Morning News and Stuff
The Supreme Court yesterday ruled that prison overcrowding in California is unconstitutional. The state will now be forced to release 30,000 inmates during the next three years. There are about 146,000 inmates incarcerated in California prisons that were meant to house just 80,000.—- Justice Anthony Kennedy cited examples of indecency such as 200 inmates being…
Events: Findlay Market Ride and Bike Depot
For expert cyclists or those just getting into road riding, Queen City Bike hosts a fun, casual ride from Hyde Park to Findlay Market (Elm and Elder streets, Over-the-Rhine) Saturday. The ride starts at 7:30 a.m. sharp at Coffee Emporium (3316 Erie Ave, Hyde Park) and heads to Over-the-Rhine's historic market place. Once there, riders…
Music: Justin Townes Earle
Oh, the trouble Justin Townes Earle has seen. The 29-year-old singer/songwriter's well-publicized drug and alcohol problems over the years have resulted in several rehab stints, the most recent coming last fall after an altercation at an Indianapolis venue which necessitated Earle's return to treatment and the cancellation of his tour, including his scheduled appearance at…
Art: DAAP Master of Fine Arts Exhibition
For several years now, the University of Cincinnati’s Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition has been held annually at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center. The unconventional off-campus exhibition space always seems to get the artists out of their comfort zones and is particularly well suited for the installation artists coming out of the program. EXIT,…
Music: Neon Trees
Neon Trees' story is filled with bizarre coincidences, odd twists of fate, stratospheric success and Mormons (the Provo, Utah, quartet is comprised entirely of Latter Day Saints — my aunt, uncle and cousins say hello). The band began as a quintet and took the name Neon Trees in 2005, when vocalist/keyboardist Tyler Glenn was inspired…
Music: Kylesa
In Buddhist parlance, "kilesa mara" is a delusional mental condition; that concept seemed like a fitting handle when Kylesa christened themselves a decade ago. The Savannah, Ga., quintet rose from the ashes of southern Sludge Metal outfit Damad, utilizing the band's original members (including guitarist/vocalist Phillip Cope, widely recognized as the prime mover within the…
Music: Sassy Molasses
We meet at the Waffle House. Behold the brown and orange seats, the slippery booths, the jukebox, the clock sporting the name of the place. Yeah, we're on Waffle House time. Moriah Haven Lawson, founder of modern Bluegrass trio Sassy Molasses (providing vocals, mandolin, violin, guitar and songwriting), chose the meeting place. "We country folk…
Events: Memorial Day Weekend at Kings Island
Kings Island wants to thank the men and women who serve in the U.S. military. The amusement park will offer free regular admission to any active or retired military personnel on the Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day weekend, as well as July 4 weekend. Regular admission will allow you to challenge many of the…
Events: Memorial Day Weekend at the Museum Center
Brush up on the true meaning of Memorial Day when stories come alive at the Cincinnati Museum Center (1301 Western Ave., West End). Before you dive into the featured exhibits Saturday, swing through the Information Fair from noon-4 p.m. and visit booths focused on the Red Cross, Mental Health and Women's Post 644. Examine a…
Art: White People: A Retrospective
One of the things that made the late Cincinnati Post so good — and made it so important to the city — was its background as a blue-collar, afternoon newspaper. While its morning competition had to struggle to resist seeing the city solely through wealthy establishment eyes, the Post had a natural sense for Cincinnati…
Onstage: The Pavilion
Craig Wright’s The Pavilion is set in Pine City, Minn., where the class of 1991 is celebrating its 20th reunion. Wright’s play, first produced in 2000, resonates with echoes of Thornton Wilder's Our Town, about the citizens of Grover's Corners, a tiny New Hampshire town. Both towns are fictional — and universal. The latter point…
Music: David Allan Coe
Nashville is awash in bedazzled bad boys that wear their so-called outlaw status like a poorly knocked-off Nudie suit. And not one of them is fit to polish David Allan Coe’s belt buckle. From reform school resident to prison inmate to biker to Country singer/songwriter, Coe is the living definition of surviving and thriving regardless…
Onstage: The Fringe Festival
Are you ready for your eighth consecutive dose of weird? The 2011 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, presented by Know Theatre, kicks off next week for 10 days and more than 30 productions. What can you expect? Well, actually, the unexpected is what makes it fun. Some acts are returning; others are completely new. About half are…
Events: Taste of Cincinnati
For over 30 years, the Taste of Cincinnati has been filling bellies, supplying music and providing hangovers to locals and tourists alike every Memorial Day weekend. What started out as equivalent to an oversized frat party is now 100 times larger and alive, literally. From 5,000 attendees the first year to an expected 500,000 this…
Art: SOS Art 2011
The SOS art show, its name echoing Morse Code's distress signal, reminds us each year that peace and justice are always at risk. SOS Art 2011 opens a 10-day run from 6 p.m.-midnight Friday at the Art Academy of Cincinnati (1212 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine) with a focus that evening on visual art, a potluck reception…
Onstage: Lawrence Brownlee
In the summer of 2004, an unknown African-American tenor starred in Cincinnati Opera's production of The Daughter of the Regiment, best known for the killer aria "Ah! Mes Amis!" with its nine high C notes. Lawrence Brownlee made it sound effortless, spinning off octave jumps with crystalline purity and laser-like accuracy. When he finished, there…
Comedy: Tom Simmons
Comedian Tom Simmons has a lot to talk about on a variety of subjects, from conspiracies to being the father of a young son. “I have a bunch of stuff I’ve worked on about the Federal Reserve Bank,” he says. It sounds mundane, but Simmons looks for the humor in such subjects and finds a…
Events: Final Friday/Park and Vine Anniversary
T.G.I.F. is so two decades ago. While we all love a good episode of Boy Meets World, it's all about Final Fridays in Over-the-Rhine these days. This month's FF takes a turn for the super earth-friendly.Throw on your cutest quirked-out ensemble and head to Over-the-Rhine for some serious celebratin' this weekend. As if we haven’t…
Dealing With Humans: Cincinnati Zoo Edition
I like to think of myself as a pretty normal person, perfectly capable of interacting with a variety of other humans. I watch bad television and sometimes shop at Wal-Mart, yet I enjoy ethnic food and DIY projects. MFin' renaissance woman. But sometimes, despite a breadth of interests and activities, I cannot deal with people.…
UC to Hire Novelist Chris Bachelder
The Cincinnati literary scene suffered a loss last summer when Brock Clarke moved to Portland, Maine, to take a job teaching creative writing at Bowdoin College. Through his work as a writer (via two short-story collections and three novels, including 2007's well-received An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England) and educator (he taught…
First Round of MidPoint 2011 Performers
Invitations to the performers chosen from online music submissions are set to begin rolling out soon, but today, the first artists coming to Cincy for this September’s MidPoint Music Festival were announced. Below are the initial 20 national artists booked for the fest, which runs Sept. 22-24 in various venues in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, as…
The Pavilion (Review)
Critic's Pick Craig Wright’s play, The Pavilion, is set in Pine City, Minn., where the class of 1991 is celebrating its 20th reunion. Wright’s show, first produced in 2000, resonates with echoes of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, about the citizens of Grover’s Corners, a tiny New Hampshire town. Both towns are fictional — and universal.…
Morning News and Stuff
President Obama today paid visit to Moneygall, Ireland, where his great-great-great grandfather once lived and worked as a shoemaker. The president reportedly got to hug a distant relative, 26-year-old accountant Henry Healy, who four years ago discovered he was one of Obama’s closest Irish relatives. The president has already succeeded in showing the GOP that…
Bands for Bones
In the days after local TV news reported on the death of David Hebert — a longtime drummer better known to everyone as “Bones” — it was clear that the New Orleans-style memorial procession (a nice nod to Hebert’s hometown) and gathering in Northside in the wake of his shooting at the hands of police…
Matthew McConaughey and Republicans
Leafing through the latest edition of The New Yorker I was greeted with the Dolce & Gabbana ad at the right, which features actor/professional narcissist Matthew McConaughey with his shirt unbuttoned down to his navel, waxed chest exposed for all to ogle. I have one question for the marketing peeps at D&G: Is this image…
Friday Movie Roundup: Cannes Controversy
Cincinnati is a long way from Cannes. And, barring a merger with Conde Nast or a hefty donation from George Soros, CityBeat will not be sending me to cover the Cannes Film Festival anytime soon. Lucky for us, our fellow AAN peeps at Village Voice Media still take film criticism seriously enough to send its…
Ohio Takeover Tour, Part 3
EDITOR'S NOTE: Hip Hop artist Ill Poetic developed his MC and production talents in the Cincinnati scene. When not touring or working on projects, the Dayton native lives in Columbus (and writes the monthly Hip Hop (Un)Scene column for CityBeat). With his Buckeye State ties, Ill Po was the perfect performer for the recently wrapped…
Worker Alleges Bortz Used Slur (UPDATED)
(**UPDATE FOLLOWS BELOW) A sanitation worker has filed an incident report with Cincinnati Police alleging City Councilman Chris Bortz threatened him and used a racial slur while doing so. The alleged incident occurred Thursday morning outside of Bortz' townhouse in Mount Adams, when the worker blew the horn on his garbage truck a few times…
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (Review)
There’s nothing particularly strange about the latest outing of Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp). Granted, many seemingly key elements have changed, yet there’s the sense that the general proceedings have remained more than vaguely familiar. The heavily made-up pirate continues to wander into deep waters and make ripples, but he’s lost a couple of his…
Stage Door: Lynn Meyers All Over
Lynn Meyers came to Ensemble Theatre more than 15 years ago for what she was told was an "interim" appointment as the Over-the-Rhine theater's artistic director. She's still at it and today she's known as one of Cincinnati's finest stage directors. If you need evidence, you can see two fine examples this weekend. —- At…
What if the Rapture Actually Happens?
Most people have probably already heard about the widespread belief that the Rapture will occur sometime tomorrow. It's been reported here, here and by " target="_blank">this guy, who says what will happen is God opening up all the graves on Earth and everything in those graves coming up out of the ground, their bodies transforming…
Morning News and Stuff
Republican presidential candidate New Gingrich says his campaign is “alive and very well,” despite it looking more and more like his marriage everyday: a sham that no one thinks still has a pulse. "It’s going to take a while for the news media to realize that you’re covering something that happens once or twice in…
Interview with Disturbed’s John Moyer
Disturbed is the benchmark for metal in America for the past decade. Everything from “Down With the Sickness” to their newest studio offering Asylum, they never fail to offer their fans a high energy music with a deep and angry message. The newest album has been soaring up the rock charts debuting at #1 on…
The Beaver (Review)
Mel Gibson's cinematic mea culpa might not equate to a public apology to the countless people he's insulted in recent years. Still, and more importantly to moviegoers, the embattled actor turns in a memorable performance as a suicidal character grasping for straws. Walter Black (Gibson) has run his father's toy company into the ground since…
The Greatest Movie Ever Sold (Review)
There’s a sense of Jazz, a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants vibe to the approach of documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock. He sees a problem, a social issue that is ripe for debate or investigation, and he just dives in. More importantly, as he does so he puts himself at risk. He refuses to simply wade into the waters; he…
Bragging Rights
C incinnati has 320 reasons to be proud of its dining scene — that’s the number of local restaurants in CityBeat’s annual Dining Guide. We’ve got amazing Asian cuisine, bodacious burger joints, fantastic fine dining and even delicious dives. You name it, we’ve got somebody who does it, and does it well. So we asked…
Cheap Eats
H ere’s a good problem to have: There are so many fabulous little places out there to find Cheap Eats in Cincinnati that narrowing down the choices for the Dining Guide just about drove me crazy. I had a few arbitrary rules. No chains were allowed, not even local chains. Sorry Skyline! Sorry, dollar burger…
Veggie Friendly in Porkopolis
T hings certainly have changed since I ate exclusively vegetarian. There were very few vegetarian-friendly restaurants in this city of flying pigs, let alone vegetarian-only restaurants. Now there are surprises — like a special vegetarian and vegan fine-dining menu at Primavista (810 Matson Place, Price Hill, 513-251-6467) with Cavoletti di Bruxelles and Penne alla Cionni…
New York Dolls, J Mascis, Smoking Popes and If By Yes
There’s a lot of blather out there on the interweb that Dancing Backward in High Heels shouldn't be billed as a New York Dolls album by virtue of the fact that the only members left from the band’s original lineup are David Johansen and Sylvain Sylvain. But The Rolling Stones are in nearly the same…
Leaning Local
A nyone who reads CityBeat’s dining section knows that we try not to cheerlead for restaurants unless they truly deserve it. We’re honest in our assessments, and that’s what gives our dining section credibility. One thing that’s part of our dining coverage’s philosophy, though, especially under my watch, is that we lean towards local. There…
Meals on Wheels
F ood trends usually arrive in this town long after they sweep other cities. Blame Cincinnatians’ tendency to be skeptical, critical and set in their ways. But every now and then amongst all the bust there is a boom. Sometimes the perfect storm of an ailing economy, creative, tenacious Cincinnatians and a helpful public servant…
Queen of the Sun (Review)
In the wake of Food, Inc. have come numerous documentaries about how our profit-oriented tinkering with the natural world is producing disastrous results for both our health and that of the plants and animals we depend on for our food. Not to insult another species, but we are pigs. Queen of the Sun, directed by…
Elektra Luxx (Review)
How writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez got upper-crust actors like Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Julianne Moore to take part in this unmitigated flop is a mystery. Everything about this movie is off. Subplots don't connect. The tone is that of a comedy, but nothing is funny. As a sex-romp, nothing is sexy. Even the songs provided by the…
Onstage: The Seldoms
When it comes to contemporary dance, New York City marks the obvious hot spot, but Chicago holds its own with many worthy emerging companies. Enter Chicago-based modern dance ensemble, The Seldoms. Founded in 2001, the rising star company delivers big, bold, full-bodied moves and, according to Time Out Chicago, a “whistle-clean aesthetic.” Thanks to presenter…
Priest (Review)
Scott Charles Stewart (Legion) re-teams with Paul Bettany in this adaptation of Min-Woo Hyung’s graphic novel series, which seems to have tried to transform Underworld into a religious adventure with Matrix-styled visual effects. The titular holy warrior (Bettany) goes rogue when vampires kidnap someone close to him and the Church, under the leadership of a…
Things I Heard an Intern Say Today
“It smells like hamsters in here.” — Steph Fuhr, upon entering CityBeat's sixth floor where one tiny dog had recently been sniffing around, probably because a big wrinkly dog and a dog with no hair regularly visit in order to increase morale despite a noticeable decline in productivity.—- “I didn't even read the card. I…
Morning News and Stuff
International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has resigned from his post after being arrested on sexual assault charges. The now former IMF chief is being held in a New York City jail with Jane Krakowski, Martin Short and Ludacris. (UPDATE: CityBeat has been notified by representatives of Jane Krakowski that she IS NOT AND HAS…
Film Schooled Debuts Thursday
Film Schooled, a Cincinnati-based reality TV show that follows two teens through the filmmaking process, screens its pilot episode 7 p.m. tomorrow. Think of it as a head-to-head, meta version of the 48 Hour Film Project.—- Per Film Schooled's press release, “Film Schooled is a reality challenge show that follows two teen filmmakers as they…
Riverbend Season Start Delayed By River
Cincinnati's most popular place to see/hear top musical acts every summer (as well as Jimmy Buffett), the outdoor amphitheater Riverbend, was built right on the shores of the Ohio River, giving concertgoers a nice nature setting in which to enjoy concerts. But the location comes with risks, something again made evident today in an announcement…
Curious Curation
Photo: Saira Wasin's "Demockery II," part of CAC's upcoming Pakistani art show. Courtesy Saira Wasim Now that the Cincinnati Art Museum and Contemporary Arts Center both have announced their 2011-2012 seasons, the biggest immediate story exhibition-wise is the amount of international interest the CAC already is getting for its Realms of Intimacy: Miniaturist Practice from…
Word Wizard
Michael Griffith’s singular new novel, Trophy, opens with this succinct sentence: “Vada Prickett is a corpse.” What follows is not nearly as blunt or immediately discernible — a wild, meta-licious ride rife with puns, crafty word play, digressions, metaphors, tangents and puzzles, all of which eventually lead back to Vada, a 29-year-old “Hose Associate” at…
Making Connections
From Dayton/For Dayton is the theme for this year’s FilmDayton Festival, but you could just as easily think of it as FilmDayton’s family reunion because the focus of this event is the film community, the film family born and raised in the region. The group’s mission is to “cultivate, support and connect our film community…
A Unique Dining Experience
Those of us who have worked in restaurants know it’s a love/hate relationship. Restaurant jobs are demanding and draining, both mentally and physically, but we put on a smile for every table and laugh each time someone says, “I’ll have one of everything” or “How much boloney is in the Bolognese?” In spite of the…
2030: The Real Story of What Happens to America
Albert Brooks, one of the most creative and influential comedians and filmmakers of the last 40 years, has turned his attention to writing fiction with his suddenly serious yet wholly entertaining first novel, 2030: The Real Story of What Happens To America. In his futuristic tale, Brooks envisions a dystopian America in which we’re living…
A Matter of “Taste”
Food gluttony usually occurs on the last Thursday of November or maybe Jesus’ b-day, but at 9 a.m. on a Monday in May? I had been asked to represent CityBeat as a judge at the annual Best of Taste of Cincinnati competition. For over a decade I worked for a restaurant that always participated in…
Rethinking the Common Good
The usual narrative of America’s Dust Bowl years goes something like this: Midwestern farmers, driven by greed, recklessly and ignorantly wrecked the land to such a point that it became worthless. They essentially ate themselves to death. But Raj Patel, author of The Value of Nothing, says it wasn’t some innate, every-man-for-himself style of greed…
Gina Puopol [Lime Taqueria]
Chef Gina Puopolo and her husband Matt opened the doors of their fresh new burrito operation in April and they’re excited with the results so far. At the Lime Taqueria (522 Main St., Covington, 859-360-7420), the couple uses natural ingredients — many grown in their own garden — to feed lunch and dinner guests, as…
George Michael, Copyrights and Common
[HOT] No More Careless Whispers George Michael recently announced his plans to return to music with a new album and worldwide tour. Michael, now known more as a tabloid joke, is making his comeback to help improve his tarnished legacy, but not for solely selfish reasons. The singer said his return is for young gay…
May 11-17: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY MAY 11 Do you know someone who insists on carrying a concealed weapon in public? Probably the type of person willing to jump to action at the first sign of injustice, using his or her weapon only for good and never accidentally shooting anyone or raging? Either way, the Ohio House today approved legislation…
SCPA Partners With MPMF As 2011 Venue
The School for Creative & Performing Arts, Cincinnati Public Schools’ K-12 arts school, will host 2011 MidPoint Music Festival showcases in its theaters Sept. 22-24. The new partnership with SCPA, which opened the Erich Kunzel Center for Arts and Education last September, expands and reinforces MidPoint’s presence in Over-the-Rhine. SCPA is offering use of its…
Restricting Access or Restoring Integrity?
Hamilton County candidates seeking elected office in November might experience dramatic outcomes to their races as Ohio voters adjust to new election laws. Sweeping election law reforms are pending in the both the Ohio House and Senate that supporters say are aimed at ensuring accuracy at the voting booth, but that critics counter will disenfranchise…
Internal Bleeding
As Raekwon told Red Bull Academy Radio in an interview earlier this year, his latest release, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (named after Gordon Liu’s 1981 martial arts flick), addresses the longtime infighting between himself and his group, Wu-Tang Clan. Metaphorically, the “hip-hopera” pits the group’s collaborative roots against ever-present conflicts that disjointed the clan. But, musically,…
Super Loser Week
[LOSER] LOCAL NAACP: Surely many NAACP members must feel ashamed. Last week Christopher Smitherman, the chapter’s president, and his “bodyguard” disturbed a City Council meeting on streetcars. Smitherman has made blocking the project his pet cause, but of the 44 citizens who spoke at the hearing just six were opposed. During the session, the bodyguard…
Enquirer Does Smear Job with Old Data
What The Enquirer considers newsworthy apparently changes depending on what season it is. That’s about the only conclusion someone can draw from the article the newspaper published along the bottom of its front page on Sunday, May 15. Sprawled along four of the page’s five columns of type, on the day of the week with…
Music: Raekwon
As Raekwon told Red Bull Academy Radio in an interview earlier this year, his latest release, Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang (named after Gordon Liu’s 1981 martial arts flick), addresses the longtime infighting between himself and his group, Wu-Tang Clan. Metaphorically, the “hip-hopera” pits the group’s collaborative roots against ever-present conflicts that disjointed the clan. But, musically,…
Five Thousand Years of Slavery
Forget comfortable assumptions about slavery as a terrible habit we’ve outgrown. Marjorie Gann and Janet Willen, in a crisp history of this ancient element of human life, let us know not only where slavery has been, but where it is today, in places you might not expect. In the cucumber fields of South Carolina? Yes.…
MidPoint Goes to School
The deadline for submissions from artists interested in performing at this year’s MidPoint Music Festival recently came and went. Performers for this fall’s 10th anniversary MPMF (which returns to the venues of Over-the-Rhine and Downtown Sept. 22-24) are being decided by the judging panel and touring headliners are being booked as you read this, so…
Trying to Turn a Corner in the Brighton Art District
To (almost) quote directly from Dickens on the alternative-gallery scene in Brighton: It is the best of times, it is the worst of times. On a recent Saturday night, three galleries along Central and Harrison avenues were open — Synthetica-m (www.synthetica-m.com), and the collectively run U-turn Art Space and Semantics. The exhibits at U-turn and…
Events: Go OTR 5K and Summer Celebration
Start your Saturday off with a bang – literally – at the Go OTR 5K Run (Vine and Twelfth Streets). Show your support for the community and help raise funds for the Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce by attending the race at 10 a.m. If you want to participate and get your heart pumping, you can…
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em
Illustration by Matt Hamby I can two-step. That’s it. Also, I killed some line dances at my dude’s wedding last year. But that was just to impress a girl, so even that doesn’t really count. I know I have more rhythm than most white people, but just enough to dance to “Purple Rain” at family…
On the Stove Training
Hughes High School students participate in a program about the restaurant business.
Elegy for a Dirty-Faced Angel
Exiled from Main Street XXXIV: for Bones (1970-2011) If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away. — Henry David Thoreau He will never again disarm us with his smile. Never…
Morning News and Stuff
Newt Gingrich began playing defense Tuesday during an interview with Fox News in an attempt to deflect the blitz of negative press stemming from his comments on Medicare and health care, and his reported debt to Tiffany’s. The former House Speaker launched his presidential campaign just a week ago and is already apologizing to people.…
