Brighton’s Shiniest
Jerome Jaffe is a character. With his thick New York accent, wiry frame, perma-five o’clock shadow and penchant for misnomers, he’s kind of a minor celebrity in his home base of Brighton in the West End. The artist has maintained a studio/storage space in the neighborhood for more than 16 years and moved his home…
Event: Bridalrama Summer Showcase
Calling all confused, frustrated, nervous or stressed brides-to-be: May the struggles of what’s meant to be one of the best days of your life cease to exist! Bridalrama is here to rescue you from your potential retreat into the fiery depths of Bridezilla territory with its summer showcase. The showcase will feature more than 100…
Art: Grey Cincinnati
Too often, fashion shows are about glitz, glam and stick-thin models prancing down a runway. Those fashion shows kind of suck. Grey Cincinnati, the project brainchild of former University of Cincinnati DAAP professor Henry Navarro, is a Cincinnati-specific fashion event inspired by the city’s history, culture, architecture and people. Navarro collaborated with a team of…
Art: Master Pieces 6
What’s going on in the halls of ivy? Those halls specifically turned over to artists pursuing master’s degrees? Manifest Gallery gives a look each year with Master Pieces 6, presenting works by graduate students and recent master’s graduates in this country and elsewhere. Sculpture takes a larger role than usual this year, amounting for nearly…
Event: Night Owl Market Kick-Off
It’s 2 a.m. You’re hungry. You’re in the downtown wasteland of late-night dining. Where do you go? Don’t think too hard, NOM’s got you covered. Night Owl Market is a lot on Main Street lined with food trucks, food booths and artisans selling their goods that’s open late to fill the void. Café’ de Wheels,…
Onstage: The Wedding Singer
It’s the closest thing Cincinnati has to “Hey, my dad’s got a barn — let’s put on a show.” In this case, “Dad” is Tim Perrino, the barn is Covedale Center for the Performing Arts, and this year’s show is The Wedding Singer, a piece of 1985 fluff. But it’s fluff that high school kids…
Art: Color NOW!
Phyllis Weston Gallery’s Color NOW! also features Cincinnati colorists from the recent past. This smart inclusion promises to elevate the show from an exhibition to an education. Compare and contrast paintings by late modernists Harry Reisiger and Jens Jensen with the work of 2012 Art Academy graduate Merritt Johnson, incoming AAC student Max Unterhaslberger and…
Event: Macy’s Music Festival
Fifty years ago, the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival set its roots in Cincinnati thanks to Dino Santangelo and his love of Jazz. Though the festival’s name and genre — from Jazz to Hip Hop to Soul to R&B — have changed, the Macy’s Music Festival consistently provided the city with growing crowds and well-known artists.…
Comedy: Tony Rock
Tony Rock’s stand-up does remind you a bit of his older brother Chris’s work, though the younger Rock’s delivery is actually quite different. Where Chris seems somewhat stunned by the things he observes, Tony evokes bemusement. Talking about people’s desire to deport Mexicans who might be in the country illegally, Tony asks his audience, “How…
Lit: Alex Kava
Alex Kava’s road to best-selling mystery novelist was an unconventional one. A native of tiny Silver Creek, Neb., Kava studied art and English in college before entering a successful career in marketing and advertising. Yet something was missing. A lifelong lover of books and stories, Kava in 1996 decided to leave her lucrative PR firm…
Your Tuesday To Do List
Women Writing for (a) Change presents a night of laugh-out-loud ladies at Go Bananas tonight. Support programs for local women and girls while having a few laughs — ticket sales benefit the organization. Area comics performing include Hannah Bishop, Loraine Braun, Carla Britain, Celeste Brott, Ally Bruener, Kelly Collette, Teri Foltz and Shelly Iker. Check…
New Website Reveals Kasich’s Cuts Locally
A new website called Cuts Hurt Ohio shows the impact of the state government slashing budgets. It gives a glimpse into how each county has been affected by cuts in education and local government aid programs. For Hamilton County, the website shows cuts of $241 million in the 2012-2013 budget. Education funds in Hamilton County…
Q&A with Motorhead’s Phil Campbell
Motörhead are Metal gods. They’ve been rocking arenas and stadiums for 37 years and are currently out on the Mayhem Tour with Anthrax and other major acts of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock. They’ve released 21 albums and have played in front of millions across the world with the loyal support of their super-fans, the…
Morning News and Stuff
The Ohio Board of Regents has recommended banning tobacco on all school campuses. The ruling is meant to curtail students picking up smoking during college. According to the Ohio Department of Health, 40 percent of college-aged smokers began smoking or became regular smokers after starting college. Louise Nippert, Cincinnati philanthropist and art patron, died yesterday…
Cincinnati’s Broner Scores Fifth Round TKO, Loses Title
Cincinnati's Adrien "The Problem" Broner won the fight Saturday night, but he lost the title. Broner, contracted to defend his WBO Junior Lightweight title (130 pounds) against Vicente Escobedo on Saturday in a fight broadcast nationally on HBO, failed to make weight, coming in more than three pounds heavy. The undefeated Broner automatically lost his…
Your Monday To Do List
True Theater, the local group that organizes shows of real, live storytelling, presents another evening of true tales tonight at Know Theater with trueGRIT. Hear accounts of survival, determination and courage told by the people who lived through it — regular folks in the community. Tonight’s show will feature a man who took on his…
Newest Chick-Fil-A Opponents: Kermit and Co.
Even the Muppets disapprove of Chick-Fil-A’s anti-gay policies. On Friday, the Jim Henson Company released a statement on Facebook claiming the company known for the Muppets would no longer be partnering up with Chick-Fil-A. “The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over fifty years and we have notified Chick-Fil-A that…
Q&A with Anthrax’s Scott Ian
Anthrax has shaped the heavy metal movement in America. The band recently released its 10th studio album, Worship Music, which brings back the band’s early sound with the re-emergence of lead vocalist Joey Belladonna. I love heavy metal guitars, so it was a privilege to speak to one of the all time metal guitar greats,…
Exitmusic
Exitmusic’s recent Tiny Desk Concert for NPR, in which artists literally perform live amid desks in the media outlet’s office, was anything but tiny. The New York City-based quartet, led by husband-and-wife duo Devon Church and Aleska Palladino, played four songs from the band’s recently released full-length debut, Passage (on Secretly Canadian), all of which…
Old Crow Medicine Show
Meth, liquor, hitchhiking, cheating and, of course, angels are just a few of the topics about which Old Crow Medicine Show enjoys singing. It sounds like a bad play on the topics of Country music, but it works for them — especially when you add in the banjo and that big ol’ bass. Often seen…
MidPoint Indie Summer Series featuring Orgone
Back in the ’30s, German scientist Wilhelm Reich proposed the existence of orgone, a biophysical life force that he postulated was at the root of sexual energy and later conceived as a subliminal living essence connecting everything in the universe. That explanation makes a perfect case for a quintet of talented Los Angeles musicians to…
Kendrick Lamar
Having friends in high places never hurts and Kendrick Lamar has the fascinating fortune to boast a friend in a really high place. In a recent interview, the Compton, Calif.-cultivated rapper described Lady Gaga as “a good friend” — a connection solidified by the Pop bigwig making an appearance during Lamar's set at the recent…
WATCH: Foxy Shazam’s ‘Holy Touch’ Video
Fresh off of one of the absolute best performances at the recent Bunbury Music Festival, Cincy Rock & Roll acrobats Foxy Shazam had their new music video debut this morning on the popular Vevo online vid site. The clip is for "Holy Touch," the latest single (and most Queen-like track yet) from Foxy's debut album…
Morning News and Stuff
Northern Ohio counties are starting to receive $19 million from Cleveland casino tax revenue. Cincinnati and Hamilton can expect a similar revenue boon next year when the Horseshoe Casino opens on Feb. 2013. Of course, the casino (and its revenue) could have been coming this year, but Gov. John Kasich blocked construction last year to…
Lucinda Williams
Born in Lake Charles, La., Lucinda Williams has the keen ability to craft Southern tinged Country songs that attract both AltRock and Country fans. In her 30-year career she’s become known as a deft lyricist, which is appropriate because her father, Miller Williams, was a well-known poet. Most recently, in 2011, she released the album…
Redistricting Reform Amendment Still Needs Signatures
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted announced Wednesday Voters First did not turn in enough valid signatures for its redistricting reform amendment. The organization will now have to gather 130,000 more signatures before July 28 if the amendment is to appear on the November ballot. The organization fired back in a statement Wednesday, saying it…
Q&A with The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada is a true "area band makes good" story. The Dayton-born group is steamrolling through the landscape of Metal all over the world. In the band's short history, TDWP has released four albums while keeping up one of the most active tour schedules around. The group's latest album, Dead Throne, from last…
Children’s Defense Fund to Host Conference in Cincinnati
The Children’s Defense Fund (CDF) will host a national conference in Cincinnati July 22-25 with a focus on child poverty, education and health care. It’s the first national conference hosted by CDF since 2003. Child poverty and its causes will be one of the main focuses of the conference. Nearly 15 million children in the…
Your Weekend To Do List: 7/20-7/22
Get ready to hump the fridge, write in your gournal and party Camp Firewood style, because Mayday is throwing a Wet Hot American Summer party Saturday. Enjoy a summer movie marathon, burgers and dogs from the grill, craft beers and a late-night dance party. The fun begins at 6 p.m. and continues through the night.…
Loudmouth Says “Goodbye” Tonight
One of Cincy’s more popular Pop Punk bands has decided to call it quits. But first, they're giving fans some new music and one final blow-out show to remember them by. The quintet Loudmouth has played well-attended gigs regularly around town for the past half decade or so, eventually becoming headliners of self-booked multi-band shows…
Hometown Boxer Adrien Broner to Defend Title on Saturday
Cincinnati resident and elite boxing prospect Adrien "The Problem" Broner will make his second WBO Junior Lightweight World Champion title defense at the U.S. Bank Arena Saturday. The Cincinnati pugilist (23-0, 19 knockouts), who lives in Westwood, faces Vicente Escobedo (26-3, 15 knockouts). The fight will be broadcast on HBO's Boxing After Dark and represents…
Stage Door: CSC’s ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’
Some fine entertainment can be found onstage this weekend. Just opening is Cincinnati Shakespeare's production of The Hound of the Baskervilles, a clever, three-man rendition done in the style of The 39 Steps, with actors taking on multiple roles and looking for moments of humor and slapstick. In addition to using three fine actors from…
David Sedaris to Speak Locally This Fall
Humorist and storytelling champion David Sedaris will return to Cincinnati for a one-night speaking engagement this fall. The best-selling author will bring his signature stories to the Aronoff Center Nov. 3; tickets are $40-$53 and can be purchased here. Sedaris is known for his oddly relatable, true-ish tales that combine comedy, embarrassment, neurosis and observational…
Morning News and Stuff
During a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado last night, a gunman walked into a theater, threw tear gas, and opened fire. Police identified James Holmes as the suspect in the shooting. Twelve were killed and at least 50 were wounded. On Twitter, one witness lamented that “there is no dark…
Q&A with Asking Alexandria
Asking Alexandria has a British Metal sound, is proudly rough around the edges and even prouder of its stereotypical Rock & Roll lifestyle. Nothing shows this more than the short film they just released, Through Sin and Self Destruction. They have two studio albums, most notable being Reckless and Relentless, which blasted into the Top…
When Someone Great Is Gone
There’s a tremendous breach between a life of stardom and a life of ordinariness; it’s a point of view most of us Joes take. Constantly forming idols for ourselves, we forget that those deemed as “famous” perform such mundane tasks as even putting on underwear in the morning. For some reason, famous people don’t wear…
Racial Bias in Death Penalty Cases Gets Ohio Supreme Court’s Attention
Ohio’s death penalty came under scrutiny again today, when the Ohio Supreme Court's Joint Task Force to Review the Administration of Ohio’s Death Penalty heard presentations from three different subcommittees on strategies to make sure the process in administering a death penalty sentence in Ohio is transparent and fair. The task force heard presentations from…
Sweet, Sticky Bunbury: A Wrap-Up
I drifted off Thursday night and had my wonderfully fitful sleep punctuated by the strangest dream. Like most dreams, it was disjointed and surreal, but it made an odd sort of sense. It’s never easy to describe these nocturnal apparitions but it was so vivid, I shall give it a try. Friday, July 13 I…
Your Thursday To Do List
There is a ventriloquist convention in town this week. Seriously! The Vent Haven ConVENTion takes over Cincinnati Airport Marriott daily through Saturday, and it’s got a full bill. Learn about the art of ventriloquism, browse puppets from dozens of vendors and enjoy entertainment from pros (the convention culminates with comedian Jeff Dunham speaking Saturday afternoon).…
MidPoint Indie Summer with The Ridges and More
Tomorrow evening on Fountain Square will be dry! I promise, or I'll personally refund your ticket money. This week's installment of the free MidPoint Indie Summer concert series on the Square features another solid bill. Joining in on the fun Friday is rootsy Indie Rock crew and Bloodshot recording artists Ha Ha Tonka, the eclectic…
‘Antiques Roadshow’ Filming in Cincinnati
Popular PBS series and appraisal show pioneer Antiques Roadshow has come to Cincinnati to film an episode locally. Film crews can be seen at various area landmarks such as Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, the American Sign Museum and the appraisal site, Duke Energy Convention Center. Host Mark L. Walberg and appraiser Lark Manson were…
Walk the Moon Does ‘Conan’
One of Cincinnati's most successful bands making waves on a national level, Alt/Dance/Pop quartet Walk the Moon, got a nice extra plug for its sold-out homecoming concert at 20th Century Theater in Oakley a week from today (July 26). As the band prepped to play their money-shot song, the miraculously infectious "Anna Sun," on Conan…
George M! (Review)
George M. Cohan could easily have been mistaken for a whole crowd of people: The American entertainer (1878-1942) was known as a playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and producer. By the time he was 30 he was known as “the man who owned Broadway,” and he is the individual who most shaped and established…
Commissioners Asked to Fully Fund Senior Services
The message at a Wednesday County Commission public hearing: Don’t reduce funding for mental health and senior services. The Hamilton County Board of County Commissioners must determine the levy amounts by Aug. 8. Last week the county’s Tax Levy Review Committee determined that the levies that fund services such as Meals on Wheels, home care…
LCD Soundsystem Film Screens Tonight at CAC
Following the successful screening of acclaimed Sigur Ros concert film Inni in April, the Contemporary Arts Center is showing another hot music flick. Tonight (on the same night and at the same time as an ever-growing list of theaters and venues nationwide) the CAC is screening Shut Up and Play the Hits, the much-anticipated concert…
Your Wednesday To Do List
Kickball either conjures memories of intense schoolyard fun or ultimate gym class embarrassment. If you prefer the former, you’ll be happy to know Cincinnati Sports Kickball League is taking the game out of the playground and onto Washington Park’s Civic Lawn! Co-ed adult teams will compete each Wednesday, 6-9 p.m. through Sept. 19. If you…
Record Lottery Profits Not Going to Schools
Ohio schools expecting more funding from record lottery profits may want to hold off. Last week, it was reported that the Ohio Department of Education had hit the jackpot with a record $771 million in lottery profits. By state law, lottery profits are supposed to go to the Lottery Profits Education Fund, which funds schools…
The Dark Knight Rises
There are moments when the stars and planets are in near-perfect alignment as a comet crosses the night sky and the movie gods cast their smiles on the screen, and a film dares to come close to living up to the undeniable hype that has been heaped upon its frames. It would appear that Christopher…
‘Small Town Security’ Surprises With Big Time Entertainment
An unscripted series about a family-owned private security company in Ringgold, Ga., might be an unlikely follower to AMC’s grippingly dark Breaking Bad. That lead-in, along with last week’s debut trailer for The Walking Dead, helped provide a built-in audience for the new program. But those who stuck around and actually watched the series premiere…
Benh Zeitlin’s Feature Debut Refuses to Tame the Beasts
Hushpuppy (dazzling yet likely to be overpraised six-year-old newcomer Quvenzhané Wallis) tells it like it is, like only a six-year-old can, but she is no ordinary child. Hushpuppy is blessed with rich awareness, self-awareness specifically, and of a kind that most adults lose somewhere along the journey toward adulthood. She believes the hype about herself.…
Cool Cocktails for a Hot Summer
Hot days mean cold beer, right? That’s what I used to think, too. Nowadays, though, beer is hardly ever my summer go-to beverage. I like summer cocktails that are lighter, more creative and tastier than the old standby. Sure, they’re not as easy as opening a frosty bottle, but they don’t have to be a…
Loudmouth Drops New Release, Says “Goodbye”
One of Cincy’s more popular Punk/Pop bands has decided to call it quits. But first, they’ll give fans some new music and one final blow-out show to remember them by. The quintet Loudmouth has played well-attended gigs regularly around town for the past half decade or so, eventually becoming headliners of self-booked multi-band shows at…
Mantra on the Hill (Review)
Change is good. David and Liz Cook of Daveed’s at 934 decided this year to try a new concept in Loveland, Daveed’s Next. I haven’t been yet, but it sounds like it will fit well with what David Cook does best. The best meal I ever had at Daveed’s was one in which he cooked…
POW! ‘Superhero’ Saves Us From an Ordinary Summer
Holy shake-up, Batman! What’s a fine arts institution doing presenting an exhibition of comic books, action figures, games and hand-knit (?!) superhero costumes? Why, it’s even encouraging mild-mannered citizens to show up in capes and tights! You Are My Superhero, opening Sunday at Dayton Art Institute (DAI), is here to rescue art lovers from the…
Bound by Ideas at Cincinnati Public Library
Our trusted little friend, we divulge our secrets to you and hope to leave our mark in your tender pages. We have written our memoirs, told our side of the epic battles, and haven’t we all had great expectations of seeing our names printed on your cover? Some of us have stopped reading you, others…
Clean Exchange
P ortsmouth, Ohio is a bucolic vision of small-town Ohio — predominantly rural, mostly conservative and home to a whopping 20,000 people. It’s also home to an epidemic of injection drug use and a treatment program that locals here are attempting to emulate. Bobbi Brachett of the Portsmouth City Health Department says nearly everyone in…
Where The Vintage Things Are
Em ily Buddendeck’s original career plans didn’t include a shop. She came here from Dayton to go to the University of Cincinnati and ended up in retail by way of a fine arts major (a period when she showed art in her own apartment) and various jobs including customer service for the Cincinnati Public Library,…
Singing Cincinnati’s Praises
This time of year there’s not much theater in town, something I usually grouse about. But that scarcity pushed me in a different direction this year: I bought tickets to the World Choir Games, and, boy, was I glad I did. I saw as much drama in those 11 days as I’ve seen in many…
Belle With Balls
F or a young woman with an unremarkable name, Jane Smith makes remarkable music with her band, Belle Histoire. And at an age when most people are slightly intimidated by the enormity of the decisions ahead of them, Smith has a clear idea of what she wants. “We’re going to work as hard as we…
Ohio GOP Questions Redistricting Petition Signatures
The Ohio Republican Party announced July 17 that it will be scrutinizing petition signatures for an amendment that would reform Ohio’s redistricting laws. The petition, supported by Voters First, seeks to put the redistricting issue to vote by placing an amendment on the November ballot that would give redistricting powers to an independent citizen commission.…
Schmidt, Boehner Accused of Scrubbing Wikipedia Pages
A post on viral web cataloger BuzzFeed accuses U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt or her staff of airbrushing the congresswoman’s Wikipedia page. BuzzFeed claims that a user bearing the Internet fingerprint shared by all Congressional offices removed the section of Schmidt’s Wikipedia entry titled “The Armenian Genocide issue.” Schmidt was one of 33 Congress members alleged…
Obama Sues Ohio to Restore Early Voting
P resident Barack Obama and the Democratic Party filed a lawsuit July 17 to restore voting during the three days prior to Election Day in the state of Ohio. If the restriction is removed, it could benefit as many as 93,000 Ohioans who voted early during the 2008 presidential election, according to the court complaint…
Cincinnati vs. The World 07.18.12
Meat eaters beware: Antibiotics fed to grocery store chickens are being blamed for the drug-resistant spread of “superbugs” from poultry to humans, causing an outbreak of difficult-to-treat bladder infections in about eight million U.S. women. WORLD -1 Warren County law enforcement busted a drug ring at Mason High School led by a 17-year-old who police…
Reflections on Larkin Ahead of Hall of Fame Induction
While Barry Larkin is being inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 22, the current Reds will be facing the Milwaukee Brewers in the final game of a three-game series before heading out to Houston. Still, most will make time to watch Larkin speak — and some will likely watch it more…
Free Jazz, Free Living
At least once a week, I come close to understanding what it might be like to play in a classic jazz quintet like Miles’ second iteration (the late 1960s edition) featuring him on trumpet, Herbie Hancock on piano, Wayne Shorter on sax, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams keeping time on the drums. Working…
Leveling the Law
I n order to combat what it views as the encroachment of religion on public life, a national organization called the Secular Coalition for America is planning on opening a state chapter in Ohio. The local chapter would lobby the state legislature to keep church and the state separate, according to Secular Coalition for America…
Worst Week Ever!: July 11-17
WEDNESDAY JULY 11 Alanis Morissette didn’t know what “ironic” meant and we probably don’t either … but it sure sucks for all the people who took a hair-loss medication called Propecia, which people in lab coats now believe harms males’ sex drives and somehow even shrinks the organs found where the bathing suit covers. Dudes…
The Pride of Cincinnati
As I have gotten older, I have found most of the side effects annoying. The ear hair is the worst. But there are a couple of perks, my favorite being the opportunity to have a “bigger picture” perspective after watching how things go down for so long. (If you’re curious, the other two perks of…
Bunbury, Isle of White
It must be comforting and indeed relaxing to come from near and far and land at Sawyer Point for three days, look around and see throngs and gaggles of folks just like yourself everywhere you look. Aaaah, whiteness. Take a deep breath. Smell it. Sweaty, like-minded and identically dressed and tatted-up white folks, in various…
Bunbury Rocks, Def Lep Rewinds and Macca/Boss Cut Short
HOT: Bunburied Alive The first ever Bunbury Music Festival along Cincinnati’s Sawyer Point Park was a big success, with organizers estimating three-day attendance totals at around 50,000. One of the smoothest run festivals you’ll ever attend, Bunbury brought the masses to the Ohio River banks for sets by headliners like Weezer and Death Cab for…
