star in the Broadway musical Movin’ Out, stars in this show featuring the music of both

Billy Joel and Elton John, two rock/ pop pianists who have a history of touring together. The tribute begins at 7:30 tonight at the Ohio Theatre. Tickets start at $29. (Niesel) 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Cedar Lee Theatre. Tickets are $6. (Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 440-528-0355, clevelandcinemas.com.

SUN

01/12

FILM

To Be Of Service Josh Aronson explores the world of service dogs that have helped veterans cope with PTSD in this documentary film that came out last year. The dogs have helped a range of veterans, including ones who’ve become suicidal. The inspiring movie screens today at 7 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. ART

Walkabout Tremont Walkabout Tremont, which takes place on the second Friday of every month from 5 to 10 p.m., showcases the best of this smart neighborhood, with art openings, extended hours at galleries and shops, restaurant and bar specials, street performers, live music, pop-up vendors, neighborhood walking tours and much more. This month’s event has been dubbed the Winter Warmer. See the event’s Facebook page for more info. (Niesel) facebook.com/WalkaboutTremont.

SAT

01/11

MUSIC

Mandy Patinkin in Concert This show presents actor, singer and storyteller Mandy Patinkin in a concert setting and features “a marriage of many of Mandy’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes along with selections from his newest recordings.” Patinkin will perform songs by the likes of Randy Newman, Stephen Sondheim, Harry Chapin and Rufus Wainwright. It all starts at 8 tonight at the Ohio Theatre. Tickets start at $49.50. (Niesel) 1511 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org. FILM

The Room Thanks to The Disaster Artist, the James Franco movie about the making of the cult classic The Room, the popularity of the original flick has soared. The film that features writer, director and star Tommy Wiseau screens at 10 tonight at the

FILM

Edie Simon Hunter directs this 2017 movie about an elderly woman who takes a trip to the Scottish Highlands to hike a huge mountain in the aftermath of her husband’s death. The film features wide pans of the beautiful Scottish countryside as Edie (Sheila Hancock) finds she has to dig deep to make it to the mountain’s top. The movie screens at 1:30 p.m. today and at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org. ELVIS!

Elvis Tribute Artist Spectacular Birthday Edition Elvis Aaron Presley was born on Jan. 8, 1935, under rather benign circumstances. His family was dirt poor, yet Presley would go on to become one of rock’s biggest stars. The guy would’ve been 81 this year, and to celebrate his birthday, several of the world’s best Elvis impersonators will be on hand for a gala concert at 7 p.m. at Connor Palace. The Elvis Birthday Tribute will cover the four main eras of Presley’s musical history: the rockabilly years, the military/movie years, the ’68 comeback special and even the Las Vegas jumpsuit years. This year’s show will feature Shawn Klush, Ryan Pelton and Cody Slaughter. Tickets start at $10. (Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

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

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

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

MUSIC + REMEMBRANCE

Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Concert The 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. 2020 Community Service Awards will be presented at this special concert that takes place today at 7 p.m. at Severance Hall. Jeffery Weaver, chair of the Cleveland Orchestra Community Engagement Committee, will announce the awards, which are presented by the Cleveland Orchestra in cooperation with the City of Cleveland to individuals who have “made a positive impact on the city of Cleveland in the spirit of the teachings and example of Dr. King.” | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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FOOD

GET OUT In addition, Ideastream will provide production support for the video and audio recordings included as part of this concert and will broadcast the audio live on 90.3 WCPN and WCLV 104.9, and on ideastream. org. Admission is free, but a ticket is required. (Niesel) 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

INVITE YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL SCREENING OF

MON

Monday, January 14 at 7:00 PM Cinemark Valley View

01/13

FAMILY FUN

Visit www.sonyscreenings.com and enter the code BBSCENEFORLIFE for your chance to download a pair of passes. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, while supplies last. No phone calls please. Seating is not guaranteed

TH

IN THEATERS JANUARY 17

@BadBoys #BadBoysForLife

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. SPOKEN WORD

INVITE YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT LIVES 7 MILES BELOW THE OCEAN’S SURFACE U N D E R WAT E R

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8TH 7:30PM CINEMARK VALLEY VIEW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO RECEIVE AN ADMIT-TWO SCREENING PASS, GO TO: GOFOBO.COM/ UNDERWATERCLE THIS FILM IS RATED PG-13. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A random drawing of all registered entries will be held. Winners will be notifi ed by email. Seating is first-come, first-served, and both your place in line and theater seating is not guaranteed so we suggest you arrive early. Theater is overbooked to ensure a full house.

IN THEATERS JANUARY 10 www.foxmovies.com/movies/underwater |

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

@Underwatermovie | #Underwater

Science Cafe The second Monday of each month, Music Box Supper Club hosts Science Cafe, an informal lecture series that brings scientists from throughout the region to the club so they can talk about science topics. Tonight at 7, James Gilland, a Ph.D. senior scientist at the Ohio Aerospace Institute, will talk about the genetic basis of age-related macular degeneration. Admission is free. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. NIGHTLIFE

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

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

01/14

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

MOVIES DULCE ET DECORUM EST 1917 is a towering work of war cinema By Sam Allard Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, PATTON, Apocalypse Now, The Deer Hunter, The Hurt Locker, Inglourious Basterds, Dunkirk, Schindler’s List and The Bridge on the River Kwai all have more than one thing in common. Not only are they all acclaimed war films — many of them Oscar nominees and Best Picture winners — they are also all not as good as 1917, the WWI masterpiece directed by Sam Mendes, which opens Friday at area theaters, and which took home two marquee Golden Globes this past Sunday (for Picture and Director). 1917 is a cinema marvel, every bit as breathtaking from a narrative perspective as it is from a technological one. It is the sort of film that renews one’s faith in the art form, and the sort of story that majestically refutes the argument that all stories worth telling — certainly all war stories — have already been told. The first thing to note about 1917 is its format. Cinematographer Roger Deakins and editor Lee Smith (Dunkirk) have shot and pieced together the film so it presents as a single continuous shot. Deakins is best known for his collaboration with the Coen Brothers (No Country for Old Men) and Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049), but he has worked with Mendes three times before, including on the 2012 James Bond film Skyfall. 1917 is his most striking achievement in a career of striking achievements. The preparation required for these long takes boggles the mind. The story opens on two soldiers,

George MacKay in 1917.

Lance Cpl. Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman) and his friend Lance Cpl. Schofield (George MacKay), napping in the French countryside. When summoned for an assignment, Blake taps Schofield to help him out — he assumes it’ll be something routine. It’s anything but. In a trench bunker, a general (Colin Firth) tells Blake that a British company of 1,600 men, including Blake’s older brother, is at that moment marching into an ambush, and that Blake and Schofield will have to deliver a message calling off the attack by the following morning to prevent a massacre. The territory they must traverse is too perilous to send any more than two men. This is the opening three minutes of the film. What follows is a heartpounding race against the clock

as Blake and Schofield encounter obstacle after obstacle in their impossible task. It is known from the outset, of course, that the odds are very slim, but that Blake — who is said to be good with maps — might be sufficiently motivated to beat the odds, to save his brother. What 1917 does so well is condemn the brutality of war while 1) not being a festival of gore itself, a la Hacksaw Ridge, and 2) honoring the heroism of individual soldiers, not military leadership. Both Blake and Schofield, when given the opportunity, don’t think twice before performing acts of heroic kindness outside of their assigned duties. As they approach their goal, we acutely feel their exhaustion and desperation. And why shouldn’t we? We have been with them every step of

the way. Andrew Scott, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch lend their distinguished services in singlescene roles — “Settle a bet,” Scott’s world-weary captain says in an early scene, “what day is it?” — but the film is nothing without Chapman and MacKay, whose friendship and sense of duty sustain them. With the combination of its emotional power and visual achievements, I’m honestly having a difficult time refuting the notion I stumbled upon during and after my jaw-dropping viewing: that it’s the greatest war film ever made.

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard

SPOTLIGHT: KUBRICK CLASSICS AT THE CINEMATHEQUE FOUR FILMS BY DIRECTOR Stanley Kubrick will screen at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque in January as part of its special series, “A Kubrick Quartet.” Admission to each film is $12, or $9 for Cinematheque members and those 25 and under. Jan. 4, 5 p.m. The Killer’s Kiss (1955) Kubrick’s second feature is a strikingly photographed noir melodrama about a young boxer who

protects a nightclub dancer from her vicious boss (Frank Silvera). The climactic fight in a warehouse filled with mannequins is chilling, surreal, and unforgettable. Jan. 11, 7:15 p.m. The Killing (1956) In Kubrick’s first masterpiece, ex-con Sterling Hayden brings together a bunch of petty thieves to rob a racetrack. This lean, steely thriller boasts a tricky structure full of flashbacks and cross-cutting.

Jan. 19, 6:30 p.m. Barry Lyndon (1975) Kubrick tracks the rise and fall of an opportunistic Irish rogue (Ryan O’Neal) through the armies and drawing rooms of 18th-century Europe in this funny, opulent, chilling, and moving period epic — one of the great movies. Jan. 25, 6:45 p.m. Full Metal Jacket (1987) In his penultimate film, Kubrick fixes his steely gaze on young Marine recruits as they progress from

dehumanizing basic training to the hellish battlegrounds of Vietnam. Barry Lyndon will be screened in a new digital restoration. The other films will be screened on 35mm film. All films will be shown in the Cinematheque’s Peter B. Lewis Theater, at 11610 Euclid Ave. (All film summaries, above, are courtesy of the Cinematheque.)

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

EAT CLAIM TO FLAME Van Aken’s Sawyer’s is both a ‘greatest hits’ outlet and live-fire evolution for its eponymous chef By Douglas Trattner OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS, I’ve paid to eat Jonathon Sawyer’s cooking at Lolita in Tremont, Parea in New York City, Bar Cento in Ohio City, Greenhouse Tavern on East Fourth Street, Noodlecat downtown and in Westlake, Trentina in University Circle and, most recently, Sawyer’s at Van Aken District. If it wasn’t for my job title, I could easily be mistaken for a stalker. In many ways, Sawyer’s can be viewed as the culmination of all those places, a culinary composition that represents the James Beard Award-winning chef’s experiences with French, Italian, Japanese and American cookery. At the same time, his latest production is nearly impossible to pigeonhole. Less magnum opus than “greatest hits” compilation, the restaurant reprises many fan favorites from years and meals past. While no longer revelatory, dishes like confit chicken wings, beef fat candle, strangolapreti and Tabasco fried chicken are nevertheless worthy of encore performances. While diverse in its offerings, Sawyer’s does possess an overarching, unifying theme: live-fire cooking. It permeates not simply the foods that exit the grills, griddles and ovens that are fueled exclusively by wood, but also the broader experience. Guests can smell, see and hear the combustible commotion taking place in the open kitchen long before they taste the undeniable benefits of those methods. There might be no better use for those flames than the 48-ounce dryaged Ohio beef porterhouse ($101). This voluptuous, hedonistic triumph of the pasture is cooked to rosy-red perfection, sliced and presented with the bone. There’s enough to feed a small village, and the crusty steak is just the start of it. Also part of the bargain is a bouquet of fat, firm, grilled asparagus, silky potato puree, copper-colored Lyonnais potatoes and a basket of Sawyer’s peerless frites. Sauces range from satiny Hollandaise to perky chimichurri. A less expensive steak frites is also available. More than half of the doublesided menu is dedicated to small and shareable plates that range from

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

raw bar items to wood-fired snacks. It will never stop being fun to dip hand-torn pieces of warm pita into puddles of melted fat ($6) by tallow candlelight. Those poofy pitas also can be paired with Israeli-style hummus ($7) and milky, stringy burrata ($12). In place of ubiquitous and often bland shishito peppers, Sawyer opts for chubbier padrons ($9), which sport a seductive char, citrus tang and consistent heat level. There’s no “bang” to the bang-bang shrimp ($11), but these popcorn-style snacks boast a brittle-crisp tempuralike shell that gives way to plump,

dry-aged beef and garnishes paired with crispy waffle-cut tendon chips, managed to hold true. With a bit of theater, a server presents the salt-baked fish ($32), the flesh encased in a powdery straightjacket, the tail fin waving proudly out of the vessel. When it returns from its trip back to the kitchen, the fish is once again obscured, this time by a surplus of Hollandaise. Apart from bearing too much sauce, the flaky halibut managed to shine, aided by punchy mustard seeds and many-layered hasselback potato.

SAWYER’S 3396 TUTTLE RD., SHAKER HEIGHTS 216-860-1236 SAWYERS.RESTAURANT

succulent morsels of rock shrimp. The hazard with reprising popular chestnuts like Greenhouse Tavern’s famous wings and beef tartar is that diners have prior experiences against which to compare them. We found the wings ($13) to be cottony textured and pale, falling short of both memories and expectations. A more elegant preparation of the tartar ($16), however, featuring finely minced

A twirl of bucatini ($18) reminds diners that the noodles can be the star of the dish when done right, here gently folded with butterenriched tomato sauce and showered with grated cheese and fresh basil. Fried chicken lovers will doubtless enjoy the uber-crunchy boneless half bird ($19), especially when it’s dunked into ramekins of house-made hot sauce and buttermilk ranch. Staffers, clad in the sort of ill-

fitting white lab coats donned by optometrists, tend to be friendly, attentive and helpful, especially when it comes to describing the food. When the cellar ran dry of our preferred bottle of wine one evening, a more expensive replacement was offered at the same price. Sawyer’s is a quirky little eatery with a love-it-or-loathe-it interior design that somehow feels both hopelessly dated and blindingly contemporary. Guests enter a sharp foyer, where they can hang their coats, order a glass of natural wine, and ostensibly play a quick game of chess. A semi-secluded central dining platform is ringed by various seating areas that nicely partition the room. One corner belongs to a tony little 12-seat bar, where views of the kitchen are enjoyed alongside creative cocktails. Thanks to perky lighting and an abundance of live plants, Sawyer’s feels more like a greenhouse than Greenhouse Tavern. The result is a modern-day fern bar — a warm, welcoming and subtly retro neighborhood bistro that suitably anchors this modern-day town square.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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EAT BITES Empanada shop Half Moon Bakery now open near MetroHealth By Douglas Trattner Courtesy of Half Moon Bakery

AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS of pop-ups and catering, Half Moon Bakery finally opened its bricks-andmortar bakery in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood (3460 West 25th St., 216-255-7714), across the street from MetroHealth. The bakery is operated by Gerson Velasquez and Lyz Otero, who moved to Cleveland from Puerto Rico at age 13. The carry-out shop features the signature half-moon-shaped pastries, stuffed with flavor-packed combinations such as shredded chicken with garlic tomato sauce, tofu with seasoned veggies, and pepperoni, mozzarella and tomato sauce, along with sandwiches, fresh bread, pastries and cakes. “Just seeing the look on people’s faces when they bite in,” Otero says. “There’s truth right there. I can tell if they think it’s good or not.” Initial hours of operation will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., through Jan. 12. Beginning Jan. 14, the hours will expand to 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Noodlecat at Crocker Park Has Closed Noodlecat at Crocker Park is closed. The restaurant opened in November of 2017. This version was a fast-

produced stuff like Woodchuck and Angry Orchard.” Arsenal will use local produce for ciders offered at the Ohio City outpost, along with ciders from the mothership in PA and a rotating cast of local beers.

20-Year-Old Lure Bistro in Willoughby Has Closed

casual spin-off of the original concept, which was opened near Public Square by chef Jonathon Sawyer in 2011. For a time, there was also a Noodlecat stand at the West Side Market. Sawyer also runs Green House Tavern, Sawyer’s at Van Aken District (which is reviewed in this issue), SeeSaw in Columbus, and Green House Kitchen at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Arsenal Cider House Now Open in Ohio City Pittsburgh-based Arsenal Cider House opened its Cleveland location

(4507 Lorain Ave.), the first expansion outside of Pittsburgh, last Saturday. Owners and founders Bill and Michelle Larkin started Arsenal about a decade ago as a basement business that has graduated to three taprooms and a production facility in Pennsylvania, all offering awardwinning ciders and meads. “When we opened nine years ago, there really wasn’t much of a demand for cider,” Bill Larkin told us last April. “We pretty much created the demand in Pittsburgh, and now we’re in 300-plus bars in Western Pennsylvania. Honestly, I just think it’s a matter of people getting to taste high-quality cider. They’re not used to it when all they have access to is mass-

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Lure Bistro (38040 Third St.), a mainstay in downtown Willoughby for 20 years, has closed. Current owner David Pike confirmed to Scene that he closed following New Year’s Eve service. “Yes, unfortunately I have been forced to make the difficult decision to close the doors,” he states. The popular sushi and seafood eatery was opened by former partners Nick and Giovanna Kustala back in 2000. In 2008, chef and current owner of Square Bistro in Chardon, Jaret Havanchak, purchased the business. Lure again changed hands in July 2018, when longtime chef David Pike took the reins. Pike mentioned possible suitors for the business, but nothing concrete is in the works.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

MUSIC

An Immersive Experience

Photo: Mario Klingemann & Jaclyn Campanaro

Indie rockers YACHT return after ‘a classic period of recalibration and introspection’

By JEFF NIESEL

W

HEN JONA BECHTOLT and Claire L. Evans, the members of the indie synthpop band YACHT, started to work on their new album, Chain Tripping, they decided to go in a different direction and incorporate artificial intelligence as part of the songwriting process. That decision made the writing and recording process particularly challenging. “We thought that meant we create an algorithm that would go through our back catalog, and we’d hit a button, and it would spit everything out,” says Evans via phone from a Houston tour stop. The group performs with Juiceboxxx at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, at the Grog Shop. “We thought the project would be about submitting to that output and trying to make it our own in some way. In the process of working on the album, we realized the state

of the art is not where we thought it would be, and we’re a long way away from algorithms replacing musicians in any significant way. We had to be much more involved in the process, which was ultimately really good. We realized technology can’t replace the creative work we normally do, but it can complicate it and supplement it in a really exciting way. At the end of the day, it’s still our music. The way we got there this time was just way more complicated than it’s previously been.” Evans says the duo abided by “really specific rules” for the album to ensure it wasn’t just music generated by AI but a YACHT record generated by AI. “[In the future,] we would want to liberate ourselves from some of the constraints,” she says. “We’d still want to use some of the tools and in the couple of years since we started working on this project, the | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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MUSIC tools have grown infinitely more sophisticated and integrated into consumer-level music recording technology. By the time we get back to the studio, we may use some of those tools as part of the arsenal, but I don’t think we’re going to make AI music the rest of the time.” The group recorded at an isolated studio in West Texas, and Evans says that she and Bechtolt really liked the isolation. “We were working with this very complicated technique generating melodies from a process that interpolated melodies from our back catalog,” she says. “We would feed the machine melodies from our own music, and it would spit out Midi data and different notes. We picked things we liked and then everything was performed live on traditional rock instruments like drums, bass, guitar and keyboards.” Songs such as the fluttering “Hey

going down with the ship that is Los Angeles. I think it’s the most interesting city in the country right now, and it’s a great place to be an artist, especially for the kind of work we do that involves collaborating with other artists outside of the world of music. It’s easy to find qualified, competent, interesting weirdos in all spectrums.” In 2016 after a sex tape hoax got the band some decidedly bad press, the group took a bit of a break. Despite taking time off from YACHT, Evans and Bechtolt were still plenty busy. “I wrote a book and toured around the world talking about it. We did the [public art] Triforium project and released an EP of songs, but we didn’t tour very much,” says Evans. “We’ve been doing music for a long time and doing weird projects for a long time. We’ve been taking risks for a long time, and one of those risks, I’m sure you hear, didn’t pan out exactly well and we needed the time to recalibrate and figure out who we are and why we do things and what our motivations are. We

YACHT | JUICEBOXXX Eric Johnson Mon March 9

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Hey,” a song that features soft vocals and a Devo-like bass riff, and the glitchy “Loud Light” retain YACHT’s signature sound and sound like modern interpretations of the newwave sound pioneered by acts such as Blondie and Talking Heads. For the live show, the duo expands to a trio and plays all the music live. Evans explains that YACHT, which started as a solo project some 17 years ago for Bechtolt, has had many iterations over the years. It first expanded to a duo and then to a quartet. It even operated as a quintet at one point. Now, it’s downsized to a trio that includes longtime collaborator Rob Kieswetter. “Jona [Bechtolt] was working solo and needed various female voices now and then,” says Evans when asked about how she first joined the group. “I would come in and sing something that he would manipulate. We found that was working for us, so I became a fulltime member of the band.” Though the group started in Portland, Oregon, it’s been based in Los Angeles since 2011. “I went to school in California, and we always wanted to move to L.A.,” says Evans. “We love L.A. I’m

wanted to get back to the purpose, which is building community and making works rooted in deep curiosity and openness and excited energy about technology and people. It was a classic period of recalibration and introspection.” Evans says the group enjoys a challenge and regularly takes on art projects that are way beyond its skill sets. “We fake it to make it and come out of the other end with musical skills,” she says, adding the band was just nominated for a Grammy for Best Immersive Audio Album. “We love to learn. That’s why we took the AI project on. We wanted to learn what artificial intelligence is and how it works and what its implications are for artists and society at large. We then wanted to make something meaningful out of it. It’s not just an educational project for us, but it’s about showing our audience what we learned and educating them about how AI works and what the aesthetic boundaries are.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

SUN 3/29

PUSSY RIOT

MUSIC A SLICE OF SLAVIC LIFE The Slovenian National Home hosts a special night of Yugoslav Rock By Jeff Niesel Courtesy of the Slovenian National Home

AT 5 P.M. ON FRIDAY, THE Slovenian National Home will host a special Yugoslav Rock Night (that’s Jugoslovanska Rok Noc in Slovenian) and will feature pub food from the South Slavic countries of Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia. Local DJ Stanislav Zabic, who hosts a music-related podcast, will play rock music produced in Yugoslavia between 1962 and 1991. Zabic, who was born in 1973 in Yugoslavia but moved to the States in the 1990s, says he was always surrounded by music while growing up. “Rock ’n’ roll is very important in Yugoslavia for everyone born after 1945,” he says one night over drinks at the Whiskey Bar in Cleveland Heights. “The Beatles and Stones became popular in Yugoslavia in the 1960s, and garage rock bands followed. In the 1960s, bands started writing their own material. Prog rock became popular in the 1970s, paralleling what was going on in the West. And then everything exploded with punk rock.” Zabic started collecting records when he was a teenager. He lost much of his collection when war broke out in Yugoslavia when he was 18. “I lost about two-thirds of my collection if not more,” he says. “Someone came into our house and stole them, but I still have some records that my dad collected from the debris.” In advance of Yugoslav Rock Night, Zabic provided us with a list of what he describes as “10 Yugo rock bands you need to hear before your country falls apart.” “Yugoslovia was still a socialist country, but Yugoslavia society was really fertile for rock ’n’ roll,” he says. “The music industry — record labels and shows — was completely operating on a capitalist level in a socialist country. The record business was very important and run very seriously with traveling salesmen going to different towns to try to sell records.” Here’s his list of essential Yugoslavian rock bands and his description of each act.

generations of Yugoslav youth to think outside the box with their unique music style, and sarcastic, humorous lyrics. Elektricni Orgazam This new-wave band with a provocative name created music which appears to be the most accessible to the musical taste of Clevelanders, especially their all-cover album Les Chansones Populaires from 1983. Laibach Hailing from the little town of Trbovlje in Slovenia, this band is best known for its outrageous totalitarian image and industrial beat covers of Beatles, Stones, Queen and Sound of Music. It is the best-known Yugo Rock export. Leb i sol Coming from the southernmost corner of Yugoslavia, this band from Skopje is the most shining example of Yugoslav prog rock. With their intricate guitar solos and odd time signatures on drums they are the most uniquely Yugoslav band on this list.

Azra Lyrically, one of the strongest bands on the list. After the band released a string of successful albums in the ’80s, their leader, Branimir Johnny Štulic, left his hometown of Zagreb and moved

rock to new wave and ethnic rock. With albums still in print, they sold millions of records to the Yugoslav audience. Boye This all-female band coming

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to the Netherlands, refusing any contact with the general public as a form of a personal protest against the Yugoslav dissolution. Bijelo Dugme Throughout the years, this band from Sarajevo is locally the most popular band with a musical style that morphed from arena hard

out of the Novi Sad conceptual art community played a uniquely rhythmic and guitar-heavy version of rock with lyrics that contain a uniquely defiant, yet feminine, view of the world. Buldožer This ’70s avant-garde band from Ljubljana always provoked many

Paraf One of the first and most influential punk bands from Rijeka Paraf recorded one punk album and two post-punk albums. Northeast Ohio listeners will be amused with their song “Perspektiva,” which is an ironic tribute to Devo. Šarlo Akrobata This is a forward-thinking new wave trio of capable instrumentalists from Belgrade that uniquely combined post punk, ska and funk. Zabranjeno pušenje In direct opposition to the new romantic movement in England, Sarajavo artists in the ’80s formed a new primitives movement that included several strong bands (with Z.P. being the most popular), an influential comedy show with three seasons on national TV, and a powerful college radio station.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

27

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

LIVEWIRE

all the live music you should see this week Photo by Bradford Jones

WED

01/08

Black Sabbitch/Dead Earth: 8 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Fairytale/Ratfucker: 9 p.m., $7. Now That’s Class. The Rosies/K.C/L.V/Judge Russo/ Jung Speedbat: 8:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop.

THU

01/09

Garbage Greek/Red Devil Ryders/ Emotional Support Pigs: 9 p.m., $6 ADV, $8 DOS. Grog Shop. Aaron Kamm and the One Drops: 8:30 p.m., $7 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. M. Moody & Top Hat Black (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $6 ADV, $8 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Small Wood House/Jaite/Sure, Machine: 9 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Therapy Thursday Hosted by Braxton Taylor: CODA.

FRI

01/10

DANA/Hiram-Maxim/Kill the Hippies/Boiled Men: 9 p.m., $7. Happy Dog. Decade of Dante Concert: 8 p.m., $10. CODA. DJ Kishka Polka Happy Hour: 6 p.m., free. Happy Dog. Saved By the ’90s – A Tribute to ’90s Music: 8 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. House of Blues. Sinatra Night with Michael Sonata (in the Supper Club): Canton native Michael Sonata has long been involved in theater and was a member of the University of Notre Dame Glee Club. In 2004, he auditioned for a role in a Sopranos spoof that required a character based on Frank Sinatra. Sonata got the part and has been imitating Ol’ Blue Eyes ever since. He includes some 90 songs in his repertoire and covers all eras, including the Columbia years and the Capitol years. He even takes requests from the audience. (Niesel) 7:30 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club. Mark Twang/Sure, Machine/Jason Kaminsky: 8 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Young Pacoso: 10 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop.

Cracker returns to the Beachland Ballroom. See: Saturday.

SAT

01/11

Capricorn Party Featuring Terry Lee Goffee – The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute/SOWFLO: Local singer Terry Lee Goffee, who headlines this annual Capricorn party at House of Blues, regularly takes his Johnny Cash tribute all over the country. Yeah, you could say the singer who counts Cash contemporary Marty Stuart as a fan has “been everywhere.” Goffee’s typical set includes almost 30 Cash classics per night, including his interpretation of Cash’s take on the Nine Inch Nails tune “Hurt.” Even if you’re not a fan of Cash (and how could you not be?) or don’t give a crap about Capricorns (now that we understand), this party is a blast and a half. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $11 ADV, $13 DOS. House of Blues. Cracker/Camper Van Beethoven: After beloved indie rockers Camper van Beethoven broke up in the late ’80s, singer-guitarist David Lowery approached childhood friend Johnny Hickman about starting a new band. The

duo began writing songs together and even played a few shows as the David Lowery Group before forming the alt-rock act Cracker with drummer Greg Weatherford (since replaced by Coco Owens) and bassist Davey Faragher (since replaced by Bryan Howard). The current Cracker lineup also includes Matt “Pistol” Stoessel on pedal steel and Thayer Sarrano, who sometimes tours with the band, on keys and backing vocals. Then, after Camper Van Beethoven reunited a few years ago, Lowery started taking both bands out on the road. He’d play a set with Camper and follow it up with a set with Cracker. That tour hasn’t come to Cleveland often, but it arrives at the Beachland tonight. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $25. Beachland Ballroom. Glendale Dive Bombs/Astral Radio/Bonnie Clydeman: 8 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Honeymoon Record Release/Brain Cave/Stalemate: 9 p.m., $6. Happy Dog. Musicians for Metanoia Benefit: The Denison United Church of Christ (UCC), which has been operating as an overflow homeless

shelter in partnership with the Metanoia Project on the city’s west side, was issued a cease use notification by the city of Cleveland on Christmas Eve. Councilwoman Dona Brady has been leading the anti-homeless crusade, and building and housing inspectors have been putting the clamp down even as Metanoia offers secure overnight housing during the winter months for those who otherwise don’t have access to shelter. “Our partnership with the Metanoia Project is a protected and essential expression of our faith,” the church said in a statement the day after Christmas, “and we remain committed to fulfilling that mission while ensuring the safety of those whom God calls us to serve.” Tonight, $15 gets you live music at CODA with proceeds going directly to Metanoia so it can continue that mission at Denison UCC and its other locations. (Vince Grzegorek) 7:30 p.m., $15. CODA. Walt Sanders One Night With You Elvis Tribute: 7 p.m. MGM Northfield Park. Unnatural Disaster/Blue Radio: 8 p.m., $7. Now That’s Class. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. YACHT: 9 p.m., $15. Grog Shop.

SUN

01/12

And This Is 20/20: 6:30 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop. School of Rock: 12 p.m., free. Beachland Ballroom. Sozzle: 7 p.m., $10. Bop Stop. Spiritual Cramp (in the Locker Room): 7 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes.

MON

01/13

Maneka/Chum/Fits of Hail: 8 p.m., $6. Now That’s Class.

TUE

01/14

SCR: 8 p.m., $5 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Joey Skoch Trio: 7 p.m., $15. Bop Stop.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene | clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

29

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

31

BAND OF THE WEEK SMALL WOOD HOUSE By Jeff Niesel MEET THE BAND: Chris Corsi

(guitar, vocals), Emma Shepard (keyboards, vocals), Matt Schleckman (drums), John Corsi (bass) A DREAM-POP THING: This local indie dream-pop group formed when members met in Kent where they all worked at a coffee shop. “It snowballed from there,” says Chris Corsi. Band members count atmospheric acts such as the Cocteau Twins and Beach House among the bands that have inspired them. “I think we have a wide range of influences,” says Shepard. “I listen to a lot of atmospheric music. I like the ethereal quality of that music. We like a lot of dreamy music.” Chris Corsi says the band also takes inspiration from lo-fi acts such as Guided by Voices. “We like personal recording projects such as (Sandy) Alex G and Women.” Shleckman says the group has psyche-rock influences as well.

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| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

CAPTURED ON CASSETTE: The group released its first self-titled EP in 2014 and followed it up with another EP, Candy Choir, in 2015. Since then, the band has opened for acts such as Mitski, Colleen Green and (Sandy) Alex G., and it released its first full-length album, Runner, last month. The album is available digitally and on a banana-yellow cassette, in a run that was limited to 100 copies. “The album was a lot more work,” says Shleckman. “We spent some time cleaning up our sound. The EPs were done relatively fast, but when we realized we wanted to put out a full-length, we started to overthink it. It wasn’t just four songs. It needed to be 11 or 12 songs.”

wanted to create. We weren’t at anyone else’s mercy.” The band would write the music and lyrics together, and that songwriting process made everything take that much longer. WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: “How to Quiet Down” features layers of vocals and a terrifically trippy jam at song’s end. With its calland-response vocals and vintage sounding synths, “T.V.” recalls Stereolab, and the shimmering Photo courtesy of Management

“Delusions of Grandeur” starts with a simple guitar riff before old-school synths kick in. Shepard uses an old ’80s Yamaha synth pad, which produces a warble-y organ sound, and she also uses a ’90s toy Casio. WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM:

smallwoodhouse.bandcamp.com. A DIY APPROACH: The group

recorded the entire new album in a basement. “It was really nice,” says Shepard. “I’ve recorded in a studio, and that was a positive experience, but we could record at will for this album. Our neighbors are our friends, so it was great to record when we wanted to. It made it really intimate. We were fully in control of when we

WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Small Wood House performs with Jaite and Sure, Machine at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, at Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

SAVAGE LOVE QUICKIES by Dan Savage

I have a question about porn, and I can’t think who else I can ask that will give me an intelligent, educated answer. In modern porn, anal on women is gaining popularity. I’m a fan of anal with my boyfriend. However, in porn, it seems like the gaping asshole is a thing, a sought after thing, a desired thing. And I guess my boyfriend and I don’t get it. We can get quite vigorous when we have anal sex, but MY butthole never gapes open like that — my boyfriend assures me that when he pull out, it goes back to its cute little flower-like effect. Why is the gaping asshole so popular? I promise this is not a frivolous question or just for titillation. We really do wonder: What gives? — Gaining Anal Perspective Entails Serious Question It’s funny how a chief fear about anal sex — that your asshole would gape open afterward and poop would fall out while you walked down the street — became eroticized. (The asshole gaping open part, not the poop falling out part.) Did I say funny, GAPESQ? I meant predictable. Because a big part of the collective human subconscious is always at work eroticizing our fears, and the gaping-open, just-been-fucked, completely “wrecked” asshole many people feared inevitably became something some people found hot. And as more people began experimenting with anal sex — as anal went mainstream over the last two decades — people realized that the anal sphincter is a muscle and the secret to successful anal intercourse is learning to relax that muscle. Situationally, not permanently. You could relax, get loose, gape after, post the video to a porn tube, and then tighten back up. Now, not everyone thinks a wide-open, gaping asshole is desirable. And not everyone, in the immortal words of Valerie Cherish, needs (or wants) to see that.

*** Honest question: If you, being a homosexual, don’t die from HIV, will

you have to wear a diaper before the age of 42? Optional question: What does a prolapsed rectum look like? I bet you can describe it without doing an image search. — Sickening Homosexuals Are Malignant Errors Honest answers: I know you meant this to be hate mail, SHAME, but I’m just thrilled someone out there thinks I’m not 42 yet. Also, I’m HIV-negative — last time I checked — but even if I were to seroconvert (go from HIV-negative to HIV-positive), a person with HIV who has access to meds can expect to live as long as a person without HIV. Also, a person with HIV who is on meds and has a zero viral load (no trace of the virus can be detected in their blood) cannot infect another person. So even if I were to contract HIV after all these years, SHAME, I would likely live long enough to die of something else, and, once I got on meds, I couldn’t pass HIV on to anyone else. And quickly: I’m way past 42 and not in a diaper yet, thank you very much. And while some people think a prolapsed rectum looks like a rosebud, I happen to think a prolapsed rectum looks like a ball of lean hamburger. And the first one I ever saw — and, no, I didn’t need to do an image search because it makes a real impression — was in straight porn, not gay porn. P.S. If you can’t think about gay men without thinking about our poops and the diapers you hope we’re wearing and our meaty prolapsed rectums, SHAME, that says a lot more about you than it does about gay people.

*** My significant other wants me to delete any NSFW pictures of my exes, but I don’t feel comfortable with that. I don’t have an emotional attachment to my exes or really look at these photos anymore, but I feel that old pictures saved on old computers aren’t doing any harm

and deleting them won’t fix my partner’s insecurity. — Personal Images Causing Strife Accommodating a partner’s irrational insecurity is sometimes the price we pay to make an otherwise healthy and functional relationship work, PICS, as I recently told another reader. But one possible workaround — one possible accommodation — is telling your insecure partner what they want to hear even if it isn’t true. Telling a partner who is concerned about safety that you’re using condoms with others when you’re not isn’t okay, of course, just as telling a potential partner you’re single when you’re not isn’t okay. But telling a partner that you deleted photos you never look at on a passwordprotected computer they can’t look at … yeah, that’s a lie you don’t have to feel too awful about telling.

*** How long after using an oil-based lubricant do I have to wait before I can safely use latex condoms? Not right after, presumably. Next day? Next week? Next century? I’ve been experimenting with oil-based CBD lube for hand/toy stuff, but I’m worried about the timing relative to penetrative sex. — Oily Inside “Oil and latex condoms do NOT mix, period,” said Melissa White, CEO of Lucky Bloke, an online condom shop, and a condom expert. “Using an oilbased lubricant with a condom can cause the condom to leak and/or break. And unlike waterbased lubes, oils do not evaporate readily. While oil is absorbed over time, that absorption rate likely varies based on many factors, including age. Oiling up internally? Now we’re talking vaginal versus anal absorption rates! The bottom line: We have not found sufficient studies to

issue a reliable recommendation on what an overall safe time frame might be. So here’s the deal: Oil or condoms — choose one.” I would add only this: Condoms made out of polyurethane are more expensive, but you can safely use them with oil-based lube.

*** I’m a straight guy who loves the female body — the look, touch, and smell. I’m in my mid-30s, I’ve never had a serious relationship, and I don’t know if I’m capable of falling in love. I’m exclusively into trans women, and I’ve kept it a secret because it’s nobody’s business. If I were in love, I’d make it public, but that hasn’t happened. I can’t help but feel like this is an addiction, and I’m ashamed of it. I’m sure I’m not the first straight guy who’s into trans women who’s written to you. Where do I go from here? — Straight And Struggling While dating someone in secret isn’t impossible, SAS, it rarely leads to long-term love. Being kept hidden because you’re trans (or you’re gay or you’re big) and the person you’re dating hasn’t gotten over their shame about being attracted to trans people (or members of their own sex or bigger people) … well, it sucks to be someone’s dirty secret. And a healthy trans (or gay or big) person — the kind of person you might be able to fall in love with — isn’t going to put up with that shit. So it’s a catch-22: So long as you keep the women you date a secret, none of them are going to stay in your life for long. They’ll be either so damaged you want them out of your life or not damaged enough to want you in theirs.

On the Lovecast, the truth about human trafficking: savagelovecast.com.

mail@savagelove.net t@fakedansavage

| clevescene.com | January 8 - 14, 2020

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