Soulful Band Bassel and The Supernaturals Address the Syrian Civil War in Hometown Show

Photo Credit: CB Lindsey

Five days before Bassel and the Supernaturals left on tour in 2012 to promote its EP Dreamer, frontman Bassel Almadani’s apartment complex burned down. Since moving to Chicago from Ohio with his band, Almadani has encountered setbacks including theft and a fainting spell that led to broken teeth and broken noise. Almadani also struggles with the reality that his family is living inside the conflict in Syria. But Almadani isn't defeated. He uses those trials to inform his soul-infused, indie-funk band that he describes as “Stevie Wonder meets Steely Dan meets Asia.”

Bassel and the Supernaturals will be returning to Northeast Ohio to headline a show at the Beachland Ballroom & Tavern at 8 p.m. Feb. 26. A Kent native and his band are working on a new record that draws from Almadani's experiences as a Syrian-American and connections to his cousins, aunts and uncles that are in the throes of conflict in Syria. To Almadani, music is a way to get the message out and help further humanitarian efforts in Syria. “We’ll donate a percentage of our merchandise, but it really goes above and beyond that, whatever we can afford to send over for charity purposes we do,” says Almadani, who also has hosted workshops and seminars to raise awareness about the issue. We talk to him about coming home, how being Syrian-American has shaped his music and how he turns his struggles into art.

CM: What does it mean to return to Northeast Ohio to headline a show?
BA: My musical roots tie back to my days in Kent. I used to travel every weekend to see some of my favorite bands, and I have some very vivid memories of shows at those local venues. It kind of puts things in perspective when you get the opportunity. We’ve been increasing momentum for a really long time. When we get a show booked, you don’t think too much of it until you put that in perspective of how I viewed that venue as a kid, and the bands I looked up to. Once you take it in, you realize that it’s really neat. It’s really cool that it’s coming at a time when Cleveland is really getting back on the map.

CM: How has your connection to Syria influenced your music?
BA: There’s a lot of it coming into our next album. It’s taking me a bit of time. I didn’t want to rush the creative process when approaching this particular subject. The crisis in Syria is a very sensitive subject. People are affected by what’s going on, and I’ve taken a lot of time to figure out how I personally connect with this. As a soul musician, you can see right through it if it’s not genuine. I experience Syria through the lens of my family, the news article I read and the pain that I feel every single day. It’s constant anxiety because of my role here. I must find a way to connect back to that experience and make a difference. There are a lot of examples of that going into the new record. I’m really excited about getting that material out the door.

CM: Is there a specific song on your upcoming album that stems from your personal setbacks?
BA: There’s a song on there that hits the subject real hard. The song "Lost" relates to two stories. It’s about my cousin being murdered in Syria last year; she was a victim of crossfire, as well as a story about my guitar being stolen during a crazy rainstorm at a festival in Painesville. The song is really about that emotion of loss. Anybody can really personalize to them about something that they lost as well.

Breakfast, Lunch and Delicious

Two weeks ago my husband and I participated in a panel discussion at a conference for food and travel editors, held at the Cleveland Convention Center (which would benefit from better signage inside and out). This event is significant only because it began and ended early, while the day was still in its morning phase. After it was over I felt the need for both sustenance and more caffeine, and this prompted the decision to go for brunch. Since we were already downtown it was the perfect opportunity to head west and make a first foray to Jack Flaps, something I've been meaning to do since it opened in December.

The 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. spot on Lorain Road in Ohio City is a collaboration between Eric Williams and former Momocho chef Randy Carter. In an email to me, Williams described the concept as a small, fun, quirky breakfast and pancake shop with cool, unique scratch-based recipes, large portions, a casual urban vibe and good coffee. By the time I'd scraped the last bite of grits out of my bowl, it was clear to me this was an excellent idea that was the right thing in the right place.

Luckily, we'd slipped in and nabbed the last two seats at the counter just 10 minutes before a line started to form and snake out the door. The 40 seats were in high demand. Ordering was tough. There were too many appealing options including: cornbread waffles with pork shoulder; creamed beef brisket; eggy bread (French toast); and vanilla bean rice pudding. Ultimately, we created a feast of eggs sunny side up, Vietnamese-style sausage patties, a bánh mì sandwich, aforementioned grits and some really tasty root vegetable hash.

The coffee, made with City Roast beans, is excellent but I thought it odd that this liquid gold was served in a paper cup. The explanation came as we were getting ready to roll out. Our server offered us refills to go, on the house. Nice touch.

Also worth a mention, scrapple lovers take note: Chef Brian Doyle is serving the hard to find stuff at Beachland Ballroom Sunday brunches, and starting May 31, Toast Wine Bar will be serving Saturday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Victory at Waterloo

If you're not a Collinwood regular — and there's plenty to attract food and culture explorers of all stripes to this up and comer of a neighborhood — then this Sunday is the perfect time to get acquainted. R+ D Sausage, a veritable institution for 25 years in what is now called the Waterloo Arts and Entertainment District, is hosting a meat and greet from noon to 3 p.m. The buy local Got Sausage! event is meant to promote the area, the shop and the kind of traditional culinary arts that are oh so Cleveland.

There will be live entertainment, cooking demos and, of course, samples to taste. Presiding over it all will be master of cured meats and stuffed casings, store owner Joe Zuzak. Originally from Croatia, he makes a pan-Eastern European array of options: Slovenian bratwurst; Polish krakova, Hungarian hurka (rice ring); and sunkarica, a Balkan style bologna. He smokes his own bacon — used across the street by Chef Brian Doyle at the Beachland Ballroom, a great spot for Sunday brunch — cottage hams, pigs feet and pork loins. It's worth a trip just to step inside and catch some smells.

 
Zuzak's the real thing, not a trendy copy. Alenka Banco, who works with the Northeast Shores Development Corporation, describes him as devoted to his craft, authentic and involved in a labor of love that is now considered cool. He's watched and survived the neighborhood's changes and the future looks good. But his business and the others on the surrounding blocks could use a little extra love right now — they've been hurt by being in the middle of a construction zone. The streetscape improvements will be wonderful, when done, but until then it's a bit of an orange barrel obstacle course. Don't be daunted. Good things await the intrepid visitor.

Riffy Rendezvous

Photo by Ed Battes

After their first album careened onto the scene last year, Cleveland rockers So Long, Albatross are finally working on new things, bringing their riffy stoner rock sound out of the basement and into a professional recording studio, literally. But before they start work on their latest album, they’ll be taking the stage at the Beachland Ballroom and Tavern for Cellar Door Rendezvous, along with label-mates Seafair, Ohio Sky and The Commonwealth. The two-day get-together (March 14-15) will feature 17 other bands, with full access passes going for $20.

This will be So Long, Albatross' first appearance in the big room together, though they’ve all played there at one point or another in different bands. “We’ve played the tavern quite a few times in the last couple of years and it’s always fun,” says vocalist and guitarist Keith Vance. “But it’s just cool to do something else.”

We spoke to Vance about the finer points of writing lyrics and what's on the horizon for the Cleveland-based trio.

CM: What was the recording process for your first album like, and where do you want to go next?

KV: Well, we’ve written a bunch of songs recently. We’ve taken a break from playing shows, since we played a bunch after the first album. We’ll be working with Jim Stewart, who’s one of the sponsors for the show, and is a really great guy. He’s worked with a bunch of people I know and everyone has awesome things to say about him.

CM: Though you started out as three-person group have you thought about adding a fourth?

KV: The three of us have been playing together for so long now. The drummer and I especially have been playing in bands since we were 14, so 16 years ago. ... It’s hard enough for the three of us to get together, let alone another person. We’re just so locked into each other, we know what we’re going to do before we do it, and to add somebody new would be difficult.

CM: Lyrically, where do you want to take things?

KV: That’s something that’s probably my biggest struggle. The music comes really easy to us, generally, and the lyrics get filled in in the end. I want to get a little bit better at trying to tell a story or get my point across in ways that aren’t so vague. Sometimes I feel like I’m a little vague or cryptic and I don’t mean to be. I want to get a little more open, maybe a little bit more vulnerable with some of the things that I write.

Forking Out

The food prepared by local chefs for Monday night’s Bastille Day party and fundraiser at Greenhouse Tavern was absolutely amazing, and left no doubt that Cleveland is a top tier town when it comes to dining. Anyone who says different clearly doesn’t get out enough and has no clue as to what’s going in our restaurant kitchens. Because I made paté for the event (see my post from last week), I got to don an apron, pitch in as a helper, and at least look like I was part of this impressive bunch. It was an honor, and the effort of actually preparing a dish for the buffet was a reminder of how incredibly hard these people work in order to bring us good things to eat.
Friday night, July 17, I’ll be at Moxie for the 6 PM “Who’s the Boss” grill-off between restaurant owner Brad Friedlander and Executive Chef Jonathan Bennett. I’ll be eating professionally as one of three judges tasked with determining the ultimate winner of this heated competition. Word’s been leaked that Friedlander is calling on some top talent for an assist with his roast pig and jumbo shrimp, while Bennett, who plans to cook tuna and lobster, aims to capture extra votes by adding his two adorable kids, dressed in chef’s coats, to his team. The public is invited to join the fun, and enjoy the food. Patio diners who choose the guys’ creations as a dinner special can weigh in before we judges make our final decision. 216-831-5599 for reservations.
My next scheduled event chowdown is The First Ever Rock n Roll BBQ Throwdown, July 26 at the Beachland Ballroom, 1-5 pm. I have no official role, and am free to graze just like everybody else on the spread set out by the participating chefs, many of whom also contributed to Monday night’s shindig, representing more than 20 restaurants including Crop, Bar Cento, Fahrenheit, The Greenhouse Tavern, Moxie, and Dante (opening soon- we hope- in Tremont). Always generous in supporting other people’s causes, this time they’re raising money for their own organization Cleveland Food Rocks, a non-profit collaborative of Cleveland-area restaurants and food-service operations dedicated to promoting and encouraging a vibrant local dining scene. Let’s show them we appreciate all they do and their contributions to our quality of life. Tickets are $25 in advance and can be purchased online, or $30 cash or check at the door. Live music by local bands is part of the mix. The party happens rain or shine in the tented parking lot, 15711 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland.

Serving you up some fist cuisine

The Silver Jews concert is 10 days away, as told in our August issue by writer David Ferrara.

You should be there Friday, August 29 at the Beachland Ballroom, because it is the best band you never heard of. (Click here to buy tickets.)

Here's an excerpt from a way-too-long interview with band leader David Berman, giving insight into his writing process of one of the songs off his new album.

Things like "San Francisco B.C.", there's this line like, "He came at me with some fist cuisine," and it had previously been, "He came at me with all he had." I took that out because I realized "all he had" was a cliché. I thought really quickly "fist cuisine." It was one of the last things I was changing, but now I look at it and I realize if I had one more day, I probably would have changed it to "he served me up some fist cuisine."

In case I sound like a super-fan...I am. And you'll see that in my upcoming blog review of the show.