by Jac Kern
06.08.2012
at 10:58 AM |
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This weekend marks the end of the Fringe Festival. If you
haven’t seen any shows yet, go here
to check out all reviews, show times and ticket info and go see some before
Saturday’s final performances. Tonight at Know Theater, local live storytelling
collective True Theater presents a special Fringe edition. True Fringe features five Fringe performers who will divulge
personal stories of their experiences during this year’s theatrical fest. This
is a one-time event, and True Theater shows are always intriguing, so stop by
Know or go here
for tickets ($12). Stories being at 7 p.m.
It’s Northside Second Saturdays time again! Celebrate the
funky-fab neighborhood by visiting local shops, salons, bars, restaurants and
more between 6-10 p.m. Participating businesses offer sales, extended happy
hours, food and drink specials and plenty o’ good times. This weekend,
Fabricate opens Oh, Smell the People!,
a mixed media exhibition by Michael Reuter, and NVISION presents an exhibit of
youthful paintings and drawings by Angela Oster, titled Abandon Ship!.
Last Year’s Crosstown Shootout ended in an all-out brawl,
and Saturday’s Rollergirls Crosstown Knockdown is sure to bring body-slammin’
action, too — on the rink, that is. If you want to see a badass competition
without the worry of getting punched by an athlete, cheer on your favorite
chicks on wheels as the Cincinnati Rollergirls take on the Black-n-Bluegrass
Rollergirls in the first-ever Crosstown Knockdown at Cincinnati Gardens.
Cincy’s B-team, the Violent Lambs will compete against the Little Steel Derby
Girls at 7 p.m. and the main event kicks off at 8:30 p.m. Tickets start at just
$12. If you’ve never experienced a roller derby before, this will be an awesome
introduction. Grab tickets here.
Cincinnati’s curated urban flea market is back for the
summer this Saturday! The City Flea makes its home at Twelfth and Vine streets
in the Gateway District this season and it promises to be even bigger and
better than last year’s inaugural summer. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, browse
the open air market with vendors like Queen City Cookies, Fab Ferments, Brush
Factory, Cincy Craft Cartel, Charmingly Modern and lots more local food, arts,
clothing and other retailers. Find ‘em all here.
People love comedian Aziz Ansari for his many laugh-out-loud
roles. Some know him as Tom Haverford from Parks
and Recreation, others recognize him from his small-yet-memorable characters in
Funny People, Observe and Report or
Flight of the Conchords, while longtime fans (ahem) still quote his
hilarious sketches on Human Giant, but his stand-up trumps ‘em all. Saturday,
the dude who has everyone “treatin’ they selves” performs at the Aronoff
Center. From his family to celebrity encounters to everyday observations,
Ansari brings the LOLs. Hopefully his alter-ego RAAAAAAAANDY will make an
appearance. Go here
to get tickets to tomorrow’s show, which begins at 7:30 p.m.
Second Sundays on Main also makes a return this weekend. Hop around
OTR as you enjoy live music, food, beer and local shopping from noon-5 p.m.
Sunday. Highlights this week include a Crafty Supermarket mini-market, Dr. Bongonatti's Art Parade,
celebrity chef demos by Executive Chef Jose Salazar
and Pastry Chef Russ Wheeler of The Palace and the ever-popular drag races.
Follow our music and To Do pages for even more fun weekend stuff.
by Mike Breen
02.23.2012
'This Land Is Your Land' turns 72 and Aziz Ansari turns Kanye jokes into an artform
On this day in 1940, American music icon Woody Guthrie wrote his most famous song and one that has become embedded into the DNA of American life, "This Land is You Land." The Folk music legend and notorious fighter for the social causes of the poor and working class is said to have written the song after hearing (a few too many times) Irving Berlin's "God Bless America," which he felt was too hyperbolic. Just like Roxanne Shante's "The Real Roxanne" was written as a response to U.T.F.O.'s "Roxanne Roxanne" (OK, maybe not JUST like), "This Land" was Guthrie's "answer song." Guthrie recorded the future standard five years later, but it wasn't until the ’60s Folk revival that the song really took flight, as everyone from Bob Dylan to The Kingston Trio covered the tune. Though "God Bless America" may be the song still sung at baseball games, "This Land is You Land" has endured as one of the greatest pieces of American art, a reflection of what many of us believe our country is all about — "We're all in this together and lucky to be on this wonderful little chunk of dirt, so shut up and quit being so selfish, jerk-ass!" Or something along those lines (maybe I read too much into it). The song is still common at protests and used in political contexts. Bruce Springsteen closed his acoustic concerts in support of Barrack Obama in 2008 with a version ("Yes We Can" chants added), while Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello serenaded the mass of humanity at the Occupy Wall Street protest in NYC with the song (lost verses and all) this past October. Here is one of the great "contemporary" versions — a rendition by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, who give the song a sweet vintage Soul makeover:Click the jump for "Born This Day" featuring Aziz Ansari, the Mark Twain of Kanye West jokes.
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