SCENE 10/22/25 by greatlakespublishing

oct 22 - nov 4, 2025

IN KILLING WCSB, CLEVELAND STATE AND IDEASTREAM TORCHED ITS LEGACY AND ROBBED STUDENTS, AND THE CITY, OF THE WONDER OF COLLEGE RADIO.

$3 MILLION TRANSFORMATIVE ARTS FUND SPREADS

ART ACROSS CLEVELAND UPFRONT

Deconstructing and recycling a house in Woodhill. An immersive theater project in Central. Mural making in Clark-Fulton. And a pop-up park in Asiatown.

THESE ARE FOUR OF THE SEVEN projects paid for by the city of Cleveland’s $3 million Transformative Arts Fund, which put Covid-era relief dollars in the hands of artists to do community art projects all across the city. Now, those projects are wrapping up and getting ready to celebrate their grand opening. At a time when arts funding is being gutted by the Trump administration at the federal level, Cleveland is making an investment in individual artists and creative placemaking – and they’re doing it using federal ARPA dollars.

Jeremy Johnson, president and CEO of Assembly for the Arts, advocated for the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to hire artists two years ago. Through a competitive application process, the city funded seven projects with grants ranging from $312,000 to $480,000. The artists then spent a year working on those projects with community members and institutional partners. The organizers will celebrate their completion on Wednesday, October 29th from 5-8 pm at the Martin Luther King Jr. branch of Cleveland Public Library. The event is open to the public and will feature documentary films about the various projects.

These projects are especially important at a time when funding for individual artists is scarce. Cuyahoga Arts and Culture, a public funder of arts and culture in Cuyahoga County, currently does not fund individual artists directly. However, it has worked with Assembly for the Arts to create two programs for individual artists, the Boost Fund and the Creative Impact Fund, in 2025, according to Jake Sinatra, director of grantmaking strategy and communications with CAC.

Rhonda K. Brown, the city’s first senior strategist for arts, culture and the creative economy, said one of the key aspects of the TAF is that while funding was granted to institutional partners, artists led the projects.

“The communities that these initiatives are placed in, many of those communities have seen significant transformation, especially those that are placemaking initiatives,” she said. “Now there are fabulous iconic markers in these communities that are forever connected to the Transformative Arts Fund. Those are really just fantastic outcomes.”

“What we’re seeing is that these projects are really strong catalysts for economic development,” she added.

One TAF project is “For Those Who Call Here Home: Transforming Asiatown with an Outdoor Community Space.” It improved a popup park at E. 33rd and Payne Ave. on the site of the closed Dave’s Supermarket parking lot, created in 2021 by Midtown Cleveland. Jordan Wong, lead artist for the project, says the TAF filled a void in the neighborhood. “There were really no parks or public gathering spaces here in Midtown,” he said. “Chinese square dancers in the community started using this as a practice space several years ago, and it caught on as a potential community space. Now, there have been grassroots or DIY efforts to turn this into a space where people could gather and really use it.”

Recently, the organizers celebrated the park’s grand opening with a well-attended Mid-Autumn Festival on Saturday, September 27. Community members and artists turned out to celebrate the new space. The community space includes an Asian-themed gateway

new Payne Avenue streetscape, affordable housing that’s being planned for the Dave’s Supermarket site, and others.

Another TAF project is “9314 Sophia Ave: A Choreographed Deconstruction and Performed Maintenance of the Built Environment” by artist Malena Grigoli in the Woodhill neighborhood. Grigoli and her collaborators recycled a home in the Woodhill neighborhood that was owned by the Cuyahoga Land Bank and turned it into an installation for the neighborhood to enjoy. “It’s a place to sit and stroll, an area that’s filled with plant life now,” said Grigoli, who describes herself as a social practice artist. “It feels sort of park-like.”

sculpture, a lightbox mural that glows at night, playful seating, ping pong tables, and a basketball court, among other things. Wong said it’s an intergenerational space for everyone. “One of the residents said to us, ‘If you build something for adults, only adults and their adult friends will come. If you build something for children, they’ll bring the whole family,’” he said.

Marika Shioiri-Clark, an architect and designer who served as the urban and environmental designer on the project, said the hallmark of the space is its flexibility. She pointed to the portable stage that was purchased by Midtown Cleveland Inc. “It’s used by the square dancers,” she said of the park. “There’s biking and basketball. People walk through here on their way to the stores. It feels like a real public space that can be adapted and used by the neighborhood.”

The long-term plan for the park is to dig up the asphalt, add grass and turn it into a more permanent space, said Ashley Shaw, executive director of Midtown Cleveland. Currently, the Salzman family, which owns Dave’s Supermarket, still owns the property, but there are plans in the works to donate it to Midtown Cleveland or another entity and create a permanent park.

The $450,000 project is part of a larger wave of economic development in the area, said Shaw. There’s a total of $62.5 million being invested in Asiatown right now, including several different public art projects, the

The remaining five TAF projects are “Portals of Knowing” by artist LaTecia Delores Wilson Stone in the Central neighborhood; “The Art Garden: Cultivating Culture and Community” by Ariel Vergez in the Clark Fulton area; “All Our Babies: Birthing in the Afrofuture” by Jameelah Rahman in the Fairfax neighborhood; “IMPART216: Breathing Creativity into Community” by Robin Robinson in the Mount Pleasant community; and “For Art’s Sake – Empowering Diverse Creatives, Our City and the Youth” by Kumar Arora in Hough, the Campus District, downtown, and University Circle.

Johnson said the TAF is evidence that the city of Cleveland is putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to arts and culture. “The city of Cleveland is increasingly invested in arts and culture and the leadership that makes arts and culture happen,” he said. “Cleveland has always been a major arts and culture town. Part of our efforts early on was to help our city government, our mayor, our city council understand the impact of arts and culture and to invest in arts and culture. That opportunity arose when these Covid dollars were coming into the city. The decision was made with our advocacy to earmark some of these dollars to the arts and culture sector that was inordinately affected by Covid crisis. Out of that has come a blossoming of things.”

Rhonda K. Brown’s role was critical to the process. “First off, we have a point person,” he said. “That’s been a change maker for the city. I believe we’ve raised the bar and that there’s great expectations for our city and for our region, especially in light of other things happening in the national scene where arts and culture are being divested in. Here in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, we’re safeguarding support for arts and culture. The city of Cleveland can lead the way and this project is an example of that.”

He said one of the most unique aspects of the program was to make sure that artists could get some of the money up front, rather than relying on reimbursement, which is how the city typically operates. He stressed the overall impact on the creative economy. “While there were seven artists and institutional partners selected, there were scores more that were engaged,” Johnson said. “There is a ripple effect to artists being employed, cultural businesses being employed. We’re leveraging the impact of these dollars. We employed hundreds of creatives.” – Lee Chilcote

Photo by Bob Perkoski

FEATURE

DEAD AIR

In killing WCSB, Cleveland State and Ideastream torched its legacy and robbed students, and the city, of the wonder of college radio.

By Mark Oprea

THERE WAS PROBABLY no more invigorating undergrad semester for Luanne Bole-Becker’s than her junior year at Cleveland State in the spring of 1976.

Bole-Becker was studying accounting, but her heart was in music and thoughts of how it could connect the unconnectable. Come her third year at CSU, Bole-Becker was chosen to help oversee what would be a monumental switch: Converting its student address station, WCSB, into a full-fledged, publicly broadcast one completely run by students. What had only been heard around the cafeteria in Stilwell Hall would be listened to all across Northeast Ohio.

CSU’s board of trustees, its leaders—President Walter Waetjen and Vice President Arnold Tew—all chipped in. Turntables and microphones were bought. Records were donated. By May, Room 956 in University Tower was converted into a full-on studio. It aired its first broadcast on May 10, 1976.

“It was euphoric,” Bole-Becker, who signed the station’s first certificate with the Federal Communications Commission, recalled recently. “There was a keen desire to reach a broad audience that just wasn’t possible when we were only closed-circuit.”

Led by general manager Paul Bunker and program director Bob Becker (who Luanne would later marry), WCSB made its public debut in 1976 embodying what college radio was at the time and what it could be in the future. There was a comedy show (“Big Lip Theatre”), poetry hour (“Dark Tower”), New Wave (“Import Invasion), bluegrass, classical, jazz, financial tips, college news, national

news, Browns talk.

“It was always this raucous democracy of people trying new things,” Steve Wainstead, a WCSB DJ in the 1990s, told me. “And I see that even today.”

Today, of course, is over.

On October 3, a handful of WCSB DJs and managers walked up to the Cole Center off Chester Avenue, where the station’s been since 2005, to find that their key cards didn’t work. Cleveland Police had to let them inside the building, only to find out that, around two in the morning, CSU admins had effectively eliminated their jobs. Managers had a half hour, one told me, to tear down posters, obituaries, stickers. (The equipment, owned by CSU, had to stay.) By noon, its antenna would be

broadcasting jazz full time, simulcast from Ideastream, the local NPR affiliate. WCSB, seven months shy of its 50th anniversary, was no longer run by students.

In the hours and days that followed, details of the switch were shared by those involved and further tendrils were reported out through public records.

Ideastream, looking for a terrestrial radio home for JazzNEO, had approached CSU about taking over 89.1 FM. (It had also approached John Carroll about WJCU, but was rebuffed.)

Cleveland State didn’t sell the FCC license, and in fact received no cash from Ideastream in the deal. Instead, it transferred management of the station for an eight-year term in exchange for a board seat for CSU President Laura Bloomberg and some 1,000 mentions of the school across Ideastream’s TV and radio stations and an additional 1,000 on-air spots touting the collaboration between the two entities. Records show Ideastream also received the right to match any offer to CSU to purchase the station during the term of the agreement, which has a provision for a pair of five-year extensions.

CSU, meanwhile, touted the part of the deal that said, “Ideastream will prioritize paid and for-credit

internships, classroom-level projects and other opportunities for students enrolled at (CSU’s) School of Communication and other colleges within CSU,” documents said. “Ideastream will work cooperatively with (CSU) to provide student internships and classroom-level special projects in journalism, television, and radio production, marketing and graphic design.”

There were, however, no details about the number of said internships.

The decision to cut WCSB was not made, it must be said, in isolation. CSU’s lingering budget deficit, dovetailed with a Statehouse with diversity in its crosshairs, has led to an era of loss. In the spring, CSU slashed wrestling, softball and women’s golf. It sunsetted 22 majors, from French, to anthropology and its Doctor of Nursing Practice. It bought out four dozen faculty and staff. And by September, weeks before it switched over WCSB to Ideastream, CSU closed down its Mareyjoyce Green Women’s Center and its Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement. It replaced its LGBTQ+ Student Center with a resource and hangout for veterans.

CSU President Laura Bloomberg, who moved to Cleveland in 2021 after eight years in Minnesota, has denied that axing WCSB was done so due to some political agenda. On October 14, Bloomberg joined Ideastream Director Kevin Martin and current and former WCSB DJs Alison Bomgardner and Lawrence Daniel Caswell on Ideastream’s Sound of Ideas to sift through—and trade barbs

Protestors outside of the City Club of Cleveland. | Mark Oprea

Luanne Bole-Becker in 1970s. | Courtesy Photo

about—what had happened days prior. Bloomberg seemed anything but apologetic.

“I didn’t specifically set out and say, ‘Let’s end student radio,’” she told Sound of Ideas host Stephanie Haney. “That was not at all where the conversation started for us.” Bloomberg suggested the handshake with Ideastream was akin to others the university had made with institutions across the county—NASA Glenn, the Cleveland Clinic, Sherwin Williams. “My focus is always strategic partnerships in the community.”

Martin based his reasoning on a 2022 strategic plan the company had paid for to help steer programming after the pandemic. (The year prior, it had taken over WKSU’s signal in Kent, via a similar Public Service Offering Agreement.) “What the study told us was that the overwhelming majority—it was skewed towards older listeners—consume jazz through a terrestrial, analog broadcast signal,” Martin said. Ideastream had its classical station (WCLV), its TV station (WVIZ), its NPR radio (WKSU). Adding a permanent home for JazzNEO on the FM dial, Martin explained, was yet another win-win. “I just think it’s going to grow and yield wonderful things for the student body,” he said.

Later that day, Luanne Bole-Becker hopped on her laptop to type out her own thoughts to Martin. Her plea, like those from other alums of college radio, was foundational: She, along with her late husband, had seen WCSB as a base for decades in radio or TV. She worked media for the Challenger Center for Space Science Education. She founded her own production company. Her and Bob won a handful of Emmys.

Bole-Becker was wrecked. “It saddens and disappoints me that you have pursued this path,” she wrote Martin. “These actions dishonored a segment of Cleveland’s vibrant radio community that should have been celebrated and encouraged for at least another 50 years.”

And continued to give opportunities to those like Alison Bomgardner.

Like many a teenager, Bomgardner grew up in the southern Cleveland suburbs with an itch for music. A guitarist, she learned songs by Joan Baez, Tom Petty, The Beatles. (She has a Yellow Submarine tattoo on her left bicep.) By the end of her first year at CSU, as a politics and Spanish major, Bomgardner had tried out an on-stage persona, Nicole Otero, but didn’t feel sated. “I wanted something different in a community,” Bomgardner said. “I wanted to take it a step further.”

In February 2023, halfway through her second year, she found WCSB. A friend had pushed her to apply, so she did. “When I found out there’s an organization on campus

that focuses specifically on playing cool music and giving you the opportunity to project your voice into a larger community,” she said, “I was immediately intrigued.” She chose Squirrel as her DJ name. By the following semester, Bomgardner was so enthusiastic about and involved in WCSB she was elected to be its general manager.

The thing about college radio, as Bomgardner found out quickly, is that it thrives inherently off its gift and responsibility of free speech. WCSB, as it was for 49 years, was not beholden to advertisers; its operating budget, roughly six figures, was almost half backed by donors. (The other half from CSU’s general fund.) With that FCC license and antenna, WCSB could pretty much broadcast anything it so desired—19th century gospels, a gay and lesbian hour, Iraq War critiques, grindcore metal, upand-coming rock bands unheard on Cleveland airwaves.

The whole potential of leading such a channel, one that shunned any Hot 100 model, enthralled Bomgardner. “That was the best part about WCSB,” she said, sitting on a bench in the center of CSU’s quad, dressed in an oversized leather coat and pale-blue bellbottoms. Bomgardner seemed clear-minded despite an endless logjam of emails on her phone to reply to. “If there was something new that needed to be on air that iHeart Radio or any other station wasn’t covering, we were going to make sure as hell someone was getting the chance to do that.”

And the evolution of WCSB, and college radio, took on a different significance during the flourishing of the internet in the late 1990s, when radio stations tried tinkering with digital versions of their stations to compete with the climb of iTunes and Pandora, and into today’s digital world. Radio ownership dropped 20 percent come the mid-2000s, and by 2024 less than half of all audio lis-

tening came through an AM or FM signal. College radio has essentially gone the way of vinyl: no longer a technological necessity but adored for its intrinsic value.

Steve Wainstead, who helped put WCSB on the internet as general manager from 1995 to 1997, scoffed when I asked if keeping a digital stream would suffice. “Hey, you know my Apple Music library has more music than I can listen to in my life,” he said. “But to have someone live and curating, saying here’s this, here’s that—that has value. To take calls from people in the community—that has value. And that’s a lot of what WCSB was doing.”

College Broadcasters Inc., a member-driven organization supporting students in media, noted in a statement there are other salient reasons why the station was essential to students’ futures.

“Broadcast radio operates under federal regulation. Students learn FCC compliance, indecency laws, Emergency Alert System protocols, and station identification rules. Streaming has zero FCC oversight. Every radio station in America needs staff who understand compliance. You can’t learn this from podcasting,” it said. “On broadcast radio, there’s no pause button. Technical failures must be solved while on-air. Board operation happens in real-time with live callers and breaking news. Podcasts can be edited and fixed in post-production. Radio professionals like news anchors and sports announcers must perform live. This skill cannot be developed through pre-recorded content. Students at WCSB learned radio frequency engineering, antenna systems, and transmitter maintenance. They troubleshot real transmission issues affecting thousands of listeners. Streaming requires basic digital audio knowledge. Broadcast engineers are essential to every radio and TV station, and this technical expertise is specific to over-the-air broadcasting.”

Neither CSU nor Ideastream seemed prepared for the onslaught of criticism that followed the decision. Social media was flooded with outcry. A protest was staged on campus. Another was organized outside of the City Club of Cleveland last Friday during an event on the future of public media featuring Ideastream Public Media’s Kevin Martin. They held signs that read “SHAME ON CSU” and “JAZZ IS NOT A PUBLIC SERVICE.” They shouted “Shame on Laura!” and “Kevin Martin stinks” and “You fucking suck!”

“I mean, jazz? It’s clear they’re trying to attract wealthy donors,” Alexa Howard, who ran a show called Girls Style Know said outside.

Nick, a CSU sophomore environmental studies major in a black

peacoat, said the move to axe WCSB could cost admins their standing. “Honestly, I think if Bloomberg does more stuff like this,” he said, “people are going to call for her resignation.”

Even the city is now involved. On October 20, Cleveland City Council introduced an emergency resolution expressing support for WCSB’s DJs and fanbase and urging “Cleveland State University to fully restore WCSB radio to its students.”

Ward 13 Councilman Kris Harsh, a self-professed WCSB superfan who wrote the resolution, told Scene he saw Bloomberg’s abrupt decision to silence a half century of college radio as if it was a closure of a wing of City Hall. It’s how, he said, the majority of Council feels. “They understand that students need access to expression and understand when powerful people try to silence those voices,” he said. “And that’s not something that any of my colleagues are okay with.”

As of the middle of October, the microphones, computers, headphones and some 50,000 records sit idle in a room on the third floor of the Cole Center. When I asked Bomgardner what plans she has to rescue— and preserve—a half century of CSU college radio, she seemed crestfallen. “What I was told recently was that the equipment and the music library are the property of Cleveland State.” (A spokesperson for CSU did not respond to a request for comment on the collection’s future.)

All of which has put Bomgardner in a tough spot: both the public face of nixed college radio (she’s flying out to a conference in Denver to speak about it) and one given the task of somehow bringing it back in some form. Almost right after WCSB’s signal went to jazz, Bomgardner started XCSB, a movement that could segue to an actual replacement, say on podcast or streaming services, maybe YouTube or Spotify.

Or, will Bloomberg listen? She did in August, when CSU decided to reinstate its U-Pass, the discounted transit card program, after students pushed back. It’s possible, even if it feels unlikely.

“Frankly, I don’t think they’ll do the right thing,” she said. “I think the only way they will is through community pressure and demonstrating that this community is upset. Everyone has a different way of thinking about the community. But we all come around to this one thing, this deep passion for music and this need to keep pushing the boundary of what should be on air. And, well, we’re not going to stop until we get some good guarantees about what’s going to happen to our station.”

Alison Bomgardner. | Mark Oprea

GET OUT EVERYTHING TO DO IN CLEVELAND FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

WED 10/22

Shitshow Karaoke

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

2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.

THU 10/23

Beethoven’s Ode to Joy

The Cleveland Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus take on Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Sibelius’s Tapiola in this concert at Mandel Concert Hall. It begins at 7:30 p.m., and performances continue through Sunday.

11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

Hell’s Kitchen

Acclaimed singer-songwriter Alicia Keys inspired this musical about a 17-year-old girl who has a passion for music and strives to become a professional musician. Tonight’s performance takes at 7:30 at the State Theatre, where performances continue through Nov. 1. 1519 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Richard Thomas in Mark Twain Tonight!

The veteran actor takes the reins of this show that Hal Holbrook once helmed. Expect to hear samples of Mark Twain’s tremendously witty prose during the performance. The show begins at 7 p.m. at Connor Palace. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Kyle Kinane

After his 2010 debut Death of the Party received rave reviews, comedian Kyle Kinane found himself on the fast track. In the wake of that release, he’s Kinane has performed on Last Call with Carson Daly, Live at Gotham, Conan and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and he’s opened for comedians Patton Oswalt and Daniel Tosh. Kinane likes to say that he steers clear of political topics, but he does routinely joke about white privilege and sexual harassment. He performs tonight at 7

at Hilarities, where he has shows scheduled through Saturday.

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

Take a Hike: Erie Street Cemetery

Buried History Days, presented by Canalway, kicks off with this tour of Erie Street Cemetery.

The event, which runs through Oct. 28, offers the opportunity to learn more about the lives (and deaths) of Clevelanders dating back to the Revolutionary War. This event at Erie Street Cemetery begins at 6 p.m. Find more information on the website. 2254 East 9th St., clevelandhistorydays.com.

FRI 10/24

Botanical Garden After Dark

There will be “ghoulish games,” an adults-only costume party and tarot card readings at this event that takes place at 7 p.m. at Cleveland Botanical Garden.

11030 East Blvd., 216-721-1600, cbgarden.org.

Cultural Heritage Exhibition 2025: Tracey Lind and Danté Rodriguez Opening Reception

During this annual exhibition, Beck Center headlines visual artists inspired by their

6 SCENE | clevescene.com | October 22–November 4, 2025

culture, lifestyle or heritage. This year, Beck Center displays work by Tracey Lind and Danté Rodriguez. A free reception takes place today at 6 p.m.

17801 Detroit Ave., Lakewood, 216-521-2540, beckcenter.org.

Dial M for Murder

Great Lakes Theater presents its take on the classic thriller adapted from the original by Frederick Knott. Tonight’s performance takes place at 7:30 at the Hanna Theatre, where performances continue through Nov. 9. 2067 East 14th St., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

John Mulaney: Mister Whatever

The very funny comedian who was headlining arenas just a few years ago bring his latest show, Mister Whatever, to Connor Palace for a two-night stand. Tonight’s performance takes place at 8. Tomorrow and Sunday, the concerts begin at 7 p.m. 1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Trunk or Treat

Guests will decorate golf carts parked around the Yard at Stonewater Grille at this special Halloween event. After cart decorating is complete, kids and families can go from cart

to cart collecting treats. The event is free, and registered guests will be provided with a golf cart to decorate upon arrival (you can bring your own cart as well). It starts at 6 p.m., and the Yard will be open with a food stand and a full bar until 10 p.m.

1 Club Dr., Highland Heights, 440461-4653, stonewatergolf.com.

SAT 10/25

Celebration of Hops

Fat Head’s Brewery in Middleburg Heights hosts this beer festival that features IPAs from more than 20 local and regional breweries. There will be a VIP session with brewers, and a portion of the proceeds benefit Ales for ALS. There are two sessions. One takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. and the other takes place from 6 to 9 p.m.

17450 Engle Lake Dr, Middleburg Heights, (216) 898-0242.

SUN 10/26

Cavaliers vs. Milwaukee Bucks

The Cavs, a favorite to win the Eastern Conference, get a good early season test as they take on a playoff-caliber Milwaukee Bucks team tonight at 6 at Rocket Arena. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com.

Beatrice Rana plays Mandel Concert Hall. See: Wednesday, Oct. 29. | Credit: Jennifer Taylor

The Christine Jorgensen Show

Cleveland Play House Artistic Director

Michael Barakiva, who directed the show’s Off-Broadway premiere, brings this show about the person who reportedly became “the first transgender celebrity in America.” Performances take place at 2 and 7:30 p.m. today at the Outcalt Theater, where performances continue through Nov. 16. 1407 Euclid Ave, 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

Anthony Rodia

Perhaps best known for his weekly Road Rage Wednesday posts as Uncle Vinny, a racist and sexist character he created, comedian Anthony Rodia became a social media sensation before successfully venturing into the world of standup. Rodia performs at 5:30 p.m. at Hilarities.

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

TUE 10/28

Lyrical Rhythms Open Mic and Chill

This long-running open mic night at the B Side allows some of the city’s best rappers and poets to strut their stuff. The event begins at 8 with a comedy session dubbed 2 Drinks & a Joke with host Ant Morrow. The open mic performances begin at 10 p.m. 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd., Cleveland Heights, 216-932-1966, bsideliquorlounge.com.

WED

Beatrice Rana in Recital

10/29

Pianist Beatrice Rana plays selections by the likes of Prokofiev, Debussy and Tchaikovsky during this recital that takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Mandel Concert Hall. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

THU 10/30

Ohlsson Plays Mozart

Garrick Ohlsson, the only American winner of the prestigious Chopin Piano Competition, joins the Cleveland Orchestra tonight at Mandel Concert Hall to play pieces by Tyler Taylor, Mozart and R. Schumann. The concert begins at 7:30 and performances continue through Sunday. 11001 Euclid Ave., 216-231-1111, clevelandorchestra.com.

The Psychology of Cults

Cult interventionist Ashlen Hilliard gives a talk about how cults form and why people join them. The show will feature true stories and interactive discussions. It begins at 8 p.m. at Connor Palace.

1615 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

FRI 10/31

Cavaliers vs. Toronto Raptors

The Cavs take on the Toronto Raptors, a team that’s rebuilding after a losing season, tonight at 7:30 at Rocket Arena. Since it’s Halloween, you can expect that at least some fans will come in costume.

One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com.

SAT 11/01

The 40-Year-Old Burton

Comedian Burton Miller brings his show about his religious small-town upbringing to Kennedy’s Cabaret. The performance begins at 8 p.m. 1501 Euclid Ave., 216-241-6000, playhousesquare.org.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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, still draws big crowds to local showings. Expect a throng to show up for tonight’s screening that takes place at 9:30 p.m. at the Cedar Lee Theatre.

2163 Lee Rd., Cleveland Heights, 440-528-0355, clevelandcinemas.com.

SUN 11/02

Deric Cahill

With his current tour, dubbed Unfortunate Son, this comedian promises to “delve deep into the chaos of his past.” He performs at 7:30 p.m. at Hilarities.

2035 East Fourth St., 216-241-7425, pickwickandfrolic.com.

MON 11/03

The Winchester Presents Locals Only

This event that takes place the first Monday of the month at the Winchester in Lakewood will showcase local bands. The $5 cover will go directly to the band. Doors open at 7 p.m. 12112 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-600-5338, facebook.com/ TheWinchesterMusicTavern.

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MUSIC THEY’RE BACK

Swamp rockers

Dark Water

Rebellion to play first local show in 5 years

By Jeff Niesel

“OUR FIRST SHOW IN CLEVELAND in 2016 was right here at the Fillmore,” says Dark Water Rebellion drummer Danielle Gorcie, pointing to the bar that’s adjacent to the Six Shooter Coffee in North Collinwood where we are sitting and having coffee. The band’s singer-guitarist (and Danielle’s husband) Brent Gorcie nods and reminisces about shows the group played that same year. They played at McCarthy’s in the Flats and at Brite Winter, the annual outdoor music and arts festival.

The duo has just relocated back to Cleveland after spending five years overseas in the UK. Dark Water Rebellion will play their first show since returning town on Wednesday, Oct. 29, at the Beachland Tavern. Their Washington, D.C.-based bassist Fabian Abarca will drive up to join them for the concert, and the Faraways will open. D-Rock will spin tunes between sets, and the concert starts at 8 p.m.

It’s been a long, strange trip for the Gorcies. The two first met in Florida, where Brent bartended at a music club. They played in separate bands at the time but eventually would leave those groups to form Dark Water Rebellion. They then took their talents to Southern California, where they lived out of a converted Greyhound bus. At one point, they played close to 300 shows in a single year. After a crash knocked the Greyhound out of commission (fortunately, no one was injured when the brakes failed while driving through Montana), they moved to Cleveland, where they instantly fell in love with city’s collection of small clubs and independent music venues. Danielle once handled marketing and production duties at the Beachland for a time.

They recorded an album at the local Superior Sound studio and cut a music video for the tune “Chamensea.” Brent wrote and directed the video, which features live footage of the band performing at No Class (then Now That’s Class), and it has a storyline matching the song’s theme of jealousy. It includes pyrotechnics by Schuyler White of Ohio Burn Unit.

Also, during the course of that time, the group refined its swamp rock sound. The rousing “Chamensa” comes off as a spirited Jon Spencer-like rave-up that features quivering vocals and distorted guitars as Brent snarls, “I’m a real motherfucker.”

| clevescene.com | October 22–November 4, 2025

Just as the pandemic hit, the Gorcies picked up stakes and moved to London for five years so that Danielle could obtain her master’s degree in entertainment law. She completed the program and took a job at Warner Music UK.

“I worked for Warner Music for three years,” she says. “Career-wise, it made sense for me, but I decided I didn’t want to be in the corporate record label scene. We missed being part of the music scene. We weren’t playing music. The work was great because I was working on the catalogs of David Bowie and Tina Turner and people like that, but I missed the music.”

Getting Dark Water Rebellion gigs in London was tough, so the duo moved back to Cleveland to relaunch the group and start anew. Danielle now runs Left Bank Creative with her business partner Britt Corrigan. They were featured by Scene recently for one of the best new local businesses.

In addition, Brent’s production company Finsbury Films is slated to produce five full features he’s written with an additional five in the works. At the time of our interview, he’d just returned from Puerto Rico where he was location scouting for his new feature directorial debut, The Fickle Finger of Fate, which is going into production next year. His horror Western, Father Tom’s Heart, will follow. He’s talking to Nick Cave about doing the film’s score.

Brent, who describes the group’s sound as “Delta blues-meets-Nick Cave’s Grinderman/Birthday Party-meets-the Cramps,” says the band has started to write new material and that Daddy G from the British trip-hop group Massive Attack will mix the new album.

“I met him years ago in Los Angeles,” says Brent, who reconnected with Daddy G one night when he was DJing in London. “I gave him my number and had him listen to some of our music. I even sent him a screenplay I wrote. He checked it out and was all in to do the soundtrack. Once that happened, I pushed the music, and he said he was down to mix the new album.”

The duo says that some new songs might make their way into the set for the upcoming Halloween-themed Beachland gig. And DWR has other gigs on the horizon too.

“Now that we’re back and have access to our bass player, we are really motivated,” says Danielle. “We have some lost songs and a lost music video that we plan to release.”

“We don’t want [the Beachland show] to be a ‘there’s a new album coming out show,’” says Brent. “We just want it to be a ‘we’re back’ show.”

jniesel@clevescene.com @jniesel

The cover of Macabre, out soon.| Courtesy image

By Douglas Trattner

THE LAST TIME I had beef cheeks this memorable they were tucked inside a delicate pierogi wrapper, topped with wild mushrooms and presented atop a pool of horseradish crème fraiche. Unlike Michael Symon’s signature appetizer, however, the ones served at Kyuu-juu have nowhere to hide. Presented in an elegant porcelain bowl, the long-braised cheeks ($21) are sparsely garnished yet deliver an outsized level of flavor, tenderness and depth.

I expected to find some of Cleveland’s best sashimi at this new Ohio City hotspot, but I was equally impressed by the non-fish items on this wide-ranging menu. Partners Ryan Endrian and Chef Kwan might be best known for their extraordinary omakase dinners, but guests at Kyuu-juu will also encounter stellar plates built around vegetables, chicken, beef, duck and more.

Open since summer, Kyuu-juu shares a sharp two-story Victorian with Sushi Kuwahata, the eight-seat omakase restaurant on the upper level. Billed as a “contemporary izakaya,” the 50-seat eatery offers a daring and deliberate take on these traditionally informal Japanese bars. Classics like yakitori, karaage and grilled veggies are present, but so too is impeccable sashimi, chef-driven small plates and luxurious A5 wagyu beef. What links the traditional and modern is the easygoing, shared-plate style that defines the izakaya experience.

Many operators claim to have the freshest possible seafood, but few go to the lengths that Endrian and Kwan do to ensure quality, consistency and selection. Items are handpicked by colleagues at Tokyo’s Toyosu Market and shipped directly to the United Airlines Cargo facility at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Some products are destined for Sushi Kuwahata and others for Kyuu-juu.

Even for well-seasoned diners, the menu can be intimidating. It’s a two-sided affair with eight different categories – and that doesn’t include the beverage menu. There is likely a customary progression of courses one should follow but when asked, our server offered little guidance. Instead, we obeyed our intuition, starting with sashimi and fish-based small plates before moving on to fried foods and meats. A tasting menu-style option might be appreciated, we thought.

Mackerel ($18), firm, glossy and slightly warm from the blowtorch, is drizzled with pale-green shiso oil and garnished with local microgreens. Three buttery, peach-hued slices of hamachi ($18) bare little in common with the pale, bland sushi staple served elsewhere. The faintly sweet fish is slicked with a citrusy but not overpowering ponzu sauce. From the otsumami category we enjoyed a fine-textured bluefin tuna tartare ($15) and a bowl of briny

but underwhelming salmon roe ($18) seasoned with Japanese peppercorn.

While knocking back glasses of ice-cold Sapporo draft ($8) and crisp Oregon white wines ($15) we chartered our next moves. We landed on some of the best drink-friendly snacks on Earth: the crackling-crisp chicken skin chips ($9) seasoned with togarashi and flaky salt. A dish of blistered shishito peppers ($9), served cold and topped with bonito flakes, also makes a fine bar snack.

As savory as those braised, seared and sliced beef cheeks were, it was the chicken thigh yakitori ($11) that stole round three. Two skewers are threaded with the juiciest, tare-glazed meat, expertly grilled, garnished with scallion, and served with a side of salt and Japanese pepper. Likewise, marinated duck breast ($24) arrives sliced to reveal a rosy-red interior and melt-in-your-mouth

texture. Executive chef Dereck White, formerly of Red Steakhouse, also offers a variety of imported Wagyu beef cuts that are grilled, sliced and served on hot clay plates. An ideal accompaniment for any beef dish would be the “five kind mushrooms” ($13), a ridiculously savory, umami-rich medley of – you guessed it – five varieties of sauteed shrooms.

In true izakaya fashion, every dish is finger- and/or chopstick-friendly. Despite the luxe ingredients, obsessive attention to detail, and precision plating and presentation, Kyuujuu remains a casual neighborhood bistro. Tables are set aside for walk-ins, there’s no “90-minute time limit,” and we never once felt rushed to place our next round of orders.

That said, the space is limited to a bar, nearby window counter, and small dining room. As the place fills up, which it does quickly after opening, that dining room grows louder and louder. It’s also very bright, a situation made worse on our visit due to the fact that we were sandwiched between two separate influencers who lit the joint up like Times Square.

The beverage list has a concise but compelling selection of sakes, served by the glass or bottle, as well as cocktails, beer and hard seltzers.

A word of note: a 20-percent service charge is applied to every table, a detail that is listed in fine print on the menu but was not brought to our attention by the server.

Photo by Doug Trattner

EAT

BITES

Sorella takes over dining room at

One Bratenahl Place

By Douglas Trattner

THERE’S A NEW RESTAURANT

AT One Bratenahl Place, the posh twin-condo compound near the shores of Lake Erie. For the past decade or so, the public dining room at the private property had been home to Bistro at Bratenahl Place, which closed in mid-June. Now, it is the home of Sorella, which will make its official debut this coming weekend after a soft opening in September.

Since taking over earlier this summer, owners David and Alexa Dragich renovated the already attractive interior. Among the improvements are a new bar and lounge area, buffed-up 60-seat dining room, and a private event space called “The Speakeasy.”

Billed as an elevated Italian-American restaurant, Sorella’s menu offers Roman-style pastas such as bucatini carbonara, cacio e pepe, and gnocchi with charred tomatoes. Those classics are joined by entrees like chicken parmesan, chicken marsala, bonein pork chops and grilled steaks. To start, there are appetizers like Tuscan soup, fried calamari, meatballs and steamed mussels. In the salad department diners will find a Caesar, caprese, wedge and beet-and-goat cheese medley.

A separate bar menu features comfort food items like chicken clubs, smash burgers, chicken wings, pizzas and steak frites.

“The name Sorella – Italian for ‘sister’ –perfectly represents both our family and the spirit of Italian culture,” says co-owner Alexa Dragich. “It’s about connection, tradition, and the bond between family. The fact that both of [partner] Ray’s daughters are now running their own restaurants — sisters in life and in business — made the name feel meant to be.

Fat Head’s Brewery Wins Big – Again – at Great American Beer Festival

The annual Great American Beer Festival just wrapped up in Denver and, once again, Fat Head’s Brewery in Middleburg Heights has brought home the hardware. In addition to snagging five medals – two gold, one silver and two bronze – the homegrown heroes claimed the prestigious Brewery of the Year award in the 15,001-100,000 barrel division.

The medal-winning beers include Battle

by Robin Carpenter

Axe, Strong Porter (Gold), Goggle Fogger, South German-Style Hefeweizen (Gold), Bone Head, Strong Red Ale (Silver), Excursion Journeyman, Specialty Non-Alcohol Beer (Bronze) and Hop JuJu, Imperial India Pale Ale (Bronze).

Since 2009, Fat Head’s has amassed an impressive 35 medals at the annual competition.

“We’re overjoyed to announce that our relentless pursuit of excellence has earned us 5 medals at the Great American Beer Festival, including the esteemed title of Brewery of the Year,” says founder Matt Cole. “This remarkable achievement is a resounding tribute to our team’s tireless efforts and dedication to innovation.”

Another Northeast Ohio brewery, JAFB Brewery in Wooster, earned its sixth GABF award, a bronze medal for its Hefeweizen.

Expanding our borders statewide, Ohio breweries set a new record this year earning a combined 21 medals. Our previous best was in 2023, when 12 Ohio breweries combined for 19 awards.

Build the Pho Now Open in Ohio City

It’s all systems go for Build the Pho (2084 W. 25th St.) in Ohio City, which finally debuted a couple of weeks ago.

Set in the former Campbell’s Sweets space, the meticulously designed restaurant joins the first Build the Pho, which opened at Uptown in University Circle in June of 2022, and a second location that opened this summer at Great Northern Mall in North Olmsted.

As the name suggests, Build the Pho is a build-your-own-bowl-style concept, with diners having numerous options with respect to noodles, broth and meats. Owner Eric Weng says that customers prefer the customization model over having to select from a short roster of predesigned bowls.

“People like the way we do things because we let them order what they want,” he says. “Nobody wants a Happy Meal.”

The broths – beef or vegan – are made in the restaurant each day. Noodle options include rice, wide rice, egg and vermicelli. Diners can add any combination of proteins – including double or triple portions – from a list that includes rare beef, beef brisket, meatballs, beef tendon, beef tripe, sliced chicken, shrimp and tofu. Weng says that a spicy version of the beef broth likely will be added to the menu down the road.

In addition to the noodle soups, the restaurant serves rice and vermicelli noodle bowls topped with various meats and starters like spring rolls, summer rolls and mango shrimp salads. The owner says that soup dumplings and pork steamed buns will be a new addition limited to the Ohio City location.

At the Uptown location, diners are encouraged to place their orders through an efficient QR code-based ordering system. In Ohio City, the focus will shift to more of a full-service model (although the QR codes will still be available).

As he and his partners did with the Korean BBQ and hot pot experience at One Pot in Cleveland Heights, Weng seeks to elevate the pho-eating experience. The dining room seats about 85 people at blond wood tables and spacious booths and banquettes.

Weng says that future Build the Pho locations are all but guaranteed – however the owners are in no rush.

“We want our brand to go big,” Weng says. “Either we do it the best way possible or we don’t do it.”

The Spot on Lakeshore in Mentor Has Abruptly Closed

After four bustling years, the Spot on Lakeshore (7272 Lakeshore Blvd.), a popular breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch spot, has closed. The abrupt shutdown was a surprise to most in the community. Chef and owner Zachary Bond announced the closure yesterday.

“Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have made the difficult decision to close our doors for business. Effective immediately,” the social media post states. “We want to sincerely thank each and every one of you who has supported us over the years. Your loyalty, encouragement, and kindness have meant the world to us. From our regulars and staff who became like family, to every new face who gave us a chance, we are deeply grateful.”

In a separate post, Bond shared a more personal statement regarding the closure, while still not revealing the specific reasons behind it.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes over the past 4 years. Lease signatures, choosing breakfast over dinner, family over money, heart over brain. The list goes on. But with all that said, opening The Spot was never a mistake. It was exactly what I needed after the industry that I’ve given everything to my whole life to was torn to shreds. It was a new way to survive. It was hope for people that were ready to give up. It was food and beverage on our terms. It was breakfast and fun. It ignited not only restaurant people but artists and musicians. These are the only words I’m capable of right now.

“Over the past 4 years I’ve spent more time with my family than I have in my entire career. I’ve learned business, ownership, management and accountability in a way that isn’t possible to put into words. Legally those are the only ones I can pick.

“The Spot is closed. And thank everyone that was a part of making it everything I ever dreamed of.”

dtrattner@clevescene.com @dougtrattner

Photo

LIVEWIRE

WED 10/22

Cage the Elephant

The indie rock act out of Nashville plays the Agora with opening acts hey, nothing and Vlad Holiday. Since forming nearly 20 years ago, the band has graduated from playing small clubs to theaers and arenas thanks to gritty blues-based tunes such as “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” and “Cigarette Draydreams.” Doors open at 6 p.m. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

THU 10/23

Eric Johnson — The Texaphonic Tour 2025

The blues guitarist from Austin, TX comes to the Kent Stage for a two-night stand. He’s released nearly 20 albums over the course of a career that stretches back to the late ‘80s. He performs at 6:30 tonight and tomorrow night. 175 E. Main St., Kent, 330-677-5005, kentstage.org.

Steel Panther

Back in the ‘80s, the Sunset Strip produced any number of hair metal bands as clubs such as the Troubadour and Rainbow Bar and Grill were the proving grounds for rock acts such as Van Halen and Motley Crue. Those days are over but don’t tell Steel Panther. The L.A. band pays tribute to that era. The group returns to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage, where it performs at 7:30 p.m. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.

FRI 10/24

Mania: The ABBA Tribute

Each month seems to bring with it another tribute to the influential Swedish pop act ABBA. Tonight at 7:30, Mania swings into town to perform ABBA songs at the Goodyear Theater in Akron.

1201 East Market St., Akron, 330-6597118, goodyeartheater.com.

SAT 10/25

Neko Case

Two years ago, alt-country singer-songwriter Neko Case released Wild Creatures, a digitalonly career retrospective album featuring 22 tracks from her career. The compilation also includes the new ballad “Oh, Shadowless.” The release even includes an expanded version

REAL MUSIC IN THE REAL WORLD

with new and animated artwork by Laura Plansker for each track. Expect to hear some songs from it when Case performs at 7 tonight at the Agora. Des Demonas opens. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

Stayin’ Alive

Together for more than 17 years, the Australian Bee Gees aren’t your average cover band. Their tribute show is more than a concert. It’s billed as a “a unique multimedia theatrical experience” that provides a nostalgic trip through the legacy of the Bee Gees. The group performs at 8 p.m. at MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.

SUN 10/26

The Big Money Tour — Jon Batiste Plays America

The popular jazz musician from New Orleans brings his latest tour to the Akron Civic Theatre. Batiste has won multiple Grammy awards and composed and wrote the terrific music on the soundtrack for the Disney/ Pixar film Soul. The concert begins at 8 p.m. 182 South Main St., Akron, 330-2532488, akroncivic.com.

Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening

The son of the late John Bonham, drummer Jason Bonham brings his tribute to his late father’s band to MGM Northfield Park —Center Stage tonight at 8. Expect to hear faithful renditions of classic hits such as “Immigrant Song,” “Good Times Bad Times” and “When the Levee Breaks.” 10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html.

Tape B

The DJ and producer headlines this show at Jacobs Pavilion. He says it’s his first time bringing full production on the road, so you can expect a heavy-duty sound system and a spectacular light show. Cool Customer, Super Future and Ashez open the show. The concert starts at 5:30 p.m. 2014 Sycamore St., 216-861-4080, jacobspavilion.com

MON 10/27

Everclear

Two years ago, the veteran alt-rock act

Everclear released Live at the Whisky a Go Go, a 17-track collection that features the

live recording of the Los Angeles show on Everclear’s 30th Anniversary tour as well as two bonus studio tracks, “Sing Away,” a single addressing teen suicide, and the 2022 politically charged single “Year of the Tiger.” Expect to hear both tracks at tonight’s show at House of Blues. Doors open at 6. 308 Euclid Ave., 216-523-2583, houseofblues.com.

THU 10/30

They Are Gutting a Body of Water

This group that started as a solo project for singer Doug Dulgarian draws upon ‘90s drum n’ bass and shoegaze. On tour in support of their new album, LOTTO, the group comes to Mahall’s 20 Lanes in Lakewood. The show begins at 7 p.m. 13200 Madison Ave., Lakewood, 216-5213280, mahalls20lanes.com.

FRI 10/31

Ashland Craft

This country singer-songwriter who just released her sophomore album, Dive Bar Beauty Queen, has opened for big-name country acts such as Luke Bryan and Cody Johnson. A Top 10 finisher on season 13 of The Voice, she comes to the Beachland Tavern at 8 p.m. Caleb Lee Hutchinson opens the show. 15711 Waterloo Rd., 216-383-1124, beachlandballroom.com.

SAT 11/01

Bryan Adams: Roll with the Punches Perhaps best known for his ‘80s hit “Summer

of ‘69,” singer-songwriter Bryan Adams returns to Rocket Arena. Adams has a new album out and at least a few tracks will come from it, including the rousing title track, “Roll with the Punches.” In keeping with the show’s nostalgic nature, ‘80s icons Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo will open. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. One Center Court, 216-420-2000, rocketarena.com.

Mushroomhead

The Cleveland band brings its annual Halloween show back to the Agora. Expect a festive affair since the group already performs in ghoulish costumes. Psychotick, Black Satellite, Mind Incision and Bittersweet Revenge open. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. 5000 Euclid Ave., 216-881-2221, agoracleveland.com.

SUN 11/02

The Stray Cats

Frontman Brian Setzer brings his rockabilly group back to MGM Northfield Park — Center Stage. A press release for the tour promises the band will deliver its biggest hits, including tracks such as “Stray Cat Strut,” “Rock This Town,” “Runaway Boys” and “(She’s) Sexy + 17.” The show begins at 7:30 p.m.

10705 Northfield Rd., Northfield, 330-908-7793, mgmnorthfieldpark. mgmresorts.com/en.html. scene@clevescene.com @clevelandscene

Eighties rocker Bryan Adams plays Rocket Arena. See: Saturday, Nov. 1. | Photo Credit: Bryan Adams

SAVAGE LOVE LOVE AND LEASHES

By Dan Savage

Flashback: My last serious girlfriend was kinky. I am pretty vanilla — I’m not a natural sub — but I was game. We got into D/s play, and we went to some big fetish parties together. Her favorite “foreplay” was having me kneel between her legs while she showed me guys on dating apps she’d matched with and make me beg for her pussy. I was never into cuck stuff, but I have to admit that was hot (and obviously cuck-adjacent). Her fantasies weren’t my fantasies, but it turned her on so much it turned me on. And these really were her fantasies: she had an alt Twitter account since she was a teenager that was all FemDom content and pictures of tied up guys. We wound up breaking up for reasons that had nothing to do with our sex life or her kinks. We don’t live in the same city anymore, but we still follow each other on Instagram and DM on birthdays. Nothing inappropriate. We were together for three years and it’s been five years since our breakup.

Flashforward: My current serious girlfriend dug through my ex’s Instagram account and found pictures of us at fetish parties. She didn’t snoop on my phone — which means she didn’t read my DMs (thank God) — but she did scroll through hundreds of old posts on my ex-girlfriend’s account. She wound up finding pics of me in bondage and being dragged around by my ex on a leash at a few parties. (Was that snooping?) Now my girlfriend says she wants to “get into” my kinks. I told her that the things she was in those old pics weren’t my kinks. It was fun, I got into it because my ex was into it, but being dominated isn’t something I need. I would be down to explore it (or anything else) with my current girlfriend if it felt like it was coming from an honest place, but it feels like she’s in some weird competition with my ex. We’ve been together for two years and she can be insecure and now she’s worried I’m bored with our sex life and I’m going to break up with her for someone kinkier. The fact that I “refuse” to do kink with her is becoming a thing. But this feels fake to me, since she never mentioned kink until she saw those pics (which my ex took down when I asked), but my girlfriend claims she is interested in kink even if she only realized it when she saw those photos.

I’m not sure what my question is or what I want you to tell me to do.

Vanilla Boy Kinky Past

I’m always gonna err on the side of telling a straight boy to get down on his knees and beg his girlfriend for her pussy — so, if you’re a regular reader, VBKP, you knew that was coming. And since you knew I was gonna tell you to do that, I suspect being told to do that was what you wanted. (Are you sure you’re not a natural sub?)

Zooming out: You could leverage this moment — brought to you by the not-quitesnooping-but-close your current girlfriend was doing — to have a conversation about your authentic kinks and your hard-wired sexual interests (which you don’t list) and your current girlfriend’s authentic kinks and her hard-wired sexual interests (which you also don’t list). If you’re both interested in more than just the vanilla sex, or your girlfriend is interested in trying new things, now would be a great time to compare your lists of non-vanilla sexual interests to see if there’s any overlap.

Dominant women are rare — that’s why dominant women can charge for it while dominant men have to give it away for free. Your odds then of dating two “naturally” dominant women in a row are pretty slim. But they’re not zero. So, while your ex-girlfriend seems to have been consciously aware of her kinks from an early age — as her long-running alt Twitter would seem to prove — it’s entirely possible seeing those pics of at a fetish party made your girlfriend aware of her kinks for the first time. Not everyone with kinks and/ or in the kink scene was consciously aware of their kinks at thirteen; that’s especially true of cis women, who tend to become aware of their kinks in adulthood whereas cis men tend to become aware of them in adolescence.

So, I think you need to allow for the possibility that your girlfriend’s sudden interest in D/s play is just as authentic as your ex-girlfriend’s long-standing interest in D/s play, VBKP, and seeing those old pics of you was the inciting/exciting incident that brought your girlfriend’s into focus. And even if it turns out your girlfriend is just going through the motions for silly reasons (and competing with someone you dumped five years ago would be very silly), what’s the harm? If she doesn’t enjoy it, VBKP, or you don’t enjoy it — if D/s play doesn’t work for you and the current the way it worked for you and the ex — you don’t have to keep doing it.

P.S. I would hate to be in a relationship with someone who would freak out if they stumbled over evidence that I’d sent a nice note to an ex on his birthday.

Love your show, really helpful stuff. This is my first time writing in. I’m a 52-year-old bisexual man married to a lovely lady who’s five years older than I am. I feel like my soul (super melodramatic here) is shriveling up and dying. I’m sick of monogamy, sick of comfortable missionary-position sex once a week, and I’m really sick of the subtle bishaming comments like “that’s the gayest

SCENE | clevescene.com | October 22–November 4, 2025

shirt I’ve ever seen.” She’s trying to be better, she really is, but navigating our divergent needs in our 12-year relationship is leading to communication breakdowns. Making matters worse, I have this awful habit of bringing difficult stuff up when I’m stoned — pot helps with my inhibitions (it also helps me sleep, so I’m stoned pretty much daily) — but she hates talking to me when I’m stoned. But everything is so fraught when it comes to my needs that I can’t talk about it when I’m not stoned. Basically, I’m tired of missionaryposition sex once a week and I would like to wear a gay t-shirt once in a while without being judged or shamed. I feel like I’m being hollowed out. Anyhow, I need to figure out a fun non-stoned way to discuss without the conversation ending in tears.

High Isn’t Gonna Help

It’s the dick, right? You miss the dick? And the lack of dick in your life — other than your own — has you feeling unfulfilled? And does your wife sense that? Or does she know it, HIGH, because you blurt it when you’re high? And you’re high every night? And could her anxiety about you wanting to open the relationship for dick be why she’s making bi-and-gay shaming comments about your t-shirts?

If you can’t talk about your needs when you’re not high and your wife doesn’t want to talk to you when you are high — could be true or could be an excuse to avoid the conversation — your best bet is a couple’s counselor. You won’t be high (or shouldn’t be high) when you’re sitting on that couch in the middle of the day, HIGH, and you won’t be able to avoid — a good counselor won’t allow you to avoid — the conversation you made the appointment to have.

But first you’ve got to figure out what you actually want. Would you feel fulfilled if you and your wife had more and better sex — not once-a-week missionary, but something freer and queerer? (Is the wife willing to peg you?) Or do you need the freedom to have sex with other men? If it’s the first thing, say that: you love her, but you need more variety. If it’s the second thing, say that too — and that’s a hard thing to say, I realize, and an even harder thing to hear… so, yeah. It’s a conversation that may result in tears, but those kinds of conversations, as difficult as they are, rarely end in tears. Eventually, you have stop crying and start talking again. And that’s when the real work — and the real negotiations — can begin.

P.S. For the record: bisexual people can make and honor monogamous commitments. HIGH has, up to now, honored the monogamous commitment he made to Mrs. HIGH. Monogamy isn’t for everybody — gay, straight, bi, pan, omni, whatever — and it’s not always forever.

I recently broke up with my girlfriend in LA. She’s queer, I’m not. We were monogamous, but she wanted to attend lesbian pool parties for singles. Am I an uptight insecure and

intolerant straight guy? Or do I have a right to my own boundaries?

You did your ex-girlfriend a favor when you ended this relationship — not because you’re insecure or intolerant (although you could be both of those things), but because you weren’t right for each other. Like most people who want monogamy, you don’t like the idea of your partner attending speed dating events or being on dating apps. If your partner needed to attend pool parties for lesbian singles to feel connected to the queer community, then she needs a boyfriend — or a girlfriend — who’s comfortable with the idea of her literally swimming in available pussy. You weren’t that guy.

I recently started talking to someone I like, but I’m feeling anxious and unsure about moving forward. There have been early conversations about serious topics like marriage and immigration/green card processes, and I’m worried about pacing, trust, and intentions. How can I navigate this situation carefully, protect my boundaries, and get to know someone who lives in another country without getting overwhelmed?

Don’t make any moves until you’ve watched all eleven seasons of 90 Day Fiancé and the eleven billion episodes of its more than twenty spinoffs.

I’m interested in learning more about anal techniques that my boyfriend might enjoy. He has expressed interest but has not described what he specifically wants done to him. I have some ideas, but I would love to have a man’s perspective on how to proceed.

If your man can’t tell you what he wants done to his ass, then it’s this man’s perspective — it’s my perspective — that you should do anything to his ass at all. Just as there’s no crying in baseball, there’s no guessing in ass play.

Got problems? Yes, you do!

Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love!

Or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan!

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Cleveland Pizza Week returns November 10-16 with $12 pies at 30+ local spots. From inventive twists to classic favorites, there’s a slice for everyone. Download the Cleveland Pizza Week app to map your route, earn rewards and share your pizza adventures.