FRIDAY 08
ATTRACTION: DRESSING DOWNTON AT THE TAFT MUSEUM OF ART
From figure-altering corsets to shorter skirts and relaxed dinner jackets, British fashion between 1912 and the early ’20s reflected the evolution of social and economic classes — a fact meticulously depicted on PBS’s drama Downton Abbey. The series, which spanned from 2010 to 2015, even won an Emmy for outstanding costumes in 2011 (and was nominated in the same category every year it aired). Now, Cincinnatians can get an up-close look at 36 of those costumes, plus accessories and film stills, at the Taft, where the highly anticipated Dressing Downton: Changing Fashion for Changing Times was unveiled last weekend. The traveling exhibit also draws ties to museum founders Charles Phelps and Anna Sinton Taft, who are described as contemporary versions of Downton’s Crawley family. Through Sept. 25. $20 adults; $15 kids 6-12; free members and children. Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown, 513-241-0343, taftmuseum.org.
ATTRACTION: ARK ENCOUNTER
Atheists scoff. Evangelicals sing on high. Many in the middle of these two polar opposites are a bit bemused and a little confused. A replica of biblical Noah’s massive wooden boat, along with a 1,500-seat restaurant, has been built — far, far away from any significant body of water. Across Ohio, radio commercials for months have beckoned the faithful to Northern Kentucky, and “Ark Encounter” is finally open. Its creators predict anywhere from 500,000 to 2 million visitors will make their way to Williamstown, Ky., about an hour south of Cincinnati. Former president Jimmy Carter took a tour in June. The builders are Answers in Genesis, or AiG. “It will be one of the biggest attractions outside Disney,” according to AiG president Ken Ham, a native-born Australian who is iconic to some and controversial to others. In regard to the 510-foot-long, 50-foot-tall ark — with the first phase of the project costing more than $90 million — AiG has been the butt of jokes, most notably from science itself, say AiG critics. AiG is also behind the (in)famous Creation Museum not far from the ark in Petersburg, Ky. AiG believes the Earth was created 6,000 years ago in seven days. Not only were there mammals and birds on Noah’s ark, but reptiles, as well — large, vicious ones, such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex, which also begets their explanation of the existence of dinosaur bones. 9 a.m.-midnight for the first 40 hours. $40 adults; $31 seniors; $28 children. Ark Encounter, 1 Ark Encounter Drive, Williamstown, Ky., arkencounter.com.
MUSIC: CHRIS CORNELL
Many people associate Chris Cornell with big-riffed, fully plugged-in, wall-shaking Hard Rock thanks to his role as a singer in Soundgarden and Audioslave. But as a solo act, Cornell has put himself in an almost polar-opposite musical setting, performing tours acoustically. Cornell decided the next logical move in his solo career would be to make an album in the sound and spirit of the acoustic shows, which he did with last year’s Higher Truth. A new Soundgarden album may be on the horizon, but Cornell will be busy touring behind Higher Truth through July. Cornell says he’ll have a cello player to join him on a handful of songs, but otherwise it will just be him on stage. He doesn’t use a set list, but plans to play not only some Higher Truth songs, but also other material that didn’t make earlier Songbook shows. “(I’m) going to be trying to go sort of deeper catalog, doing some songs that were written for different bands at different points in my life that I haven’t done yet,” Cornell says. 8 p.m. Friday. $50.50-$76. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.
MUSIC: SONNY & THE SUNSETS
Sonny Smith is one of those rare artists whose creativity cannot be restricted by a single medium. Smith is a musician first and foremost, but he has applied his musical talents to a varied series of collaborative projects and expanded the potential intersections of art and music. In 2009 he assembled a group of players — including solo musician Kelley Stoltz and members of Thee Oh Sees, Citay and The Fresh & Onlys — in order to craft a band sound under the banner of Sonny & the Sunsets. The group’s first album, 2009’s Tomorrow is Alright, showcased Smith’s penchant for storytelling in song, accompanied by a soundtrack that blended the innocence of ’60s Teen Pop and Doo Wop with a Glam/Psych-tinged spin on Garage Rock and Art Pop. In the seven years since starting Sonny & the Sunsets, Smith and a revolving cast of musical characters have released another five full-length albums that all follow a similarly entertaining sonic blueprint, a weird confluence of Randy Newman, Brian Eno, Jim Carroll, Frank Zappa, The Beach Boys and Lou Reed. Friday. Free. MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com.
EVENT: BACON, BOURBON AND BREW FESTIVAL
Almost a hundred years before Cincinnati was known for Montgomery Inn ribs, the city was nicknamed “Porkopolis.” As the largest hog-packing center in the country, the city has a long history of all things pork, ham and bacon. Dedicated to the area’s brewing and pork industries, this weekend’s Bacon, Bourbon and Brew festival features some of the Tristate’s top food vendors and three days of live music. Enjoy Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam and more at the Bourbon Experience Tent and Bar, which will host trivia, games and bourbon cocktails. And dine on swine creations with recipes that include bacon, bourbon or craft beer — all with a view of the Queen City from across the river. 5-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Festival Park, Riverboat Row, Newport, Ky., facebook.com/baconbourbonandbrewfestival.
SATURDAY 09
EVENT: THE PLAY LIBRARY
Julia Fischer is very much a Big kid — a female, pogo-jumping version of Tom Hanks’ character from the film about a child who wakes up as an adult and gets a job with a toy company. Fischer, who spent a decade working in the toy industry, moved to Covington, Ky. from Los Angeles two years ago. Just when she was thinking of returning to the coast, she received a $15,000 People Liberty’s Globe Grant to pursue her dream of creating a lending library of toys and games for children and adults. The Play Library opened last month inside the Globe Gallery in Over-the-Rhine and will operate through Aug. 27. This summer Fischer hopes to see new and longtime urban dwellers of all backgrounds become friends through fun. “A library is the great equalizer,” she says. “You find everyone there.” The space isn’t limited to Over-the-Rhine residents. Anyone and everyone is invited to come and operate a remote-controlled car, get tangled in Twister, play dress-up, snap together Legos, stage a puppet show and solve puzzles (or “selzzup,” as the sign says) for free while at the Play Library. But children under 14 must be with an adult. The Play Library isn’t a drop-off daycare, Fischer emphasizes. The whole idea is for families to play together, or for parents to connect over a game while their kids entertain themselves. With a membership starting at $20, anybody can check out one item at a time for a week. Through Aug. 27. $20 membership. Globe Gallery, 1805 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, peoples liberty.org, playlibrary.org.
MUSIC: GRIFFIN HOUSE
Instead of accepting a golf scholarship from Ohio State, Springfield, Ohio native Griffin House bought a $100 guitar, enrolled at Miami University and learned to play and write music. While still a student at Miami, House dumpster-dove some jewel cases to use for his self-released 2001 debut album, No More Crazy Love Songs, which he hawked at shows and to fellow students during classes. His sophomore album, 2003’s Upland, landed him a label/management contract with Vancouver indie Nettwerk, which resulted in his breakthrough 2004 album, Lost & Found. That album was championed by no less than MTV/VH1/CBS music journalist Bill Flanagan, who cited House as one of the most promising American singer/songwriters. After his two House of David EPs in 2005, House launched his Evening Records imprint and released a string of engaging discs that firmly aligned him with artists he’d opened for over the years, including Ron Sexsmith, Mat Kearney, Josh Ritter and Patti Scialfa. His 2007 album, Flying Upside Down, featured the talents of Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, as well as a reworking of House’s best-known song, “The Guy That Says Goodbye to You is Out of His Mind.” House has released four albums over the past seven years, all of which more than fulfill the promise of Flanagan’s prophecy over a decade ago. 8 p.m. $20-$30. Live! at the Ludlow Garage, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, liveattheludlowgarage.com.
ONSTAGE: FIDELIO
When wrongfully imprisoned and condemned to death, Florestan has but one hope left: his adoring wife, Leonore. Beethoven’s only opera took a decade to complete and went through three separate renditions before he was satisfied, but the finished product is a telltale sign of his artistic genius. Celebrated soprano Christine Goerke and stentorian tenor Russell Thomas join forces at the Aronoff Center for a performance sung entirely in German, with a projected translation for monolingual audience members. Enhance your experience with a preview talk one hour before each performance. 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Saturday. $39-$169. Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiopera.org.
FILM: THE 4TH SCREENING
In a benefit for the planned Clifton Market grocery, its supporters and the Esquire Theatre are presenting the local premiere of The 4th, a film by native-Cincinnatian writer/actor/director Andre Hyland that played at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Hyland will be present for post-screening Q&A sessions, and the price includes a post-screening cookout at the Clifton Market site. The film is a comedy about a Fourth of July cookout gone wrong and has adult language. 2:45 and 5 p.m. Saturday. $25. Esquire Theatre, 320 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, esquiretheatre.com.
EVENT: POP! GOES WESTWOOD
Weekends pop in Westwood this summer with neighborhood series Pop! Goes Westwood. Empty outdoor community spaces fill up with family programming, rotating vendors, public art, play areas and live music in the historic business district every Saturday and Sunday through Sept. 10 (excluding Labor Day weekend). This Saturday, find live tunes from Aprina Johnson, bites from food truck Bones Brothers Wings, beer from Jackie O’s and MadTree in the beer garden and a screening of E.T. at 9 p.m. The fun continues Sunday with pop-up shops and programming from the public library. 3-10:30 p.m. Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday. Free. The intersection of Harrison, Urwiler and Epworth avenues, Westwood, facebook.com/westwoodworks.
EVENT: FIFTY WEST PUNCH OUT FESTIVAL
This inaugural beer fest is all about swigs and swings. Fighters from 16 local breweries will be pitted against each other in a professional boxing ring, and while guests imbibe more than 50 local brews on tap, boxers will face off in five one-on-one amateur matches for the glory of their individual breweries. The night will also feature the release of Fifty West’s Punch You in the EyePA, available in 4-packs of 12-ounce bottles. Proceeds from the event benefit local charities selected by participating breweries, which include Listermann, Rhinegeist, Bad Tom Smith, Fibonacci and MadTree. 4 p.m. Saturday. $15. Fifty West Brewing Company Pro Works Facility, 7605 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, fiftywest.com/punchout.
SUNDAY 10
ART: PEOPLE VIA PLANTS
At last! An art exhibit you can bring your favorite plant to. In fact, Wave Pool’s People Via Plants installation project, which gets underway Sunday and continues through July 23, is for your houseplants as much as it’s for you. Those whose plants are ailing — or are lonely for companionship — are encouraged to bring them from noon-5 p.m. on Sunday, pose with them for an official “before” portrait in front of a mountains-at-sunset backdrop, and then leave those plants in the care of artists-in-residence Valerie Molnar and Matthew Spahr. (People can also drop off plants anytime during the artists’ stay.) Then on July 23 from 7-10 p.m., during a dance party/plant celebration, people can get “after” photos taken and bring their plants back home, stronger and healthier for the experience. It’s like sending children to camp for the summer. In between those dates, Molnar and Spahr will watch over their charges in their temporary plant rehabilitation center within the Camp Washington gallery’s building. There will be pop-up greenhouses where the artists can repot, feed and provide comfort for the plants, offer lighting with subtle color gradations to mimic sunset and play plant-appropriate music for 12 hours daily. Through July 23. Free. Wave Pool, 2940 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington, wavepoolgalery.org.
ONSTAGE: ONE-MINUTE PLAY FESTIVAL
On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evening, Know Theatre will be buzzing with creativity for the second year of #1MPF, the One-Minute Play Festival. This “barometer project” checks into more than 20 cities around the U.S. using dialogue, consensus building and performances of short moments generated locally. Approximately 30 works by Cincinnati playwrights will be staged by a cadre of directors. The aim? To create locally sourced, playwright-focused community events and promote the spirit of radical inclusion. Organizer Dominic D’Andrea is thrilled to return for 2016, saying, “Last year, coming to town and working with these artists was the most engaged new festival we had in the country.” 8 p.m. Sunday-Tuesday. $20. Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-300-5669, knowtheatre.com.
MUSIC: BOOM FOREST
John Paul Roney’s Boom Forest takes the earnest and emotive sound of Indie Folk heroes like Bon Iver and Sufjan Stevens, then gently wraps it in ambient layers of tasteful electronic ornamentation, splattered throughout with creative, discerningly placed beats that float in and out of the soundscapes. Originally from Wisconsin and now based in Nashville, Tenn., Boom Forest (which is Roney and a rotating cast of players that has included members of PHOX and Foreign Fields) is described in press materials as “an evangelist for a contemporary Folk tradition forwarding humanism in the face of our looming techno-apocalypse,” and its music is crafted to make a deeper connection with the audience, cutting through the technological distractions of today with an endearing elegance and sincerity. Boom Forest’s latest full release is last year’s well-received Post Knight Errant, though the song “Let You Down” was due to debut this week, suggesting more new material is on its way soon. 8 p.m. Sunday. $8; $10 day of show. Madison Live, 734 Madison Ave., Covington, Ky., madisontheateronline.com/madison-live.
EVENT: SECOND SUNDAY ON MAIN
Summer street festival Second Sunday on Main returns to Over-the-Rhine with this week’s installment, themed “MAINpride.” Now in its 11th year, SSOM takes over the 1200 block of Main Street on the second Sunday of the month through October with an outdoor beer garden, food trucks, live music, crafts for kids and more than 120 vendors for an afternoon of shopping and fun. MAINpride keeps June’s Pride spirit alive with events that celebrate the LGBTQ community, like fun drag races presented by Below Zero Lounge. Noon-5 p.m. Sunday. Free. Main Street between 12th and Liberty streets, Over-the-Rhine, secondsundayonmain.org.
FILM: SPRING GROVE’S SUMMER OUTDOOR MOVIE
If you’ve ever wanted to creep around Spring Grove at night, now’s your chance, only instead of creeping you’ll be watching a family-friendly movie. The cemetery and arboretum hosts an outdoor screening of Night at the Museum in its rose garden. Bring a blanket or lawn chair and the kids, and watch animals and antiques come to life in the American Museum of Natural History as night watchman Ben Stiller attempts to restore order. 9 p.m.-midnight Sunday. Free. 4521 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village, springgrove.org.
COMEDY: RYAN SINGER
Dayton, Ohio comedian Ryan Singer returns to headline his “home” club, Go Bananas, this weekend, riding the wave of several recent successes. Apart from headlining clubs across the country, he also features for friend and mentor Marc Maron from time to time and has been on Maron’s podcast and IFC TV series. Singer also hosts his own podcast called Me and Paranormal You, in which he and his guests discuss basically anything that is not considered normal. It can be anything from remote healing to ghosts. Yet, with all these high-profile gigs, he still isn’t quite a household name, but that’s OK. “The beauty of flying under the mainstream radar is there’s no one telling me what to do,” he says. “I’m having so much fun onstage.” Thursday-Sunday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.
This article appears in Jul 6-13, 2016.
