WEDNESDAY 22 ART: NOW That’s What I Call An Art Exhibit! Seventy-two square canvases by Cincinnati-based artist and comedian Alex Leeds fill the walls of Over-the-Rhine’s MOTR Pub— one for every CD cover in the Now That’s What I Call Music! series. (The show is aptly titled NOW That’s What I Call An Art Exhibit!.) Exhibit runs through January. Free. MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. motrpub.com. Photo: Steve Kemple
WEDNESDAY 22 MUSIC: Grace Potter at Taft Theatre Grace Potter is reflective when she discusses the past five years of her personal and professional life, and you don’t have to be psychic to discern the emotional roller coaster she’s ridden in that span. Her 2015 solo album was titled Midnight, and her latest album is diametrically dubbed Daylight. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22. $29.50-$49.50. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org. Photo: Pamela Neal
WEDNESDAY 22 ONSTAGE: In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises) at Know Theatre We live in an age of unsurpassed existential dread. The ravaged environment, the unforgiving economy and the chances of nuclear war are grimly relevant topics that encircle us like hungry vultures. Our era’s sense of inherited doom makes it hard to believe that it’s kind to bring children into this world, but we reproduce all the same. That rationality sets the tone for In the Night Time (Before the Sun Rises), a two person play written by Nina Segal. Currently onstage at Know Theatre, it stars Elizabeth Chinn Molloy and Brandon Burton. Through Feb. 8. $25; $35 Living Wage ticket; $15 rush ticket (if available); $10 on Wednesdays. Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, knowtheatre.com. Photo: Dan R. Winters
WEDNESDAY 22 ART: Tom Schiff: Surrounded by Art at the Contemporary Arts Center The Cincinnati-based photographer’s current solo show at the Contemporary Arts Center is a culmination of years spent traveling cross-country capturing the interiors and exteriors of various museums through the lens of a Cirkut, an antique “full rotation” panoramic camera. Through March 1. Free admission. Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, contemporaryartscenter.org. Photo: Courtesy of the artist, Tom Schiff
THURSDAY 23 MUSIC: Mike Gordon at 20th Century Theater Mike Gordon might well be one of the highest-profile bassists on the planet, due largely to his consistent role as the stringed half of Phish’s rhythm section over the past 37 years (barring a two-year hiatus and a five year “break up”). In that time, Gordon has become renowned as a fluid and inventive bassist whose contributions to Phish (which early on included answering fan mail, booking gigs and managing the band’s finances) have been critical to the band’s success and longevity. He’s also turned that well-deserved reputation into an acclaimed solo career. 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23. $27.50 in advance; $30 day of show. 20th Century Theater, 3021 Madison Road, Oakley, the20thcenturytheatre.com. Photo: Rene Humer
THURSDAY 23 COMEDY: Gabe Kea It’s already shaping up to be a big year for comedian Gabe Kea. He recently returned from Indianapolis, where he headlined a club and squeezed in a feature slot for Kevin Nealon. Back home in Cincinnati, he’s taking care of his daughter. “She’s in preschool, so most days I take her and pick her up,” he says. “I’m a house dad. I’ll be outside playing with my daughter and one of the neighbors will come by, and then another with her kids. And then there’s me. It’s all women and then me.” These shows at Go Bananas are going to be recorded for Kea’s first album — an exciting event made even better by the fact that he won’t be away from his daughter. 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23; 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24 and Saturday, Jan. 25; 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. $8-$14. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com. Photo: Provided
THURSDAY 23 ONSTAGE: Cirque du Soleil AXEL Want to up the ante on a typical high-flying, acrobatic Cirque du Soleil show? Put it on ice and add sharp, pointy skates. Cirque du Soleil AXEL blends ice skating with acrobatics and live takes on Rock and Pop hits to create an “adrenaline-fueled” adventure. Like most Cirque storylines, the plot of AXEL is slightly fantastic, described on the website as: “See sparks fly as Axel falls for the captivating Lei. Together they jet off on a fast-moving quest through fantastic and colorful worlds to retrieve the stolen light from the mystical Vi.” OK! Audiences can expect to see aerial and ladder balance acts, Wushu martial arts and people performing on a cyr wheel backdropped by bright projections and graphic art. Through Sunday, Jan. 26. $44-$130. Heritage Bank Center, 100 Broadway St., Downtown, heritagebankcenter.com. Photo: Provided by Vehr Communications
THURSDAY 23 FILM: Mayerson JCC Jewish & Israeli Film Festival Award-winning films from across the world converge for this month-long festival that celebrates both established and emerging filmmakers. Film screenings will be held through Feb. 27 at various venues across Greater Cincinnati. Opening night, Jan. 23, features 2018’s The Unorthodox. (Showtime is 7:30 p.m. at the Mayerson JCC.) Directed by Eliran Malka, the film follows a man named Yakov Cohen. When his daughter is expelled from school because of her ethnic origins as a Sephardic Jew, he decides to form his own political group in Jerusalem — despite having no money, connections or experience. Based on a true story, these everyday people brought social change to Israel through their actions. Stick around for a discussion with Amnon Maggid, a Community Shaliach from Israel, and Justin Kirschner, associate director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, as they delve into what it’s like to vote in Israel. Other films that will be shown throughout the fest include Picture of His Life, Those Who Remained, Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, Aulcie, Family in Transition and more. Jan. 23-Feb. 27. Festival pass $140-$170; prices vary for individual film/event tickets. Multiple locations, mayersonjcc.org. Photo: mayersonjcc.org
FRIDAY 24 MUSIC: Turkuaz at the Madison Theater The Brooklyn-based Funk outfit Turkuaz plays the Madison Theater. 9:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24. $20 in advance; 22 day of show. Madison Theater, 730 Madison Ave., Covington, madisontheater.com. Photo: Dani Brandwein
FRIDAY 24 FILM: The Apartment If you’re under 70 years old, there’s a good chance you’ve never had the opportunity to watch Billy Wilder’s masterful The Apartment on the big screen. That changes this month as The Esquire hosts four screenings of the 1960 film, starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine at her effervescent best. It feels weird to call The Apartment a “rom com,” but that’s fundamentally what it is — albeit with a prominent melancholic streak. In one of his finest roles — in which he plays his soulful if bumbling everyman character to perfection — Lemmon is C.C. “Bud” Baxter, whose success at an insurance company suddenly hinges on his discretion in regards to the indiscretions of managers at the office who begin to borrow Baxter’s apartment for liaisons with their mistresses. Things take a turn when it turns out one of the mistresses is also his big-time crush, elevator operator Fran Kubelik. That’s when things get really dark… then darkly sweet. The Esquire screening is a part of its series of Oscar-winning classics; The Apartment won Best Picture in 1961 and Wilder — just a year removed from another immortal classic, Some Like It Hot — took home the Best Director trophy, one of seven Oscars he’d earn in his lifetime. 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24; 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25; 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26; 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27. $10.25. Esquire Theatre, 320 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, esquiretheatre.com. Photo: YouTube Screenshot
SATURDAY 25 EVENT: CityBeat’s This Is Brunch Keep Friday night’s party going or cure your weekend hangover with This Is Brunch, a Saturday soiree full of sweet and savory bites and plenty to drink. Sip on bloody marys and mimosas while guests and judges vote for the city’s best in each category, and sample brunch items from the likes of Sugar n’ Spice, The Bagelry, Holtman’s, Lydia’s on Ludlow and many more. Entertainment will be provided by Ethan & Joey and proceeds benefit the Cincinnati Squash Academy, which “uses the disciplined game of squash to help transform talented students in underserved communities into scholar-athletes, productive citizens, and future leaders.” $40 general admission; $50 week of (if not sold out); VIP and early bird sold out. The Phoenix, 812 Race St., Downtown, brunchedcincy.com. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
SATURDAY 25 EVENT: Chinese New Year Party Daspo — a local group that promotes Asian-American culture, restaurants, musicians, artists, leaders and more — is hosting its annual Lunar New Year Party at Energy Nightclub. Celebrate the Year of the Rat with two separate dance floors featuring multiple DJs. 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. $5 ages 21 and up; $10 ages 18-20. Energy Nightclub, 700 W. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, godaspo.com. Photo: facebook.com/asianfoodfest
SATURDAY 25 EVENT: Color Ball 2020 The Greater Cincinnati Human Rights Campaign hosts its annual Color Ball party and fundraiser. This formal event includes a cocktail reception, silent and live auctions, dinner, entertainment and guest speakers. The stated mission of HRC Cincinnati is “The Greater Cincinnati Chapter as part of the National Human Rights Campaign and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation together serve as America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve LGBTQ equality. By inspiring and engaging individuals and communities, The Greater Cincinnati HRC chapter strives to end discrimination against LGBTQ people locally and realize a world that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all.” 5 p.m. VIP reception; 6 p.m. general reception Saturday, Jan. 25. $200; $150 students; $300 VIP; discounts for Federal Club members and friends. Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown, hrccincinnati.org. Photo via FACEBOOK/HRCCINCINNATI/
SATURDAY 25 MUSIC: Olivia Jean Nashville-via-Detroit musician Olivia Jean appears to have a soft spot for Greater Cincinnati. After headlining Newport’s Southgate House Revival in 2018, the Third Man Records recording artist — who broke away from her role as singer/guitarist in The Black Belles to begin a solo career with 2014’s Bathtub Love Killings — returned to the area and opened for The Raconteurs in September at the Taft Theatre. But she’d been to the Cincinnati area a few times before that high-profile gig. In 2016, she played at the site of the historic Herzog studios for a celebration of the 65th anniversary of the recording of the classic “Train Kept A-Rollin” at the space. Jean also did some recordings at Herzog (and The Lodge in Northern Kentucky) that were featured on her second solo album, last year’s Night Owl. Local engineers Paul Brumm and Zach Gabbard (a member of Buffalo Killers and touring member of The Black Keys) worked on the album’s “If You Don’t Love Me By Now” and “The Hunt.” 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. $15; $18 day of show. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport, southgatehouse.com. Photo: Brittany Thornton
SATURDAY 25 ART: Megan Bickel at Bunk Spot Louisville-based multidisciplinary artist and writer Megan Bickel has, in her own words, recently been spending much of her time “meditating on two words as they relate to one another in their contemporary context: allusion and illusion.” See her explore that relationship at Bunk Spot’s first art opening of the year. Titled of an event, assigned a date that is too early, Bickel says in her artist’s statement that this particular body of work “utilizes haptic curiosity” as a way to encourage “visual, ethical or empathic critique of contemporary media images.” An Art Academy of Cincinnati alum who is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts at the University of Louisville, Bickel’s work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions regionally and nationwide. Opening reception 7-11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25. Free. Bunk Spot Gallery, 544 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/bunknews. Photo via Facebook.com/BunkNews
SUNDAY 26 EVENT: Australia Day Fundraisers The devastating wildfires currently happening in Australia have burned more than 24 million acres, impacted at least half a billion animals and killed at least 30 people, according to the BBC. And people around the globe have stepped up to either help try to control the fires or assist in recovery — including Cincinnatians. Local actress Miranda McGee (frequently seen onstage at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company), an Australian citizen, is helping her homeland by hosting an Australia Day fundraiser 2-8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26 at Queen City Radio (222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine) on behalf of the American Australian Association Inc. to benefit the Red Cross, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Australian Bushfire Relief Fund. Also on Jan. 26 — aka Australia Day, basically the Australian Fourth of July — Below Zero Lounge (1120 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine) is hosting Bikkies & Bevvies for Fire Relief from 1-5 p.m. Make a donation to be split between the Australian Red Cross, Victorian Country Fire Authority and Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park and get a bikkie (a cookie). The suggested attire is your “best summer beach gear.” Queen City Radio // Photo: Patty Salas
SUNDAY 26 EVENT: Findlay Market Chili Cook-Off Do you have the right ingredients to win the title of Chili Meister? Findlay Market is hosting its 16th-annual Chili Cook-Off to crown a new king or queen of Cincinnati chili. In addition to the long-running chili contest, the market will also be naming a “Hot Sauce Boss.” Each chili competitor will bring four quarts of chili (in a heated slow cooker) for judges to sample, and Hot Sauce Boss entrants will bring 10 ounces of hot sauce in a squeeze bottle; both will have to source at least one ingredient from a Findlay Market vendor. If you want to taste the creations of these amateur chefs, free chili samples will be available at 1 p.m. and hot sauce samples at 3:30 p.m. (while supplies last). Tickets for chili-themed bites from Findlay Market vendors will also be for sale starting at $2 per ticket, with beer for purchase from Christian Moerlein. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, findlaymarket.org. Photo: Provided by Findlay Market
SUNDAY 26 EVENT: January Tea Dance at Holiday Spirits This is Tea Dance Cincinnati. People cross through crowds to greet old and new friends alike as others pose for photos, embrace one another and, of course, dance. Music resounds through the space as rainbow-colored flags, shirts and decor spark the scene. An LGBTQ tradition from the 1940s and ’50s, these events historically functioned as a way for same-sex couples to openly and safely be together. With the intention of creating a gathering spot for the local LGBTQ community on a regular basis, Richard Cooke and husband Marty Wagner first resurrected the tradition in 2017 to great success. The monthly event — held at various venues throughout Greater Cincinnati — will throw its first bash of 2020 at Holiday Spirits. Groove to the tunes of DJ Thaddeus, sip a few cocktails (or mocktails) and party all afternoon. What better way to wipe away the post-holiday blues? 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26. Free admission. Holiday Spirits, 1538 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/teadancecinci. Photo: Hailey Bollinger
MONDAY 27 EVENT: Butterfly/Moth Mounting Workshop If your New Year’s resolution was to take on a new hobby and you’re looking for something that combines nature and art (and aren’t particularly squeamish), Hail Dark Aesthetics might have just the thing. Collecting and mounting butterflies and moths takes a delicate hand, but the shop will have experts at their upcoming workshops to help guide you — don’t worry if you’re a nervous beginner; they will even have some OK-to-break practice specimens. For the main mounting projects, the workshops will be using Urania Sunset Moths — beautifully colored, feathery, flying insects. The event is a part of a critter-mounting series at Hail Dark Aesthetics hosted by Meddling with Nature, a group that, according to its Facebook description, is “dedicated to exploring the connection between art and natural science” (find more on the collective at meddlingwithnature.com). In February, Hail hosts similar workshops for beetle and scorpion mounting. 6 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 26 (sold out) and 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27. $65 (one seat; one critter); $110 (two seats; two critters). Hail Dark Aesthetics, 720 Main St., Covington, hailcincinnati.com. Photo: Hailey Bollinger