Listen to David Wax Museum (Mommy: Belle and Sebastian when they're on their meds; Daddy: Old Crow) and Penguin Prison (Mommy: Chromeo; Daddy: Cut Copy) because they will get you in the mood for this weekend's MidPoint Music Festival.
Wash down your Bock with the sounds of Bach tonight at the German Brass and Beer, hosted by Arnold's Bar and Grill. The concert:nova brass qunitet has a set of traditional waltzes, dance numbers and marches in store for the 6 p.m. concert. At 7 p.m., enjoy a dinner of authentic German fare. Tickets are $55, $35 for pass holders, and can be purchased here.
JGourmet is a regular cooking class presented by Jewish Young Professionals (JYP) Access. Tonight's event is centered around the best meal of the day — breakfast. Bakers from Pigasus Bagel and Bread, along with JYP members, will teach guests how to make perfect homemade bagels and delicious omelets at A Forkable Feast. After the class, enjoy the delicious meal you've created. Who can resist breakfast for dinner? The 7 p.m. event is open to Jewish young professionals and their significant others (of all faiths). Admission is just $10. RSVP here.
Milton's on Propsect Hill also continues its weekly Vinyl Night. Bring your favorite records to share or have a DJ play them for you. Find musical suggestions and event details here.
For today's list of gallery shows, check out our To Do page. Follow our music blog for live shows.
In a taped messaged to Betty White, who today turns 90, President Barack Obama wrote a note saying, “Dear Betty, You look so fantastic and full of energy, I can't believe you're 90 years old. In fact, I don't believe it. That's why I'm writing to ask if you will be willing to produce a copy of your long-form birth certificate. Thanks. Happy Birthday, no matter how old you are.” Video here.
A recent study shows that only 78 percent of men in the UK change their undies every morning, while 95 percent of women put on a fresh pair. The study also found that women are more than twice as likely to do their laundry while living alone, and of men who are a part of a domestic relationship, only 19 percent do their own laundry. Richard Caines, senior consumer analyst at Mintel, says “There is a distinct whiff of laziness among men in the UK today when it comes to underwear.”
“If men are involved with laundry, it is most likely to be as part of a shared responsibility, but over time their level of involvement has been increasing. A generational shift is being seen, with men under 55 significantly more likely to share some responsibility for laundry tasks.”
The artistically-minded Chef Frances Kroner of Feast and
the creative minds behind Modern Makers
present The Big Dinner: Taste {food art} Friday night. Guests will enjoy
locally-sourced, beautifully designed foods in a gallery setting for a unique
culinary experience. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Niehoff Urban Studio
in Corryville. Last-minute tickets are still available here.
Is Cincinnati haunted? Channel your inner ghost hunter at the Guided Ghost Tours of Music Hall. Beneath the historic building’s foundation lies an old pauper’s cemetery — all unmarked graves — and there have been rumors and reports of paranormal activity for years. See for yourself at these monthly tours (continuing May 31 and June 14) at 7 and 9:30 p.m. Friday.
Superstar violinist Sarah Chang joins the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for String Fever Saturday at Music Hall. After the performance, CSO Encore (the symphony’s volunteer young professional group) wraps up its season with an after-party at 21c Museum Hotel. Drinks and snacks will be served up alongside more great live music starting at 10 p.m. Attendees can explore the space, including the 24-hour contemporary art museum inside. Go here for more info.
Prefer musical performances with a little more camp? Check out the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus as they present ExtrABBAganza Friday and Saturday. Performing a show originally created for the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus in 1997, the CMC will belt out the best tribute to ABBA you’ve ever heard (OK, you’re probably used to really bad karaoke, but these guys got chops). Those fun Swedish Pop hits will come alive in the SCPA Mayerson Theater. Read our full feature on the Cincinnati Men’s Chorus here.
If you’re a tattoo enthusiast or just love ink culture and history, you’ll want to check out Saturday’s screening of Tattoo Nation at AMC Newport on the Levee. Director Eric Schwartz and writer/producer John Corry focus on the rise of the black-and-grey tattoos as its own distinct style. AMN’s 9 p.m. show is the only screening in the Tri-state.
For more stuff to do this weekend, check out our To Do page or full calendar for more events, concerts, theater shows and art exhibits.
Everyone’s talking about the punk-themed Met Ball today, but I’m still in awe from last night’s RuPaul’s Drag Race season finale and reunion, where America’s Next Drag Superstar was crowned in true pageant style. It’s easy to confuse the two: both are over-the-top parades of outrageous fashion, debut ‘dos and bodies squeezed into numerous pairs of Spanx, but only one event has RuPaul, so I’m focusing on that one.
The spotlight was on the final three dragsters, Roxxxy Andrews, Jinkx Monsoon and Alaska, but I couldn’t take my eyes off Penny Tration, Cincinnati’s own queen supreme who was voted onto this season by viewers — only to be eliminated in the first episode.
via Homorazzi
Like any good queen, Penny varies up her looks, but I’ve never seen her like this before! E! put Penny on their worst dressed list, but any press is good press, right? With a leotard made from the fabric of the dress she wore when she was eliminated, manic makeup and a tiny tuft of hair on her big bald head, homegurl looked like a pageant baby Treasure Troll on crack, and by that I obviously mean she looked amazing.
via Homorazzi
Detox, who I originally pegged as the winner but only made it to the final four, also stole the show with this incredible black-and-white look. No Photoshop!
And Season 4 winner, Sharon Needles, served up Pee Wee Herman realness in this hot little number:
In the end, the camptatstic Jinkx, “Seattle’s premier Jewish narcoleptic drag queen” took the crown!
#wateroffaduck'sback
The full trailer for True Blood’s sixth season is here. All hail Billith!
This shit is so far beyond, but I don’t think any amount of supernatural caca could keep me from indulging in this mess year after year. Season Six premieres June 16.
Ever since the unveiling of that crazy Tupac hologram at 2012’s Coachella fest, there have been rumors of similarly reviving other dead musicians and performers, including TLC’s Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez. With a TLC reunion on the horizon, the idea has come up again but for now we can just settle for this peek at VH1’s upcoming TLC biopic. I am not familiar with two of the actresses, but Lil Mama plays Left Eye. I just can’t right now.
RIP Marge Simpson! Simpsons creator Matt Groening’s mother, Margaret, the inspiration for the iconic blue-haired matriarch, has passed away at age 94. Looking at her obituary, I learned Groening tucked a bunch of autobiographical bits into The Simpsons. The real Marge was actually married to a Homer, and had daughters named Maggie and Lisa. Her maiden name, Wiggum, is used in the show as the resident police chief’s name.
Has anyone else noticed that Shae from Game of Thrones kind of looks like Megara, the goddess from Hercules?
Since Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet soundtrack was basically the playlist of my childhood, I figured the music selections for The Great Gatsby would be on-point. I was right. Stream the whole soundtrack, featuring Beyoncé, Andre 3000, Fergie, Lana Del Rey and a heavy coat of flapper Jazz, via NPR.
Miss this week’s Mad Men? Here’s all you need to know: