Scene june 29, 2016

ELIGIBLE FOR RELEASE Drug dealer and street hustler? Yes. But killer? A Cleveland man ďŹ ghts to prove his innocence in a system that appears incapable of correcting its own mistakes.

By Kyle Swenson

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* 5 . % * 5 ,9 s 6/,5 - % . O 5 2 Dedicated to Free Times founder Richard H. Siegel (1935-1993) and Scene founder Richard Kabat Publisher Chris Keating Associate Publisher Desiree Bourgeois Editor Vince Grzegorek Editorial Managing Editor Eric Sandy Music Editor Jeff Niesel Staff Writer Sam Allard Writer-at-large Kyle Swenson Web Editor Bliss Davis Dining Editor Douglas Trattner Contributing Dining Editor Nikki Delamotte Stage Editor Christine Howey Visual Arts Editor Josh Usmani Interns Hannah Borison, Maddie Capron, Cecilia Ellis, Danielle Immerman, Tucker Kelly, Phoebe Potiker, Eli Shively, Alexis Wohler Advertising Senior Multimedia Account Executive John Crobar, Shayne Rose Multimedia Account Executive Kiara Hunter-Davis

CONTENTS

Upfront

Feature

16

A Cleveland man fights to prove his innocence in a system that appears incapable of correcting its own mistakes

'ET /UT

Creative Services Production Manager Steve Miluch Layout Editor/Graphic Designer Christine Hahn Staff Photographer Emanuel Wallace

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Debating a sales tax hike to improve transit, rewriting RNC security protocol with one month to go, and more

Dozens of events spanning the next week in Cleveland

Business Asst. To The Publisher Angela Lott Sales Assistant/Receptionist Megan Stimac

Art

Circulation Circulation Director Don Kriss Euclid Media Group Chief Executive Offi cer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Offi cers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner Human Resources Director Lisa Beilstein Digital Operations Coordinator Jaime Monzon Chief Financial Offi cer William Mickey

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Cleveland artists celebrate the city’s historic championship

3TAGE

Sister Act delights as the opening show of the 2016 Porthouse season

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Film

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

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Despite scatological obsession, Swiss Army Man soars

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UPFRONT COULD A SALES TAX HIKE SAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT IN CLEVELAND? Photo by Erik Drost

THIS WEEK

NEWBURGH HEIGHTS MAYOR Trevor Elkins gripped the mic at Antioch Baptist Church in Fairfax.

Elkins is the newest member of the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA) board of trustees and he was representing that body at a Clevelanders for Public Transit Meeting Thursday evening.

Elkins’ remarks came after RTA CEO Joe Calabrese was pressed on specific transportation issues in front of a crowd incensed by the recent board vote to raise fares and cut routes.

Calabrese agreed to join the Cuyahoga County Council on a transit advisory committee, pledged to continue working toward greater transparency, and (when asked if he’d aggressively seek local funding to prevent fare hikes in 2018, and even roll back the current fare hikes and service cuts), deferred to the board of trustees, but said he spends every day “trying to best allocate resources.”

Elkins was perhaps a nonrepresentative sample of the RTA Board. Though he commended the compassion and commitment of his colleagues, they all voted in favor of the fare hike and service cuts on June 7. Elkins didn’t. He proposed a sunset clause that he said would put the responsibility of finding a longterm sustainable funding source back in the hands of the RTA and its board. In Elkins’ proposal, when funding was found, fare hikes would be discontinued.

But the suggestion was dismissed out of hand on June 7. South Euclid Mayor Georgine Welo, another board member, called such a clause irresponsible.

On Thursday, Elkins first addressed another issue. Though

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“The state is not coming to rescue the RTA.” — Trevor Elkins

he said he couldn’t speak for his colleagues, he said he had no problem hosting board meetings in the evening once a quarter to accommodate the public who’d like to attend board meetings but can’t usually make the 9 a.m. start times because of work. This announcement was greeted with applause.

Elkins then dove back into the idea of local funding.

“The state is not coming to rescue the RTA,” he said. “Keep that in the mind when you’re in the voting booth, because elections matter. Ask your candidates their views on public transit. Because in the end, public

FAUXIAL JUSTICE Fan outrage prompts Sherwin-Williams to keep LeBron banner up during RNC. Next up: Getting the Browns to pay Josh Cribbs again, for shits and giggles and because they can.

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

transit is good across the spectrum of society.”

Elkins suggested that the big alternative to a fare hike that no one particularly likes to mention — certainly not county council — is a sales tax increase.

“The sales tax for public transit has not been increased since 1975,” Elkins told the crowd. “A quarter percent increase would generate $62 million for public transit countywide.

It would essentially solve all the issues that we’re now experiencing.

We could expand routes. What’s the old expression? Build it and they will come? We did it with Jacob’s Field.

CLEVELAND FOR DUMMIES Playhouse Square announces ‘Hamilton’ as part of 2017-2018 theater season.

Hordes of Clevelanders poised to locate theater district for first time, ask “Is that where the chandelier is?”

YOU WON’T BELIEVE THE PICS AND PENNIES City of Akron takes ownership of longvacant Rolling Acres Mall, hopes to buffer budget with all that sweet, sweet ruin porn slideshow clickbait money.

We did it with the Q. We did it with FirstEnergy Stadium. Well, let’s do it with our public transit system.”

Elkins, who told Scene that he sought election to the RTA Board because he wanted to see ridership increase, also vehemently opposed the Sin Tax in 2014. He was the lone dissenting vote when the Mayors and City Managers Association voted to endorse the Sin Tax at that time.

Elkins also opposed the sales tax increase for the Convention Center Complex.

“And this is why,” Elkins told Scene, referencing the RTA’s funding crisis. “We have foundational economic

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UPFRONT

Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins is suggesting a sales tax may do the trick for RTA. Here, Clevelanders talk transit at a town hall.

infrastructure going ignored in this county. When we start using taxpayer dollars to pay for the shiny stuff, it makes it that much harder to go back to the voters to pay for basic economic necessities.”

FEDERAL JUDGE PROMPTS SECURITY CHANGES FOR RNC U.S. District Judge James “Don’t Call Me Tony!” Gwin overturned on June 23 much of the city of Cleveland’s security measures for the RNC, prompting the city and the ACLU to negotiate more amenable approaches to security and free speech rights.

Gwin had sided with the ACLU in determining that the convention’s massive downtown security zone was way too large and that the assigned parade route was insufficient to allow protesters to express their free speech rights.

Gwin questioned and chastised the city for just about every element of its security plan in remarks Thursday.

In addition to the burdensome size of the security zone, he said that the restrictions on demonstrations in city parks didn’t make any sense, and that the restrictive hours for the parades — during times when delegates might not even be downtown — were insufficient for First Amendment purposes.

Given that the RNC is fast approaching, Gwin suggested that the city and the ACLU try to hash things out in a settlement. Cleveland. com’s Eric Heisig reported that U.S. District Judge Dan Polster handled those negotiations, which were settled

by June 24.

In a brief filed by the city last week asking the judge to dismiss the case, lawyers argued that event zone was established after extensive planning with the Secret Service. The parade route, the brief said, was settled on after considering other alternatives

and designated as the only route because the police couldn’t handle more than one.

“At its closest point,” the city’s brief said, “the Official Parade Route comes within approximately 160 feet of the Event Complex. The Official Parade Route is within view of the Event Complex and allows extensive media coverage due to its exposure along the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge.”

But Judge Gwin said nah, noting that the crowds descending upon downtown for the RNC suddenly seem like small potatoes compared to the million-plus that occupied 20 square blocks for the Cavs parade last week. Gwin made frequent allusion to the Cavs parade in his oral decision, including, allegedly, at one point reenacting JR Smith’s champagne bottle antics.

MEET JOSE FELICIANO JR., THE MAN BEHIND THE RTA TWITTER FEED ON CAVS PARADE DAY Jose Feliciano Jr. is an external affairs administrator for the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority. That’s a title which encompasses a number of responsibilities for the two-year RTA veteran.

For the first 18-20 months of his employment, Feliciano participated in a management development program during which he rotated among the agency’s various departments. He even learned how to drive a bus. Now, he works for the communications team, and one of his duties is social media management.

“I’m not the social media guy,” Feliciano told Scene, a few days after the Cavs’ championship parade. “But it’s one of the many hats I wear.”

It’s certainly the hat he wore last Wednesday, when extreme delays on the RTA caused a social media uproar. Feliciano was the man

fielding questions and complaints as an unprecedented number of riders tried to get downtown for the parade and festivities. RTA Communications Director Linda Krecic told local TV news that Wednesday was the biggest day, by rider volume, that RTA had ever experienced.

Feliciano himself tried to take the Rapid to work from Shaker Heights at 5:30 a.m.

“I thought that was ample time,” he told Scene. “But when I got to the Green Road station, the train was already full. And not only that, there was a line of at least 100 people. I knew I could either wait in line in for 3 hours or I could drive to work.

Unfortunately, I drove to work.”

He knew, then, that Wednesday was not going to be an average day. He was stationed at the RTA Command Center at the agency’s headquarters on W. 6th. Ordinarily, the RTA’s chief social media person, Beth Castelucci, also runs the Social Media accounts, but she was swamped helping riders at Triskett and couldn’t make it downtown.

Feliciano said the moment he started responding to individual riders, the heat started to pick up.

“At quarter to 7, there were already people asking, ‘Where’s my train?’” he said.

Soon, there were so many questions and complaints that he couldn’t respond to every rider.

“I felt terrible because people need answers,” Feliciano said, “but when you’re that inundated, you just can’t.”

Though people were eager to know route information, applicable

DIGIT WIDGET 5

Number of people stabbed at a Sacramento rally held by white nationalist group Traditionalist Worker Party, which will come to Cleveland for RNC.

26

Years that the Fifth Church of Christ Scientist Church has sat vacant on Cleveland’s westside.

Demolition is under way.

43

Percent of African-American residents who believe Cleveland police are doing a good or excellent job, according to Cleveland police monitor survey. The number jumps to 60% for Latinos and 72% for whites.

$36 MILLION

Cost of interior and exterior upgrades at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, completed and unveiled this week.

delay updates, and general information from out-of-towners or folks who were unfamiliar with public transit in general, Feliciano said one one of the major questions early in the day related to available parking.

“It would’ve been helpful if we could’ve been able to deliver to people when a parking lot was filling up,” Feliciano said, when asked about the day’s biggest challenge. “In the best case scenario, we could’ve moved more people at a time and gotten people down there faster, but with that volume of ridership, the trains were at capacity within the first couple stops. We can’t make the trains go any faster.”

Feliciano said the Rapid lines had forsaken their regular schedules and were simply moving as quickly as possible, the Red Line every 7-8 minutes, the Blue/Green lines closer to every 15 minutes.

“It’s so hard for people to understand that we can only move so many people downtown in an hour,” he said. “And so when the crowds build up like that, the delays add up exponentially. But we were working as quickly as we could to provide service. At the end of the day, we know everybody just wanted to celebrate.”

Feliciano said he didn’t get off work until after 7 p.m. Wednesday.

“It was kind of surreal, having walked to work as they were setting up the stage, and then walking back afterward and seeing the aftermath,” he said.

Feliciano wasn’t shy about how he used social media to address the lack of transit funding at the state level.

“I think the advocacy piece is important, and I don’t know why these conversations weren’t happening earlier,” Feliciano said.

[On Thursday, Feliciano attended the Clevelanders for Public Transit meeting to participate in an impassioned regional conversation.]

“What scares me is that these cities and states that Ohio is competing with in terms of trying to retain talent and attract businesses are making the investment [in public transit] and in turn we’re gonna lose out on talent.”

It was a long day, but after more than 12 hours in the RTA Command Center, Feliciano was able to celebrate in his own way and reflect on the chaos of the day.

“I had a Chillwave with my wife,” Feliciano said.

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FEATURE

ELIGIBLE FOR RELEASE Drug dealer and street hustler? Yes. But killer? A Cleveland man fights to prove his innocence in a system that appears incapable of correcting its own mistakes.

By Kyle Swenson

DUDE WAS READY TO SMOKE SOME WATER. The five bucks he’d started off with in his pocket had already stretched into a day of low-key devilment, steady drinking and smoking. Now, as the November night outside sharpened into the mid-30s, he was ready to get high. Again.

For hours they’d been sitting around Puddin’s house off East 131st Street near Kinsman, slapping playing cards around and drinking beer while her kids jumped around the house. There was Puddin, Maria,

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Nichole, Omar and Dude — who depending on the day or criminal charge might go by Clark Lamar or Clark Williams. On the street, though, they just called him Dude.

The group had already passed

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

around a blunt, finished off the Heineken that Dude and Omar had brought over, and killed the six-pack of Bud. Maria was talking about going to a party but it didn’t start until midnight. In the meantime, Dude asked Nichole if she was interested in hunting down a wet square — a cigarette soaked in PCP. They hopped inside her fourdoor Tempo, dropping off Maria before going on the run. Nichole called a dealer she knew named Hollywood to ask if he was dancing, code-speak for if he was holding PCP. He was, but Hollywood wasn’t in the neighborhood yet. Give him 30 minutes. The Tempo rolled to a

convenience store where Omar and Dude each bought a 24-ounce Colt 45 tallboy. Then they motored east, pulling off on Capitol Avenue, a quiet one-way ribbon of pavement linking East 93rd to East 86th.

Before the dealer could show, Dude spotted Nails, a guy he’d bought from before. He hopped out of the car, clunking his Timberlands over to Nails, then back to the car.

Dude’s pockets were empty, so he asked Nichole to borrow $20. She handed over the bill. Dude watched as Nails dipped the cigarette into the liquid, a mix of PCP cut with embalming fluid. He brought the square back to the car. The burning

cigarette circled the vehicle.

The PCP did what it did, wrapping a bubble of distance around you, so much so that you weren’t really you anymore but someone else, a character, a superhero even. If he thought about it, Dude had to admit — got nostalgic even — that the high wasn’t the same as when he first started screwing around with PCP around 1985. He was now 30 years old. By his own rough count he’d spent half his life in and out of jail on felony charges. Honestly, the engine pushing all that criminal mischief was the search for the old high again.

Dude told Nichole he’d give her back her $20 if she dropped him back at his aunt’s house up on Englewood, near where East 105th crosses St. Clair. They slipped into the driveway of the two-story house.

Dude ducked inside to grab some money he had stashed. But as he was coming out of the house, a thought scurried out from under the weed, beer and PCP. He told Nichole, Hey, you smoked half of this cigarette with me, why don’t I just give you back 10?

She started screaming, braiding together a mean rope of curses and accusations, shiesty and scandalous and ya’ll fucked me up, talking pretty strong for a female, Dude would later tell people. Mid-tirade she flipped open her phone and began complaining to someone on the other end. Shortly after hanging up, Nichole switched up. “Fuck it, give me the 10 then.”

They swapped the cash. Nichole zipped off. Omar and Dude tightened the grips on their tallboys and began walking up the street. But before they could step off Englewood, headlights splashed the road. Omar and Dude heard car doors flying open.

Thirteen years after that November night, Ru-El Sailor — El to his friends — sits in the visiting room at the Ohio State Penitentiary on the edge of Youngstown. He’s dressed in navy-blue prison scrubs.

His wide frame is bent over a table so low to the ground only preschoolers could possibly find it comfortable, but the staging is all the better to keep long-separated lovers from getting handsy. Washed-out fluorescent light showers down from above as visiting children wheel from the tables to the vending machines. El’s hands rest on his knees, his face — dark eyes, tidy beard — looks relaxed, but there’s a sick tint laid over his dark skin, like a jaundiced Instagram filter. He

hasn’t been out in the sun in more than a year.

“The only thing to do out there is throw a basketball around,” he says with a shrug. “I want the next time I get fresh air to be when they are taking me back to county or when I’m leaving this place.”

This place has been home since 2003, because on that November night in 2002, the beef over $10

him. His story reads like ghetto corner Shakespeare, where the best intentions boomerang back around, the fatal blow self-inflicted.

But the 2002 murder case also is a powerful example of how sometimes, in the American legal system, fact and the law wave goodbye to one another to veer off in different directions.

According to the National

Cordell Hubbard (center front) and Ru-El Sailor (center back).

for a PCP cigarette ended with the death of Omar Clark, blasted with 11 bullets on Englewood. Nichole Hubbard was arrested and tried for the crime, as well as her brother, Cordell Hubbard, and his best friend, Ru-El Sailor. All three were convicted.

“To be honest, I was naïve about it,” Sailor says now. “I figured that if I didn’t do anything, I might as well let the lawyers take care of it.”

Since his arrest, Sailor has maintained his innocence, a claim that is seconded by Cordell Hubbard and bolstered by the bizarre way his May 2003 trial progressed.

But in the end, Sailor scripted his own outcome, deciding to follow the bearings of a moral compass that was calibrated to higher standards than the world around

Registry of Exonerations, 149 innocent individuals had their names cleared in 2015. That’s the second record-setting year in a row for exonerations. The steady jump in those numbers tracks with a growing awareness outside the legal system about the failings of American justice, whether it’s hashtags about the Black Lives Matter movement or the home run success of shows like Serial or Making a Murderer. More Americans seem to realize the courts screw up at a regular clip, a fact the legal world has been slow to admit. For all that, what Sailor’s case ultimately highlights is how poorly the current system is wired to actually address innocence.

“Like I said,” Sailor says, a blip of regret showing briefly in his dark

eyes, “I was pretty naïve.”

Everyone on the Four Block — that was what they called the neighborhood running from East 140th and St. Clair up to East 150th, a lattice of residential streets tucked south beneath I-90 on the northern lip of Cleveland’s predominantly black eastside — knew El and Cordell went together like peanut butter and jelly. They were cohorts from the same streets, their lives and choices charting the same course.

El was the oldest, born to a single mother, Bernatte Brown. A nurse who juggled shifts working for an agency and as a private home health aid, she had to rely on El to take care of the others, Sharell and Duke, while she ground through double all-nighters. “He didn’t give me too much trouble and he was caring,” Brown says now. “When I worked nights, he helped raise the others, and I was happy about that. I could come home and everybody would be in bed, everybody was safe.”

Sharell remembers her brother as a watchdog when tapped to babysit, never even letting her venture off the porch when he was boss at home.

“He was also a horrible cook,” she says today with a laugh. “If she had to work a double, when we came home she’d leave us pizza money. But he would keep the money and try to feed us something else like noodles.

He would try and doctor them up but they’d just taste like a batch of salt.”

A single mother with three growing kids is bound for some hard knocks. El recalls times growing up when the power company cut the lights over a past-due bill. Brown, an extremely proud woman, wouldn’t ask for or take a handout to cover the expense; the family would just wait in the dark until the next paycheck came. The experience stamped El inside. “I was never going to let my kids go through that,” he says now.

But on the Four Block, there weren’t any handy maps to get out of that kind of economic crunch, except one.

“Social inequality” is the kind of blue-chip buzzword people like to staple to a situation like life in the Four Block, usually without going any further. But if you are trying to unwind the dug-in economic inequality in Cleveland, its origin story is arguably tied to years of intractable housing segregation.

The racial partition of Cleveland’s neighborhoods stretches back so far now it’s baked into the city’s DNA; but there is a good argument that | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

17

FEATURE much of Clevelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s social problems are bedded in the racial divisions of its neighborhoods.

In the late 1980s, Princeton sociologist Douglas Massey dug into census data and determined that certain metropolitan areas were not just segregated, but hypersegregated. Under the deďŹ nition, these were metros where the black population is historically unevenly distributed through a region. Instead, the minority population is slotted tightly into a speciďŹ c geographic area. Under Masseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rubric, Cleveland was one of the top hypersegregated cities in American.

Just last year, Massy published a report looking at whether hypersegregation still had a headlock on as many cities as it did 30 years ago. According to the 2010 census, the good news: Half the cities that had been hypersegregated back in the 1980s had shed the label, including Columbus and Cincinnati.

The bad news: Cleveland is still hypersegregated. Unlike its Buckeye state brethren, Cleveland remains as racially bifurcated as ever.

Massyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s argument is that the numbers game has serious, farreaching consequences for people living here. Hypersegregation creates the kind of social and economic isolation that pools poverty and cuts off these parts of a city from the mainstream civic bloodstream, creating the harsh

norms and behaviors of the rest of American society,â&#x20AC;? Massey wrote, going on to explain the irony that in a diverse and densely populated society such as the United States, some inner-city individuals â&#x20AC;&#x153;are among the most isolated people on earth.â&#x20AC;?

The way this big-picture academic

â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in society, and I do something to you and you call the police, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get mad at you. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what people in society do. But if you in the streets and call the police, then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a snitch.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ru-El Sailor differences between locations separated by a 15-minute drive.

Imagine the psychological blow of living close to the new buildings climbing into the Cleveland skyline in the Flats or downtown. Then imagine living on the boarded-up blocks deep on the east side that look like Sarajevo after Milosevic. â&#x20AC;&#x153;People growing up in such an environment have little direct experience with the culture,

theory played out on Four Block, in Cleveland and in nearly every American urban core, is by creating a world apart but parallel to the American mainstream. For El, it was a simple breakdown. You were either in the streets, hustling, selling and using drugs; or you were in society, a citizen working a straight gig. It was one or the other. Red pill, blue pill. Different rulebooks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in society, and I do something to

you and you call the police, I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get mad at you,â&#x20AC;? El explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what people in society do. But if you in the streets and call the police, then youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a snitch.â&#x20AC;?

For El and the others coming up in the Four Block, there wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t much appeal in the straight life. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always grew up fascinated by the streets,â&#x20AC;? Sailor admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wanted the nice things â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the cars, the money, the clothes â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and that inspired me to get into the street life.

The people I saw who were working jobs were struggling. The people who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t and are on the street, they kick it. And it was super easy. If you grew up in the urban area, the most accessible thing you can get your hands on was drugs. Getting wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t any problem.â&#x20AC;?

For El, those two separate worlds were made all the more vivid by the two major male ďŹ gures in his life: his father and his maternal grandfather. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I grew up with two role models, a positive and a negative,â&#x20AC;? he explains. Sailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father was in the streets selling drugs and working other hustles.

His grandfather, James Brown, however, was a mechanic who could break down and build back up diesel engines with his bare hands.

With his feet ďŹ rmly in society, he

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preached to his grandson about staying honest and providing for his family and staying humble before the Lord. “He was the strongest man I’ve ever met,” Sailor says ruefully.

El picked the streets, the nickel and dime bags, street-corner pharmacists, the cat-and-mouse routine with cops. By the early 2000s, he’d racked up arrests for possession, trafficking and a gun charge that landed him on probation.

But the undercurrent was different; something of society stuck on him, likely from his grandfather, the honest provider. “My father, he chose the street life over his children,” Sharell explains. “Whereas my brother did the street life to help out my mother, to provide for us, to take care of his children. My father did it so he could look good and have friends and women. It was a big difference.”

Cordell Hubbard was out there with El. They first met in fourth grade. From then on, they were never apart, including later on the Four Block’s street corners. But more than the street game glued them together. Both El and Cordell were big music lovers, Cash Money and No Limit label staples, classics like Biggie and Tupac. They both were also stitched with entrepreneurial streaks gleaned from their fathers.

In between his time on the streets, El’s dad had tried his hand at various legit businesses — a fitness club, a restaurant — that failed to take. Cordell’s father owned a market and some real estate. The two friends recognized the long odds on the streets weren’t good. Guys got trapped there, rutted in the endless supply-and-demand hamster wheel.

But others used their money as an elevator up to a higher financial perch by getting into real estate or opening a car lot or barbershop.

By fall 2002, El and Cordell were plotting their own such move into legitimacy, a step off the street back into society. They decided to open a music store — C and El’s Music — in a space on East 116th and Martin Luther King Boulevard. They got their vendor’s license and were prepping for opening. “We wanted to do something bigger,” Sailor says, “instead of just selling drugs and being stuck.”

So there was a lot to celebrate — life shifts in the air — when El walked into the Benjamin’s Bar on Nov. 16, 2002. Wearing a grey and red-trimmed New York Nets jersey and matching headband, he slid into a seat at a table with friends, hoisting drinks while watching Cordell try to rap on the open mic.

Later the group went to another bar, then a party, picking up new company and dropping some as the night deepened, champagne and weed passing in the cars between stops.

By the end of the evening, Omar Clark was bleeding on Englewood, reading his own long odds on the faces of the growing crowd. “I’m not going to make it,” the dying man said.

When the word “guilty” started rolling off the jury foreperson’s lips, again and again and again and again, Sailor felt the hard smack of a reality check. His eyes, bugged out with insistent urge, swung on Cordell next to him at the defense table. He’d rode shotgun with his friend through this; now it was real.

“You gotta let me out the car, man,” Sailor said.

El got tangled up in the murder case late in the game. How and why is still an open question. But court testimony and records indicate that police attention had almost immediately fixed on the Hubbards in the aftermath of the murder: Cordell was indicted in December, Nichole in January. In an early interview with police, the latter claimed that during her fight with Dude over the $10, he’d pulled a gun on her, scaring her into calling Cordell for help.

In court, Sailor’s lawyer alleged that police only learned about his association with Cordell in late March 2003, when Hubbard’s lawyers filed a notice of alibi stating Ru-El Sailor was with Cordell at the time of the crime. Cleveland police detectives, however, testified in court they’d learned El’s name in mid-February from a Sixth District vice detective named Eugene Jones, who had various run-ins with Sailor going back to his days at Collinwood High School.

Sailor learned police were looking for him in late April. He turned himself in. The Hubbards’ trial was scheduled for May 19, and the date wasn’t pushed back for the new defendant. Sailor’s attorney barely had time to prepare. The judge also rejected motions to secure individual trials for the defendants.

The state’s theory was that during her argument with Dude, Nichole Hubbard had called Cordell. Her brother came to the scene, where he verbally jarred with Dude and Omar.

Sailor also came with Cordell and either was an onlooker or the actual shooter.

Two witnesses put Sailor at the | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

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scene. One, an Englewood resident named Larry Braxton, told the court he had been returning home with two friends on the night of the shooting when he noticed Omar Clark and Clark Lamar (Dude) arguing in the streets with two men.

Omar tried to calm everyone down.

“No, this is family, you all. This is family, calm down, chill out,” Omar told the group before he was shot, according to Braxton. The witness later said he saw a stranger in a red jumpsuit pull a gun and shoot Omar. Braxton, as well as his two friends, initially described the shooter as a 5-foot-10, lightskinned black man in his 20s. The other two failed to pick Sailor, who is very dark-skinned, out of a photo lineup. Braxton, however, fingered Sailor as the shooter.

The other witness in the case, however, was the bombshell.

Dude — Clark Lamar or Clark Williams — made his first appearance in court on May 19, 2003, for an evidentiary hearing outside the presence of the jury.

On the stand, Dude recounted the evening: beers, weed, card games at Puddin’s, the hunt with Nichole and Omar for PCP. Dude told the court that when Nichole was raging at him for stiffing her on $10, she told him she was going to call her brother.

After she sped off and the other car pulled up, Dude was accosted by a guy who demanded to know what they had done to his sister. Another guy, the driver of the car, produced a gun, according to Dude. This was the guy who killed Omar.

“Do you remember the other person that arrived with the person that’s talking to you?”

“Do I remember him?” Dude responded at the hearing. “No.” But two days later, on May 21, 2003, Dude came to court with a different story. Despite failing to ID the shooter in the previous court hearing, now Dude said he could make the identification.

“I seen the killer,” he told the

court.

“Who are you referring to?” the prosecutor asked.

“The guy right there,” Dude said, throwing a finger toward where Sailor sat at the defense table with Cordell and Nichole. “I recognized him in court the first day that I sat here.”

“Are you presuming because he is at the defense table that he must be the shooter?” the prosecutor said.

“No,” Dude answered.

Dude had already testified that he hadn’t gotten a good look at the shooter. Also, his ID of Sailor ran counter to previous statements.

After fleeing the scene, uniformed officers tracked Dude down at his aunt’s house, where he reluctantly reported that the two men who had accosted him in the street — the man who yelled at him about his sister and the driver with the gun — were both lightskinned black men who could have been brothers.

That account gelled with the initial accounts of Braxton and his two friends. Also, in the months between the shooting and trial (months Dude spent in jail on a probation violation), Dude was shown a photo array of the defendants. He picked out Cordell. He didn’t pick out Sailor.

Yet now, after already having been in court for the evidentiary hearing and seeing that Sailor was obviously a co-defendant with Cordell, Dude claimed he was sure.

“He could not identify him in six months, yet when he is sitting at the table, he says that this is the man that did this,” Sailor’s attorney Jimmie Mack argued to the judge. “I say this is not reliable.”

The judge ruled against Sailor, letting Dude’s change-up stand.

As the trial marched on, the evidence began stacking up against the Hubbards. Cell phone records indicated that the brother and sister had swapped calls before and after the crime. Witnesses put Cordell at the scene and also testified about overhearing a phone conversation between Cordell and Nichole about the killing. At least three witnesses, however, further confused the situation by testifying that one of

“Do you remember the other person that arrived with the person that’s talking to you?”

“Do I remember him?” Dude responded at the hearing. “No.”

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

21

FEATURE the men who pulled up on Dude and Omar tried to de-escalate the situation by claiming Omar was “family” or “my cousin’s baby daddy.”

No additional evidence thrown out by the state tied Sailor to the shooting. But Sailor also didn’t have anything sewing together his own alibi: None of the friends he partied with that night agreed to testify.

Besides his fiancee as a character witness, he had no one. Sailor would have to take the stand to account for his own activities that night.

Testifying also provided Sailor the opportunity to cut loose from Cordell and Nichole. He was urged to say that he had parted ways with Cordell that night and knew nothing about what happened. It was an opening to save himself.

But as far as Sailor could remember, they had been together all night. He wasn’t going to tell the jury he wasn’t 100 percent sure.

Sailor had his suspicions about whether Cordell was involved. But there was no way he was going to tell the jury that either. Sailor wasn’t thinking about himself, or

about how his friend had put him in this position. He was not going to give the jury anything that could convict Cordell even if it helped his own situation. “It wasn’t an option — period,” Sailor says. “Me telling on him, or throwing him under the bus? That was my best friend. We grew up like brothers.”

Before the jury, Sailor explained that he and Cordell had been together all night with their friends, driving from one bar to another and finally to a party in Euclid. On his own behalf, Sailor pointed out, he may have had criminal charges in the past, but nothing violent. “I wouldn’t shoot nobody for myself, so I ain’t shooting for nobody else,” Sailor told the court.

“When you left Benjamin’s you drove by yourself?” Sailor was asked.

“No, sir.”

“Who drove with you?”

“Cordell.”

“So you were in each other’s company throughout that entire set of events?”

“Yes.” Defense attorneys rarely allow their clients to testify at trial, and Sailor’s cross-examination by the prosecution is a good illustration

of why. With brutal, rapid-fire questions, the state’s attorney successfully painted Sailor as a no-account ghetto thug straight out of the cultural stereotype drawer at Fox News. The prosecutor brought up Sailor’s past criminal charges (“Now that gun you said that you carried in the past, what kind of gun was it?”), suggested he was a deadbeat dad who fed his kids drug money (“How do you support those three children? You use that to supplement your drug money?”), and had fathered children outside his relationship (Do you have any other children besides these three?

I’m talking with other women”).

With his fiancee and the mother of his three kids in the courtroom, the prosecutor also quizzed him on his sex life.

“Who’s Monica Williams?” the prosecutor asked.

“A girl that I used to mess with like in 2001 once. Mess with her once or twice.”

“What do you mean, ‘mess with?’”

“I had sex with her.”

“Does your fiancee know about Monica?”

“Now she do.”

“Have you messed with any women since you have been seeing

your finance?”

“What that got anything to do with this case?”

“I’m asking you a question, sir.

Have you messed with other women while you been with this woman?”

“I can’t recall.”

“You can’t recall.”

“Is this divorce court or what?” a frustrated Sailor finally blurted out later in the cross.

“No, it’s your murder trial, okay?”

The jury found Cordell, Nichole, and Ru-El Sailor all guilty.

Immediately after the verdict, Cordell opened up to Sailor, telling him that, yes, he was there, and yes, he had done this. He was the shooter. Cordell explained it had been in self-defense. True to his friend, Cordell promised to make it right.

He said as much on July 23, when the three defendants were back before the judge for sentencing.

When it was Cordell’s turn to speak, he apologized to the victim’s family, but also to Sailor.

‘There’s a lot of things that the Court doesn’t know, that my lawyer doesn’t know,” Cordell said. “RuEl Sailor wasn’t present the night when this took place. It was a guy

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named Will.”

Cordell pressed the judge, who was likely puzzled by this mystery name suddenly surfacing so late in the proceedings. “It was me and Will there,” he said. “I didn’t think it was going to turn out like this. I didn’t think my best friend was going to get convicted as the shooter, but he wasn’t even there.”

The judge cut down Cordell’s explanation. The three defendants each received 28 years to life in prison.

“I think there’s a lot of fundamental misunderstanding about your constitutional rights,” says Kimberly Kendall Corral, Sailor’s current attorney, her words coming in a tired roll, a sign she’s

had to make this point many, many times. “You are entitled to a fair procedure, not a fair outcome.”

What this essentially hits on is that, despite a lot of popular misconception, appeals courts rarely, if ever, address whether a trial court botched a conviction.

The higher legal avenues are there to make sure correct processes were followed, not whether a defendant is guilty or innocent. Out of the gate, appeals court starts with the baseline assumption that the jury got it right.

This fact is pretty terrifying when you consider it in terms of wrongful convictions.

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In the end, two eyewitnesses and bad social stereotypes were what sunk Sailor, the latter likely an outgrowth of the extreme life gap between street and society thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cemented in a city like Cleveland. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think that the jury got carried away,â&#x20AC;? Corral explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They see this guy as a bad guy, a drug dealer with kids and baby mamas, and so his mostly all-white jury, they

are people who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand the realities of inner city culture.

They assume that if someone was involved in that, he must have also been involved in murder.â&#x20AC;?

But if the basic byways of the legal system donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t support postconviction claims of innocence, what then?

Throughout the country, prosecutors and state attorneys have taken it upon themselves to open Conviction Integrity Units (CIU), special branches inside the ofďŹ ce tasked with examining claims of innocence put forward by defendants after conviction. In 2013, only nine jurisdictions had such units. By 2015, 24 CIUs were in operation. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, those units are responsible for 151 exonerations, including 58 in 2015 alone.

Cuyahoga County was actually an early adopter. Shortly after taking ofďŹ ce in 2013, prosecutor Tim McGinty opened a conviction integrity unit. This was the escape hatch Sailor had been praying for. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no physical evidence, no forensics, nothing,â&#x20AC;? Corral says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was only convicted on bad eyewitness testimony. There isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

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between him and Sizemore following Cordell and Sailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convictions. In the conversation, Sizemore admitted to being â&#x20AC;&#x153;a few feet awayâ&#x20AC;? from Omar Clark when Cordell killed him. Sizemore also told the victimâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother he had â&#x20AC;&#x153;tried like hell to stop this.â&#x20AC;?

Despite the evidence, Sailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bid for a new trial has run into a cul-desac. Cordellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t credible when it was new; now that it was credible, it was no longer new. â&#x20AC;&#x153;For 10 years heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s found information to supplement Cordellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story, but the court is saying, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not new; weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve known thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s your position since 2003,â&#x20AC;? his attorney Kimberly Corral explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basically, for lack of a better word, Sailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shitty position.â&#x20AC;?

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study examined the efforts of these innocent defendants to ďŹ nd relief from the higher courts after their convictions but before DNA proved their innocence. The courts shot down 90 percent of those appeals, meaning that if science hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rode to the rescue, the erroneous convictions would not have been corrected. The law professor concluded that the study â&#x20AC;&#x153;demonstrates that normal legal mechanisms were incapable of detecting innocence in these (now indisputable) innocence cases.â&#x20AC;?

Immediately following the sentencing, Sailor ďŹ led a motion for new trial based on Cordellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s admission. In a signed afďŹ davit, Cordell admitted that not only was he there when Omar Clark was killed, but he was the shooter. In Cordellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s version, when he pulled up on Englewood, Omar pulled a gun on him. Cordell pulled his gun. After both put their guns away, Omar reached again for his pistol. Cordell ďŹ red.

Cordell also now admitted he wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t alone that night, but not with

Sailor. Another friend named Will accompanied him to Englewood.

Although Cordell couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t initially provide a full name, attorneys were able to identify the individual as Will Sizemore.

The basic criterion for securing a new trial is evidence that is credible and new. Cordellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sworn account was new when Sailor initially appealed his case after the conviction in 2003. The judge rejected that motion, ruling Cordellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new story wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t credible.

But in the intervening 10 years, Sailor and his attorneys have stacked up considerable evidence supporting Cordellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story. Unlike the darkskinned Sailor, both Cordell and Sizemore are light-skinned. Their features suggest a family connection.

Cordell also says Sizemore was the one who tried to break up the ďŹ ght, appealing to Cordell not to â&#x20AC;&#x153;shoot Omar, he is my cousinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s baby daddy.â&#x20AC;? These appeals not only mesh with witness testimony, attorneys have since conďŹ rmed the family connection between Sizemore and the victim. (Sizemore could not be contacted for this article).

Finally, Sailorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s attorneys were able to get an afďŹ davit from Omar Clarkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brother about an exchange

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FEATURE really an outlet for justice when you have a conviction that rests on bad eyewitness testimony.” CIUs exist partly to address that legal gap.

As Sailor and his attorneys began putting together his application for the CIU, they had more than just Cordell’s story to back up Sailor’s plea for innocence. Dude’s eyewitness testimony was shoddy at best.

Larry Braxton’s account, however, was problematic in a different way.

He’d been shown a six-pack photo identification layout by police, a method no longer used after having been tossed for being too suggestive.

For the CIU application, both Sailor and Cordell took polygraph tests with noted expert Bill Evans.

Sailor claimed that he was not there at the shooting; Cordell claimed that he was the shooter and Sailor had nothing to do with the killing. Both men passed.

Finally, Sailor’s attorneys were able to unearth some suggestion of official shenanigans. At trial, none of Sailor’s friends had stepped up to testify on his behalf. In the CIU application, however, one of those friends submitted an affidavit claiming he’d been pressured not to testify by Eugene Jones, the vice cop with history with Sailor but no official role in the Omar Clark murder investigation. “Detective Eugene Jones told my mother that if I testified on behalf of Ruel [sic] ‘it would be really bad,’” the witness, Bobby Nettles, said in his affidavit. “[O]n two other occasions he has told me that if I help Ruel, ‘things will be really bad for you.’”

Sailor submitted his application to the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s CIU in August 2014. Then they waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, they got an answer. But not the one they’d hoped for. In XXX, Corral received a short letter from the office explaining the unit had rejected Sailor’s case.

Corral says she got zero explanation of what the unit did during its look into Sailor’s case, or what led to the rejection. “I’m not sure if they actually investigated,” the attorney says. “They said they were assigning a prosecutor, but nothing ever happened.” For Sailor and his family, the radio silence has been particularly aggravating.

Sailor’s experience with the CIU tracks with the numbers. Of the 129 requests for review submitted to the Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office by late June, 80 cases were rejected.

Nine were investigated and rejected.

Thirty-six cases were under review.

Only three convictions were vacated.

But those three cases all stem from arrests made by East Cleveland police officers later indicted in Federal court for drug trafficking and falsifying information, hardly claims of innocence that involved serious investigation.

It’s a track record that has Corral, who has also submitted Sailor’s case to the Ohio Innocence Project for consideration, asking if the unit is actually doing its job.

Unfortunately, so far, CIUs nationwide are proving to be hit-ormiss. “Half of all CIUs have not been involved in any exonerations — and four others worked on one only — including several that have existed for three to five years,” the National Registry’s 2015 report concludes.

“The performance of these CIUs has been highly variable and some have been criticized as mere window dressing.”

Rain was needling out of the sky on a Thursday morning in March, splattering foot traffic that was clocking in and out of the Justice Center in downtown Cleveland. A dozen or so people were huddled under the building’s overhang, their cardboard signs wiggling in blasts of lake wind. “Free Ru-El Sailor,” written in blocky lettering on each.

Sailor’s family has propped him over the past 13 years, including his mother, grandmother, sister and his children. His efforts got a recent boost when he reconnected with a high-school friend named Amy Spence in 2012. Sailor, who is no longer with the mother of his kids, struck up a prison relationship. Ever since, she’s been charging hard on his case, including organizing the March demonstration.

“I’d talk to other girls while I’ve been here and they’ve always said, ‘I can’t wait until you get home,’” Sailor explains now. “She was the first one to say, ‘Well, what can we do to get you home?’”

As for the demonstration itself, it’s usually a hail mary move that rarely produces results, especially for a case that’s been out of the news for a decade. Still, the event pulled in more attention than the usual attempts at meaningful noise outside the Justice Center. Yet Sailor seems disappointed in the turnout. Not that he blames his family. It’s more about the average Clevelander’s lack of awareness of what goes on inside the building, he says. “But if Future was coming downtown, you’d have

Photo by Eric Sandy

WE WENT OUT WHEN YOU COULDN’T. EVENT SLIDESHOWS. ONLY AT CLEVESCENE.COM

KentStage The

Amy Spence and other demonstrating in front of the Justice Center.

100,000 people trying to get there.

And they’d pay to be there.”

Sitting in the visiting room of Ohio State Penitentiary, Sailor is honest to a fault about his own old street ways. But in the end, his fatal error may have been speaking up for Cordell without fully appreciating the situation he was in, a level of loyalty that the streets never reciprocated. Sailor acknowledges this, but doesn’t lay any regret on his past. “I’m a loyal person. It’s kind of a curse for me, but it’s not something I can contain. My loyalty caused me to be punished, and I got the consequences. But I couldn’t take the easy route.”

His time inside has been hard due to his own hand. He’s hustled in prison, running afoul of guards and authorities. “My prison record is terrible,” he admits. “But nothing violent.” His meeting with Scene, it should be noted, was his first faceto-face visit in more than a year, a privilege that had been revoked by the prison as punishment for his behavior.

The hustles, he explains, are not about putting money in his own pocket but for providing. “My kids haven’t gone without a Christmas since I’ve been in,” he says. “And I’ve also got to pay for my lawyers and trying to get out. No lawyer is taking my case pro bono.”

But when he gets out — and it’s always when for him, not if — he’s off the streets. Sailor’s mind churns with legit business ideas. He’s got

plans, family waiting for him, but also serious voids. His grandfather, the honest provider, the strongest man he’d ever known, passed away in October 2015. Sailor can barely get his words around the subject, and his family tiptoes around it. “He didn’t take it too well,” his mother admits simply.

Sailor does have reason to be optimistic though. When contacted

by Scene about the CIU application and Sailor’s rejection, Joe Frolik, the spokesman for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, explains that Sailor’s case was initially rejected “in part because his new account of the evening in question dramatically differed from the testimony he gave under oath at trial.”

But Frolik adds that after some review, “the case has now been referred for re-investigation.”

On a recent afternoon, leaning over the comically low visiting table in the prison visitor room, Sailor hadn’t yet heard that news. Yet despite not knowing that hope yet, he appears comfortable, at ease, confident. It’s a game face he keeps nailed in place so that his family doesn’t think he’s feeling the pinch of the circumstances. “But that’s a double edged sword,” he explains.

“Because then they think you’re just doing fine.”

scene@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene

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

Heavy on the Salt Sat., Jul 2

Guster Fri., Jul 8

Soul Asylum w/The English Beat Tue., Jul 5

James McMurtry Thu., Jul. 14

Devon Allman Wed., Jul. 6

Louie Anderson Thu., Jul. 21

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver w/The Bluegrass Sat., Jul. 23

Brett Dennen Feat. Esme Patterson

The Bacon Brothers

Asleep at the Wheel

The High Kings

Fri., Aug. 12

Sun, Aug. 14

Thu., Aug 18

Sat., Jul. 30

Hot Tuna Acoustic Tue., Aug. 9

ALL SHOWS AT THE KENT STAGE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED Tickets available at www.kentstage.org or 877-987-6487 GMK [w cw i {{ © a{ B e~ JJHJF | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

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| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

everything you should do this week

GET OUT WED

Nineties alt-rockers Sugar Ray headline Scene’s Rock the Lot. See: Saturday.

6/29

BEER & ART

Brush Up In the Biergarten If you want to learn to draw or paint, you probably ought to sign up for a class and spend some serious time in the classroom. Boring! At tonight’s Brush Up in the Biergarten at Hofbrauhaus Cleveland, a professional artist will give step-by-step instructions to help patrons create “a personal masterpiece” while enjoying food and drink specials. Now that’s a great way to learn how to draw and paint. The event takes place at 6:30 p.m. and tickets cost $35. (Jeff Niesel) 1550 Chester Ave., 216-621-2337, hofbrauhauscleveland.com.

FILM

MUSIC COMEDY

Josh Gondelman Comedian Josh Gondelman has written for shows such as Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, Funny or Die Presents: Billy On the Street and a few segments of the Ellen DeGeneres Show. He has made a huge impact on the Hollywood writing world because he is very witty and clever with his jokes, while also having a good-natured sense of humor. In fact, many already know him as the “nicest guy in comedy.” He uses his own life experiences, such as being a pre-school teacher, to find humor in the world and spread his comedic genius. He performs at 8 tonight at Hilarities, where he has shows scheduled through Sunday. Tickets are $13 and $18. (Hannah Borison) 2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

FOOD

Pig + Whiskey Wednesdays The patio season is in full swing in Northeast Ohio and chefs like Ben Bebenroth over at Spice Kitchen are finding every excuse in the book to move culinary operations out of the restaurant and under the clear blue skies. He and his crew have created Pig + Whiskey Wednesdays; Bebenroth and his chef Josh Woo fire up the smoker and cook up a mess of barbecue. The items vary based on whim and weather. There’s always a seasonal whiskey cocktail or two to wash it all down. The events run from 5 to 10 p.m. through August 31, and there will be live music at some dates.

No reservations are required. (Douglas Trattner) 5800 Detroit Ave., 216-961-9637, spicekitchenandbar.com.

the Ghostbusters’ mobile. Admission and parking are free, and well-behaved dogs on leashes are welcome too.

In addition to barbecue favorites, the event includes concessions and libations from Sweet Melissa. For more info on future screenings, visit BAYarts’ website. (Usmani) 28795 Lake Rd., Bay Village, 440-871-6543, bayarts.net.

Summer in the City Each summer, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hosts a variety of indie and alternative rock acts on its outdoor plaza. For this year’s Summer in the City concert series, some of the city’s “most buzzed about” local acts will perform. Tonight, the local jam act Tropidelic plays with openers Pasadena. The concert takes place from 6 to 9 p.m. and, prior to the concert, the Rock Hall will host a Q&A with the acts slated to play. The concerts are free; as a bonus, local residents and college students can purchase admission to the Rock Hall for a mere $5. (Niesel) 1100 Rock and Roll Blvd., 216-515-8444, rockhall.com.

FOOD

Walnut Wednesday You know it’s summer when Walnut Wednesday returns. Today from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Perk Plaza at Chester Commons — at East 12th and Walnut Streets — food trucks 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.

Admission is free, but the food will cost you. (Niesel) downtowncleveland.com.

THUR

6/30

ART

Cleveland Arts Prize Awards Ceremony The winners of this year’s Cleveland Arts Prize will be honored during the 56th annual Cleveland Arts Prize Awards event at 7 tonight in Gartner Auditorium at the Cleveland Museum

of Art. Performances will take place throughout the evening, and a reception will follow the ceremony from approximately 8 to 9:30 p.m.

General admission is $75 per person and includes the ceremony, reception and a cash bar. VIP tickets are $250 and include everything mentioned above as well as priority seating, complimentary valet parking at the CMA’s front entrance and an open bar at the reception. Tickets are available on the website. (Josh Usmani) 11150 East Blvd., 440-523-9889, clevelandartsprize.org.

MUSIC

Edgewater Live Two years ago, the Cleveland Metroparks launched its extremely popular Edgewater Live Thursdaynight happy-hour concert series. The event returns this year; the concerts take place from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. every Thursday night. In addition to featuring a performance by a local band, the events feature yoga, standup paddleboarding and cornhole. And those ubiquitous food trucks will be on hand as well. It’s free. (Niesel) 6500 Cleveland Memorial Shoreway NW, clevelandmetroparks.com.

FAMILY FUN

A Family Fun-Raiser Starting today, BAYarts hosts a new series of outdoor film screenings presented by local filmmaker Robert Banks and sponsored by Hinkley Lighting. At 6 p.m., BAYarts kicks off the summer film series with a Family Fun-Raiser featuring a backyard barbecue, cornhole tournament, games and a special sunset screening of the original Ghostbusters. The event will also include a visit from local Ghostbusters’ cosplayers and ECTO 1,

The Fits The 2015 debut of highly acclaimed director Anna Rose Holmer, The Fits focuses on an 11-year-old girl who can’t seem to fit in anywhere at her local gym: The boxing boys don’t like her, and the female dance team next door feels out of reach. When she finally joins the team, however, a fainting epidemic among the girls pushes her again to the outside. The film screens today at 6 p.m. and again tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $10, $7 for Cinematheque members, those with a Cleveland Institute of Art or Cleveland State University I.D., and those age 25 and under. (Eli Shively) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia. edu.

COMEDY

Red Grant Tonight, Red Grant brings his hilariously honest comedy to the Cleveland Improv. His infectious laughter fills a room, often accompanied by the laughter of his audience. This comedian, actor, producer and writer has seen great recent success because of his first-rate impressions and hilarious stories. He jokes about his magical experience at his first-ever Prince concert, and how he was completely starstruck by meeting Dwyane Wade. He has made appearances in Martin Lawrence’s First Amendment Stand-Up and has starred in a few Comedy Central specials. He performs at 7:30 p.m. and tickets cost $17. Performances continue through Sunday. (Borison) 1148 Main Ave., 216-696-IMPROV, clevelandimprov.com.

MUSIC

Eric Hutchinson The Live at Aloft Hotels 2016 Tour features up-and-coming artists performing in intimate settings. In this case, the “intimate setting” is the W XYZ bar in the downtown Aloft hotel on the East Bank of the Flats.

The series continues tonight at 7 as singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

29

GET OUT performs. At work on a new album, Hutchinson, who’s known for catchy tunes such as the soulful “Rock & Roll” and “Watching You Watch Him,” will likely debut some new tracks and revisit classics such as the standard “Fly Me to the Moon,” which has made its way into recent sets. Admission to the show is free. (Niesel) 1111 West 10th St., 212-343-3920, aloftclevelanddowntown.com.

movie and art-film fans alike. It screens tonight at 7:30 and tomorrow night at 8:30 at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $10, $7 for Cinematheque members, those with a Cleveland Institute of Art or Cleveland State University I.D., and

you don’t own a hoop, it’s no big deal.

The event’s organizers will have a few you can use free of charge. New hoopers should arrive early to receive lessons. The event is free. (Niesel) East 14th St. and Euclid Ave., 216-771-4444, playhousesquare.org.

COMEDY

Greg Hall Comedian Greg Hall began his career as a singer and guitar player; however, after a near fatal accident, he switched paths to combine comedy and music.

He always performs with a guitar in his hand and delivers songs about his drinking experiences — along with jokes about artists like Bob Dylan — and pokes fun at audience members.

Performances are at 7:30 and 10 tonight and at 10 tomorrow night at Club Velvet at the Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park. Tickets are $13 and $18. (Borison) 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7771, hrrocksinonorthfieldpark.com.

FAMILY FUN

Outdoor Movies at Crocker Park Seeing a film indoors, cooped up with hordes of sweating, texting teenagers, is hardly an optimal way to be entertained, especially given the lovely breezes and picnic-able lawns of Northeast Ohio in June, July and August. Watching a movie outside’s the way to go. While they are still thoroughly enjoyable, driveins no longer have the cachet, nor the presence, that they enjoyed in the soda-fountain 1950s; plenty of local cities and organizations are helping to fill the void by getting the silver screen out under the starry sky. For instance, every Thursday evening at 9 p.m. through August 25, Crocker Park screens a film behind the GameStop store. Tonight’s feature is the thriller Apollo 13. It’s free. (Sam Allard) 143 Crocker Park Blvd., Westlake, crockerpark.com.

CRAFT BEER FOOD TRUCKS JUNE 29

AUGUST 3

ART TROPIDELIC

PASADENA

NEW PLANET TRAMPOLINE

JULY 6

HEAVENLY QUEEN

AUGUST 10

THESE KNEES

CITIES & COASTS

TEDDY BOYS

WHISKEY DAREDEVILS

TEXAS PLANT

AUGUST 17

JULY 13

FAMILY FUN

Outdoor Movies at P.E.A.C.E. Park For outdoorsy movie fans on the other side of town, never fear: P.E.A.C.E. Park in the Coventry neighborhood will be the eastside analog to Crocker Park, showing free films on Thursday evenings through July. Tonight’s feature is the animated kids’ flick Hotel Transylvania 2. The screening begins at 9. (Allard) 2843 Washington Ave., Cleveland Heights, 216-556-0927, coventryvillage.org.

UNO LADY

GOLDMINES

HONEYBUCKET

GAGE BROTHERS

AUGUST 24

JULY 27

SHOWCASE UMOJAH NATION

JAH MESSENGERS

# s itc2 016

ro c khall .com/summe rc le

1100 Rock and Roll Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44114 | rockhall.com | 216.781.ROCK

FILM

A Touch of Zen Considered to be among the best martial arts films ever made, director King Hu’s medieval Chinese masterpiece, A Touch of Zen, centers on a pair of young, cunning lovers who battle a group of assassins. The fight takes them to a haunted castle, and later to a bamboo forest where a group of agile Buddhist monks enter the scene. The film possesses a sense of scope and a political nature beyond what you’ll likely find in its peers, and will inspire awe in both action-

30

singer-songwriter Kris Kristopherson, Keller Williams and Melvin Seals. The fest begins today and runs through Monday. Tickets are $150, and that includes camping. (Niesel) 12001 State Route 282, Garrettsville, 440-548-2716, nlqp.com.

those age 25 and under. (Shively) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

FRI

7/01

FITNESS

Cardio Hoop Dance It’s like Zumba, but better. That’s the tagline advertising Cardio Hoop Dance, a hula hoop workout that takes place at 11 a.m. on Fridays on the U.S. Bank Plaza at Playhouse Square. If

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

MUSIC

Grateful Fest 2016 with Willie Nelson & Kris Kristopherson An annual event that takes place each Fourth of July at Nelson Ledges, this year’s Grateful Fest features a particularly strong lineup. Country icon Willie Nelson, a guy who was playing outaw country before it was cool to play outlaw country, headlines.

At 83, Nelson still tours and records regularly, though he doesn’t often make his way to Northeast Ohio.

The lineup also includes solid acts in

Walk All Over Waterloo Just in time for July’s Walk All Over Waterloo, the Maria Neil Art Project is hosting two new exhibitions. Its main gallery space hosts the return of local painter Michelangelo Lovelace, who was the first artist to be showcased in the gallery in its inaugural exhibition.

Lovelace’s We the People is a response to the upcoming RNC. Meanwhile, MNAP presents the work of local abstract expressionist Justin Brennan in the Native Cleveland Annex, just around the corner from MNAP, between Native Cleveland and Star Pop Vintage + Modern. Both exhibitions open with free, public receptions from 5 to 10 p.m. today. Justin Brennan’s Turbulence remains on view through July, and Michelangelo Lovelace: We the People continues through Aug. 14.

(Usmani) 15813 Waterloo Rd., marianeilartproject.com.

BEER

Van Aken Beer Garden Held in the parking lot of Van Aken Center in Shaker Heights, the Van Aken Beer Garden, a bi-weekly event, celebrates summertime with music, food, beer, wine, cocktails, retail vendors and activities for the kids.

This year’s series kicks off today and runs through Sept. 9. Admission is free and the event is both bike and pet friendly. It takes place from 6 to 10 p.m. In case of rain, the event will be held inside Club Rock. A portion of the proceeds raised from the beer garden will go to a hosting non-profit. (Niesel) vanakenbeergarden.com.

SAT

7/02

MUSIC

“1812” Overture The Cleveland Orchestra kicks off its outdoor season at Blossom with a bang. Tonight’s bill features “a blockbuster all-Russian” program that includes “the entrancing, romantic melodies of RimskyKorsakov’s illustration of the fairytale wonders of The Arabian Nights, Scheherazade,” and that’s not to mention Tchaikovsky’s famous “1812” Overture, which is also on the program. Weather permitting, the whole shebang concludes with fireworks. Concerts begin tonight and tomorrow night at 8. Tickets start at $24. (Niesel) 1145 West Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

FILM

Bridgend Hannah Murray, a.k.a. Gilly in Game of Thrones, plays the lead in Bridgend, a dark, moody film about a Welsh town plagued by a string of teenage suicides. Murray’s character moves to the town with her dad, only to

discover that all her friends can’t seem to stand being alive anymore. Now she must resist the communal depression that seems to be affecting everyone around her. Bridgend plays tonight at 9:30 and again Sunday at 8:35 p.m. at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $10, $7 for Cinematheque members, those with a Cleveland Institute of Art or Cleveland State University I.D., and those age 25 and under. (Shively) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

FILM

Cape Fear Director Martin Scorsese revisited the 1962 classic Cape Fear and remade the movie back in 1991. His remake is a gem as it features a standout performance from Robert DeNiro, then in his prime, as a convicted rapist who stalks the family of the lawyer who sent him to the slammer. Nick Nolte, Jessica Lange and Juliette Lewis also star in the flick, and it features cameos from Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Martin Balsam, all of whom appeared in the 1962 original.

The film screens tonight at 9:30 and midnight at the Cedar Lee Theatre.

It also screens tomorrow night at 7.

Tickets are $6. (Niesel)

2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 440-717-4696, clevelandcinemas.com.

PLANETARIUM SHOW

Dark Universe Narrated by renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Dark Universe explores the mysteries of our solar system and beyond. The immersive and visually stunning planetarium show features “exquisite renderings of enigmatic cosmic phenomena, seminal scientific instruments, and spectacular scenes in deep space.” Although only 24 minutes long, the film captures the fascinating vastness of the universe.

It screens today at noon and 4 p.m. at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History’s Nathan and Fannye Shafran Planetarium. There’s another show at 4 p.m. on Sunday. General admission is $5, but CMNH members get in free.

(Elizabeth Bullock) 1 Wade Oval Dr., 216-231-4600, cmnh.org.

FILM

My Golden Days Released last year, My Golden Days is the latest masterpiece from French director Arnaud Desplechin. A sister film to his 1996 breakthrough My Sex Life … Or How I Got into an Argument, the film serves as both

a sequel and a prequel to the first film, detailing three defining periods in protagonist Paul’s early life: his childhood poisoned by his mother’s madness and father’s depression, a trip to the USSR, and his college years, with their assorted loves, confusions and betrayals. These extended flashbacks serve to further characterize and explain his current position, and serve as an opportunity for a bit of self-reflection on the part of audience members as well. The film screens at 7:05 tonight and at 3:45 on Sunday at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque. Tickets are $10, $7 for Cinematheque members, those with a Cleveland Institute of Art or Cleveland State University I.D., and those age 25 and under. (Shively) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

FILM

Notorious The Hitchcock classic Notorious turns 70 this year — and Cleveland Institute of Art’s Cinematheque celebrates by screening it in its original 35mm glory. The plot is centered on a love triangle between an American government agent, the leader of a Nazi organization centered in Brazil, and the daughter of a convicted Nazi spy.

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GET OUT

SUN

7/03

NIGHTLIFE

ʥʣʫʰ ʲʣʴʭ ˅ˎˇ˘ˇˎ˃ːˆ ˊˇˋˉˊ˖˕ʏ ˑˊˋˑ

ʧˉˇːˑˎˈ

ʥʣʫʰ ʲʣʴʭ ʣʴʶʵ ʨʧʵʶʫʸʣʮ ʙʑʚʐʓʒ ʨʴʧʧ ˑː ʨ˔ˋˆ˃˛ʏ ʅʗ ˇ˃˅ˊ ʓʕ ʈ ˑˎˆˇ˔ ʵ˃˖˗˔ˆ˃˛ ʈ ʵ˗ːˆ˃˛ ʨ˔ˋˆ˃˛ ʕʐʚ˒ˏʏ ʵ˃˖˗˔ˆ˃˛ ʓʒ˃ˏʐʚ˒ˏʏ ʵ˗ːˆ˃˛ ʓʔʐʗ˒ˏ ʵ˗˒˒ˑ˔˖ ˄˛ ʹʳʣʮ ʈ ʨ˔ˋˇːˆ˕ ˑˈ ʥ˃ˋː ʲ˃˔ˍʏ ʨʴʧʧ ʲ˃˔ˍˋːˉ ʵˊ˗˖˖ˎˇ ʵ˃˖ ʈ ʵ˗ː

ʩʴʱʷʰʦʹʱʴʭʵ ʦʣʰʥʧʶʪʧʣʶʧʴ ʙʑʓʗʐʓʙ ʅʔʗ ˃ˆ˘˃ː˅ˇʏ ʣˎˏ˃ ʶˊˇ˃˖ˇ˔ʏ ʨ˔ˋˆ˃˛ʐʵ˃˖˗˔ˆ˃˛ ʙ˒ˏʏ ʵ˗ːˆ˃˛ ʔ˒ˏ

ʮʣʦʻʵʯʫʶʪ ʤʮʣʥʭ ʯʣʯʤʣʼʱ ʙʑʓʘ ʵʹʧʧʶ ʪʱʰʧʻ ʫʰ ʶʪʧ ʴʱʥʭ

ʩ˔ˑ˗ːˆ˙ˑ˔ˍ˕ ʦ˃ː˅ˇ

ʅʗʒʑʖʒʑʕʗʑʔʗ ˃ˆ˘˃ː˅ˇʏ ˅ˊˋˎˆ˔ˇː ʔ ʈ ˗ːˆˇ˔ ˕ˋ˖˖ˋːˉ ˑː ˎ˃˒ ˈ˔ˇˇʏ ʚ˒ˏ ʨ˔ˇˇ ʲ˃˔ˍˋːˉ ʵˊ˗˖˖ˎˇʎ ʵ˗˒˒ˑ˔˖ˇˆ ˄˛ ʹʥʲʰ ʈ ʛʓʎʕ ʶˊˇ ʵ˗ˏˏˋ˖

ʫʯʣʩʫʰʣʶʫʱʰʜ ʤˇ˕˖ ˑˈ ʯ˃˔ˋˎ˛ː ʤˋ˃ː˅ˊˋ ʭˋˆ˕͐ ʲˎ˃˛˙˔ˋ˖ˋːˉ ʨˇ˕˖ˋ˘˃ˎ ʙʑʔʒ

ʪˇˎˇː ʹˇˎ˅ˊ

ʅʚ ˃ˆ˗ˎ˖ʏ ʅʗ ˅ˊˋˎˆʏ ʣˎˏ˃ ʶˊˇ˃˖ˇ˔ʏ ʓʔʐʓʔʜʕʒ˒ˏ ʥˑʐ˒˔ˇ˕ˇː˖ˇˆ ˙ˋ˖ˊ ʦˑ˄˃ˏ˃ ʶˊˇ˃˖ˇ˔

ʱʲʧʰ ʣ ʰʧʹ ʹʫʰʦʱʹʐ ʶˊˇ ʵˑːˉ˕ ˑˈ ʬˇ˔˔˛ ʪˇ˔ˏ˃ː ʙʑʔʓ ʅʔʗ ˃ˆ˘˃ː˅ˇʏ ʣˎˏ˃ ʶˊˇ˃˖ˇ˔ʏ ʙ˒ˏ ʥˑʐ˒˔ˇ˕ˇː˖ˇˆ ˙ˋ˖ˊ ʶˊˇ ʯ˗˕ˋ˅˃ˎ ʶˊˇ˃˖ˇ˔ ʲ˔ˑˌˇ˅˖ ʬˋˏ ʤ˔ˋ˅ˍˏ˃ː

ʥ˃ˋː ʲ˃˔ˍ ʶˋ˅ˍˇ˖ ʱˈˈˋ˅ˇ ʔʓʘʐʕʙʓʐʕʒʒʒ

ʪʧʮʧʰ ʹʧʮʥʪ ͒ʤˇ˃˖ˎˇ˕ʎʎʎʣ ʮˋ˖˖ˎˇ ʤ˔ˋ˖ ʦˋˈˈˇ˔ˇː˖͓ ʙʑʔʔ ʅʓʚ ˃ˆ˘˃ː˅ˇʏ ʣˎˏ˃ ʶˊˇ˃˖ˇ˔ʏ ʙ˒ˏ

˙˙˙ʎ˅˃ˋː˒˃˔ˍʎ˅ˑˏ 32

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

When the agent (Cary Grant) must convince the girl (Ingrid Bergman) to seduce the Nazi (Claude Rains) as part of an espionage operation, things get messy. The film screens today at 5 p.m. and again Sunday night at 6:30.

Tickets are $10, $7 for Cinematheque members, those with a Cleveland Institute of Art or Cleveland State University I.D., and those age 25 and under. (Shively) 11610 Euclid Ave., 216-421-7450, cia.edu.

7th Day Sweat The B-Side Liquor Lounge, the popular dance club, is located below the Grog Shop. Seventh Day Sweat is their weekly Sunday night soiree, featuring DJ White Rims spinning “today’s hottest dance hits,” so you can “sweat it out” every Sunday. Admission is free but you must be 21 or older. It all starts at 7 p.m. (Niesel) 2785 Euclid Hts. Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.

SHOPPING

COMEDY

The Peninsula Flea Not all flea markets are created equal.

Consider Peninsula Flea. According to the press release announcing its return this summer, Peninsula Flea is “an upscale flea market, featuring handmade, repurposed and vintage high-quality items from dedicated artists, crafts people and collectors.”

Held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month from May to September, Peninsula Flea is held on the lawn next to the big red barn at Heritage Farms. It’s the first year at the new location since the event outgrew the Boston Township Hall.

(Niesel) 6050 Riverview Rd., Peninsula, 330-657-2788, explorepeninsula.com.

Cleveland Improv Jam The Angry Ladies of Improv has hosted the Cleveland Improv Jam for four years now. A few years back, Scene described the show as “fierce, formidable and very funny.” The women have some serious experience too. Katie White-Sonby is an actress who’s performed at Clague Playhouse, Karamu and Kennedy’s Cabaret.

Marjorie Preston is an alumna of Something Dada and Rockwell 9 improvisational comedy troupes.

Dionne Atchison is a theater artist with Cleveland Public Theatre, and Brenna “MC” Connor is an actress and improviser. The event begins with a short-form set of improv games, followed by a longform improv set. It begins at 5 p.m. at Coffee Phix. Arrive early if you want to sign up and perform. Admission is free. (Niesel) 4485 Mayfield Rd., South Euclid, 216-381-5706, coffeephixcafe.com.

MUSIC

Rock the Lot In partnership with Liquid and Tru Events, Scene presents Rock the Lot, a free, two-day, all-ages event featuring “music, fun, and summer.” The event takes place in the Warehouse District in the parking lot at West Sixth Street and St. Clair Avenue. Alt-rock act Sugar Ray headlines tonight’s show while country singer Rodney Atkins will perform tomorrow night. There will be food vendors, retail vendors, craft cocktails, a beer garden and more. Admission is free. It runs from 1 to 10 p.m. today and tomorrow. (Niesel) scenerockthelot.com.

FILM

Rocky Horror Picture Show Because it’s the first Saturday of the month, the Cedar Lee Theatre will host a midnight screening of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the 1975 film that still draws an exuberant, costumed crowd that likes to throw rice and dry toast and sing along to the songs in the movie. Tickets are $9.50. (Niesel) 2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 216-321-5411, clevelandcinemas.com.

PATIO FUN

Tropical Sundays A weekly summer celebration, Now That’s Class’s Tropical Sundays features cornhole and basketball in the club’s back parking lot and exclusive Tropical Sunday cocktails including Pimms, Paulito’s Puerto Rican Punch, Mi’Monsters, Cucumber Bloody Marys and Bloody Tooth. The club promises “many more surprises and activities” too. The event starts at 3 today.

Admission is free. (Niesel) 11213 Detroit Ave., 216-221-8576, nowthatsclass.net.

MON

7/4

SPORTS

Indians vs. Detroit Tigers After sweeping division rivals the Chicago White Sox in mid-June, the Cleveland Indians roared back into first place. The Tribe didn’t have many home games in June, but the team certainly looked good while playing at

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

33

home. Tonight at 7:10 at Progressive Field, they begin a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. The first 15,000 fans receive a free batting practice pullover, and there will be fireworks after the game. Tickets start at $13. (Niesel) 2401 Ontario St., 216-420-4487, clevelandindians.com.

FOOD

FRIDAY JULY 1

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Industry Brunch Brunch isn’t just a Saturday/Sunday thing. Over at Mahall’s, you can grab a great brunch on Mondays as the club caters to industry folks who have the day off. Not that you have to work in the restaurant industry to indulge. The menu features items such as Chicken and Donuts, a dish that features three pieces of fried chicken along with two Old Hushers doughnuts. Other staples include the Everything Pretzel and the Creamy Egg Sandwich. (Niesel) 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-3280, mahalls20lanes.com.

MUSIC

Red, White & Brew One of the few local acts that can legitimately make the claim that it’s a national act, indie rockers Cloud Nothings don’t play often in Cleveland because they’re regularly on the road.

The band will headline the fifth annual Red White & Brew Music Festival, which takes place from 3 p.m. to midnight today on the grounds of the Nautica Entertainment Complex on the West Bank of the Flats. The music festival will showcase eight other acts, including Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, Ottawa, Thaddeus Anna Greene, Kristine Jackson Band, These Knees, Oldboy, Sammy Slims and Brothers.

The site also offers a terrific view of the city’s fireworks display, and the aquarium will be open with extended hours. Food trucks on site will include Melt Bar & Grilled, Barrio, the Manna Truck, the Hunger Squad and Jones Bones BBQ. There will also be kids games and activities at the Meltdown Zone presented by Melt. Tickets are $35 for adults and $14 for children ages 2 to 12. Adult VIP tickets are $75. See the website for details. (Niesel) 2000 Sycamore St., 216-862-8803, greaterclevelandaquarium.com.

MUSIC

A Salute to America Each year, the Blossom Music Festival presents a Fourth of July tribute. It’s a Northeast Ohio Independence Day tradition that, again this year, features a mix of patriotic Sousa marches. The concert by the Blossom Festival Band also includes an Armed Forces Salute before ending with the “1812” Overture

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| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

followed by fireworks. Tonight’s Salute to America takes place at 8 p.m. at Blossom. Tickets start at $15. (Niesel) 1145 West Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls, 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

FOOD

Vegan Mondays If you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, or just plain interested in trying something new, head over to Townhall in Ohio City this evening from 5 to 10 p.m. for Vegan Night. Work your way through the delicious and healthy vegan menu, featuring hits like Veggie Vegan Flatbread (think fresh tomatoes, chiles, mushrooms and vegan cheese), Tofu Etouffee (blackened tofu, onions, tomatoes and brown rice) or many of the regular menu items made vegan.

(Alaina Nutile) 1909 West 25th St., 216-344-9400, townhallohiocity.com.

MUSIC

Wing Ding Doodle Blues icon Howlin’ Wolf famously covered “Wang Dang Doodle,” the old blues tune penned by Willie Dixon.

Prosperity Social Club in Tremont has adopted that slogan, calling its wing night Wing Ding Doodle. The weekly event features specials on Buffalo wings and cold brews. Prosperity will not only serve up substantial, $1 whole wings, but it’ll also offering meatless Monday “wing” baskets for vegans.

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

TUE

7/05

FAMILY FUN

Outdoor Movies in Old Brooklyn We’ve already testified that watching a movie outside is way better than in a stuffy theater. Interested? Old Brooklyn’s Loew Park has dibs on Tuesdays, in its second annual Cleveland Summer Cinema series that runs through August 9. In addition to the family friendly flick, you’ll find food trucks, a beer garden, a farmers market and movie-themed trivia games. The screenings begin at dusk.

Tonight’s film is the Christmas caper Elf. (Allard) 4768 West 25th St., 216-664-2561, whatsyouroldbrooklyn.com/movies.

Find more events @clevescene.com @cleveland_scene

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ART ARTISTS ALL IN Cleveland artists celebrate the city’s historic championship

By Josh Usmani ART AND SPORTS HAVE RARELY mixed in Cleveland quite like they did in the aftermath of last week’s Cavs’ championship. Artists throughout the city have been busy creating celebratory Cavs-themed work. It’s almost impossible to catalog it all, but we’ve picked out some favorites.

Cleveland’s printmaking oasis, Zygote Press, has produced multiple editions of Cavaliers-inspired works.

Grants director and archivist Corrie Slawson created an edition of 17 fourcolor screen prints and sold them for $52 (one dollar for each year of Cleveland’s championship drought).

Slawson plans to donate the proceeds through GoFundMe. “I was working on a piece for MetroHealth, and I made this design that, when turned on end and printed orange looked like a celebratory basketball,” Slawson says. “And I thought, ‘I’m going to make a poster to celebrate this.’ I used the 1980s/1990s team colors, for aesthetics, and because that’s how long I have been waiting for a Cavs ring. The figure is LeBron, screen-captured from my phone during Game 7. The edition of 17 all have homes already.”

Cleveland-based Van Monroe is best known for his customized sneakerbased art. Monroe discovered his unique gift while playing college football at Miami University. Painting on canvas, Monroe created a special portrait of Kyrie Irving portrayed as the Human Torch during the NBA finals. “‘The Human Torch’ is the first release in a series of paintings where I fuse a Cavs player with a superhero that matches his style of play or persona,” says Monroe. “During the NBA finals, Kyrie Irving consistently left Warrior defenders helpless, as the threat to blaze by them or shoot over them was imminent. So I paired Kyrie with the Human Torch to exemplify the heat he placed on this opponent, from his ferocious dribbling ability to his scorching hot jump shot.”

Local artist and gallerist Loren Naji gave his time capsule at the West 25th Street RTA station a Cavaliers-inspired facelift, adding the trademark “C” logo to his time

36

capsule entitled “They Have Landed.”

At the start of the playoffs, local graffiti artist Garrett Weider painted a Cavs-inspired mural on his friend’s garage. After the finals, Weider updated the mural to celebrate the Cavs’ victory. Like Corrie Slawson, Weider’s design is inspired by the orange and blue of the 1980s-era Cavs.

“I kind of modeled the letters after the old-school logo,” Weider says, “but definitely jazzed it up graffiti style.

Lots of action and color to match how we were all anticipating a deep playoff run. So when we won, I had to include ‘NBA Champs.’”

Just outside downtown you can find Israeli-born, Cleveland-based Gadi Zamir working in his studio at Negative Space Gallery. Although not a sports fan, Zamir was inspired by last week’s events to create an image of a winged LeBron James dunking a basketball into a hoop attached to the top of the Terminal Tower, all against a wine-colored sky.

“This game brought so many people from all walks of life together,” says Zamir. “It broke the glass and allowed creativity and inspiration to break free.

Whether it’s a sport or an art opening, as long as it brings people together in the quest for happiness and fulfillment, I am all in as well.”

Originally from Cleveland, but now living in Columbus, Kate Johnson created a hyperrealistic 11-by14inch

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

graphite drawing of LeBron James with only a mechanical pencil after witnessing the scene downtown after Sunday’s victory.

“My inspiration came from the atmosphere and the people of

downtown Cleveland,” says Johnson.

“Seeing the Cavaliers bring home a championship was unbelievable. The fact that LeBron is dubbed ‘King James’ is only fitting. He united the city of Cleveland that night, in the way that a great leader should.”

Jamal Collins posts speed art tutorials every week on his YouYube channel to help inspire and educate young artists. One recent post featured a LeBron James poster design tutorial with a full step-by-step explanation of the process.

“The poster is the city pulled out of the Earth, flipped upside down and LeBron getting up off his knees,” explains Collins. “It just shows us as underdogs that never give up; four months later we win the championship.”

jusmani@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene

STAGE Sister Mary Clarence (Colleen Longshaw) in Sister Act .

Photo by Andy Eicher

AMEN! Sister Act delights as the opening show of the 2016 Porthouse season

By Roy Berko WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A NEW musical opens at the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse in California and becomes the highest grossing show ever at that venue? Obviously it’s grabbed up by a Broadway producer who opens it on the Great White Way. Right? Wrong.

For the musical Sister Act, success took a far less direct path from California to Broadway. After the Pasadena success in 2006, the show played in Atlanta. Then, in 2009, it went across the pond and opened in London to mixed reviews, including one that, with British subtleness, referred to it as “a brainless show.”

After a sidetrip to Hamburg (yes, Germany), Sister Act finally opened on Broadway in 2011. It was a newly revised adaptation, which included a slightly different song list than the Brit or Pasadena versions.

Featuring the tunes of songwriter Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater — a blend of Motown, soul and funk, with a little disco thrown in for good measure — the show was praised for its ability to “switch up the mood and tempo.”

The results? Five Tony nominations, a successful run, and a much praised North American tour, which graced the State Theatre stage in March 2013. Now the script has been released for local productions and its regional premiere is playing on the Porthouse stage until this

weekend.

The musical is based on the 1992 comedy film of the same name, which starred Whoopi Goldberg who, interestingly enough, was the producer of the Broadway production.

The musical, like the movie, concerns Deloris Van Cartier, a street-smart African-American singer “wannabe,” who sees Curtis, her boyfriend, shoot a man. She goes to the police and reunites with Sgt. “Sweaty Eddie,” who had a crush on her when they were in high school.

Fearing for Deloris’ life, he places her in protective custody in a broke, soonto-be-closed church/convent.

The Mother Superior (perfectly portrayed by Tracee Patterson) comes from the mold of nuns of old: those fearsome enforcers of rules

house, she and Mother Superior are immediately placed in a battle of wills.

Of course, Deloris stirs up the cloistered place, makes the quiet nuns into singing rebels, saves the convent, becomes wimple-buddies with the Mother Superior, and wins Eddie in the process.

Songs such as “It’s Good to Be a Nun,” “When I Find My Baby,” “Raise Your Voice” and “Take Me to Heaven,” while not classics, are good Broadway fare. The cast can really sing well and the choreography is fun.

Though she could have “copped” a little more attitude, Colleen Longshaw is “Fabulous, Baby!” as Deloris. Tyrell Reggins wails as Eddie, displaying a strong singing voice and a charming attitude, especially in “I Could Be That Guy.”

SISTER ACT THROUGH JULY 2 AT PORTHOUSE THEATRE, 3143 O’NEIL RD., CUYAHOGA FALLS, 330-672-3884 PORTHOUSETHEATRE.COM

who wielded punishing yardsticks and gave lesser human beings the evil eye. They are the purveyors of such wisdom as, “Don’t wear patent leather shoes because they reflect up,” “Don’t go on a date to a restaurant with white tablecloths because it will remind the boy of bed sheets,” “Red clothing incites passion,” and “Don’t wear makeup as it entices the devil.”

When Deloris arrives at the mother

There are some nice characterizations, including Katelyn Langwith as Sister Mary Robert, a young novice who isn’t yet sold on the program and who is influenced

by Deloris. Langwith’s presentation of “The Life I Never Led” is a tender probe into what happens when life limits your options.

Hannah Quinn is delightful as the uninhibited Sister Mary Patrick.

Terri Kent, yes, the artistic director of Porthouse, is amusing and has a great time as the straight-laced Sister Mary Lazarus. Bernadette Hisey is a hoot as Sister Mary Martin-of–Tours, the totally “out of it” member of the sisterhood.

Rohn Tomas does a nice turn as Monsignor O’Hara.

Of course, as in any good escapist musical, there have to be showstoppers. And Sister Act is full of them. “Sunday Morning Fever,” “Raise Your Voice,” “Fabulous, Baby,” and the title song, “Sister Act” all get the audience excited.

The supporting cast is excellent.

Many play multiple roles with ease.

Jennifer Korecki has her musicians in good tune and they support rather than drown out the performers.

The technical aspects of the show, including the abundance of costumes, are all done well.

Yes, there are flaws. The gangsters aren’t gangster enough.

The plot is full of plausible holes.

But, in the end, the show is fun, a perfect choice for summer entertainment in the lovely Porthouse Theatre on the grounds of the magnificent Blossom Music Center.

scene@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

37

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MOVIES MULTI-PURPOSE FLICK Despite scatological obsession, Swiss Army Man soars

By Sam Allard ONE IMMEDIATE BENEFIT OF Swiss Army Man, the zany scatological dramedy starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe, is that you’ll know right away if it’s your speed.

Hank (Dano), seeing a body wash ashore on the deserted island where he’s been stranded, escapes from the noose with which he intends to hang himself. And the first thing that happens when he comes upon the body (Radcliffe) is that it emits a low, gurgling fart. This is no death gas. The farts continue, building to such powerful force that Hank is able to ride the corpse, a la jet ski, to a distant shore, propelled by the flatulence. The credits roll to this heroic opening sequence. A score infused with Dano’s own a cappella riffing assumes orchestral dimensions.

The film opens Friday at both the Cedar Lee in Cleveland and the Nightlight Cinema in Akron.

Undoubtedly not for everybody, Swiss Army Man is nonetheless a visual delight and a weirdly moving emotional journey. Dano, Radcliffe and directors Daniel Kwan and Daniel Schienert (working under the tag-team moniker “Daniels” in

their first feature) treat the absurdist material with not only seriousness but affection, and they’ve managed to make you feel deep feelings for a friendship between a man and a corpse — it is, perhaps, the logical next step in a progression that Cast Away initiated, with Tom Hanks and a volleyball — as well as for the corpse itself (“Manny”) brought to pale and herky-jerky life by Radcliffe.

How fully Manny’s existence is indebted to Hank’s starvationinduced hallucinating remains unclear until the final minutes of the film, but the friendship is

portrayed as a door that swings both ways. Manny, a literal “multipurpose guy” becomes Hank’s survival toolshed as they try to make their way back to civilization.

He provides water for drinking, jet propulsion from the rear for water travel and from the mouth for various projectile necessities. He’s also a source for fire-starting and ramshackle weaponry, for a host of campsite projects and emergencies, via assorted body parts and functions. Hank, in turn, in an effort to help Manny remember his life, dresses as a woman and teaches him how to interact with

people in the real world.

It sounds ludicrous to say, but a sequence in which Hank creates a scenario on the bus, encouraging Manny to speak to a female stranger (whom Hank portrays even as he coaches Manny) is one of the most beautiful scenes of the year.

It’s filmed and edited to perfection, infused with sunlight and MichelGondryan woodland props, and of course accompanied by another fine example of the movie’s vocally influenced score (courtesy of Andy Hull and Robert McDowell).

Though the script’s obsession with boners and poop runs dangerously close to an overobsession, one that threatens to reduce the other very affecting material about friendship and courage to aberrations in a 90-minute exercise in bathroom humor, this pleasantly wacked-out journey toward home (and selfdiscovery) makes for one of the most bizarre and, without question, one of the most memorable films of the year.

sallard@clevescene.com t@SceneSallard

SPOTLIGHT: UNLOCKING THE CAGE HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE YOURSELF from an ape, chimpanzee or elephant? What, in your mind, makes you different than they?

Aside from the obvious external differences, internally our brains all work on a very similar level, as repeatedly proven by science.

Yet at the end of the day, we call ourselves humans while they remain animals, a term that has a barbaric connotation. But what if we tried to level the rhetorical playing field?

What if, instead, we became known as human animals while they became known as nonhuman animals?

In Unlocking the Cage, opening Friday at the Capitol Theatre, what it means to be a person with rights is deeply explored. “Should an animal be given the same legal rights as a human?” is the core question of the film. Some compelling evidence would lead you to answer, “Yes.” But at other times, you’ll want to say, “No.” It is this back-and-forth battle that makes Unlocking the Cage so fascinating.

Directors Chris Hegedus and D.A. Pennebaker craft a compelling documentary that follows the infamous lawsuit brought by animal rights lawyer Steven Wise. In an attempt to break down the legal barrier that differentiates humans from animals, the film maps out the struggle of the Nonhuman Rights Project to transform an animal from a thing with no rights to a recognized person with legal protections.

At first, the concept of animals like chimpanzees and apes being given human rights seems ridiculous. After all, non-human animals can’t hold a job or contribute to society in the same way that human animals can, a point illustrated by several judges when they shredded Wise’s case to pieces (a highlight of the film). However, as Wise and the documentary illustrate, these non-human animals are extremely smart. They have emotions, they understand language and they can perform tasks like untying and taking off

someone’s shoe. Though the evidence wasn’t abundant, Unlocking the Cage did point to several instances when non-human animals resembled humans in several capacities.

At times Wise and his colleagues seem ridiculous for fighting an unprecedented battle that sometimes appears to rest on groundless claims. Then again, you could point to many groundbreaking cases in their early stages and say the same thing.

Unlocking the Cage, though it only scratches the surface of Wise’s campaign for animal rights, presents a crucial story and updates us on the current state of animal rights. The film’s ability to subtly weave together multiple perspectives on such profound philosophical questions makes watching this documentary both entertaining, informative and deeply thought-provoking. It never feels like a fight for animal rights, but rather the beginning of a successful journey to fair and just treatment of all animals. — Danielle Immerman | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

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EAT PLUM OUT OF COMPARISONS Plum Cafe and Kitchen is doing things more than a little differently

By Douglas Trattner EVERY TIME I’VE EATEN CHICKEN feet, the setting has been the same: some cacophonous Chinese restaurant with sticky seats, outdated carpet and dim sum carts rattling around a cavernous dining room. Dining at Plum is the polar opposite. Plucked from the pages of an interior design magazine, the venue is peaceful, elegant and stunning. It is precisely the type of setting in which one would not expect to be sucking skin and flesh from the feet of fowl.

That sort of culinary dissonance can throw a diner for a loop. When folks talk about Plum — and people love talking about Plum — they invariably describe the restaurant in terms of its look and feel, which set a new standard for “the Cleveland aesthetic.” What they talk about less is the food, not because it isn’t good, but likely because it doesn’t fall neatly into any familiar category.

The Plum gets people talking.

It’s not just the decor; the menu format gets people talking as well. A full two-thirds of the dinner roster consists of small plates built for sharing. Even the so-called entrees seem to fit better in the middle of the table than the perimeter. And with almost every item priced between $2 and $15, a group of four can sample every dish for about $30 per person.

This communal approach invariably leads to friendly pre-dinner deliberations, intra-meal assessments and post-meal judgements.

The Plum eludes classification.

It was about halfway through one of our meals when it dawned on us that a third of our dishes were vegan or vegetarian. Chefpartner Brett Sawyer worked at both Greenhouse Tavern and Trentina, restaurants where produce is given as much consideration as protein.

His creamed spelt dish ($9) is as satisfying as a mid-winter stew, despite the fact that its main ingredients are ancient grains.

Earthy wheat berries languish in a warm and creamy broth punctuated

by shaved asparagus and bright green peas that pop in your mouth.

Hints of lemon and pine add intrigue. A radish and watermelon salad ($8) is a study in green and red, with the sweet, crisp fruit and veggies affixed to the plate by a slather of vegan butter.

The Plum erodes borders.

One minute you’re biting into Southern-style dishes like fried catfish nuggets ($6) and crispy cornmeal croquettes ($8) paired with smoky shrimp paste — the chef’s play on shrimp and grits — and the next you’re loading up wafer-thin puri, crispy Indian flatbread, with rice, chutney and tangy yogurt sauce. That cauliflower chutney is a cross between a curry-style aloo gobi and Latin-style picadillo. It’s the kind of post-cultural cooking we used to call fusion but now simply sit back and enjoy. Despite the unorthodox pedigree, the sensation of eating it is utterly familiar. “It’s like Indian nachos,” one diner said.

The Plum doesn’t take itself too seriously.

There’s no doubt that plenty of navel-gazing and prep work go into crafting these dishes, but that doesn’t mean the food isn’t fun.

When the server sets down an order of the “chickenrones” ($4), the table gets a kick out of the incongruity of serving what is the chicken skin equivalent of pork rinds in a dainty china teacup. The addictive poofs

The bar at Plum

“Chickenrones” in a teacup with wing sauce on the side.

When staring down a stack of prehistoric-looking talons, all but the most adventuresome diner is bound to be squeamish. But pick one up and nibble away on the crispy, spicy flesh and you’ll be hooked. Then again, most people never get past the “pick one up” part. If a dinner

PLUM CAFE AND KITCHEN 4133 LORAIN AVE., 216-938-8711 THEPLUMCAFEANDKITCHEN.COM

are paired with a Buffalo wing-style hot sauce. Dark and crunchy catfish nuggets are arranged on a silver platter around a dipping sauce that is a knock off of Swenson’s Galley Boy sauce. Cocktails, a highlight of meals here, are all named after retired pro basketball players.

The Plum takes chances.

Chicken feet ($5), it’s safe to assume, are not for every diner.

menu only has three large plates, it’s a gutsy move to make one of them a whole fried fish ($15) that forces diners to work around bones.

It’s all part of the Plum’s plan to avoid predictable proteins in favor of unlikely choices like beef belly, pork shanks and cheeks.

The Plum isn’t perfect.

When I think of banh mi sandwiches, thoughts of vibrant

flavors and textures immediately come to mind. The Plum’s vegan version ($9), served at lunch, lacks character. The soft, meat-free filling made from jackfruit; dearth of bright, pickled veggies; and sad, squishy “baguette” failed to make an impression. In a lovely looking green bean and roasted grape salad ($7), the beans are so al dente they’re a chore to eat.

The Plum eased into life at a snail’s pace. A two year build-out process allowed the crew to test recipes at weekly pop-ups next door at Platform. First came lunch, then came dinner. I’m sure the restaurant will continue to evolve, and as it does, it will be doing so in a timeless setting.

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

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EAT WHAT’S FRESH AT ADEGA? The restaurant at The 9 fires up the grill for a Mediterranean summer

By Nikki Delamotte EDDIE TANCREDI, THE EXECUTIVE chef of the Mediterranean-focused Adega at The 9 (2017 East Ninth St., 216-331-6289, metropolitancleveland. com) says that competition drives him.

After advancing in the WorldChefs Global Chef Challenge held in Ecuador last October, he’ll be representing the United States against 20 other countries at the next level in Greece this September.

But even for a chef who admits his primary influence is drawn from traveling the world to win titles, when summertime comes, it all comes back to the grill.

“Of course, you tend to gravitate toward the lighter fare,” he says. “For me, it’s grilled fish and grilled steak.

And tomatoes. Being Italian, it’s a huge ingredient.”

In April, Tancredi launched his own line of ETC Seasonings (etculinary.com). His steak seasoning features pink peppercorn, coriander and fennel.

“It’s floral and aromatic because of the pink peppercorn,” he says. “It’s more intense than any other pepper.”

His line also includes a 10-Spice blend that he says works best for longcooked items like rump roast, pulled pork or pulled chicken. Tancredi says its versatility has made it one of the most popular in the line.

The chef serves Chilean sea bass with a corn puree, a favorite summer ingredient. He utilizes an herb marinade on all fish, often featuring basil and cilantro.

A fire-roasted asparagus side topped with Greek dressing, feta

Beet and fennel salad

cheese and accompanied by Kalamata olives comes with red onions that are pickled in-house. “It gives it a sweet tang,” Tancredi says, noting that other pickled vegetables include the banana peppers on a panzanella salad.

A beet and fennel salad incorporates a host of Mediterranean flavors, all topped with a bright, summery lemonthyme vinaigrette.

“You get earthiness from the beets, a licorice-type flavor from the fennel, saltiness from almonds, acidity of orange and creaminess of the goat cheese,” says Tancredi.

Guests will notice more creative small plates and shareables lifted from the popularity of tapas “Because we have such Spanish influence at Adega, I wanted to introduce small bites with a lot of flavor,” he says.

Look no further than the “World’s Greatest Ham” plate featuring

imported Iberico ham served with crostini, a bit of Manchego cheese and homemade citrus confit. “In Spain, you eat ham for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” he says. “I was trying to do a meat and cheese plate, but using the best quality ingredients possible.”

Adega also will be one of only a handful of restaurants in the country serving Iberico pork secreto, a cut from between the shoulder blade and ribs of the Iberico pig. It’s featured as an entree with spiced carrot puree.

“There’s something special about Iberico pork and ham because it’s from a black-footed pig that you can only get in Spain and it’s fed only olives and acorns,” says Tancredi, adding with a laugh, “It’s like the spoiled pig.”

scene@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene

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43

EAT bites

Photo by Emanuel Wallace

WEST SIDE IMPORT The Boiler to bring the boiling seafood concept to Gordon Square

By Douglas Trattner

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| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

IN MY RECENT REVIEW OF Boiling Seafood in Cleveland Heights, I wrote the following words: “Mark my words, it’s a concept that’s ripe for the picking in terms of replication.”

Two months later, I’m reporting the news that the concept indeed is being replicated. Within a couple months, The Boiler will open in the Detroit Shoreway neighborhood. The restaurant will open in a portion of the St. Helena Romanian Byzantine Catholic Church, an attractive brick building in the heart of Gordon Square.

The concept, while new to Cleveland, is modeled down to the menu after similar boiled seafood shops down South and out West. If you were to cross a Louisianan crab boil with a Szechuan dry pot, this is what would come out the other end.

Seafood such as crawfish, shrimp, crab, clams and even whole lobster are boiled in a flavorful broth, tossed in an aggressively seasoned spice mixture, and delivered to the table in clear plastic bags. Diners can pour the contents out onto the white-paper table toppers or eat straight out of the sack. Plastic bibs and gloves are supplied by staffers and there are plenty of paper towels.

Speaking on behalf of the owners, Naser Matar says that those who are bringing the concept to Cleveland have experience running this type of restaurant.

“They have similar restaurant concepts elsewhere,” he says. “They want to bring this concept to Cleveland.”

The casual, family friendly eatery will occupy approximately 4,000 square feet of the church property.

There is an effort underway to acquire a liquor license.

When it opens sometime this summer, The Boiler will join restaurants like XYZ Tavern, Luxe Kitchen, Spice Kitchen, Toast and Arcadian in the immediate area.

NOW OPEN: THE BUTCHER’S PANTRY, A GOURMET MARKET AND BUTCHER SHOP Tucked away off a major thoroughfare in Solon, The Butcher’s Pantry (33475 Station St., 440-9990990) is slowly making a name for itself among the busy lunch crowd.

The gourmet market and butcher shop is turning out house-smoked meats like brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast and pork belly, which get turned into quick, delicious sandwiches.

Opened in April by Taylor and Stephanie Steinhoff, the shop carries a wide array of fresh meats, which fill deli coolers in the open, contemporary shop. Ohio-raised beef, much of it grass-fed, joins cuts from Certified Angus Beef as well as local pork and hormone- and antibioticfree poultry. The cuts range from

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impressive tomahawk-style beef rib chops and skirt steak to pork chops and spare ribs. Ohio lamb chops, leg of lamb and stuffed lamb loin are also available.

Out of the smoker come whole chickens and sold-by-the-pound meats like brisket, pulled pork, porchetta, pork chops, turkey breast and house-made sausages. Those meats also end up as the filling to hearty sandwiches like brisket with pickled red onion and garlic barbecue sauce on a soft brioche bun, pulled pork with radicchio slaw and spicy apricot sauce, and brined and smoked turkey breast with maple bourbon glaze and Granny Smith apples.

“We’re doing more prepared foods than we thought we would,” says Taylor. “We do a big lunch rush.”

A full roster of side dishes are sold by the pound to round out any meals. Options might include sweet potato salad, Brussels slaw, mac and cheese with rib meat, roasted carrots, and baked beans. A wide selection of beer and wine is sold at retail. The shop uses and carries as much local product as possible, such as bread from nearby Brimfield Bread Oven, coffee from Bent Tree in Kent, and many others.

All items, from lunch specials to the fresh meats in the coolers, change daily.

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| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

After more than a year of construction, much of it taking place behind the veil of fencing, Cleveland’s Public Square is gearing up for its big reveal. Even as the barriers come down, there’s still one more piece to the puzzle that remains to be put into place: the opening of Rebol, a cafe at the southern edge of the square.

When it opens to the public in two weeks, the eatery will be in the hands of executive chef Michael Schoen, who was hired by Townhall owner Bobby George to handle the food side of the operation. Schoen, in turn, has brought in Michael Keyerleber as his co-executive chef. The pair recently worked together at Great Scott Tavern in Euclid.

“With Rebol we’re going against the grain of what everybody else is doing,” Schoen explains. “There are

a lot of single platforms out there as far as cuisines, whether it’s straight Asian, straight Southern, straight Americana. We’re doing a blend of Indian, Asian, classic American comfort food.”

Rebol, a contemporary space in the heart of downtown Cleveland, will seat 90 inside at communal tables and another 60-70 people outside on the patio. The goal, says the chef, was to create a quick-casual concept that people could feel good about visiting for breakfast, lunch and dinner on a regular basis. The restaurant, he adds, is committed to sourcing organic, non-GMO foods.

“We’ll be doing tons of volume, so we had to plan for that,” the chef says.

“But we want people to feel good about getting fast, quality food.”

The core concept is built around “taco baos” and “bols.” The former are essentially steamed buns filled with items such as crispy fried chicken with chow-chow relish, grilled chicken with kale and peanut slaw, and grass-fed beef bulgogi. Guests can swap the buns for gluten-free corn tortillas at no extra charge. Prices are about $7 per pair.

Bowls begin with rice or greens and can be topped with a choice of proteins, from Asian-style barbecue pork to spicy tuna. Flavor profiles include chow-chow, kale-peanut, and chickpea tikka masala. Bowls start at around $7 and climb to about $10 with the addition of meat.

Side dishes include “sticky” chicken wings, Thai street corn with yum-yum sauce, and banh mi pork nachos.

“We want people to be able to eat here three or four times a week and try something different,” says Schoen.

To drink, there will be craft beer, a small list of craft cocktails, and a coffee bar that features one of the only Poursteady machines in the region. The robotically powered pour-over bar can whip up more than 60 cups of coffee per hour with computer-controlled precision.

As far as locations for restaurants go, Rebol might just claim the crown as Cleveland’s most unique and conspicuous. Given the setting, it’s probably not a bad place to call work.

“It’s been a trip seeing it all unfold, from the build-out to actually serving people,” Schoen says. “It’s such a cool feeling, especially with everything going on with the Cavs and Cleveland. It’s a pretty rad view.

I can get used to it.”

dtrattner@clevescene.com t@dougtrattner

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| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

MUSIC Phillip Phillips says his new album will feature several “cool contenders.”

Don’t ask Matt Nathanson to pick a single from his album.

DYNAMIC DUO Singer-songwriters Matt Nathanson and Phillip Phillips team up for co-headlining tour

By Jeff Niesel IT’S A SUMMER OF COheadlining tours, and singersongwriters Phillip Phillips and Matt Nathanson represent the latest such endeavor. They’ve teamed up for a 40plus city U.S. tour that includes a NEO stop at Hard Rock Live.

Phillips broke into the scene in 2012 upon winning the 11th season of American Idol and delivering the rootsy smash hit “Home.” His last release, Behind the Light, features the shimmering mid-tempo anthem “Raging Fire.” Nathanson’s latest release, Show Me Your Fangs, displays his range as it veers from piano ballads (“Bill Murray”) to exuberant pop anthems (“Gold in the Summertime”). We recently phoned Phillips, who was in Seattle recording his new album, and Nathanson, who was rehearsing in San Francisco, to discuss the upcoming tour.

Talk about how the concept for the co-headlining tour came about.

Phillips: My agent just asked me about doing a co-headlining tour with Matt Nathanson. I thought it was cool. I heard so many good things about him as a person. Anytime I can go on tour, it’s always a good time.

I love being on the road. I have not met him. If I did, it might have been really quick. I know we did a few radio shows four or five years ago. But we’re always behind or in front of each other.

Nathanson: We were knocking ideas around for a summer tour and

my friends in O.A.R. had toured with Phillip a couple of summers ago. Marc [Roberge], the singer from O.A.R., whom I respect immensely, raved about him. When we started knocking names around, I reached out to them to see what he was doing this summer. I’m psyched to spend the summer with nice people who make music that’s great. The American Idol thing usually leans into the pop world so hard, but I feel like he puts on a show, and he plays acoustic, and he’s a storyteller at heart. It felt like a good match.

What do you consider to be your musical influences?

Phillips: So much. Angus Young from AC/DC is my first guitar hero, and all the guitar gods, Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan. I would get on the internet and watch videos and try to learn as much as I could from them.

When I would play a solo, I would turn the gain up to make it seem like I was playing something I wasn’t. Then, I got into the singer-songwriters like the Beatles and Dave Matthews and Jon Butler Trio and Neil Young. The list goes on and on. Led Zeppelin was a huge influence as well.

Nathanson: I grew up listening to metal — Van Halen and Def Leppard and Iron Maiden. I was super into bands like Skid Row and Pantera. I listened to that stuff growing up and I still love it now. There was a thing that emerged in the late ’80s with the

singer-songwriter thing that started happening, specifically female singersongwriters. All of a sudden, I was straddling this line of listening to really heavy music and these songs that were really naked and heartfelt and go-for-the-gut emotional things.

That was how it started. Musically, the ideal record for me would be if Bob Dylan wrote lyrics for Def Leppard.

It would be the perfect combination of “Desolation Row”-style lyrics sung to “Pour Some Sugar on Me.” What made you first pick up the guitar and start writing songs?

Phillips: I started playing when I was 14 or 15. I might have been singing the whole time I was playing guitar. I didn’t think I could sing. I started writing music when I was 18. I played one of my first songs to my best friend who thought it was awesome.

We went to another friend’s house, and he was having party, and he’d had a few. He wanted me to play the song. I played the song four or five times in a row. I think that song was “Hazel.” It’s a bonus track on my first album.

Nathanson: The first guitar I bought was a candy apple red Ibanez in the shape of the one that Phil Collen from Def Leppard plays. When I started hearing Suzanne Vega and Indigo Girls, I realized that songs could be heavy and autobiographical on some level and maybe a little more dynamic than the lyrics of a Van Halen song. You could write songs

that didn’t have lyrics like, “Like gasoline, you want to pump me.” That doesn’t have to be the main thrust of the lyrics. I started playing acoustic guitar because I wanted to be Amy Ray from the Indigo Girls. I thought she was the coolest. I started writing more confessional songs. I was never into the democracy of the band, so it was hard for me to find people to play, and it was an easy way to deliver these songs with just an acoustic guitar.

Talk about making your first record. What was that experience like?

Phillips: I had about three weeks to make that record. That’s how quickly we did that one. We were all just beat.

It was long, long days and nights.

Looking back on it now, they were some of the greatest memories of my life.

Nathanson: I made that in a house in Van Nuys, California. This kid I went to college with, his dad was super rich. He was like the CEO of Toys R Us. He wanted to get into recording.

I just went to his studio and made a record. That was 1993. I was still in college. It was super fun. It was the only thing I had ever committed to in my life. Playing music was the only commitment I had ever made. Even if that situation had sucked, I would have found a way to keep doing it.

How different was the experience of making of your new album? | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

49

MUSIC Phillips: We did it in six weeks.

I like to work fast on albums, even the new ones. Ryan Hadlock, who I’m working with now, is amazing at getting sounds out of instruments, the drums and guitars. This new one is slower, but it sounds incredible. It’s kind of a darker album, but I love it.

Nathanson: The process of making a record is so much better. It used to be an elitist thing. You had to find the resources and spend the money and time. I love finding the engineers and studios, and I used to spend so long nerding out on that. It’s very exclusive. The way they’re made now is so different. We recorded half the vocals in hotel rooms on tour during the summer before the last album came out. It’s so rad. I think it’s badass to go into a hotel room in Atlanta and sing the vocals into the curtain with the mic and have that be the vocals on one of the main songs on the album.

You’ve had a number of hit songs.

Do you have some sense that it’s a hit when you’ve written it?

Phillips: Oh, heck no. I’m always terrified when I’m writing for singles.

I hate writing for them. You get into that mentality that you can’t get too creative with it. You can put the cool creative stuff around it later. When you’re writing the song it has to be simple and all that stuff. I feel like the potential singles for this new record will feature some cool contenders.

There’s some really cool stuff.

Nathanson: I wish. Sometimes I think I know. I’ve been off more than I’ve been on. I’ve been so far off that the

are some of the singers in the world who try out for the shows and don’t get through. That’s not my main deal, being a singer. I’m more a musical guy. That kind of gets lost. Every now and then you see interesting and cool artists out there, but on a TV show you have to stick up for yourself. You don’t want to get off the show, but you don’t want to do something that makes you uncomfortable. If it’s not you, there’s no point in doing it. You have to stand strong for what you believe in. Even the biggest artists out there work harder than anyone out there.

Everyone thinks it’s given to you but you have to work hard.

Nathanson: Because my favorite period of time as a kid was metal and some of my favorite people in pop metal were employing songwriters, it makes me think it’s all cyclical.

When the ’90s happened, Pearl Jam or Soundgarden would never bring in an outside songwriter to ruin this pure expression of who they were. We’re in this cycle where people want to be entertained more than they want to feel parts of themselves that they’re afraid of. It’s just a cycle. It’s a place in time. Radio is full of people who have succeeded on the Disney channel and who have been aligned with someone who can write. I’m not hating on The Voice. So many of the people on these shows sing rings around with me.

It’s a phase and it will swing around again.

I know you just put out a new album, but are you always writing new songs?

Phillips: Half of last year I took off because I was on the road for four years straight. I needed some time off.

Last year, I started writing and got

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song nobody talks about on the record is the song I thought was the single. I have no idea. If I had some idea, we’d be having this conversation on my jet.

It’s a fucking mystery.

Thanks to reality shows such as American Idol and The Voice, we live in a world where we’re obsessed with singers. Do you think songwriters don’t get their due?

Phillips: The only reason I go on those shows was because my family and friends said I should do it. I couldn’t say no. I just went for it expecting a no. Somehow, I got lucky.

I would say no to a lot of things. I’m not a great singer compared to all of the other people on the show. There

50

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

together with a couple of other writers and they got me back into that creative mindset. I’m constantly writing.

Nathanson: Yeah. I never had this problem where I’m getting ready to go on tour and neck deep with new songs and so excited about the new songs. I want to play them for people but they’re not in playable shape. I have a verse and a part of a chorus. I would love to play a song and bust into a half-baked new song that’s not done yet. We rehearsed the other day, and it was great, and then I went home and started writing new songs on my acoustic guitar.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

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51

MUSIC

The trio will expand to a five-piece for the current tour.

Photo by Stunt Company

SWEDE EMOTION Indie rockers Peter Bjorn and John offer ‘evergreen’ pop songs on new album

By Jeff Niesel WHEN SINGER-GUITARIST PETER Moren, singer-bassist Bjorn Yttling and drummer John Eriksson — the Swedish trio better known as Peter Bjorn and John — first came together in 1999 in Stockholm, the city’s indie rock scene hadn’t fully developed.

The band existed as an anomaly, particularly since members’ musical predilections veered toward British shoegazer acts such as Stone Roses and Ride.

“When we started, the mainstream music in Stockholm was not much to call home about,” says Yttling in a recent phone interview from a St. Louis tour stop. “But we started listening to some indie music and Stone Roses and other things that connected us three. After a few years, indie rock broke in Sweden, and it got easier to make the music we wanted to make. We were lucky with that timing.”

The band also “got lucky” when its third album, 2006’s Writer’s Block, became a hit thanks to the success of the catchy single “Young Folks,” a duet featuring Victoria Bergsman, formerly of the Swedish indie rock act the Concretes. The song also features a brisk bit of percussion and whistling, both of which work together to transform it into a true pop gem.

“Initially, we were just an indie band for certain people who like indie rock,” says Yttling, “but we got MySpace involved, and we got ‘Young

52

Folks’ up, and the album’s success had a lot to do with it. If that song hadn’t broke, the album wouldn’t have become as popular. We wanted that song to be a duet because at that time there weren’t that many duets that were really good. We wanted it to be like ‘Fairytale of New York’ with Kirsty MacColl and Shane McGowan. That was the vibe of it. I don’t think it’s all happy vibes. It’s a little bit of a mystic vibe on it. Now, it seems like more of a happy-go-lucky song but it’s because it became a big song, I guess.”

Yttling says the band intended to make “big pop songs” on its new album, Breakin’ Point. To achieve that, it enlisted the talents of Patrik Berger (Icona Pop and Robyn) to helm six of the album’s 12 songs.

“After the last album, we started

whether to make it a power pop trio.

Then, we can decide if we want to make it a power pop trio recording or a modern pop recording. This time, we wanted to make it more of a modern pop recording. We want to make the songs pop so they would be in an ‘evergreen’ style, and every part would be really good. The pop stuff is what’s popular on the charts. We wanted something that sounds like us, but also something that sounds like now.”

The album commences with the disco-leaning “Domino” before giving way to poppy tunes such as “What You Talking About” and “Nostalgic Intellect.” The group also worked with Paul Epworth (Florence and the Machine, U2, Paul McCartney), Greg Kurstin (Sia, Adele), Emile Haynie (Lana Del Rey, FKA Twigs, Kanye

PETER, BJORN AND JOHN, UNO LADY 8:30 P.M., SUNDAY, JULY 3, GROG SHOP, 2785 EUCLID HEIGHTS BLVD., CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, 216-321-5588. TICKETS: $20, GROGSHOP.GS

immediately with demos,” says Yttling.

“The seeds for the songs are the same for any record. That’s how we work on those little things that we had. If we have a chorus, we would say, ‘That’s enough.’ And we play guitar solos around it and you have a rock song.

Then, if you have a bridge, you can write a chorus, and you have more of a Paul Simon song. We decided

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

West) and Pontus Winnberg (Miike Snow).

“We always work with different people,” says Yttling. “But this was totally different. It was super interesting. We hadn’t worked with Paul Epworth before and it was interesting to go into his studio in London and get his vibe on the record.

We have a homespun sound, and he

does massive big soundscapes. The combination of the two was what we were after and I think we got that.”

“What You Talking About,” the album’s first single, has a great pop hook to it and promises to be as careerdefining as “Young Folks” was.

“First, it was a normal song with a chorus that sounded like Tom Petty would do before breakfast,” says Yttling when asked about the track.

“Then, we went in the studio and played around with it. John [Eriksson] came up with that hook on top of the chord and then changed the whole thing. It was something we came up with in the studio.

Before the year’s up, the band will complete a summer U.S. tour and play in Australia for the first time in 10 years. It also has plans to return to the States in the fall.

“It feels great,” says Yttling of the current leg of shows that brings the band to the Grog Shop next week.

“We’re now a five-piece on stage, which is cool. It works out great. We have great players and a great light show.

For us, it’s like a big band being five people on stage. We’ve always just been a trio. There’s lot of keyboards on the record and we added one person because it wasn’t enough. The whole tour will be cool. It’s a fun tour.”

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

| clevescene.com m | June 29 - July 5, 2016

53

MUSIC IN HIS OWN WAY Ray LaMontagne grows into his sound on Ouroboros

By Eric Sandy THE NARRATIVE ARC OF RAY LaMontagne’s career is an interesting one, though he’s not entirely interested in looking back and discussing earlier points from which he’s traveled. He’s here right now and, to be honest, this is about as fine a point along that arc to join our cosmic hero as any. Let’s tune in.

Ouroboros, LaMontagne’s latest, is a sprawling album, one that demands a concerted and supine break from reality. It’s a Floydian departure from the 2016 “indie rock” scene, comparable probably only to Jim James’ most recent solo stuff. And wouldn’t you know it?

LaMontagne brought James into the studio to produce this one, and the rest of the guys in My Morning Jacket are now touring with him. It’s all of a piece.

The album’s first side begins with a pastoral chord progression laced across tinkling keys and LaMontagne’s breathy encouragement (mirroring the beginning of the second side, by the way). “Sunset through the trees, I can’t remember the faces I’ve seen, low and mean,” he sings. It’s cinematic.

It’s also a giant leap from his previous stuff, five other albums spanning his 12-year career. Still, LaMontagne, speaking to Scene from the road, says that he entered the studio the same way he always has: cool and collected, greeting the muse with open eyes. Most of the album was cut in 10 days.

“I didn’t have any goals — anything different than any other record, really — except just to make a good record,” LaMontagne says.

“You know, just bring the material in and just make it as beautiful as we could.”

They seemed to accomplish that mission. As in previous trips into the studio, LaMontagne let something higher than himself guide the process. Both he and James have a knack for feel over technical trickery.

“It’s really intuitive; you just go in there and play it. I’m not really the kind of guy who likes to build stuff and stack things up, one instrument

54

at a time. I like to sit down with the musicians in the same room and just play it and see what they bring to it. It’s always surprising that way. They can learn the charts and they can learn the songs, but they always bring their own soul into it.

It blooms into something else.

“Working with Jim was really great. It was just great,” LaMontagne continues. “We’ve been wanting to do it for a while.

I’m just really thankful, and I think he is too, that it didn’t work before, because this material was really perfect for this project, this collaboration. It really spoke to Jim, and I felt really strongly about it and had really strong opinions about how I wanted it to go down.”

“Anything you want your life to mean, it can mean,” he sings on “Hey, No Pressure.” It’s a fairly heavy song, despite the airy chimes drifting in and out of the chorus and the galaxy-wide fermatas that dot the verses like a warm and soothing pox.

And that’s the thing: LaMontagne demonstrates a real sense of growth in how he’s approaching dynamics as a songwriter. This is certainly a statement album, and he knows it. We spoke a bit about his earlier works — albums like Trouble and Till the Sun Turns Black, which are so often held in high regard to this

So far, so good, inasmuch as this album portends. LaMontagne has been playing Ouroboros in its entirety to open his shows on this tour, and he says that it’s been received very well from his vantage point. It’s meant to be experienced as immersively as possible.

The album is divided quite literally into halves, which can be taken as two individual trips

RAY LAMONTAGNE 7 P.M., THURSDAY, JUNE 30, JACOBS PAVILION AT NAUTICA, 2014 SYCAMORE ST., 216-622-6557.

TICKETS: $29.50-$69.50, NAUTICAFLATS.COM

day by music fans in general — and it was clear that LaMontagne is putting some distance between the writer he was then and the writer he’s become.

“I hear myself singing too much and pushing too hard and overshaping the songs [on those earlier albums],” he says. “Not everything; there are little moments where I think there are some gems, I guess, in there. But so much of it to me is me wrestling with my own critical voice and trying to learn how to write a song.”

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

or as one whole odyssey across LaMontagne’s latest vision. Take heed: This is a cosmic record, one that pulls no punches in the brain-infiltration department.

LaMontagne’s knack for song structure will worm its way into your head by the time you’re midway through the second track.

There’s no turning back at that point.

“Well, the record presented itself to me in this way,” LaMontagne says. “So, you know, there’s probably a side of your brain that could go

in there and, with some of these melodies, manhandle them and chop them and force them into some kind of shape that would be acceptable to radio. But why would I do that?

I don’t write hit songs. I’ve never written a hit song, so why would I start now — 12 years into a career — start caring about singles? I appreciate singles. I love to hear a pop song, two and a half minutes long, that just kicks ass. I love it.

But I don’t write that way.”

Cleveland will get a taste of this latest bend in LaMontagne’s journey, and if previous shows on this tour are any indication, the evening should be quite enlightening. One can almost picture the musician backstage, waiting for the pulse of the planet to nudge him toward the next step in his own evolution.

With Ouroboros now marinating in his catalog, the omens ahead seem positive. LaMontagne certainly thinks so.

“I just thought it was beautiful and patient, and I felt lucky that it was coming to me,” he says.

esandy@clevescene.com t@EricSandy

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| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

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LIVEWIRE

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

WED

6/29

Sam Hooper Group (in the Supper Club): With four CDs released on the FBJoy Records label, singer-guitarist Sam Hooper, who grew up in Shaker Heights, has assembled a significant discography. His songs have been featured on the daytime TV dramas All My Children and The Young & the Restless.

The guys in his band are no slouches. Keyboardist Sakait N. Baksar plays with the local jazz-fusion band Horns and Things, and bassist Derrick James is the music director for the band. Produced by Hooper and Mike Null and recorded by James Kananen in Cleveland at Bad Racket Studios, Hoodoo Blues, the latest from Hooper and Null, features a classic blues sound. A song like “Messin’ with the Hook” features a terrific mid-song jam punctuated by some back and forth between Hooper and Baksar. Mixing and mastering was handled by India.

Arie producer/engineer Jim Lightman at JL Productions in Nashville. (Jeff Niesel), 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club.

Journey/The Doobie Brothers/ Dave Mason: A party would not be complete without playing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” at least once. The tune stands up as one of classic rock’s most inspirational songs. Most popular in the ‘80s, Journey’s success is well-documented by way of their ephemeral classics like “Any Way You Want It,” “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Faithfully” and “Open Arms.”

Each song features smooth cool vocals — singer Arnel Pineda sounds just like original vocalist Steve Perry. (Danielle Immerman), 7 p.m., $30-$145.

Blossom.

10 X 3 Singer Songwriter Showcase: Hosted by Brent Kirby (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m.

Brothers Lounge.

Classhole/We Live by Night/Oaf/ Party Plates: 9 p.m., $5. Now That’s Class.

Cortex: 8 p.m., $10. Bop Stop.

High Waisted/Heart & Lung/ Bullfighter/Mister Fabulous & the bad boiz (in the Locker Room): 7 p.m., $10.

Eighties rockers Journey return to Blossom.

See: Wednesday.

Mahall’s 20 Lanes.

Rock Wehrmann: 7 p.m., Free.

BLU Jazz+.

THU

6/30

I Love the ‘90s Tour: The inaugural edition of the I Love the ‘90s Tour features a revolving cast of acts including All-4-One, Biz Markie, Coolio, Color Me Badd, Kool Moe Dee, Kid ‘n Play, Rob Base, Salt-N-

Pepa, Tone Loc, Vanilla Ice and Young MC, and early reviews have praised the tour as a “once in a lifetime experience” and a “trip down memory lane with rap, hip-hop, smoke, lights and nostalgia.” The tour hits the I-X Center tonight and will feature Salt-N-Pepa with Spinderella, Vanilla Ice, Coolio, Color Me Badd, Kid ‘n Play, Rob Base and Tone Loc. Reserved tickets start at $50 and a VIP meet and greet pass is available for $75 with

a limited quantity available.

(Niesel), 7:30 p.m. I-X Center.

RJD2/MrBradleyP/Bob and the Devil/Mayor Wertz/p. stoops: Hip-hop DJ-turned-arbiter of the new soul movement under way, RJD2 seems to consistently grow his sound with each new album.

The latest, Dame Fortune, released in March, pushes forward this funky, soulful vision with thrilling hooks and more danceable melodies than you’d think could possibly fit | clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

57

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58

LIVEWIRE onto one CD. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Peace of What,â&#x20AC;? with Jordan Brown handling soaring vocal duty, dishes a choppy wave of percussion and tinkling keys, and exempliďŹ es the current state of RJD2â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production skills. This is a far cry from his mid-2000s work with Blueprint (see â&#x20AC;&#x153;No Gimmicks,â&#x20AC;? etc.), but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no less indicative of the musicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s journey to ďŹ nd his own sound always. (Eric Sandy), 9 p.m., $20 ADV, $22 DOS. Grog Shop.

Todd Snider/Rorey Carroll: Todd Snider isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t your typical country singer-songwriter. The guy smokes a ton of weed (something he doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t try to hide) and rambles on in interviews and during live performances, often embellishing stories with half-truths and exaggerations. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s very funny and might have missed his calling as a comic if it werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t for the fact that heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s such a consummate songwriter. His latest album, Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables, is a terrific collection of folk-y tunes about topics ranging from the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creation (â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the Beginningâ&#x20AC;?) to bitter break-ups (â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Very Last Timeâ&#x20AC;?). Given his tendency to ramble on between songs, expect tonight and tomorrow nightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shows at the Music Box to be wildly different from one another. (Niesel), 8 p.m., $28 ADV, $32 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.

Cyrille Aimee: 7 p.m., $30.

Nighttown.

Broadway Tunes Night with Norine (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club.

Chris Hattonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Musical Circus (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.

Roger Hoover: 9 p.m., Free. Happy Dog. Jam Night with the Bad Boys of Blues: 9 p.m., Free. Brothers Lounge.

Ray LaMontagne: 7 p.m., $29.50$69.50. Jacobs Pavilion.

Michael Occhipinti and the Sicilian Project: 8 p.m., $15.

BLU Jazz+.

Smoke Nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Mangos/Larry Insana: 7:30 p.m., $8. Beachland Tavern.

FRI

7/1

AWOLNATION: Led by charismatic singer Aaron Bruno, AWOL

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

Nation, an electronic/indie rock act, scored big a few years back with â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sail,â&#x20AC;? a soaring anthem that found its way into TV shows. commercials and films. With last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Run, the band slows things down. With its cooing vocals and piano melody, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fat Faceâ&#x20AC;? could pass a Beach Boys tune, and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Jailbreakâ&#x20AC;? comes off as soul/R&B. Of course, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not all mellow stuff. The band cranks up the guitars on â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hollow Moon (Bad Wolf),â&#x20AC;? a song that finds Bruno practically screaming.

Expect the band to show off its range at tonightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s show. (Niesel), 7:30 p.m., $27.50-$45. House of Blues.

Todd Snider/Rorey Carroll: 8 p.m., $28 ADV, $32 DOS. Music Box Supper Club.

Blue Lunch: 8 p.m., $12. BLU Jazz+.

Chris Botti: 8 p.m., $43.50-$85.

Hard Rock Rocksino Northfield Park.

DJ Lawrence Daniel Caswell: 6 p.m., Free. Happy Dog. Final Clevelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Screaming Show with Zero Defex/Dead Federation/Violent Suburban Marriage: 9 p.m., $8. Now Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Class.

Flowers in Flames/X-Ray Burns/ Frigid Touch: 9 p.m., Free.

Happy Dog. Glenn Holmes Quartet: 8 p.m., $12. Bop Stop.

Lawrence/Upwtowne Buddha/New Thousand: 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Grog Shop.

Lounge Kitty (in the Supper Club): 10:30 p.m., Free. Music Box Supper Club.

Madison Crawl (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.

Marcus Alan Ward: 9 p.m., $7 ADV, $12 DOS. Beachland Tavern.

Moises Borges: 8:30 p.m., $15.

Nighttown.

The Smokersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Club Tour with Camâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ron/The Underachievers/G Herbo/Smoke Dza/Nyk Caution/ Mobsquard Nard/G-Jet/Liam Tracy: 7 p.m., $25 ADV, $30 DOS. The Agora Theatre.

Sold/Kiernan Laveaux/ADAB/ Father of Two/Ghost Noises/Mx Silkman: 9 p.m., Free. Mahallâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 20 Lanes.

Moss Stanley: 10:30 p.m., free.

Nighttown.

This Is What 4 / 4 Sounds Like To Me/Times 10: 9 p.m., Free. The Euclid Tavern.

Dale Watson/Wayne â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Trainâ&#x20AC;?

Hancock: 8:30 p.m., $20 ADV, $22 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.

Wild Horses: 9:30 p.m., $5.

Brothers Lounge.

SAT

7/2

Pere Ubu/â&#x20AC;?Co-Ed Jai!â&#x20AC;? Songs from 1975-82/Obnox: Earlier this year, Pere Ubu, the veteran punk rock act that formed in Cleveland in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;70s, launched Coed Jail!, a tour drawing on the music from the two recent box set releases, Architecture Of Language, 1979-1982 and Elitism for the People, 1975-1978. After playing a series of shows in Europe, the band has brought the tour to the States, where it wraps up tonight with a Beachland gig. Cleveland guitarist Gary Siperko, fresh off the recent Rocket From the Tombs tours, plays in the band for the ďŹ rst time, and the rest of the line-up features founder David Thomas along with Robert Wheeler, Michele Temple and Steve Mehlman. In recent years, Thomas has elevated the live show to performance art.

Expect him to be in rare form for tonightâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s homecoming show.

(Niesel), 8:30 p.m., $20 ADV, $25 DOS. Beachland Ballroom.

4th of July Kickoff Party: The Dreezy/Shy Glizzy/King Louie/ Dae Dae: 8 p.m., $40-$75. Agora Ballroom.

Child Bite/Chomp/Enhailer/ Burninâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Loins: 9 p.m., $8. Grog Shop.

Chris Hatton (Riverfront Porch): 3 p.m., Free. Music Box Supper Club.

Day to Dusk Party: Blake Carrington/Diamond D: 4 p.m., $10. Musica.

Doug Johns: 7 p.m., $15. Bop Stop.

Erba Birthday Gig Vol. 48 with Drop Dead/Domestic Crisis/ Udusic/Fuck You Pay Me/Party Plates: 8 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Now Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Class.

FireSide (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $7. Music Box Supper Club.

The Four Horsemen/Maiden Voyage/Vulgar Display of Pantera: 7:30 p.m., $12. House of Blues.

Heavy on the Salt: 8 p.m., $10.

The Kent Stage.

Jeff Varga (in the Wine Bar): 8 p.m. Brothers Lounge.

Sharon Rae North: 8 p.m., $15.

BLU Jazz+.

Old Adage/Sexypigdivas!/Fake Species: 9 p.m., $5. The Euclid Tavern.

Tufted PufďŹ ns/Telltale Signs/45 Spider: 9 p.m., $8. Beachland Tavern.

| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

59

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

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| clevescene.com | June 29 - July 5, 2016

7/3

1-800-BAND/Tonawondas/Nico Missile: There’s something different about a talented, upbeat rock band; a certain positive energy flows through the space the music inhabits, almost as if the human brain is naturally conditioned to react in such a way. When that first infectious chorus hits the audience, the room seems to overflow with passion, a reminder that the simplest and most straightforward sounds can also be the most powerful. With its latest full-length, High Beams, the New York pop-rock quartet 1-800-BAND sets out to recreate this feeling as often and as honestly as possible. Frontman and guitarist Al Huckabee is 1-800’s driving creative force; his endearingly simple, ’80s inspired songwriting style is what makes the band great. (Eli Shively), 9 p.m., Free. Now That’s Class.

Hamir Atwal/Joe Tomino/Mike Sopko: Drummer Hamir Atwal, drummer Joe Tomino and guitarist Mike Sopko will throw down some “improvisational mayhem” tonight on the near westside. (Each musician will also perform electronic instruments.) The trio boasts performance and teaching chops from all over the U.S. Prepare for a thrilling night of surprisesaround-every-corner music.

(Oh, and Sopko and Tomino hail from Cleveland, and Atwal’s a Berkeley-based Warriors fan, so we will certainly encourage a basketball-themed improv battle at some point in the night.)

(Sandy), 8:30 p.m., $10. Bop Stop.

The Great American Trash Bash 2016 featuring Toro Blanco: 6 p.m., Free. Agora Ballroom.

Sonny Knight and the Lakers (in the Supper Club): 8 p.m., $12.

Music Box Supper Club.

Lucky Chops/Caverns: 8:30 p.m., $15. Beachland Ballroom.

Noise Lunch Four Year Anniversary Party and Cookout: 3 p.m., Free. Now That’s Class.

Peter Bjorn and John/Uno Lady: 8:30 p.m., $20. Grog Shop.

Mike Petrone (in the Wine Bar):

5:30 p.m. Brothers Lounge.

The Silvershakers/David Loy & the Ramrods/Alan Leatherwood: 8:30 p.m., $8. Beachland Tavern.

Patrick Sweany: 9 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Mahall’s 20 Lanes.

MON

7/4

Motown & More by Nitebridge Red White & BBQ ~ Fireworks Party! (in the Supper Club): 7:30 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club.

Santana Tribute by Evil Ways Red White & BBQ ~ Fireworks Party!: 7:30 p.m., $10. Music Box Supper Club.

TUE

7/5

Soul Asylum/The English Beat: For thirtysomething years now, Soul Asylum, which originally started as a punk band, has delivered rock songs that draw from punk, blues and roots rock. Think of them as the Midwest’s answer to Social Distortion, the SoCal punk band from the same milieu. Soul Asylum initially signed with Twin Tone, the Minneapolisbased label that was also home to the Replacements. And then, the major labels came calling.

After A&M dropped the band, the band signed with Columbia for 1992’s Grave Dancers Union because, as singer Dave Pirner has said, record label head Don Ienner “was different enough from the other record companies in that he seemed crazy in the right way.” That led to a long, successful streak that stretched into the ‘90s. Expect to hear songs from that era as well as tracks from the albums the band has recently self-released.

(Niesel), 8 p.m., $31. Kent Stage.

ACO-Afro Cleveland Orchestra: 8:30 p.m., $10. Grog Shop.

Dragged Into Sunlight/Primitive Man/Cult Leader/Axioma/Grin and Bear It: 9 p.m., $10 ADV, $12 DOS. Now That’s Class.

Toby Keith: 7 p.m., $10-$935.

Blossom.

Soul Asylum/The English Beat: 8 p.m., $31. The Kent Stage.

The Stargazer Lilies/Pale Dian/ Ex-Astronaut: 8:30 p.m., $8 ADV, $10 DOS. Beachland Tavern.

scene@clevescene.com t@cleveland_scene

HAVE A PICNIC, RELAX & ENJOY

NO COVER

LIVE MUSIC

BAND OF THE WEEK

b a r k i n g s p i d e r t a ve r n . c o m

Thursday June 30 Blue Lute 6:30 (classical) Between the Strings 8:00 (folk, singer/ songwriter) Tom Shaper 10:00 (rhythm & blues, roots)

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Fri. July 1

Friday July 1 George Foley & Friends 5:30 (jazz) Take The Hammer 8:00 (folk) Marty Christian 10:00 (blues, singer/ songwriter, zydeco)

Saturday July 2 Dale Galgozy 8:00 (americana) Bill Lestock 10:00 (bluegrass, folk) Photo by Chris Rutushin

Sunday July 3 Nostalgia Factor 3:00 (jazz) George Foley & Friends 6:00 (jazz)

9:00pm Sat. July 2

GGIGF `kd_f[h hZDB Yb[l[bWdZ © 216.421.2863

MARCUS ALAN WARD

9:00pm

By Jeff Niesel MEET THE BAND: Marcus Alan Ward (vocals, guitar), Brad Puette (guitar), Eliot Napier (drums) STRAIGHT OUTTA BEDFORD: A graduate of Bedford High School, Ward initially started playing bass and electric guitar ten years ago. He then learned piano and bass and got into drum programming. “My mom listened to music, and I was always around it,” he says. “I think I wanted to play guitar before it just looked cool to me.

I played bass a little bit before I delved into guitar.”

A CONCEPTUAL ARTIST: Ward began recording and performing as electronic music as Freeze-Tag. “It was just more electronic based stuff that I was into at the time,” he says. “But people thought I was a DJ, so I started recording under my own name because it draws more attention to the fact that I’m a oneman producer and composer and all that stuff.” He followed up the first album under his own name, 2013’s The Eskimo EP, with Last Night I Grew Tentacles, an ambitious concept album. “That album is almost like a science fiction tale,” he explains.

“It was my venture into making my first full-length. Mars Volta is one of my favorite bands of all time along with Led Zeppelin and you mix it with Sly Stone and Prince and Rick James and other abstract things.

It’s also based in quantum physics and space travel. Those were the

themes on that album.”

WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR HIM: His new song, “Little Sunshine,” features a funky guitar riff and soulful vocals.

“It’s more funk-based,” he says. “It’s upbeat and has a vibrant sound, and it’s a lot more earthy. Tentacles was atmospheric and abstract, like gas almost. This stuff is more grounded.

It’s more visceral. It’s less cerebral, but I consider my genre progressive pop.” Ward plans to release a new single every month this summer, and he’s taken a different approach to the songwriting. “I tried to write these songs with lyrics first,” he says.

“That’s how the best songs from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s were written. You can take all the production away, and you can play them acoustic, and they still sound good.” He says he listened to lots of Hall and Oates and Elton John while writing his new material.

Ward also now has a booking agent and manager and says he plans to tour nationally this year.

WHERE YOU CAN HEAR HIM: facebook. com/marcusalanward WHERE YOU CAN SEE HIM: Marcus Alan Ward performs with Paper Morning and Playing to Vapors at 9 p.m. on Friday July 1, at the Beachland Tavern.

jniesel@clevescene.com t@jniesel

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Dear Dan, Is it a super douchey move to pretend to be a lesbian to avoid unwanted male attention? I’m a straight single woman in my mid-thirties and a very plausible lesbian in terms of sartorial stereotypes.

Occasionally a guy will hit on me in an awkward or creepy way and I’ll trot out a line about “not being into men.”

Most recently I used this pose when a courier broke down in my driveway and I invited him in for a glass of water while he waited for the tow truck. It was really uncomfortable and a little threatening when — after establishing that I lived alone — he asked me out. I guess I use this as an excuse so as not to hurt their feelings, but also to shut the conversation down as quickly as possible if I’m feeling vulnerable.

Is this a harmless white lie, or a major cop-out that would offend actual lesbians? Can you suggest some better strategies?

— Lady’s Entirely Zany Identity Enquiry “I’m not offended by this,” said someone I thought was an actual lesbian.

I shared your question with this person — a woman I thought was an actual lesbian — because I wasn’t offended by it either, but wanted to check with an actual lesbian just to be safe. Turns out my friend doesn’t identify as a lesbian, but as a womanwho-loves-women-but-does-notidentify-as-a-lesbian-because-shesometimes-finds-the-odd-dude-hot. So for the record: my friend is speaking for the WWLWBDNIAALBSSFTODH community here — which often intersects/sexts with the lesbian community — and not the lesbian community.

“But even though I’m not offended by it, I have to say I’ve found the ‘I’m into women’ line to be totally ineffective,” said my not-a-lesbian friend. “The creeps I’ve used it on get even more riled up after hearing that line. Sometimes I check out and start ignoring these creeps as if they’re wallpaper, but that can rile them up too. Same with a polite ‘I’m not interested.’ The only success I’ve had with warding off creeps is by actually yelling at them, asking them if they’d like to be treated the way they’re treating me, and if their mothers, sisters, et cetera, would appreciate that treatment.”

My not-a-lesbian friend — who, as

it turns out, identifies more strongly with the term “bisexual” than she does WWLWBDNIAALBSSFTODH — has also had some luck with the lose-yourshit strategy (e.g., screaming, yelling, and waving your arms around like a crazy person).

“You kind of have to treat these people like bears at a campsite,” said my not-a-lesbian friend. “You have to make yourself big and loud and scary so they don’t get closer. Because they will get closer.”

Dear Dan, I’ve been with my husband for twelve years, and we’ve been married for five.

We were best friends, and I was already in love before we ever had sex. I should have known in the beginning that we weren’t sexually compatible, but I chose to ignore it (or I chose stability and friendship). I chose my best friend, and have been suffering ever since.

Luckily, I listen to your advice and I’ve started having more open conversations about my feelings and my wants and needs. About a year ago, my husband and I decided to open our relationship. We agreed to a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, and a month ago we finally acted on it. I met someone in an open relationship and had sex with them. It was amazing — everything about it. In the end, I didn’t feel guilty, but I did want to tell my husband. If he gave me the go-ahead, even though everything was my idea, should I feel guilty, or just happy for finally getting what I needed from someone? Are there baby steps I can take to tell my husband these things, or do I just keep them to myself? I feel like this is saving our marriage, but society probably just looks at me like a cheating whore.

— Feelings Are Insanely, Terribly Hard For Unsure Lovers You have your husband’s approval to do what you did, but his approval was contingent upon you not telling him what you did. Honor the commitment you made to your husband, FAITHFUL, by keeping your mouth shut. You’ll doubtless have conversations in the future about your relationship, and about monogamy, and you can ask him if he wants to stick with “don’t ask, don’t tell.” If he says yes, continue to keep your mouth shut.

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