Searching for Identity
Closing out a calendar year in which every artist featured at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University is a woman, Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life — on view through the end of the year — surveys the internationally acclaimed photographer’s career-long interest in movie culture. The show, which features more than…
STAGE DOOR: Theater Recommendations for Thanksgiving Weekend
Not only does this weekend kick off holiday shopping, it’s the launch pad for many theaters’ holiday-season shows. At the top of the tree is the Cincinnati Playhouse’s production of A Christmas Carol, which officially opens Friday at 7 p.m., after previews tonight (Wednesday) and Thursday. You know the 1843 story from Charles Dickens: Miserly…
The Struggle for Justice in ‘Three Billboards’
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the new release from British writer-director Martin McDonagh (In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths), perfectly captures the mood of our current cultural reality. It does so by dropping us into a highly charged situation right as the flames start to heat things up. Mildred (Frances McDormand), a steely mother grieving the loss…
Singing the Praises of ‘Mr. Robot’
While attempting to distill the confusing complexities of Mr. Robot (10 p.m. Wednesdays, USA) down to digestible size, Queen’s epic ballad “Bohemian Rhapsody” comes to mind. Rami Malek, who stars as Elliot in this hacker-centered psychological drama, has taken on the daunting role of Freddie Mercury in the long-awaited Queen biopic, due in theaters next…
Encouraging Racial Diversity in Yoga
Common portrayals and some local classes may have you picturing the typical yoga practitioner as someone of a specific economic class or even skin color. But a young social enterprise called Heal ’n Build is challenging these notions and fostering community development by offering yoga and mindfulness practices aimed at the people mainstream yoga forgets.…
‘Tom Sawyer’ and the Joy of Childhood
CRITIC'S PICK In case you needed a reminder that the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company doesn’t deal exclusively with plays by the Bard, you’ll find a story by another literary giant presently onstage at the company’s new Over-the-Rhine theater: Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It’s the first time the company has undertaken a work by…
David Yarrow’s ‘Just Do It’ Photography
David Yarrow points out an unexpected detail in “78 Degrees North,” his remarkable fine art photograph of a polar bear retreating into Norway’s icy wilderness. That rear paw pad looks just like Nike’s swoosh. With one picture, Europe’s top-selling wildlife photographer sums up his personal narrative in stark black-and-white: Just do it. That doesn’t mean…
Fact-Free Fox News
There’s a shameless quality to Fox News that echoes the fact-free White House. Fox will broadcast a fake story that it has already contradicted so long as it defames Hillary. It’s an obsession Fox shares with Trump: Alternative facts are OK and this practice demonstrates why public figures fear Fox News defamation more than they…
Morning News: Cincinnati police drones; net neutrality fight intensifies
Good morning all. Here’s a brief pre-turkey day rundown of the news you’ll soon be arguing about with you relatives. A little pre-holiday land shopping for a local soccer team: FC Cincinnati has signed an option to buy the site in Oakley it’s been eyeing for its proposed $200 million stadium. That’s another step on…
City’s winter shelter faces funding shortfall
A shelter meant to provide respite for Cincinnati’s most vulnerable during the city’s coldest months is facing a funding shortfall ahead of its mid-December opening date. Nonprofit Shelterhouse operates the winter shelter at 411 Gest St. in Queensgate from December to February with help from Strategies to End Homelessness, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the…
Shop Talk: Coda Co.
Power couple Kelti and Tanner Ziese have combined their creative minds to form one of Bellevue’s newest shops. Sitting on the Corner of Fairfield and Washington avenues, Coda Co. sells all things handmade and upcycled. Don’t run away too quickly, all you skeptics out there: This is not a hippie haven — Coda Co. focuses…
The New Deal left local landmarks and a complicated, increasingly relevant legacy
Greater Cincinnati’s looming infrastructure needs — the Brent Spence Bridge, Western Hills Viaduct, millions of dollars in deferred maintenance in the city’s parks, and more — have been a hot topic over the past decade. As the region and the nation as a whole mull everything from how to replace bridges to sprucing up public parks,…
LISTEN: Cincinnati all-stars team up for world’s first Trump-themed Christmas song
Going into the Thanksgiving holiday, a lot of people are likely gearing up for and/or dreading spending time with those certain family members who are eager to engage in a political debate around the dinner table. With America being mired in the most frustrating and combative political atmosphere of every single living person’s lifetime, more…
Morning News: new bill would restrict access to some police body camera footage; judge blocks Trump on funding cuts to sanctuary cities
Hello all. Let’s talk news real quick. Cincinnati City Council next week will take a first look at Mayor John Cranley’s proposal to pour more than $36 million into infrastructure around the proposed FC Cincinnati stadium in Oakley. Our story out this morning has everything you need to know about the deal, including where council…
What a Week!: Nov. 15-21
Cards Against Humanity Saves America Earlier this year, naughty party game Cards Against Humanity released a special expansion pack “For Her,” which besides mocking unnecessary women-targeted products helped raise money for EMILY’s list, an organization that works to get pro-choice Democratic women elected to office (and judging by the recent election results across the country,…
Wyoming’s fall from GOP domination
One of the historic fortresses of Republican support in Hamilton County — the city of Wyoming — looks more and more like a Democratic stronghold. Wyoming, with a population of about 8,500, isn’t a large suburb, but its median family income of $103,089 far exceeds the county’s $64,683. It was such a dependably Republican quarter…
FC Cincinnati stadium fight heads to city council
The $200 million plan for a soccer stadium in Oakley funded entirely by FC Cincinnati is out. The team’s request for $75 million in infrastructure help from the city of Cincinnati and Hamilton County and lower counter-proposals from both governments are in. But the fight over another major stadium in Cincinnati is far from over.…
That’s a Wrap: The 2017 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards
On Nov. 19, members of the Greater Cincinnati music community put on their finest duds and gathered at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine to celebrate 20 years of the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, as well as (and most importantly) some of the best local music acts of 2016 and 2017. (Accomplishments from 2016 were factored into the…
Cranberry Punch Recipe
Nothing cuts the initial awkward tension of an extended family gathering quite like a little injection of alcohol (or a lot of it, depending on how heavy you pour). And this Thanksgiving punch recipe, provided by Northside Yacht Club owner/bartender Stuart MacKenzie, is not only seasonally appropriate (there’s cranberry!), it also includes hip ingredients (rosé…
Your Weekly To Do List (11/22-11/28)
WEDNESDAY 22 ART: Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life Closing out a calendar year in which every artist featured at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University is a woman, Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life — on view through the end of the year — surveys the internationally acclaimed photographer’s career-long interest in…
2017 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards: Full Winners List
Last night at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine, CityBeat presented the 20th-anniversary Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, honoring our area's top-shelf music-makers, as well as their supporters and fans. We'll have more about the show later, but below you'll find the full list of who won what. Thanks to everyone who attended, as well as the entire Cincinnati music…
Morning News: GOP governor candidates battle over who is most like Trump; lawsuit coming over Cameo shootings
Good morning all. Here are some quick news bits to get your Monday off to a really fun start. I know it was probably a chore to slog through the long, news-free desert that is the weekend, but congrats! You made it. Mayor John Cranley on Friday unveiled his proposal for the city’s role in…
Hawaiian-Inspired Poke Lands in OTR
Already fitted with nearly every type of cuisine, ranging from barbecue and pizza to Japanese fusion, Over-the-Rhine is adding a hula skirt to its arsenal. Poke Hut Fish & Tea Bar, a Hawaiian-inspired seafood spot specializing in poke bowls and burritos, opened its doors at 1509 Race St. last week for a soft opening. Poke…
Teeny Pies: Cute and Classic Crustables
I’ve always been a devoted fan of pie. On birthdays, I turn my nose up at anything else. And on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I can be found at the dining table with one eye frantically staring at the counter while my grandma’s cherry-apple pie cools. So visiting a local bakery dedicated to the dish was…
What’s in Mayor Cranley’s offer to FC Cincinnati?
Is a stadium for a Major League Soccer franchise team worth $36.8 million in city funds? Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley thinks so. At a news conference at City Hall today, Cranley outlined his proposal for funding the infrastructure needed around a potential FC Cincinnati soccer stadium in Oakley, highlighting what he says will be big…
Thanksgiving Beers
Ah, Thanksgiving. Time to shovel Aunt Erma’s “world-famous” stuffing into your face while you ponder what the heck the crumbly conglomeration is, anyway. We know it’s tough to make it through a three-hour meal with your distant relatives garbling about how millenials are ruining the country and the only glimmer of hope is The Cheeto-Man…
STAGE DOOR: This Weekend’s Best Theater
This evening, Cincinnati Shakespeare Company opens The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Director Sara Clark says, “I’m so excited to give audiences of all ages a chance to use their imagination and engage with this performance. It’s an exciting adventure for children and a smart, funny, poignant experience for adults.” She cites a remark from Mark…
Sound Advice: Kamasi Washington with Moonchild (Nov. 28)
To quantify Kamasi Washington’s music as “Jazz” is almost a disservice. Washington most definitely quacks like a Jazz duck, but his walk encompasses the stuttering rhythms of Hip Hop, the perfect bombast of Fusion and the frenetic pacing of Indie Rock, all within the general context of Jazz. Comparisons to John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme…
Sound Advice: Diet Cig with Sammi Lanzetta and Vanity Creeps (Nov. 27)
Three years ago, budding vocalist/guitarist Alex Luciano walked up to Earl Boykins drummer Noah Bowman and asked him for a lighter in the middle of the band’s house-show set. Intrigued by Luciano’s passion and refreshing lack of calculated ambition, Bowman proposed that they should attempt to write together, leading to the new project opening for…
Sound Advice: Swarming Branch (Nov. 26)
The Columbus, Ohio music scene is a lot like our own in that there is an abundance of great bands in the area but there isn’t a representative sound tying them all together. That scene’s diversity is exemplified throughout the latest Swarming Branch full-length, Surreal Number, released last spring on Northern Kentucky’s SofaBurn Records. It…
Americana singer/songwriter Tyler Childers finally grabs the spotlight with new ‘Purgatory’ album
In beautiful but hardscrabble Eastern Kentucky, among the coal mines, hollows and opioids, a certain kind of mountain music reigns supreme. Along with Kentucky native Sturgill Simpson, one of its greatest emissaries is Tyler Childers, a young, new artist who blends Bluegrass with a hard Country edge to celebrate Appalachia’s soul. Nestled in the timber-lined…
LISTEN: Moonbeau’s new single, “In Your Lifetime”
This Sunday, Moonbeau — the Indie/Electronic Pop project featuring Christian Gough of Cincinnati Indie Rock band The Yugos — will perform at the 20th-anniversary Cincinnati Entertainment Awards show at Memorial Hall. Moonbeau is up for a CEA in the Electronic category, while The Yugos are nominated for Indie/Alternative, Artist of the Year and Album of…
Morning News: Life without parole for killer once offered plea bargain; debate over GOP tax reform gets heated
Good morning all. Here’s a quick news rundown for you today. The battle over FC Cincinnati’s proposed stadium in Oakley is heating up. As the team prepares for a Dec. 14 deadline to apply for a franchise with Major League Soccer, Mayor John Cranley is set today to outline how the city could help provide…
Art Museum Was a Finalist for Important Award
One of fine art’s more prestigious honors is the Apollo Award for major achievements in the art or museum world. It was started in 1992 by the London-based international art magazine, Apollo. The shortlist of 2017 finalists in six categories has just been released, and the names are dominated by international institutions and American museums in…
Soccer stadium battle reaches fever pitch
We’re in the thick of the battle over FC Cincinnati’s proposed self-financed $200 million stadium — reportedly aimed for the former CastFab site near Oakley Station — and the $75 million price tag for related infrastructure the team wants taxpayers to pay. Meanwhile, FC Cincinnati President Jeff Berding has indicated the team could take its…
Should your driver’s license require you to report for jury duty?
Should Ohio counties be forced to widen the pool of people they consider for jury duty to get a more diverse pool of citizens deciding the outcome of criminal cases? U.S. Sen. Cecil Thomas of North Avondale thinks so. But the organization representing prosecutors across the state begs to differ. Back in September, Thomas introduced…
Major Pro Sports Still Lack Inclusivity
The world looked bright to progressives in November of 2014. Obama was rolling in year six of his eight, shaping policies at all levels for a more just and caring nation, and there was particularly good momentum in gay rights. Centuries-old bigotry seemed amazingly on the run as same-sex marriage initiatives sprouted and found some…
Your Weekly To Do List (11/16-11/21)
Blackout Wednesday Parties Wanna get real effed up the night before you have to spend all day with your family in a high-stress cooking and entertaining situation? Are you interested in discovering if turkey is a good hangover cure/easy to barf up? Maybe you just really love binge drinking on a Wednesday. Whatever the case…
Morning News: county offers deal to FCC; Peltz gets P&G board seat in recount
Good morning all. Here’s what’s up today. Hamilton County won't tap a pool of money from hotel taxes to help FC Cincinnati with its plan to build a stadium it says it needs for a Major League Soccer franchise, commissioners said yesterday. But they're open to another deal. If sharing Paul Brown Stadium — the…
Cincinnati and Australian Composers Unite
RECOMMENDED / CLASSICAL MUSIC Cincinnati Soundbox makes a powerful case for including local New Music composers in the music scene. This concert, Cincinnati to Sydney, features U.S. and world premieres by two Australian composers, Corinna Bonshek and Tristan Coelho, and two Cincinnatians, Laura Harrison and Jason Richmond. Their works are performed by All of the Above,…
Police accountability activists sound alarms about state of Collaborative Agreement
Police accountability activists say efforts to reinvigorate Cincinnati’s historic Collaborative Agreement are in an “emergency” state following dustups between the union that represents police officers and the city over the role of the Citizen Complaint Authority, an independent board created to investigate allegations of police misconduct. The Black United Front’s Iris Roley and Rev. Damon…
