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CONTENTS

Group Publisher Chris Keating Publisher Andrew Zelman Editor Vince Grzegorek

Aloha Garrettsville Aloha Garrettsville JUNE 28â€“30, 2019 from from

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 Alexandra Sobczak , Evey Weisblat

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UPFRONT HOW UKRAINIAN OLIGARCHS SECRETLY BECAME THE LARGEST REAL ESTATE OWNERS IN DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND IN AN EXPLOSIVE LEGAL complaint ﬁled last month in Delaware, attorneys for a major Ukrainian bank alleged that two oligarchs who founded the bank and controlled it from 2006 to 2016 laundered hundreds of millions of dollars in fraudulent corporate loans to purchase assets in the United States and unjustly enrich themselves and their associates. Dubbed the “Optima Schemes” in the 104-page document, these “brazen fraudulent schemes” were successful, among other things, in making the oligarchs and their co-defendants the largest commercial real estate holders in Cleveland. With money siphoned from public bonds and 20 million private Ukrainian citizens who’d opened accounts with PrivatBank, the oligarchs Igor Kolomoisky and Gennadiy Bogolyubov doled out corporate loans to shell companies that they controlled. They used PrivatBank “as their own personal piggy bank,” in the words of the complaint. Those loans were then laundered in multiple digital transactions, sent through dozens of other shell companies that had been created exclusively for the purpose of laundering. These accounts were managed by co-conspirators at PrivatBank’s branch in Cyprus. The true origin of the money thus concealed, funds were then shipped to LLCs in Delaware (hence the legal ﬁling there). Those LLCs — “One Cleveland Center, LLC,” to take just one example — were used to acquire properties and metalworking facilities in the U.S. Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov are mineral magnates and own mining factories and metalworking plants in Ukraine. The men on the ground in the United States, according to the complaint, were a Miami-based trio: Mordechai “Motti” Korf, his brotherin-law Chaim Schochet, and Uriel Laber. These three men managed the “Optima” companies: Optima International, Optima Ventures and Optima Acquisitions, all of which were created and ultimately controlled by Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov.

“Optima Ventures” should be a familiar local name. It was the company, launched in 2007, used to acquire properties in the U.S. for Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov. The majority of these properties were in Cleveland. Chaim Schochet was Optima’s “front man” in Northeast Ohio. He told the Plain Dealer in 2012 that his local goals were twofold: “making money for investors betting on the upside of a Midwestern city, and contributing to the betterment of a downtown that more high-profile buyers ha[d] passed by.” But his investors’ funds were ill-gotten, according to the complaint, proceeds from “massive, systematic and fraudulent loan misappropriation and recycling schemes. (In the 2012 PD piece referenced above, Schochet was reportedly “circumspect about discussing how [Optima Ventures] is structured or who the major investors are.”) The loan recycling schemes were functionally identical to a ponzi scheme, except instead of paying purported profits to early investors with funds from more recent investors, the Ukrainian oligarchs and their cronies within PrivatBank paid off early fraudulent corporate loans with money from new fraudulent corporate loans. “On paper, this appeared to be a repayment,” the complaint explains. “But in reality, it was a sham and fraud, as PrivatBank was repaying itself and increasing its outstanding liabilities in the process. This process was carried out over and over again, over a period of many years.” In December 2016, the Ukrainian state was forced to nationalize PrivatBank as a result of the oligarchs’ conduct. The state injected more than $5.5 billion into the bank to prevent its collapse, and “preserve the stability of the [Ukrainian] financial system.” In 2018, the bank reverted to private ownership. The complaint alleges that Korf, Schochet and Laber were in on the racket, aware of the systematic corruption because they were under

direct supervision from Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov (or their trusted lieutenant inside PrivatBank, Timur Novikov), and because they were enriched in the process. Korf, Schochet and Laber received “substantial financial remuneration,” according to the complaint, which they used to acquire millions of dollars worth of property in Florida. Using the laundered loan proceeds, Optima acquired the following Cleveland buildings: s One Cleveland Center: 1375 East Ninth St. Acquired for $86.3 million in May 2008. s 55 Public Square. Acquired for $34 million in July 2008. s Huntington Building: 925 Euclid Ave. Acquired for $18.5 million in June 2010. s AECOM/Penton Media Building: 1300 East Ninth St. Acquired for $46.5 million in August 2010 s Crowne Plaza Building: 777 St. Clair Ave. Acquired in a joint venture with Denverbased Sage Hospitality Group. Here’s an example of exactly how the properties were acquired, via the complaint: “On April 29 and 30, 2008 ... two Ukrainian [metal plants] owned or controlled by [Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov] drew down $2.7 million and $4.3 million in loan proceeds from PrivatBank Ukraine. The purpose of the loans was ‘financing of current business activities of the entity.’ On April 30, 2008, Bocatoro Enterprises Ltd. (‘Bocatoro Enterprises’), a Cypriot entity owned or controlled by [Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov] drew down $40 million in loan proceeds from PrivatBank Cyprus for ‘replenishment of floating assets for payments according to contracts, including purchase of shares.’ “However, the loan proceeds were not used for their stated purposes. Instead, the loan proceeds were combined with funds from other sources linked

to [Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov] and laundered in forty-two transactions through fifteen Laundering Accounts, including the accounts of Defendant Kolomoisky’s Divot Enterprises, Ralkon Commercial, and Pavanti Enterpirses, as well as Defendant Bogolyubov’s Bonique, and [K&B’s] Blisont Capital and Brotstone accounts. “On information and belief, [K&B] and their co-conspirators used Pavanti Enterprises to misappropriate and transfer a combined $36.1 million into the U.S. to the Multi-State Title Agency Ltd. to fund the acquisition of One Cleveland [Center] through Optima One Cleveland Center LLC for Optima Ventures.” At its height, Optima Ventures controlled 2.8 million square feet of downtown Cleveland commercial real estate. This was a larger footprint than even Forest City Enterprises at the time. In recent years, Optima has been selling off its Cleveland properties, most of which have fallen into disrepair and suffer from high vacancy rates. The AECOM building, for example, which Optima acquired in $46.5 million in 2010, was sold to New-Jersey based Rugy Realty last summer for $38 million. When Optima bought AECOM (the former Penton Media Building), it was 90-percent occupied. But when Rugby purchased it last year, it had dropped to only 57-percent occupancy and was in need of significant renovations. “We’ll fully renovate the lobby so it fits the 21st century and doesn’t look like the 1980s,” Rugby principal Robert Ades said at the time of purchase. Rugby’s plans also included updating the elevators, the mechanical components of which reportedly dated back to 1972. The Huntington Building (The 925 Building) was sold to Frank Sinito’s Millennia Companies last year for $40 million. A full overhaul of the building was projected to cost $300 million. The property was | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

UPFRONT characterized by the PD at the time of sale as a “gaping hole in the heart of a revitalizing downtown.” A situation of disrepair and vacancy can also be found at 55 Public Square, the only building other than One Cleveland Center that remains in Optima’s local ownership portfolio. A sale was in the works with K&D development last year, but K&D pulled out, calling the project “unworkable.” Though Optima had purchased it for $34 million in 2008, it was appraised for only about $20 million last year. The Plain Dealer reported that the building was “in dire need of a makeover” and that “only a smattering” of businesses occupied the 2nd through 11th floors of the 22-story structure. The John Q Steakhouse space on the ground floor has been vacant for years. Optima retains a management stake in what is now the downtown Westin Hotel (formerly the Crowne Plaza) and owns One Cleveland Center, which it refinanced in 2010. Optima Management Group, the management company affiliated with

Optima Ventures, also works out of One Cleveland Center. Scene spoke with a representative there by phone, who asked that questions for Chaim Schochet about the so-called “Optima Schemes” be submitted via email. Shochet provided the following via Optima Management Group: “The allegations in this lawsuit — part of an orchestrated political attack by a Ukrainian bank against investors in our thriving businesses — are false, defamatory and utterly without merit. We intend not only to contest but to disprove these reckless allegations, and to demonstrate that they are part of a smear campaign driven by a Ukrainian political agenda that we have nothing to do with. We are immensely proud of our extensive track record building a vibrant real estate portfolio in Cleveland, and we will not let a frivolous lawsuit tarnish our hardearned reputation or distract us from our mission to continue to serve the interests of the Cleveland community.” Filed on behalf of the current PrivatBank shareholders, the Delaware complaint seeks damages which could include all of Optima’s U.S. assets. Those include properties in Dallas and Louisville and

metallurgical assets in addition to the Cleveland portfolio. Among the metallurgical assets that Optima Acquisitions acquired was a steelmaking plant in Warren, Ohio, called Warren Steel Holdings LLC. Warren Steel shuttered permanently in 2016 and laid off 162 workers due to “unforeseeable business circumstances.” Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov are now back in Ukraine after having fled from their residences in Switzerland to Israel in 2018. Both oligarchs reportedly have Ukrainian, Israeli and Cypriot citizenship. The Daily Beast reported in April that Kolomoisky is under FBI investigation and that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Ohio was involved in a wide-ranging probe. Kolomoisky’s lawyer said that his client “categorically denied” laundering any money into the United States. Kolomoisky has reportedly returned to Ukraine, however, with the tacit protection of new president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, a comedian who played the Ukrainian President on the TV show Servant of the People (now streaming on Netflix). That show, immensely popular in Ukraine, aired on a network owned

by Kolomoisky. — Sam Allard

Cleveland.com’s Insulting and Surprising Endorsement of Bill Mason To read Cleveland.com’s ecstatic, full-throated endorsement of Bill Mason’s appointment as chief of staff to beleaguered and incompetent county executive Armond Budish, one would assume that its author not only did not work at the region’s largest news organization during Mason’s tenure as prosecutor and the ﬁrst county corruption scandal, but that the author was not even generally aware of either. It is the only plausible explanation for the words that were breathlessly summoned and bestowed on a man whose lengthy and troubling resume deserves criticism, not celebration. That assumption, of course, isn’t true. Cleveland.com editor, president and editorial board member Chris Quinn, who almost certainly penned the offending editorial, worked at the Plain Dealer through that era and, as metro editor at the time, led the coverage of the scandal and its aftermath. Which is why the words are such a striking and insulting

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pom-pom routine. Behold, according to the editorial, Bill Mason: a “forward-thinking” “proven administrator” whose appointment is a “bold move to get things fixed and get the county moving,” and who “would not have accepted the chief of staff position if he did not intend to dedicate himself to making the government work.” Mason, it’s clear and history has shown, has dedicated himself to making the government work ... for himself, for his cronies, for his pals, for his relatives. We know this partly thanks to the Plain Dealer’s coverage from the mid2000s to 2011. Coverage quarterbacked by Quinn. Coverage that detailed, in no particular order: s That one in five people Mason hired either “held public office or was related to or a friend of a public office holder.” s That he built an all-powerful political machine that he used to benefit his pals and strong arm anyone who didn’t get on board.

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That “Mason’s office pursued criminal charges against hundreds of people over the past decade despite having little or no evidence against them.” s That Mason refused to prosecute a friend and employee who misappropriated more than $300,000 from clients. s That Mason allegedly rigged a judicial race. s That in crafting the original version of county reform, “The lack of any nepotism rules in the new county charter — despite their presence in nearby Summit County’s charter — as well as murky language on the duties of the new county law director suggest Mason’s primary role in this process was to protect his own perquisites.” All of this is ignored, or treated as irritating footnotes to be wiped clean, as Mason’s successes are touted in a vomitous stupor. Successes are fine to discuss with respect to evaluating his legacy, but presented with the announcement of this job in this administration, it is an embarrassment. And it will not be taken lightly, because the public has not forgotten that the Plain Dealer — though it followed with important reporting once the Feds swooped in on Dimora, Russo and company — failed to address or uncover the corruption for years prior. That Cleveland.com’s editor now sees fit to cozy up to the prosecutor who similarly ignored corruption by his pals and everyone around him — “Over his 11 years in office, Mason has seen little evil, heard less, and smelled none,” Scene wrote in 2011 — is a clear indication Quinn has shed any last remaining vestment of a watchdog journalist and slipped easily into the gaudy attire of hype man for Cleveland’s powerful. The editorial, which could have doubled as Armond Budish’s press release, should serve as a bat-signal in the sky that in Quinn’s newsroom the old journalism axiom has been flipped on its head, with skepticism and open disdain for the citizens of Cleveland and unearned faith in the city’s leaders. “Budish deserves praise for selecting Mason,” the editorial closes. “Now, he needs to give Mason the latitude needed to do this job.” Yes, because giving Mason ample leeway to operate went so well the first time, Mr. Quinn. Or have you forgotten? — Vince Grzegorek

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EE ZAPIS DEVELOPED A LOVE OF MUSIC AT AN early age. His father, Xen Zapis, had a huge record collection in his basement in Rocky River, where Lee and his sister, Maria, grew up, and the siblings would often sift through it. “I remember all those 78s and 45s we had back then,” says Zapis one morning from Joe’s Deli, a Rocky River restaurant that’s near his Bay Village home. “We listened to them a lot, but we’d also often just throw them at each other. I’m sure some of them would’ve been valuable today, but who knew at the time?” | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

FEATURE Zapis would eventually put that knowledge to good use. From 1981 to 1999, he owned WZAK and transformed the station from its early origins in ethnic programming into a commercially successful urban contemporary channel. In his new book, Change Is On the Air: How WZAK Became #1 in Cleveland, Zapis chronicles the stationâ€™s remarkable history, tracing its origins and sharing stories about notable on-air personalities such as Lynne â€œBad Boyâ€? Tolliver.

Digging Through the Archives Zapis started working on the book two years ago. His parents were alive at the time, but they unexpectedly passed away while he was writing the book. â€œThat really knocked me for a loop,â€? he says. â€œThey were both looking forward to reading it.â€? In the process of writing the 125-page book, he sifted through tons of material. The book includes archival photos and images of old advertisements too.

â€œMy original thought was that I wanted to do a book with a focus on sociology and culture and how our station ďŹ t into the social fabric of Cleveland, but it became more of a business book,â€? says Zapis. â€œItâ€™s got one foot in each camp. Itâ€™s hard to take 20 years and condense it.â€?

The Greek Squad Since the station was a family business, it makes sense that the book begins with a bit of family history. Xen Zapis married his wife Lula in 1952. They had both graduated from John Hay High School, but they didnâ€™t know each other then. They met later at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Tremont. Just prior to marrying, Xen had started hosting a Greek radio show. He didnâ€™t have any experience in radio but wanted to make sure there was an ethnic program on the air that catered to the Greek community. â€œHe heard a bunch of other nationalities had their own radio programs and just walked into [WSRS] and said he wanted to do a Greek program,â€? says Zapis. â€œThey said, â€˜Sure, no problem. Itâ€™s $50 for the hour.â€™ He said he didnâ€™t have $50, and they explained to him that he

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had to ďŹ nd sponsors. Sure enough, he went out and found sponsors. He had 12 that paid $5 a week, so he made $10 proďŹ t each week.â€? Xen Zapis would borrow Greek records from friends because he didnâ€™t have enough Greek records to play on the air. After he and Lulu married, they hosted the show together, taking it to a number of different local stations before landing at WXEN. Sheâ€™d read the news in Greek, and heâ€™d read the news in English. Zapis writes, â€œMy mother became the co-host of the radio show, and, in my opinion, the star.â€? In 1962, the Muzak Corporation approached Xen Zapis and three other producers about starting up a new station, and they ponied up $7,500 each to launch WZAK in 1962. â€œ[Owning WZAK at that time] made us known in the Greek community,â€? Zapis says. â€œWe would do local news on the station, so people would call us about a death or a wedding or when a relative was visiting from Greece.â€? While attending Cleveland State University, Lee Zapis started working at the radio station parttime, and heâ€™d eventually parlay that into a gig at WZAK, which his father would take complete control

of in the late â€™70s after buying out the other investors and the Muzak Corporation; at that point, Zapis began working at the station fulltime and assumed an ownership position.

A Sudden Switch In the early â€™80s, many of the ethnic programming producers had retired and ratings had declined. A market survey suggested the one thing Cleveland radio lacked was an urban contemporary station that played a mix of R&B, smooth jazz and pop. In 1981, much to the chagrin of its hardcore audience members who liked the ethnic programming, the station switched to urban contemporary. â€œWhen the previous ethnic stations switched, they gave their DJs a 30-day notice, and they used that time to organize protests and opposition,â€? says Zapis. â€œWe didnâ€™t want that to happen to us. Our attorney met with everyone and told them theyâ€™d be off the air immediately, but they could stay on the air on Sundays.â€? At 6 a.m. on March 2, 1981, DJ Rich Kenney played Twennynineâ€™s â€œFancy Dancer,â€? and from that point

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forward, the station began playing music that appealed to AfricanAmericans between the ages of 18 and 44. Many loyal listeners weren’t happy. “I remember getting phone calls, and people said there was something wrong with their radios because they couldn’t the station in,” says Zapis. “I felt bad about it. We knew nothing about commercial radio, but the principles for the ethnic programming are the same ones for urban contemporary. We did events and promotions, and it’s just a matter of understanding your community and being responsive to them.” To help develop its urban contemporary programming, the station hired Lynn Tolliver, a former MCA Records retail rep. “He was from Cleveland but living in Detroit at the time, and Ray Calabrese, who managed the Dazz Band, told us to talk to Lynn,” says Zapis. “We got to know him. He was always very creative and full of energy. He was such a radio nerd that when he was a kid, he would call record stores and create his own charts about what was selling and then pass it out. Who does that as a kid?” Hired in 1982, Tolliver would turn things around. He recruited on-air personalities such as Kim Johnson, Lankford “the Man” Stephens, Ralph Poole, Kym Sellers and Bobby Rush. He even created Sexual Harassment, a studio group, to record a track called “I Need a Freak” that would become a national hit (the Black Eyed Peas would later sample it on their hit tune “My Humps”). “Lynn was very creative and had recorded music since he was young,” says Zapis when asked about the origins of “I Need a Freak.” “He put together this band and named the group Sexual Harassment and recorded ‘I Need a Freak.’ It took on a life of its own. At the time, he didn’t promote himself as part of it and worked in the band under a pseudonym. I went to St. Louis that summer it came out and heard it there. It got played in the clubs and became a cult hit.” By 1984, the station was No. 1 with black listeners, and it started presenting concerts such as the Plum Fest, a concert at the Cleveland Municipal Stadium that featured Gladys Knight, the Temptations, Aretha Franklin and Maze. In 1985, Zapis got a scare when a gunman attacked Tolliver as he was leaving the station. “It was the day after Christmas and snowing,” says Zapis. “I got a phone call from the guy who did

cleanup and maintenance at the station. He said Tolliver had been shot in the studio. I thought, ‘Holy shit.’ My dad and I drove to the hospital. We got there before Lynn did.” What had happened was that as Tolliver was leaving the station, which at that time was on Superior Avenue next to the Plain Dealer building, to go emcee at a club, a gunman jumped him. “This masked gunman shot him three or four times,” says Zapis. “Luckily, the guy was a bad shot. Lynn let himself into the studio while Jeffrey Charles was on the air, and he knew Tolliver was a practical joker and thought it was a joke. They never caught any assailant. We thought it was one of the overnight DJs who had a beef with him. People in focus groups thought it was a publicity stunt, but Arbitron takes a break after Christmas, so that wasn’t even a possibility.”

Courting Controversy The station courted controversy throughout the ’80s. When it played the Prince track “Erotic City,” listeners would call to complain if it played the edited version. They wanted to hear the uncensored rendition of the track. “Compared to the lyrics of songs today, it’s pretty mild,” says Zapis. “But at the time, we pushed the envelope. It really always came down to how much attention we could draw to ourselves without spending a lot of money. We never had a lot of money to spend.” Many of the ads from that time period stirred up controversy too. “We wanted people to talk about us,” says Zapis. “We had one segment called Four Play during which we played four songs in a row. So we had an ad that featured a young lady saying, ‘I love Four Play.’ We had another program called Back to Back Hits, and in the ad, we showed women’s backsides. That got people worked up. I hate to say it, but the community activists played into our hands. It was about trying to increase the station’s awareness.” Pranks were part of the station’s approach as well. “Tolliver would take a couple of days off, and we would put a promo on the air that said, ‘Lynn will not be on the radio for the next couple of days in response to something offensive he said about so and so.’ He never said anything, but people wanted to know what he had said. It was like theater of the mind. Today, you could never get away with it because some intern would tweet out

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In his book, Zapis says that despite the fact that the nation’s economy was in a funk, the station’s best year was 1992. “By 1992, we had been doing it for 10 years and had kind of hit our stride,” he says. “We had driven our competitors out of the format and that gave us more freedom. We still tried to be disciplined. We wanted to expand the music list, and we wanted to know how to do that. We found that if you add pop music, you drive off your audience. We had to focus on our core. Every decision you made, you had to think about what your core audience would want. Tolliver had a good sense of that.” Acts like LL Cool J would stop at the station when they were in town, and to keep up with the times, the station started playing more hiphop and launched its Phat Friday program in 1995. “We had specialty shows that featured hip-hop,” says Zapis. “David Tolliver and Antonio ‘Banana’ Marshall did a hip-hop show. The music evolved and black music, if you want to call it that, isn’t homogenous. You have hip-hop, R&B and we even played some smooth jazz.” In 1997, the station started airing The Tom Joyner Show in the morning. Joyner had a syndicated program out of Dallas, and Zapis says that picking up his program was more of a defensive move since he feared another Cleveland station might get it and start “a real battle” for morning ratings. “Our morning show was freewheeling and unstructured and we couldn’t even get the mayor to come on the air,” says Zapis. “Joyner interviewed Clinton on the air and ﬂew on Air Force One. He did crazy shit like that. My concern was that if someone wanted to come after WZAK, they would pick up Tom Joyner and have adult urban programming the rest of the day. We took on Tom Joyner and moved Tolliver, and it worked out.”

Sold to the Highest Bidder When Zapis sold the station along with ﬁve other stations owned by the Zapis Corporation, it had a 9.9 share. “I’ll never forget that — we never hit double digits,” Zapis says, adding that he and his father received multiple offers when they put the station up for sale and went with the highest bidder. “We worked really hard for the station and wanted to see it succeed. At the time, I had qualms about selling it. It was a family business. I had never heard the term exit strategy, so I didn’t know what that was.” The idea to sell the station came after Zapis and his father met with Milt Maltz, who had divested his TV station interests at about the same time. At a lunch, Maltz gave Zapis and his father some advice. “He said, ‘Never fall in love with something that can’t love you back,’ and, ‘if not now, when?’” says Zapis. “We thought we should think about it. We wanted to buy other stations, but it was impossible to compete with big consolidated companies.” Chancellor Media Corporation of Texas bought WZAK along with WZJM, WDOK, WQAL, WRMR and WJMO for $129 million, reportedly the biggest radio deal in Cleveland broadcasting history. Zapis says his life is now “dramatically different” than it was when he ran the radio station. Back then, he used to listen to radio constantly and says that if he was awake, he was listening. Now, Zapis, who runs Zapis Capital Group and invests in technology, health care, real estate and media, says he doesn’t tune in as regularly, though he does like listening to talk radio. “I still love that business,” he says. “Radio is the most effective media. In those days, our station was central to the black community. You knew what artists were in town. We weren’t political and didn’t do any news, but people tuned in to have a companion.” He says that when it’s done properly, “nothing connects with people more than radio.” “It’s considered mass media, but most people are listening to it by themselves, maybe in their cars or at their desks,” he says, adding that he’s currently an investor in an app that will “try to make music social again.” “A great radio personality can really make you feel a connection.”

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GET OUT everything you should do this week

Photo by Daniel Topete

Cloud Nothings are one of the headliners at this year’s Burning River Fest. See: Friday.

Dear Evan Hansen The Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen makes its way to Cleveland this month amidst lots of hype. The story centers on a high-schooler who wants to ﬁt in at any cost and features a book by Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson, a score by Grammy, Tony and Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman) and direction by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (Rent, Next to Normal). Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at Connor Palace, where it runs through June 30. Tickets start at $39. See Elaine T. Cicora’s full review in this issue. (Jeff Niesel) 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

and judges will unite at House of Blues for the 11th annual Jam for Justice, a beneﬁt concert for the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland. Proceeds support Legal Aid’s mission to “secure justice” and “resolve fundamental problems for low-income people in Northeast Ohio.” Jam for Justice will feature eight bands and one DJ performing a variety of musical styles. While most of the night’s musicians are in the legal profession, others are doctors, accountants and other Clevelandarea professionals. Some of the acts slated to perform include Faith & Whiskey, First Offenders, Lost Bob and the Ozone Ramblers, Out of Order, Rule 11 & the Sanctions and Six Sometimes Seven. Tickets are $50, with discount tickets available for law students and public service employees. Admission includes food and one drink ticket. (Niesel) 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, lasclev.org/2019jam.

MUSIC

FOOD

Jam For Justice Today from 5 to 9:30 p.m., attorneys

North Union Farmers Market North Union Farmers Market

WED

06/19

THEATER

returns to U.S. Bank Plaza today with an urban desert oasis of fresh and sustainable local farm foods. Come and stock up on the season’s best fruits and vegetables from 4 to 7 p.m. This NUFM location will be up and running each and every Wednesday through Sept. 4. Find out more on the website below. (Niesel) East 14th St. and Euclid Ave., 216-771-4444, northunionfarmersmarket.org. MUSIC

Roots of Bluegrass: Workshop, Informance and Performance. Paul Kovac’s Big ’Grass Band has teamed up with the Music Settlement for two related events. First, Kovac will present an informal lecture/ demo with a hands-on workshop tonight at 7 at the Music Settlement’s Ohio City campus. Kovac and members of the Big ’Grass Band will discuss the origins of bluegrass music, the instrumentation, singing style and all things bluegrass. Bring your instrument for this free workshop. Then, at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Paul Kovac’s Big ’Grass

Band will present an evening of bluegrass and play songs from their recent recording, Ohio Bluegrass: From the Appalachian Plateau, as well as traditional American bluegrass favorites. Tickets to that show cost $15. (Niesel) 2610 Detroit Ave., 216-931-0052, themusicsettlement.org. MUSIC

Uptown Out to Lunch Series At today’s Out to Lunch concert, on Toby’s Plaza in the Uptown district, you can grab lunch from your favorite Uptown eatery and have a seat at the great picnic table while listening to local bands. Today, the Major Minors play from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The free concert series continues through Sept. 11. The schedule is on the website. (Niesel) 11440 Uptown Ave., universitycircle.org. FOOD

Walnut Wednesday Walnut Wednesday is one of summer’s great traditions. Today from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Perk | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

SPOKEN WORD

GET OUT Plaza at Chester Commons — at East 12th and Walnut streets — food trucks once again gather to serve up lunch to area residents and employees. Follow the Downtown Cleveland Alliance on Facebook for weekly updates on vendors, entertainment offerings and more. The series continues through Sept. 4. Admission is free, but the food will cost you. (Niesel) downtowncleveland.com.

THU

A Conversation with Gregory Williams The PNC Fairfax Connection monthly speaker series continues tonight with a talk by Gregory Williams, founder of the Motown band Switch. Established in Detroit and later based in Mansﬁeld, Switch recorded for the Motown label from 1977 to 1983. During that time, the group cut ﬁve

Saturday, Switch will perform at the Goodyear Theater in Akron. Tickets start at $28. (Niesel) 2355 East 89th St., 216-795-7070, karamuhouse.org. SUMMER FUN

Edgewater Live Time again for Edgewater Live, the Cleveland Metroparks’ extremely popular series of Thursday-night

06/20

ART FEST

Asian Lantern Festival Taking over parks and zoos across the country, the traveling Asian Lantern Festival shows off thousands of colorful handmade paper lanterns in open, green spaces. This year’s Cleveland edition, which runs through July 28 at the Metroparks Zoo, brings 40 brand new light-up displays. The event also includes authentic bites from local spots Li Wah, King Wah and Thai Thai, and there will be an interactive zone, open-air market and live performances. Running after zoo hours, the lantern exhibit is open Thursday through Sunday only, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. Sameday tickets are $20.50, or you can score four for $60. (Kids age 2 and younger are free.) Those purchasing tickets early get a discount. (Laura Morrison) 3900 Wildlife Way, 216-661-6500, clemetzoo.com.

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The Zombies

AUG 9

AUG 17

SUMMER IN THE

CITY

WEDNESDAYS

PRIDE ON THE PLAZA JUNE 12

SUNFLOWER BEAN AUG 7

OPEN AGAINST MIKE SWEARIN SOCCER MIKE THE KROL MOMMY EAGLE CURRENT JULY 17

JULY 24

JULY 31

FAM JAM

BIKE NIGHTS

ROCK & RESILIENCE

JUNE 29

JULY 25 & AUG 15

AUG 25

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BELIEVE IN CLE YOGA AUG 30

COMEDY

Alonzo Bodden Comic Alonzo Bodden likes to make fun of the news, or lack thereof. “It seems Dennis Rodman is a bad diplomat,” he says before talking about how it shouldn’t surprise anyone that the former NBA star known for his antics and outbursts doesn’t represent the country particularly well. Bodden, who has a matter-of-fact delivery is funny because his material is so sharp. His Seinfeld-like observations about everyday life are generally on the money. He performs tonight at 8 at Hilarities, where he has shows scheduled through Sunday. Tickets start at $23. (Niesel) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

ROCKHALL.COM/SUMMER

albums and had four Top 10 hits. The band included members of the famous DeBarge musical family and Phillip Ingram (brother of the late singer-songwriter James Ingram, originally from Akron). Williams chronicles the band’s history in Switch, DeBarge, Motown & Me. Today at 5 p.m. at Karamu House, he’ll discuss his new book at a free talk. Then, at 8 p.m. on

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

happy-hour concerts held at Edgewater Beach. In addition to live musical performances, you’ll ﬁnd yoga, standup paddleboarding and cornhole. Those ubiquitous food trucks will be on hand, of course, and the Beach House will sell drinks and food as well. Hours are 4:30 to 9 p.m. Admission is free, but bring some bucks for food and drink. The fun continues weekly

through August 1. (Niesel) 6500 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway NW, clevelandmetroparks.com. SPOKEN WORD

Film Cafe The Music Box Supper Club has partnered with the Cleveland Film Commission and Cleveland State University School of Film and Media Arts for a Film Cafe series that will offer “a fun environment for fans and other film industry pros to learn more about filmmaking from each other.” Each month, a local film expert will dissect a specific topic and lead a discussion about a specific theme. The event will also serve as a networking session, and there will be food and beverage specials. Tonight, Ivan Schwarz, president and CEO of the Greater Cleveland Film Commission (GCFC), will speak. It starts at 7 p.m., and admission is free. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. MUSIC

Open Mic Night/Live Band Karaoke Every Thursday, Stella’s Music hosts a night of music, poetry and comedy. The club’s doors open at 5 p.m., and performances begin at 8 p.m. Artists can sign up at stellasmusic.com/open-mic to secure a 15-minute time slot. Signups will be available at the club as well. Meanwhile, happy hour takes place from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free. (Niesel) 2217 East Ninth St., 216-272-3377, stellasmusic.com. COMEDY

Ali Siddiq “Prison is an odd place because you don’t know the rules,” jokes comedian Ali Sadiiq as he relays the story of how he found himself caught up in a riot one day. The funny bit, which Siddiq presents as a narrative, shows just how well the comic can bring a story to life, as he imitates others and recreates conversations he’s had. He performs tonight at 7:30 at the Improv, where he has shows scheduled through Sunday. Tickets start at $17. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

FRI

06/21

ART

78th Street Studios Third Friday Art Walk Time again for the Third Friday Art Walk at the cavernous 78th Street Studios. More than 50 studios and

galleries will participate in this popular indoor art walk; be sure to check out spots like the Derek Hess Gallery, Tregoning & Company and Hilary Gent Studio for a chance to shop and interact with artists. Look for food trucks out front and live music on the ﬁrst ﬂoor. Hours are 5 to 9 p.m. and admission is free. (Niesel) 1300 West 78th St., 78thstreetstudios.com. OPERA

Aida Featuring music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice, Aida, a Disneyproduced musical based on Giuseppe Verdi’s 19th-century opera of the same name, comes to the Akron Civic Theatre this weekend. It centers on how a conﬂict between Egypt and Nubia results in a love affair between Aida and Radames, the Egyptian captain who enslaved Aida’s people. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7, and performances take place at 2 and 7 p.m. tomorrow as well. Tickets start at $20. (Niesel) 182 South Main St., Akron, 330-253-2488, akroncivic.com.

SPORTS

Indians vs. Detroit Tigers The once-mighty Detroit Tigers again occupy the bottom half of the American League Central division as the team continues to rebuild. Superstar Miguel Cabrera still plays for the team, but the Tigers don’t have much else going for them. They play the Indians tonight at 7:10 at Progressive Field, where the two teams meet again tomorrow and Sunday. Tonight is Dollar Dog Night so bring your appetite to the game. Tickets start at $15. (Niesel) 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, clevelandindians.com. MUSIC

Burning River Fest The Burning River Fest pokes fun at one of Cleveland’s not-so-proud moments while conveying the importance of preserving Northeast Ohio’s freshwater sources. Created by the aptly named Burning River Foundation, the fest takes place at the historic Coast Guard Station on Whiskey Island. Cloud Nothings and Arlie will headline the event. Doors open at 6 tonight and tomorrow night, and the fun continues to 11 p.m. Tickets are $15 for each night. All ticket and beer sales will beneﬁt clean water initiatives in Northeast Ohio. Find all the details on the website. (Niesel) burningriverfest.org.

Make Music Day Launched in France in 1982 (where it’s called Fête de la Musique), Make Music Day has become an annual celebration in the States and around the world. Cleveland is one of more than 80 cities to participate. This year’s event in Cleveland will include the following: an Instrument Discovery Zone and P-bone (plastic trombone) workshop at Severance Hall; an open lab and beatmaking at the Fresh Lab in Gordon Square; a reading of Sousa marches open to all instrumentalists; a side-by-side reading session with members of the Blue Water Chamber Orchestra; a performance featuring councilman Kevin Conwell and the Footprints at the VA Hospital; performances by the Paul Kovach Bluegrass Band and an open cello choir at the Bop Stop; a lunchtime performance by Thor Platter at the Rock Hall; Classical Revolution live at Bar 107 in Berea; performances by Cleveland Orchestra musicians and guest artists; and dozens of events created and hosted by local musicians and venues who meet via Make Music Day’s matchmaking software. Sign up on the website, where you’ll also ﬁnd a full schedule of the day’s events. (Niesel) makemusicday.org/cleveland.

SUMMER FUN

FILM

Euclid Beach Live This live concert series offers great music, delicious food and fun for the whole family. The setting couldn’t be better either: The site overlooks the scenic Euclid Beach State Park on Lake Erie, and the 285-foot rebuilt pier gives the events a throwback feel and harkens back to the glory days of Euclid Beach amusement park. The fun takes place tonight from 6 to 9. The series continues through Aug. 2. (Niesel) 16301 Lake Shore Blvd., 216-635-3200, clevelandmetroparks.com.

The Owl’s Legacy: Episodes 8-10 The Owl’s Legacy, a 13-part, fiveand-a-half hour nonfiction film by France’s cine-essayist Chris Marker (La Jetée and Sans Soleil) explores ancient Greece’s lasting influence on Western civilization and culture. Made for French television and first broadcast in 1989, the film features a controversial interview with philosopher George Steiner, who angered one of the series’ primary sponsors with his on-camera assertion that modern Greece has little connection to its glorious past. As a result, one of the film’s financial

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Join SCENE for our Leinenkugel Friday Summer Bar Tour! Catch us at a different location from 6-8 pm every Friday all summer long! Grab a pic with the promo team and enjoy an ice cold Summer Shandy!

GET OUT backers suppressed the series for almost 20 years. Today at 1:45 p.m., the Art Museum screens episodes 8 to 10. At 1:30 p.m. on Sunday and at 1:45 p.m. on Tuesday, the museum screens episodes 11 to 13. Tickets cost $10, or $7 for CMA members. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

SAT

See You: This Friday June 21 Fairview Tavern & Gunselman’s Next Friday June 28 Mulligan’s & Slim & Chubby’s Strongsville

06/22

TRIVIA

TOUR

Broadway Trivia Last Call Trivia presents today’s special Broadway Trivia event that takes place at 7 p.m. at U.S. Bank Plaza. A special version created exclusively for Playhouse Square, the contest lasts two hours and will feature Broadway tunes between questions. Last Call games also incorporate a distinctive point wagering system, giving teams the ability to choose their own strategy which ensures every team has an equal chance to compete. Teams can range from one to eight players and prizes are awarded for the top three places. It’s free. (Niesel) East 14th St. and Euclid Ave., 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.org.

Veteran’s Memorial Bridge Tour Clevelanders travel over the Veterans Memorial Bridge’s upper motorway daily, but the lower deck (read: dark, abandoned tunnel), which hasn’t been of much use to anyone since 1954 when streetcars were discontinued, is rarely shown to the public. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today, Cuyahoga County’s Public Works Department hosts its oneday-a-year tour of the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge and subway station, providing participants with the chance to see what lies beneath. The free tour is part of a series of events honoring the 50th anniversary of the Cuyahoga River catching on fire. No reservations are required, but all participants will need to sign a release form before the tour. Also be sure to bring a flashlight, sturdy shoes and your curiosity cap. The self-guided tour begins at 2433 Superior Viaduct, the bridge’s official entrance. Find maps, the release form and other information on the website. (Morrison) publicworks.cuyahogacounty.us/enUS/subway-bridge-tour.aspx.

MUSIC

INVITE YOU TO RELIVE

Tuesday, June 25 7:30PM Regal Great Northern For your chance to have your name on the guest list at the advance screening, visit

https:// tinyurl.com/ y4eutcd3 YESTERDAY has been rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned – Some Material May Be Inappropriate for Children Under 13) for suggestive content and language. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Winners will be notified 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 JUNE 28 | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

curator, celebrated DJ and electronic musician King Britt has been tapped to organize a night of music that reﬂects “his extraordinary range and taste across all genres of creative music.” The lineup also includes the Colombian dance group Tribu Baharú, Muslim guitarist Raﬁq Bhatia, DJ RJD2, the avant garde jazz group Sun Ra Arkestra, the electronica acts Forest Management and Shigeto Live, the Haitian act Turning Jewels into Water and the New York Afro-groove act Anbessa Orchestra. It starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are sold out so the aftermarket is your best bet. (Niesel) 11150 East Blvd., 216-421-7350, clevelandart.org.

Myspace Emo Prom Tonight at 9 at the Beachland Ballroom, organizers of the Myspace Emo Prom intend to turn back time to recapture what it was like to be a teenager in 2009, the time of Myspace, HotTopic and the battle of Emo vs. Ecen kids. Expect to hear tunes by bands such as Taking Back Sunday, AFI, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Paramore and Hawthorne Heights. Tickets cost $10 in advance, or $15 at the door. (Niesel) 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com. MUSIC

Solstice An annual musical celebration at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Solstice features multiple musical acts performing simultaneously on two stages. Special exhibits such as Shinto: Discovery of the Divine in Japanese Art and Gordon Parks: The New Tide, Early Work 1940–1950 will be open during the event, and the museum’s permanent collection galleries will be open late. Guest

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PODCAST

Armchair Expert Actor, writer and director Dax Shepard is on the road, touring the Midwest with his popular podcast Armchair Expert, which pulls into the State Theater on Playhouse Square tonight at 7:30 p.m. Like all of Shepard’s podcasts, the performance will include a special guest, discussing “the challenges and setbacks that ultimately lead to growth and betterment.” Tickets start at $45. (Niesel) 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

FESTIVAL

Cuyahoga50 at North Coast Harbor Today from noon to 5 p.m., the Rock Hall will celebrate Cleveland, water and sustainability as part of the city-wide Cuyahoga50 celebration. The local band Hey Mavis will perform, and there will be a science demonstration with the Great Lakes Science Center. Food and drink will be available for purchase from Rock Hall food trucks and the All Access Cafe. The event takes place on the Rock Hallâ€™s outdoor plaza and PNC Stage. A separate admission ticket must be purchased to tour the Rock Hall exhibits, but museum admission is free for Rock Hall members and Cleveland Residents. (Niesel) 100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com.

MON 06/24

which ensures every team has an equal chance to compete. Teams can range from 1 to 8 players and prizes are awarded to the top teams at the eventâ€™s conclusion. (Niesel) East 14th St. and Euclid Ave., 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.org.

TUE

Authors Night: Celebrating Great Books About Cleveland History One of 30 unique events being celebrated during Cleveland History Days, Authors Night, which takes place tonight at the Music Box Supper Club, puts the spotlight on local authors such as James Badal, Laura DeMarco, John Grabowski, and Lauren Pacini, whoâ€™ll speak about their work. Doors open at 5 p.m., and there will be a special prix fixe dinner menu. Admission is free. (Niesel) 1148 Main Ave., 216-242-1250, musicboxcle.com. SPORTS

Indians vs. Kansas City Royals Earlier this year, the last-place Kansas City Royals swept the Tribe in Kansas City. Expect the Indians to be better prepared to take on the lowly Royals for this three-game series that begins with tonightâ€™s game. First pitch is at 7:10, and tickets start at $15. (Niesel) 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, clevelandindians.com. TRIVIA

Lunchtime Trivia Today from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. on U.S. Bank Plaza, Last Call Trivia hosts a live show that allows teams to compete for prizes by answering trivia questions. Last Call games also incorporate a distinctive point wagering system, giving teams the ability to choose their own strategy

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Dancing Under the Stars Time again for Dancing Under the Stars at U.S. Bank Plaza. Beginning at 6, Valerie Salstrom of Get Hep Swing will give lessons; then itâ€™s on to the dance party, accompanied by a live band. The dancing begins at 6:30 and continues until 9 p.m. Admission is free. (Niesel) East 14th St. and Euclid Ave., 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.org. FOOD

BOOKS

SHOW YOUR INDIANS TICKET AFTER THE GAME FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

Truck Stop Tuesday Crocker Park in Westlake has launched its seasonal Truck Stop Tuesday, a weekly food truck gathering that takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Main Street. Needless to say, admission is free, but the food will cost you. Truck Stop Tuesdays continue through Sept. 24. You can find a lineup of upcoming food trucks on the website. (Niesel) 189 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake, crockerpark.com.

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Vinyl Night Jukebox owner Alex Budin has described his 1,350-squarefoot music-focused bar in the Hingetown â€™hood as â€œa place where people can expect to hear and learn about music of multiple genres, all of which is concentrated in a constantly evolving jukebox.â€? 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

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1395 W 10th St #120, Cleveland, OH 44113 | 216-621-7085 | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

STAGE SELF-SERVING CAD OR LONELY YOUNG MAN? Either way, Dear Evan Hansen is a story for our times By Elaine T. Cicora WHEN CRITICALLY CONTEMPLATING Dear Evan Hansen — that youthoriented, social media-infused, Tony and Grammy award-winning Broadway musical, the national touring company of which just dropped anchor at Playhouse Square’s Connor Palace — a favorite childhood poem about blind men trying to describe an elephant came quickly to mind. “The Elephant is very like a rope,” concludes the one who has stumbled upon the pachyderm’s tail. No, insists another, who has seized upon its great leg: “Tis clear enough the Elephant is very like a tree.” The point, of course, is that our opinions about a thing — even a thing as unambiguous as an elephant — tend to be based on subjective experiences, and not so much on objective reality. That helps, maybe, to explain the breadth of reactions that this phenomenally popular musical (artifacts from which have recently found their way into the Smithsonian’s collection) has drawn from the nation’s critics. Is the show (music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul; book by Steven Levenson) “powerful,” “heartbreaking,” and “gut-punching”? Or is it “mediocre” and “formulaic,” its lyrics “clichéd,” and its plot “underwritten”? Is our troubled protagonist Evan just “a lonely young man caught up in a web of self-devised deception …,” as the New York Times so kindly puts it? Or is he “a self-serving fabulist,” and a “con man,” as a critic for Slate would have it? And ﬁnally, is this a timely tale meant to open our eyes to the world around us? Or is it a self-serving ﬂyby of trendy topics — teen suicide, social media abuse, the pitfalls of parenting in the internet age — that are freely invoked but never resolved in a meaningful manner? Happily, there is at least one aspect of this lengthy two-act that compels an almost uniformly positive reaction: the performances. Headed by the supremely talented 21-year-old Ben Levi Ross (who made his Broadway debut as an understudy for three Evan Hansen characters, including Evan), the cast hit every note, every mark, and just about every heartstring during an opening week performance. Of particular note were

Jessica Phillips as Heidi Hansen, Evan’s loving but clueless mother, and Christiane Noll as Cynthia Murphy, distraught mother of teen suicide victim, Connor. They repeatedly ﬁlled the theater with mufﬂed sobs as they inched their way through the impossibilities of parenting troubled teenagers in an era when face-to-face convos feel positively obsolete. “Does anybody have a map?” they sing; “Anybody maybe happen to know how the hell to do this?” As Evan’s obnoxious “family friend” Jared Kleinman, Jared Goldsmith gives us a young man by turns sleazy, funny and — once Evan has accrued enough social capital to start dissing others the way that he’s been dissed — vulnerable. Rounding out the triumvirate of young male oddballs is Connor (Marrick Smith), who, despite having died of suicide early in the action, “visits” Evan and Jared often in the process of designing his internet legacy. The trio’s Act 1, Scene 8, song-and-dance number, “Sincerely, Me,” is one of the only full-out funny interludes in this often-bleak piece of work, and was well served by each actor’s strong voice and impeccable timing. The role of Evan’s love interest, Zoe, was played by understudy Ciara

Photo by Matthew Murphy

Social media is easy; human connection is hard, for the cast of Dear Evan Hansen.

this: Evan is a sad, socially awkward nerd who lives with his effusive, wellintentioned, but sometimes neglectful mother (can’t blame Heidi: she’s a thinly stretched single mom with a menial job who takes night classes to make a better life for her and her son). Initially, through a series of misunderstandings, Evan claims a false friendship with a classmate who died by suicide (can’t blame Evan; the distraught parents practically browbeat him into confabulating a story that might bring them some

DEAR EVAN HANSEN THROUGH JUNE 30 AT CONNOR PALACE 1615 EUCLID AVE., 216-241-6000, PLAYHOUSESQUARE.ORG ENTER DAILY $25 TICKET LOTTERY AT LUCKYSEAT.COM/DEAREVANHANSEN

Alyse Harris during last week’s media night performance; and while we obviously can’t compare her to Maggie McKenna, who usually occupies the role, sufﬁce it to say that we didn’t have any reason for complaint: With a well-modulated performance and a lovely voice, Harris made the role her own — and in the process, perhaps, provided some insight into just how tight this touring company is. Much of the story, of course, sits squarely on Ross’s shoulders, and relies on him selling us on the view that, while Evan may be weak, needy, and profoundly naïve, he is not a villain. [Spoilers follow.] For the half-dozen readers not familiar with the play, the synopsis is

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

solace). Eventually, with prodding from a fellow student, the overly involved, equally disconnected Alana Beck (Phoebe Koyabe), Evan launches an online “memorial project,” to commemorate his imaginary friend; a speech he gives goes viral and — bam! — all of a sudden, this lonely nobody is a Somebody. At about this point, though, Evan crosses a line. He knows his lies are no longer in service to Connor’s parents and have become squarely a bid for personal attention. Meantime, under the false pretense of being her deceased brother’s best friend, Evan ﬁnally manages to bed Zoe (can’t blame Evan; it looks consensual), treats both Jared and his mother unkindly,

and finally, his hand forced by factors outside his control, admits the nature and scope of his ruse to both Connor’s incredulous parents and his own devastated mom. Throughout, Ross does an outstanding job of creating a full, rich character, seamlessly incorporating a variety of nervous ticks, vocal catches, and sly asides that paint a complicated picture of a troubled, but sensitive, young man, ensuring that our sympathies remain on his side. (Plus, he can sing like a son of a bitch.) So when his house of cards crumbles, and Evan — against all odds — walks away from the fiasco with scarcely more than a slap on the wrist, we are primed to celebrate his salvation, rather than wag our finger over his unquestionably unethical and selfserving behavior. Which brings us back to the central question: What, exactly, is this play all about? Is it a disturbing tale of moral bankruptcy in the internet age, wherein no one is ever entirely responsible for their own bad choices and consequences are minor at best? Or does it reveal the confusion of contemporary life, and respond to it with compassion? Go see Dear Evan Hansen. (Chances are, you’ll love it.) Then, like the blind men with the elephant, feel free to decide for yourself.

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

MOVIES TOY STORIES Classic Pixar franchise delivers yet again in fourth installment By Jeff Niesel LAUNCHED WAY BACK IN 1995, Toy Story has become one of Pixar’s most successful franchises. Now, some 20 years later, the studio returns to the well with Toy Story 4, another marvelously animated flick with a heartwarming storyline about loyalty and friendship. It opens areawide on Friday. The film picks up where Toy Story 3 left off. Andy (John Morris) has handed off Sheriff Woody (Tom Hanks) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) to Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw). Bonnie loves the toys but doesn’t show the same favoritism toward Woody. Woody, however, still feels protective, and when Bonnie heads off to kindergarten for the first time, he sneaks into her backpack to make sure she adjusts to being away from home. The first day of school finds Bonnie sitting at a table by herself, and to keep her from having a meltdown, Woody intervenes and helps her with an arts and crafts exercise by pulling a few items out of the trash after another student steals

Photo courtesy of Pixar

her supplies. Using a spork and some other cast-off materials, she creates Forky (Tony Hale), a rather odd-looking thing with a lazy eye and wire-thin arms. Bonnie, however, thinks of Forky as a cherished toy, and

Woody regularly has to keep an eye on the thing since it constantly wants to toss itself into the trash bin from whence it came. To reward Bonnie for making it through her ﬁrst day of school,

her parents rent an RV and head off on a road trip, toys included. Forky and Woody become separated from the rest of the toys, and the rest of the film follows their exploits as they visit an antiques shop where Woody reunites with the long-lost Bo Peep (Annie Potts) and meets a few other creepy old toys who are hoping to be reunited with a child. The film hammers home its point about loyalty and friendship while delivering some comedic relief via Buzz Lightyear, who finds his “inner voice,” and Ducky and Bunny (Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele), a couple of smack-talking toys that the gang meets at a carnival. During a summer when many sequels have fizzled (see Dark Phoenix, Happy Death Day 2U, Hellboy), it’s refreshing to see that at least one franchise still has some vitality to it.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

SPOTLIGHT: PAVAROTTI THE GOLDEN PIPES AND ROTUND frame of Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) are on rich and repeated display in the new biographical documentary Pavarotti. It opens Friday at the Cedar Lee. Director Ron Howard wanted to make a move about more than a singer. He wanted to make a movie about a man: “the voice, the man, the drama, the legend,” goes the tagline. And so he has gathered not only footage of Pavarotti’s performances, from his earliest operas in the 1960s to his sold-out stadium shows in the ’80s and ’90s, to trace a singular musical career that made opera mainstream; he has also collected interviews with family, friends, business associates and contemporary singers to capture the full spectrum of Pavarotti’s life and the magnitude of his contribution to music. Audiences will no doubt want

to hear the voice, though, to be reminded of what one soprano in the ﬁlm calls “heaven on earth,” and another calls “probably the greatest of all time.” Bono is a talking head in the ﬁlm and says that Pavarotti brought his whole life with him to every song, that audiences could hear his life in every note. Howard’s movie makes this process much less abstract. The towering force of Pavarotti’s voice is most convincing when considered alongside others. During annual charity concerts that he organized in Italy, Pavarotti would sing next to pop and rock stars. This union was not favorably received. Pavarotti is a classically trained operatic singer whose voice is much purer and stronger than any rock star he might’ve invited, and critics panned these concerts as an ugly mix of high and low-brow music. But Pavarotti said that with all his

heart, he did not care. He became a committed philanthropist and put on these concerts to raise money for various causes, including childhood cancer and the war in Bosnia. But again, the height of his range and the expression he achieved in the upper registers was and remains peerless. Even Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras, the other two of the “Three Tenors,” were no match for him. While the ﬁlm charts the major beats of his life and career — wife, children, fame, professional aimlessness, new love — it is also a primer on operas and classical voice performance. We learn, for example, that the “high C” is the golden pinnacle of the operatic tenor voice, and that Pavarotti was the “king of the high Cs” because of the apparent effortlessness with which he hit that blistering, impossible note. The opera La Fille Du Regiment, for example,

famously requires of the tenor “no fewer than nine high Cs.” The ﬁlm shows footage of that performance. But more importantly, it shows how his effortless range was undergirded by years of study and rigorous technique. Pavarotti’s signature aria was “Nessun Dorma” from the Italian opera Turandot, by Giacomo Puccini. Pavarotti stunned the world in 1990 with his performance in Milan for the World Cup, which brought the song to worldwide attention. For fans of Pavarotti, no biography would be complete without a full, glorious performance of it. Howard saves it for the ﬁnale, a kind of encore, knowing that there’d be no stronger way to end an experience with the maestro. — Sam Allard

sallard@clevescene.com t@scenesallard | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

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EAT GROWING UP At the Franklin Hotel Bar in Kent, a destination for adults in a college town By Douglas Trattner Photo courtesy of the Franklin Hotel

I FIRST MET MIKE BEDER A dozen years ago, while reviewing the Italian restaurant that he owned in the Twin Lakes community of Kent. Mangiamo, as the place was called, burned to the ground just two years later, but Beder was just getting started. Over the ensuing years, Kent has evolved from a beer-soaked college town to the sort of place that student and parent alike could appreciate. The continuing revitalization of downtown Kent has been the handiwork of many people, not the least of whom is Beder, a savvy businessman who enriches the community with well-run spots like Water Street Tavern, Venice Cafe and Tree City Coffee. Don’t take my word for it, take that of the Kent Chamber of Commerce, who bestowed upon him their most prestigious award for public service. Beder’s latest act is Franklin Hotel Bar, an establishment that single-handedly has elevated the town’s nightlife scene. Step inside the well-appointed lounge and you would be forgiven for assuming that the bar has been here since 1919, when the building around it was constructed. Faded brick walls provide an authentic backdrop to the handsome wood bar. Plump, deeply tufted, high-backed booths cushion the blow after a long, hard day. Dimly lit nooks and soft seating areas provide quiet comfort for couples, while larger communal spots accommodate groups of up to 8. And although the university is just two short blocks away, the tipsy masses, loud bands and blaring TVs all are blessedly absent. In their place are the soothing sounds of rhythmic cocktail shakers, jazz and easy conversation. “This is an older demographic than what we’re used to here in Kent,” Beder explains. “I put this bar together because I believed we were ﬁnally ready for a bar for adults.” Those adults are coming not just from Kent, but also Streetsboro, Stow, Ravenna and Hudson, attracted by the snazzy environment, classic cocktails and appealing small plates. Kent Stage sits directly across the street, making the Franklin a

natural gathering spot before and after shows. Hosts promptly seat guests, set down water glasses and offer menus that cover wine, beer, booze and food. Summer in a glass, the ﬁzzy, faintly sweet Tom Collins ($9) is a whip of dry gin, lemon and frothy egg whites. On the opposite end of the ﬂavor spectrum is the house Manhattan ($8), aged for 30 days in a bartop oak barrel to squeeze out

and micro to appease hopheads. After being bit by the ﬁre bug at his Italian restaurant, Beder has been skittish about going back into the fullservice food business. He’s gone so far as to farm out the kitchen duties at his oh-so-hip Venice Cafe, but not here, where the goal is to keep folks in their booths and stools as long as possible. To do that takes food, and Franklin Hotel Bar more than capably rises to the occasion.

FRANKLIN HOTEL BAR 176 EAST MAIN ST., KENT | 330-676-1000 franklinhotelbar.com

every last drop of smoky complexity from the rye. The Banana Bread Old Fashioned ($8), made with bananawashed bourbon, is a love-it-or-leaveit proposition. I left it. You won’t ﬁnd any PBR Tallboys here, but you will ﬁnd two dozen wines by the glass, almost all of which are priced between $7 and $9. From Italian prosecco and French rose to Oregon pinot and California cabernet, all bases are tastefully covered. There is no draft beer, but enough canned and bottled macro

While technically a small-plates collection, there’s nothing petite about the smoked pork nachos ($13), a mountain of chips and toppings that stars real smoked meat from neighbor Burnside Barbecue. In the frutti di mare ﬂatbread ($14), a crispy base supports just-baked mussels and scallops along with artichoke hearts, spinach and tomato. The tacos ($8) here are better than most thanks to warm, soft corn tortillas, low-and-slow smoked pork and salty cotija cheese. Date lovers will doubtless enjoy

the pancetta-wrapped, chorizo-stuffed version served here, which manages to stop shy of cloyingly sweet. What the kitchen calls “risotto” is more like cheesy rice ($12), given the less-thancreamy consistency, but it’s a tasty medley of chicken, crispy pancetta and wide shingles of shaved parm. For guests who still can’t get behind the idea of small plates, Franklin offers a three-course prix fixe for just $23 that includes dessert. If you like smoke and mirrors, order the cherrywood-smoked cheesecake ($9), which arrives under a smoke-filled cloche. Back when the Franklin Hotel was alive and kicking, this lowerlevel space was home to a pool hall, a barbershop and, naturally, a speakeasy. Some say it was the preferred watering hole of lawman Eliot Ness because it was far from prying eyes. These days, the clientele is a more agreeable lot, who make their way to the snug saloon for a taste of the big city. “We’re a little tucked away down here, but once people find us, they’re hooked,” says Beder.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

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| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

EAT BITES Downtown Cleveland Shake Shack now open By Douglas Trattner

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a new menu every day. LUNCH DINNER BRUNCH HAPPY HOUR FRESH & LOCAL

16 N. Main Chagrin Falls James Balchak, Executive Chef 440.600.7770 aureliabistro.com

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

UP UNTIL NOW, SHAKE Shack fans have had to journey out to Pinecrest or Hopkins Airport to scratch that ShackBurger or Chick’n Shack itch. But come Thursday, June 20, at 11 a.m, urban burger, fries and shake lovers can simply walk or ride over to the new downtown digs on East Sixth Street by Euclid Avenue (601 Euclid Ave.). The 4,055-square-foot store will feature all the Shack classics, including the ShackBurger, crinkle-cut fries and handspun shakes, plus a selection of frozen custard concretes made in collaboration with local purveyors. “Downtown Cleveland is a bustling retail destination to bring our modern roadside burger stand,” states Andrew McCaughan, VP of development at Shake Shack. “We’re thrilled to open our second Cleveland area location and provide the local community a fun place to gather with family and friends.”

Dates have been announced for the ﬁfth annual La Placita summer series. La Placita is an open-air, Hispanic-themed marketplace that provides local minority entrepreneurs and artists with an opportunity to showcase their products. The events are designed to foster Cleveland’s Latino culture and promote economic development in La Villa Hispana, a placemaking initiative within the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. “La Placita is a grassroots neighborhood initiative where culture and commerce intersect,” explains Jenice Contreras, executive director of the Hispanic Business Center. “It is a new and exciting cultural experience that all families can enjoy.” If you missed the ﬁrst event on June 15, two more La Placita events will take place from 1 to 10 p.m. on July 20 and August 17. The address is 3104 West 25th Street, near the intersection of Clark Avenue and

West 25th. Visitors can expect a varied selection of traditional foods, artisan vendors and live entertainment.

Swensons Drive-In Plans New Location in Brooklyn Swensons Drive-In continues its takeover of the Cleveland area, recently announcing plans for another new location. This time around the renowned Akron-based cheeseburger company is adding a spot in Brooklyn at 4660 Ridge Rd. The Brooklyn Planning Commission recently approved the restaurant group to tear down an old plaza and put up a 1,700-square-foot building in its place. This is set to be the 13th Swensons location. As CEO Jeff Flowers confessed to Scene two years ago, when Swensons ﬁrst expanded to University Heights: “We’re deﬁnitely working hard to get some new sites open in Cleveland. We’re slow, we’re methodical, and we’re going to make sure we do things right.” Flowers seems to be good on his word, but, after all this time, there’s still no hint as to Photo courtesy of Shake Shack

when a Swensons may open in downtown Cleveland or a nearby neighborhood. The new Brooklyn location should be open sometime this year.

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| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

PHOTO BY BRIANA PURSER

MUSIC

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

ORMED BACK IN 2003, THE garage rock band Heartless Bastards emerged from the ashes of the Daytonbased garage rock act Shesus. With a little help from Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney, a fan of the band who passed their demo on to the folks at the Fat Possum label, the group inked a record deal within a year or two of forming and toured and recorded relentlessly up until last year. Then, however, band members decided to take a break. With the Bastards on hiatus, singer-guitarist Erika Wennerstrom started to work on a solo album. That disc, Sweet Unknown, came out earlier this year, and Wennerstrom comes to town in the wake of its release for the ﬁrst time next week when she performs with Jivviden and John Kalman at 8 p.m. on Friday at the Beachland Ballroom. “We’d been touring a lot for years, and I think the band wanted a break,” says Wennerstrom via phone from her Austin home. “It’s funny. I had been really struggling with my creative process when it came time to writing the last Heartless Bastards album. When the band wanted a break, my creativity ﬂowed, and I wrote the quickest record I’ve ever written. I think there was some internal pressure there.” A trip to the Amazon helped inspire some of the songs on the highly introspective album. Though she took the trip a couple of months before the last Heartless Bastards album came out, she says the insights stuck with her as she wrote tracks for Sweet Unknown. “I went to the Amazon and did the [spiritual medicine] Ayahuasca,” she says. “You step outside of yourself when you do that. You’re watching yourself from another perspective. I also think

big changes cause introspection and that might have been inevitable. Taking the hiatus made me think about what to do next. Those types of things bring selfevaluation.” She recruited friends such as My Morning Jacket’s Patrick Hallahan and Heartless Bastards’ Jesse Ebaugh to play on the disc along with “a various cast of guitar players.” The main rhythm tracking and some of the leads were done by David Pulkingham, who’s played with Patty Griffin, Alejandro Escovedo and Robert Plant. Lauren Gurgiolo, who was in Okkervil River, did a couple of tracks on the album too. “I had a lot of people contribute to the album,” says Wennerstrom. “I felt like the more, the merrier. I picked people who played certain styles in a way that I had seen them play and knew I wanted for a particular song. My theory was that it would be easy because I’d be asking them to just be themselves. If you have one player, some things are in their wheelhouse, but you have to have them step outside of that box for other things, and it can be challenging.” With its feedback-drenched guitars and Wennerstrom’s husky vocals, “Extraordinary Love” has a massive sound that makes it sound more like something by a British shoe-gazer act than an American garage rock band. Wennerstrom says the inspiration for the song came from a hike in Big Bend National Park in West Texas that she took right as the Heartless Bastards went on hiatus. “In my head, I was thinking of Pink Floyd and the way they do harmonies,” she says of the song. “I think they’re in fifths or thirds. I’m not a technical theory person when it comes to music. It’s very much just finding my way. I heard the harmonies in my head and had the feel of it. Choruses take it up a notch in a song, but I looked at that song like a breath of fresh air on the album. There’s tension, and then you get to the chorus, and it lets it breathe. That song is like a reminder to take a moment to stop and breathe.” The somber “Gravity” makes for a good

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

Erika Wennerstrom Jivviden | John Kalman 8 p.m. Friday, June 21 Beachland Ballroom 15711 Waterloo Rd. 216-383-1124 Tickets: $15 beachlandballroom.com

closing tune and brings the album to a fitting close on another introspective note. Wennerstrom says it was actually one of the first songs she wrote for the disc. “It’s funny I ended with it,” she says. “I had been going through physical therapy issues throughout the last several years of touring. They had to do with the weight of my Les Paul guitar. I play an acoustic pretty hard too. I think my arms grip it firmly. For my size, I’m standing there in a bit of a contorted stance for a couple of hours a night. I was trying to get better, but when you put yourself in this repetitive behavior, it’s hard to get better. There was a point when I was going through therapy for two and a half years or something. I didn’t know if I would get better. I think that song is about all of that therapy and about being in the moment and choosing in that moment to have gratitude.” Wennerstrom says she’s not certain whether her next album will be a solo album or a Heartless Bastards album. “I have had a couple of lineups of the band, and when it comes to where I go next, I haven’t figured it out,” she says. “It would be nice to have the same team with it. When you tour with someone for a long time, it’s like family. I also recognize [the Heartless Bastards] are something I was working at for a long time and have more name recognition. When I put together the next body of work, I’ll figure out in that moment what makes sense. It’s all amicable [with the Heartless Bastards]. At the end of the day, it’s always been my baby and my project, and when the time comes I’ll have to figure out what’s best for me.”

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

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

Gary Lewis & The Playboys

Darrell Scott

Over The Rhine

Thu June 20

Fri June 21

Sat June 22

Duwayne Burnside

Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters

Joe Robinson

Wed July 17

Wed July 31

Sat July 13

A Special Evening with

John Mayall

Marc Broussard

Tue August 6

Sat August 10

The Shaky Ground Tour Sat August 17

Riders In The Sky

Pat Metheny Side Eye Part Deux

Thu August 22

Fri August 30

David Crosby

& Friends Sky Trails Tour Tue August 20

The Bacon Brothers

JUST ANNOUNCED

Jake Shimabukuro August 21

Iris DeMent September 21

An Acoustic Evening with

Michael Stanley September 7

Steven Page (Formerly of Bakenaked Ladies)

October 15

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| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

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MASONIC CLEVELAND: 3615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44115 HOUSE OF BLUES: 308 Euclid Ave, Cleveland OH 44114 masoniccleveland.com / houseofblues.com | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

MUSIC

COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, singer-songwriter Juliana Hatfield was struggling to write songs for a new studio album. But then Donald Trump was elected president, and the songs quickly came to her as she tried to capture her outrage for what would become her 2017 album Pussycat. So did it feel cathartic to release that album and tour behind it? “Well, not really,” says Hatfield, who returns to town to play with Bird Streets at 8 p.m. on Sunday at Music Box Supper Club. “It just felt necessary for me to say my piece. At the end of it, I didn’t feel a lot better about the situation. The situation still exists. In some ways, I feel like the arts aren’t that effective as a means of change. For me, I just had to say something. I guess that’s what artists do. I talk about how I feel about things and then other people can find comfort or solidarity or whatever it is. It felt good to vent a little bit. I also felt like I didn’t change anything.” The one exception was the song “When You’re a Star,” a track that referenced comedian Bill Cosby, who, at the time, was accused of sexual assault. “In that song, I say, ‘They never prosecute your kind,’” says Hatfield. “But he wound up in jail. I turned out to be wrong about that. Sometimes, they do prosecute people who do bad

at this point, but I’m not.” In “Broken Doll,” a gritty mid-tempo rocker, Hatfield sings about how bodies start breaking down and things fall apart physically. But she tries to keep a sense of humor about it; the song’s humor comes across clearly in the music video that features Hatfield dressed as a Playboy Bunny that’s been “taken out to pasture.” “It was my idea to go shoot on a friend’s farm and do something with the donkey,” says Hatfield when asked about the music video. “I just said, ‘I want to be a Playboy Bunny on a farm where there’s a donkey.’ [Director Rachel Lichtman] said, ‘I got it.’ And she totally made it come to life. It’s about how glamour is such a lie and so stupid and making fun of how it’s so unreal. There are other feminist ideas in there too.” Another album highlight, “Lost Ship,” features laconic vocals and shimmering guitars. It comes across as a particularly cool and trippy ballad. “I was thinking about how being alone is an escape,” says Hatfield when asked about the tune. “I thought about how I can’t be myself unless I’m alone. It’s about how much I love dreaming and napping and closing my eyes. It’s about the freedom I have to do that and escaping in my mind and how my solitude is an escape.” The brittle “Paid to Lie” might be directed at

Juliana Hatfield | Bird Streets

8 p.m. Sunday, June 23 Music Box Supper Club, 1148 Main St. | 216-242-1250 Tickets: $20 ADV, $25 DOS, musicboxcle.com

Photo by Stacee Sledge

jniesel@clevescene.com s t@jniesel

things. That’s a little bit of hope.” The songs on Hatfield’s latest album, Weird, aren’t as political in nature, though Hatfield doesn’t shy away from social issues on occasion. “After I had finished [last year’s Juliana Hatfield Sings Olivia NewtonJohn], I had a lot of musical ideas,” says Hatfield. “I went back into the studio and recorded a bunch of music. I took a month or two off to write lyrics. I don’t usually work like that. I usually have full songs written, but I just felt like I wanted to do things a little differently. I focused on the lyrics all at once. What emerged was a portrait of my life right now, which is pretty solitary and slightly isolated but not unpleasantly so. I was exploring what it’s like to be alone a lot of the time. Sometimes, it’s not necessarily a bad thing but could be a very good thing. My spirit is very resilient and indomitable. It can’t be killed. I should be bitter

the current administration, but Hatfield says the song doesn’t only pertain to the people currently running our country. “I didn’t name any names, but you can guess,” she says. “One particular lady has that job [of lying to the public about the President]. I think the song will age well because it’s always been true since the beginning of politics. They’ve been lying to the public they’re supposed to be serving. That will never change.” For the current tour, Hatfield recruited Dean Fisher to play bass and has “two local Boston guys who I’ve never toured with before” in the band as well. They’ll play songs from her 30plus year career. “I am looking forward to the tour, but, as usual, I have a combination of excitement and scene@clevescene.com anxiety leading up to it,” Hatfield admits. “But t@clevelandscene I do think it will be really fun to do some of the new songs.”| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

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CuDa, Schief & CuDa: 7:30 p.m., $7. Bop Stop. Falling Stars (in the Supper Club): Last summer, the Music Box Supper Club teamed up with locally based oWOW Radio for a summerlong Happy Hour Concert series that took place every Wednesday. The series featured up-and-coming national and local acts, and oWOW Radio aired the concerts live. Earlier this summer, the Music Box and oWOW launched a third season of the Happy Hour Concert series. Like previous years, most of the shows will highlight upand-coming Northeast Ohio-based artists, and as with previous years, there will be a few acts from out of town. The internet radio station will air the concerts, and they’ll also be carried on Facebook and Instagram Live. Both the audio and video of the performances will be archived and available on demand. Tonight, local rockers Falling Stars headline the event. Admission is free. (Jeff Niesel) 6 p.m., free. Music Box Supper Club. Robyn Hitchcock: When British singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock played the Music Box nearly four years ago, our review of the show noted that he kept things engaging with some particularly inspired banter as “one bizarre, hilarious turn of phrase after the other balanced passionate performances of ‘The Wreck of Arthur Lee’ and ‘Only Stones Remain.’” Hitchcock played songs he had played with the Egyptians in the late ’80s and early ’90s and also dug back into his Soft Boys catalog. Two years ago, he released a self-titled effort that expanded his catalog of quirkiness with songs such as the dissonant “Virginia Woolf” and the gentle “1979 in Aspic.” Expect some of those songs to find their way into tonight’s set. (Niesel) 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $35 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Mystic Braves/Leaf Borbie & the Family Tree/DJ Gus: 8:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $17 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Phish: When Phish played Blossom three years ago, the mood swung up and down during the first set, which opened with a fine “A Song I Heard the Ocean Sing” and then dove into a variety of tour debuts and upbeat, if constrained, jams.

Phish Returns to Blossom. See: Wednesday.

The second set was pure, complex gold, with “Chalkdust Torture” evolving into a strong, ambient major-key jam before slipping smoothly into “Tweezer,” the undeniable highlight of the night. This “Tweezer” got very weird, contrasting the more blissedout guitar-led Atlanta version. Around 12 or 13 minutes, the band took things into some very thick atmospherics and began building a mountain of haze on top of a simple three-chord progression. After several minutes of chaos and ecstasy, the band stripped things down before segueing nicely into “The Lizards.” Expect a similar performance when the band returns to the venue tonight. (Eric Sandy) 7 p.m., $45-$90. Blossom. Son Step/Key to the Mint/Eliy Orcko: 8 p.m., $7. Now That’s Class. The Spill Canvas: 8 p.m., $18 ADV, $22 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Taste My Movement Presents 3: 8:30 p.m. Grog Shop.

THU

06/20

Anarchus/Anthropic/Fake Muslims: 7 p.m., $10. Now That’s Class. Maureen Choi Quartet: 7 p.m., $20. Bop Stop. Gnash/Anna Clendening/Suitcase

Runaway: 7:30 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Grog Shop. Herzog + Frontier Folk Nebraska: 9 p.m., $7 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Engelbert Humperdinck: 7 p.m. MGM Northﬁeld Park Center Stage. Mister Moon/Joshua Powell/ Kitschy: 8 p.m., $7. CODA. Coco Montoya/Sam Hooper Group: 8 p.m., $20 ADV, $22 DOS. Beachland Ballroom. Eric Roberson: 7:30 p.m., $25. Music Box Supper Club. Darrell Scott: 8 p.m., $27. The Kent Stage. SonReal: 8 p.m., $17 ADV, $20 DOS. House of Blues Cambridge Room. The Vandoliers/Maura Rogers and the Bellows: 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Wilder Maker/Arms & Armour: 8:30 p.m., $6. Happy Dog.

FRI

06/21

Backtrack/Dead Heat/Rule Them All: 6 p.m., $15. Now That’s Class. Cleveland Jazz Orchestra: 8 p.m., $35. Nighttown. Jazz Jam Session: 11 p.m., free. Bop Stop. The Paul Kovac Quintet: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop.

Opliam/Tukkiman/The Punctuation: 8 p.m., $10. CODA. Over the Rhine/Scott Mulvahill: This year signifies 30 years since the alternative rock act Over the Rhine first formed in Cincinnati. To celebrate, the band has hit the road this summer and tonight it brings its tour to the Kent Stage, a venue that the group has played many times before. The tour supports the band’s latest effort, Love & Revelation, another terrific album of plaintive vocals and moody melodies (think Cowboy Junkies with a touch of Lucinda Williams). (Niesel), 8 p.m., $30. The Kent Stage. SoDown/Bypass Circuit/Retox/ Riio: 9 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop. Stone Soul Festival with Dru Hill + Monica with Special Guest Jagged Edge: 7 p.m., $45-$89.50. Jacobs Pavilion. Touche Amore/Pos/True Love: 7 p.m., $20. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Erika Wennerstrom/Jivviden/John Kalman: 8 p.m., $15. Beachland Ballroom.

SAT

06/22

Rachel Brown and the Beatnik Playboys: 8 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. C-Level/Je Rison & the 815/Coup de Grace: 8 p.m., $7. CODA. The Doors of Chicago: 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. House of Blues. Jelly Roll: 7 p.m. Agora Theatre. Karen Meat/Soft Copy/ Sweepyheads: 9 p.m., $6. Happy Dog. Reggie Kelly & David Thomas Trio: 8:30 p.m., $15. Nighttown. Krimewatch/Deche/Lacerate/Rat Fucker (in Club Atlantis): 9 p.m., $8. Now That’s Class. Gary Lewis & the Playboys: 8 p.m., $35-$45. The Kent Stage. Lucy Spraggan/Mimi Arden/Rachel Shortt: 9 p.m., $12.50 ADV, $17 DOS. Grog Shop. Sun Voyager/Contra/Earth Chief: 8 p.m., $8. Now That’s Class. Will Varley/Ava Rowland: 8 p.m., $13 ADV, $15 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Jackie Warren: 10:30 p.m., free. Nighttown. Dionne Warwick: Five-time Grammy Award-winning singer Dionne Warwick comes to Cain Park tonight, and the Wine Spot will | clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

complimentary hors d’oeuvres. (Niesel) 8:30 p.m., $25-$78. Cain Park.

LIVEWIRE be on hand to pour “Soulful Wines” as part of Cain Park’s second wine tasting of the season. During a career that stretches back decades, Warwick has had 75 charted hit songs and sold more than 100 million records. Earlier this year, she received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The wine tasting requires a separate $10 ticket. Wine tasting tickets include ﬁve samples of wine plus

SUN

06/23

Fabian Almazan Trio Album Release: 7 p.m., $20. Bop Stop. Brother Elsey + Stay Outside: 7 p.m., $10. The Winchester. Pete Cavano & Joe Hunter: 7 p.m., $10. Nighttown. Juliana Hatﬁeld/Bird Streets: 8 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Music Box Supper Club. Patti LaBelle: 7:30 p.m. MGM Northﬁeld Park Center Stage.

Natural Velvet: 8 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Prog Nation: 1 p.m., free. Cain Park. Reggae Sundays: Jah Messengers (in the Supper Club): 4 p.m., free. Music Box Supper Club. The Technicolors/Deal Casino/ Kalaika: 8 p.m., $12 ADV, $15 DOS. Grog Shop.

MON 06/24 Alt Nation Presents Advanced Placement Tour Featuring Bloxx/Hembree/Warbly Jets: 7:30 p.m., $15 ADV, $20 DOS. House of Blues Cambridge Room.

Dear Cleveland With Skinns/Curly Chuck/Sonny Step/Billard/ Josh White: As part of tonight’s special showcase at the Grog Shop, a collection of underground artists who have never shared a stage before will perform with a live band. The Admirables’ Nathan Paul and TyC will host the event. The bill includes local and national acts such as Skinns, Curly Chuck, Sonny Step and Josh White. (Niesel) 8:30 p.m. Grog Shop. An Evening with Dawes: 8 p.m., $25-$45. Agora Theatre. Leela James: 8 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. House of Blues.

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Peter Asher & Jeremy Clyde: 7 p.m., $40. Nighttown. Thomas Backman: 7 p.m., $15. Bop Stop. Blubird/Dark Spring/Ethel Shank: 7:30 p.m., $7. CODA. Chon/DOMi + JD Beck: 8:30 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. House of Blues. The Claudettes/Taylor Lamborn/ Dire Wolf (in the Locker Room): A Chicago-based blues act, the Claudettes tap into rockabilly and punk energy. Pianist Johnny Iguana, who toured for years with his cult-favorite rock band oh my god, is also a member of the two Grammy-nominated groups Chicago Blues — A Living History and the Muddy Waters 100 Band. He has toured/recorded with Junior Wells, Buddy Guy, Otis Rush and more, and that blues inﬂuence can heard on songs such as “California, Here I Come” and “Southbound Stroll.” The band comes to town tonight in advance of High Times in the Dark, a forthcoming album produced by Grammy-winner Ted Hutt (Violent Femmes, the Devil Makes Three, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero, Dustbowl Revival). (Niesel) 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Joey Harkum/Chris Hatton: 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern. Koesaeme/Organic Dial/Giant Claw: 8 p.m., $10. Mahall’s 20 Lanes. Lithic’s/Sykofriend/Knowso/Shagg: 8 p.m., $10. Now That’s Class. O.A.R./American Authors: 7 p.m., $30-$55.50. Jacobs Pavilion. Ripp Flamez TOHIO Tour: 7 p.m., $15. Grog Shop.

BORDERLANDFESTIVAL.COM 40

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

scene@clevescene.com t@clevelandscene

| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

BAND OF THE WEEK FABIAN ALMAZAN TRIO By Jeff Niesel Photo by Desmond White

6/23

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7/20

TERRY LEE GOFFEE The Ultimate Johnny Cash Tribute

8/8

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MEET THE BAND: Fabian Almazan

8/17

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(keyboards), Linda May Han (bass), Henry Cole (drums)

8/22

TERRY FATOR

8/29

AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD All That You Love 2019

6/22

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6/29

DAVID FEHERTY Live Off Tour!

7/5

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THE PIANO MAN: Born in Cuba, Almazan says he looked to his older sister for initial musical inspiration. Because she was taking piano lessons, he wanted to follow in her footsteps. “My sister was the biggest thing in the world to me, so I wanted to do everything she wanted to do,” he says. “For me, it’s like medicine. There are things about life that are hard to put into words. As an improvising musician, the piano gives me the opportunity to share some of those complex emotions in an abstract way.” A GREAT YOUNG TALENT: In addition to

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| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

his solo career, Almazan plays with Terence Blanchard, a veteran jazz trumpeter who’s called him “one of the great young talents of his generation.” “He’s one of those musicians that doesn’t want to be a, quote-unquote, jazz musician,” says Almazan. “When he plays music, he doesn’t think of himself as a jazz musician or a classical musician. He’s just trying to make music. As a trumpet player, he has one of the most massive sounds I’ve heard, and you can set your clock by his phrasing.” A UNIVERSAL MESSAGE: Almazan wrote most of the songs on his new album, This Land Abounds with Life, after his ﬁrst trip back to Cuba since becoming a U.S. resident at age 7; he, his parents and sister were brought into the country through the Mexican border by Paquito D’Rivera’s motherin-law. “I went back to Cuba after a 23-year absence and wanted to portray my experience in a universal way,” says Almazan. “It doesn’t mean I’m

speciﬁcally speaking about Cuba. I just use Cuba as a canvas because the issues could apply to any land.” AN ECO-FRIENDLY APPROACH: Almazan runs an independent record label, Biophilia Records, through which he releases his own music. In the past year alone, the label also has released recordings from Rajna Swaminathan, Adam O’Farrill, Maria Grand, Justin Brown, Linda May Han Oh and many other current New York City-based composers and leaders. “I very much care about the environment and I have a vision of bringing together musicians who care about climate change,” he says of his eco-friendly label. This Land Abounds with Life comes as a two-sided, 20-panel origami-inspired medium; each one is made entirely out of FSCcertiﬁed, robust paper, hand-folded and printed using plant-based inks. WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: This Land

Abounds with Life kicks into high gear immediately with the energetic, sometimes dissonant piano-driven “Benjamin.” The song references the Orwell novel Animal Farm. “The donkey named Benjamin is the ﬁrst one to speak out against what’s going on at the farm, and I try to portray that moment when he speaks up.” WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM:

fabianalmazan.com. WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM:

Fabian Almazan Trio performs at 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, at the Bop Stop.

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| clevescene.com | June 19 - 25, 2019

I found your column after a Google search. I saw your email address at the bottom and was hoping for some insight. My issue is this: Two years into our 23year marriage, my wife declared that she didn’t want to kiss me or perform oral on me. Several years ago, she had an affair and confessed that she not only kissed this other person but performed oral on them as well. Why them and not me? Should I just go find someone willing to do what I want? I have a high sex drive, but I find that I don’t want to sleep with my wife anymore because there is never any foreplay and a few minutes into it she’s telling me to hurry up. I don’t feel wanted, and honestly I no longer desire her. What do you make of this? — Hurting Unwanted Husband Before telling you what I make of your email, HUH, I want to tell you what I wish I could make out of your email: a time machine. If I could turn all those pixels and code and whatever else into a working time machine, I’d drag your ass back to 1996 (and try to talk you out of marrying your wife) or 1998 (and try to talk you into leaving her after two years of marriage). But since time machines aren’t a thing — at least not yet — we’ll have to talk about the here and now. Your wife isn’t attracted to you, and never was, or hasn’t been for a long, long time. And now the feeling is mutual — you aren’t attracted to her anymore, either. And if you’re seriously wondering why she kissed and blew that other person — the person with whom she had an affair — when she hasn’t wanted to kiss or blow you for 20-plus years (“Why them and not me?”), HUH, the answer is as painful as it is obvious: Your wife was attracted to her affair partner (that’s why them) and she’s not attracted to you (that’s why not you). Now, it’s possible your wife was attracted to you a long time ago; I assume she was kissing and blowing you while you were dating and during the couple

dozen months of marriage. (She wouldn’t have to announce she was going to stop doing those things if she’d never started.) But at some point relatively early in your marriage, HUH, your wife’s desire to swallow your spit and inhale your dick evaporated. It’s possible her desire to swallow/ inhale the spit/dick of her affair partner would have evaporated in roughly the same amount of time, and she would have lost interest in him and his dick and his spit, as well. Some people have a hard time sustaining desire over time — and contrary to popular belief, women have a harder time sustaining desire in committed, romantic relationships than men do. (Wednesday Martin wrote an entire NYT best-selling book about it, Untrue: Why Nearly Everything We Believe About Women, Lust, and Infidelity Is Wrong and How the New Science Can Set Us Free.) Of course, it’s possible your wife isn’t the problem. You may have said or done something that extinguished your wife’s desire for you. Or, hey, maybe your personal hygiene leaves everything to be desired. (I’ve received countless letters over the years from women whose husbands refuse to brush their teeth and/or can’t wipe their asses properly.) Or maybe you’re emotionally distant or cold or contemptuous or incredibly shitty in bed. Or maybe you’re not the problem! I don’t know you, HUH, and other than the very few details you included your very brief letter, I don’t know what’s going on in your marriage. But I do know this: If you can leave, HUH, you most likely should. But if you decide to stay because you want to stay, or because leaving is unthinkable for cultural or religious or financial reasons … well, seeing as how your wife hasn’t wanted to fuck you for decades, and seeing as how you no longer want to fuck your wife, you should release each other from the monogamous commitment you made more than two decades ago. If you can adjust your expectations — if you can both agree to define your marriage as companionate, i.e.,

you’re friends and life partners, not romantic or sexual partners — you may be able to appreciate your marriage for what it is. But to do that, you’ll have to let go of the anger and disappointment you feel over what it’s not. And to be clear: If your marriage is companionate, you should both be free to seek sex with outside partners.

*** Simple question, probably not a simple answer: How do you keep things exciting once the shiny, new phase of a relationship is over? Is it normal to reach a stage where you know someone so well that they’ve become boring? Isn’t that just the fucking worst? — Same Old, Same Old Recognizing that some people actually enjoy boring — I have it on good authority that some people can get a thrill knitting sweaters and sitting still — there is something the rest of us can do to keep things exciting once the shiny, new phase of a relationship is over: Go on strange and exciting new adventures together.

Early on in the relationship, SOSO, your new partner was your exciting new adventure, and you were theirs. But now instead of being the exciting new adventure, you have to figure out what exciting new adventures you’d like to go on together — and then get out there and go on them.

***

(we are currently long-distance). She has another partner with whom she is currently exploring “little” play. I feel personally uncomfortable with age-regression play, but I obviously want to be supportive and understanding. We have fairly good communication, and I am able to tell her when I feel uncomfortable and that I still love and support her but I just can’t talk about “little” play at the time. I would love to be able

Your wife isn’t attracted to you, and never was, or hasn’t been for a long, long time. And now the feeling is mutual — you aren’t attracted to her anymore, either. I’m a young, nonbinary ethical slut, and I have a question about a kink that one of my partners is discovering. We are very close, although we are not sexually active with each other at this point

to talk about it with her and be supportive, and at the very least make sure I don’t say anything ignorant or hurtful to her. My question is this: How can I stretch my zone of comfort and learn

about this kink in a healthy and educated way? — A Little Uncomfortable If you want to get more comfortable discussing “little” play, i.e., adults pretending to be small children with other consenting adults, the Dream a Little podcast is a good place to start. It’s hosted by Lo, an AB/DL (adult baby/diaper lover) who has been a guest on my own podcast and who recently made an appearance in the column offering advice to a sad and lonely AB/DL. That said, ALU, you aren’t obligated to listen to your partner talk about this kink if the topic makes you uncomfortable — or just bores you senseless. Tell her that you support her and you know it’s exciting to explore a new kink, and while she doesn’t have to hide this from you, it’s not something you’re comfortable — at least for now — discussing at length.

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