FRIDAY 17
MUSIC: JULIANNA BARWICK
Julianna Barwick deserves a concert space without distractions to perform her music. When you’re playing keyboards and singing mostly wordless vocals looped and layered to achieve a reverent harmonic effect, you don’t want to be interrupted by bar chatter and clanking glasses. That’s one big reason promoter Ryan Hall has booked the Brooklyn-based artist at the Ice Cream Factory, an art/performance space on Central Avenue in the Brighton District, for this Friday’s show. He believes the space is atmospherically conducive to the ethereal music she makes, which he wants to hear without crowd interference. See more in Sound Advice. 9 p.m. Friday. $7. Ice Cream Factory, 2133 Central Ave., Brighton, tickets here.
ONSTAGE: THE STAR-SPANGLED GIRL
During the summer, Northern Kentucky University’s theater facility morphs into a professional dinner theater under the moniker of the Commonwealth Theatre Company. Musicals and comedies are the standard fare. This summer’s season opener is Neil Simon’s 1966 story The Star-Spangled Girl about two young San Francisco radicals barely making a living off their political magazine, Fallout. Their downtrodden status quo is upset by Sophie, an all-American girl who causes a romantic tailspin. It’s a lightweight tale, but full of laughs — perfect for after-dinner entertainment; dinner starts at 6:30 p.m. and the show begins at 8 p.m. Through June 26. $35. Rose Stauss Theatre, Northern Kentucky University, Nunn Drive, Highland Heights, Ky., theatre.nku.edu.
EVENT: MAINSTRASSE VILLAGE ORIGINAL GOETTAFEST
Goetta isn’t just for breakfast. MainStrasse’s Goettafest dishes out Cincy’s quintessential meaty delicacy on just about anything and everything, whether it’s stuffed into tater tots, mixed into brownies or placed on top of a slice of pizza. Vendors will serve up goetta balls, goetta cheese, goetta burgers and more all weekend long. Arts, crafts and children’s activities will be scattered throughout the fest, with live music from the likes of The Bellevue Boys, Noah Wotherspoon and Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle. 5-11:30 p.m. Friday; noon-11:30 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. MainStrasse Village, Main Street, Covington, Ky., mainstrasse.org.
EVENT: INTERNATIONAL BEER FESTIVAL
This two-night boozy spectacular at Jungle Jim’s is all about the beer, with more than 100 breweries showcasing more than 400 beers, complete with unique brews and access to a variety of pub grub. Both nights kick off with a tapping of a firkin — a keg of beer that has been fermented inside of its own barrel — and include samples of imported, local and craft brews, plus cider from breweries like 21st Amendment, 5 Rabbit, Bell’s, Blank Slate, Listermann, Taft’s Ale House and more. Tickets include samples from participating brewers and a picnic-style meal. 7-10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $50; $20 designated driver. Jungle Jim’s Oscar Event Centre, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com/beerfest.
COMEDY: ROB SCHNEIDER
Rob Schneider describes his act as being about his life as well as the things going on in society, particularly those related to the economy. “I’ve had fantastic responses so far,” he says. “The best art comes from cultures in decline. Look at Euripides.” Schneider has always been interested in socio-economic issues, something that might be belied by his roles in comedies such as Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo and The Animal. However, he is an avid follower of current events and how they impact everyone’s daily lives. Off stage, he’s happy to talk about things like foreign policy, unions and healthcare. “I don’t get into those things in detail onstage because it’s a comedy show, but I do touch on everything.” 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday; 7 and 9:45 p.m. Saturday. $30. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.
MUSIC: THE STRUMBELLAS
AltPop ensemble The Strumbellas came together in Canada in 2008 and fairly quickly became a much-celebrated musical act in its homeland. After releasing a pair of albums that earned the band Juno Award nominations, the group broke the U.S. market with the ear-grabbing single “Spirits,” which earned major airplay across the country and hit No. 1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart. The hit was followed this year by The Strumbellas’ third full-length release, Hope, which is stuffed full of the big, infectious chorus hooks and elegant Indie Folk-leaning passages that made “Spirits” so irresistible. Great Columbus, Ohio-based Indie Rock crew Motherfolk opens for The Strumbellas’ tour stop in Cincinnati, offering a great (and inexpensive) way to kick off the weekend. 7:30 p.m. Friday. Free. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org.
SATURDAY 18
ONSTAGE: CHILDREN’S THEATRE OF CINCINNATI
Where does a love of theater begin? For thousands of kids around the Tristate, it’s long been with the Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati, America’s oldest theater for young audiences. It began in 1924 as a project of the Junior League and became a nonprofit organization in 1947, eventually evolving into a professional theater company. For decades, buses have delivered schoolchildren to the Taft Theatre in downtown Cincinnati for four productions annually, giving countless kids their first taste of theatrical magic. If they loved it enough to want to do it themselves, Children’s Theatre did its best to meet the need — with classes and training programs for children from ages 6 to 18. Those classes were offered at the building in Madisonville that also housed administrative offices. But that facility was bursting at the seams and really could not respond to the demand for training and performances. A decision was made to establish a new $6.5 million venue at 4015 Red Bank Road in Hyde Park bordering Fairfax. Operations relocated there early in 2016, and now it’s time to celebrate with an open house on Saturday. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Free. Children's Theatre of Cincinnati, 4015 Red Bank Road, Fairfax, thechildrenstheatre.com.
COMEDY: THE TENDERLOINS
Their hit TV show is called Impractical Jokers, and that’s what many people call them. Behind the truTV reality series, however, is a comedy group called The Tenderloins, a quartet that has been performing together since the 1990s and will come through the Taft Theatre on Saturday. For lack of a better descriptor, Impractical Jokers is a prank show, but with a twist. Instead of playing pranks on unsuspecting innocents, the four Tenderloins (Joseph “Joe” Gatto, James “Murr” Murray, Brian “Q” Quinn and Vulcano) challenge each other to do silly and outrageous things. Usually, one member is told what to do by the other three via a wireless microphone and headset. It often involves a challenge like getting a stranger to accept a raw fish in the middle of Central Park or bagging groceries and saying silly things to the customers. 7 p.m. Saturday. $52.50. Taft Theatre, 315 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org.
ONSTAGE: DIE FLEDERMAUS
The Cincinnati Opera opens its summer season with Johann Strauss, Jr.’s infectiously charming operetta. Die Fledermaus is German for “the bat,” and there’s no connection to Twilight’s vampire realm. The story is a frothy comedy about deception, infidelity and revenge, whipped up into soft peaks. There’s a cheating husband, a jealous wife with a lover of her own, a maid who wants to be in showbiz and a Russian prince. The bat is Dr. Falke, who two years earlier was forced to walk home in a bat outfit he wore to a costume party after being humiliated by his friend Eisenstein. See CityBeat’s June 8 summer opera preview online for more on the 2016 season. 7:30 p.m. June 16 and 18. $29-$169. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiopera.org.
EVENT: JUNETEENTH FESTIVAL
The Juneteenth tradition commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and dates back to 1865. Locally, Cincinnati’s Juneteenth Festival began in 1988 as a small neighborhood gathering in Kennedy Heights and has since blossomed into a full-fledged fest with an estimated 20,000 people in attendance. This weekend, head to Eden Park for family-friendly activities like storytelling, magic acts, sack races, a sweet potato pie bake-off, food vendors and local Blues, Gospel, Jazz and Reggae musicians. Friday kicks off with the Parade of the African Diaspora, where flags of 75 countries representing the origins and destinations of enslaved Africans will be waved. Saturday brings a Fathers and Families peace march and an evening tribute to Prince. Noon-9 p.m. Saturday; 2:30-6 p.m. Sunday. Free. Eden Park, juneteenthcincinnati.org.
EVENT: SUMMER SOLSTICE LAVENDER FESTIVAL
Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm hosts its eighth-annual Summer Solstice Lavender Festival to celebrate the longest day of the year — and the healing energy of lavender. Try samples of lavender-infused food, pick your own bunches of lavender fresh from the field, make your own lavender wreath or wander and browse a market replete with fresh lavender honey, organic lavender body products and more. Event is held rain or shine. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Free. 2387 Martinsville Road, Martinsville, Ohio, peacefulacreslavenderfarm.com.
EVENT: AIRHEADS’ EPIC 30TH BIRTHDAY PARTY
Fun fact: Airheads is produced locally in Erlanger, Ky., and the fruity, soft-chew candy turns 30 this year. Because they’re local, the company is throwing one epic birthday bash at Smale Riverfront Park. The daylong blow-out includes food, tethered hot-air-balloon rides, live music from Brooklyn, N.Y.’s Unlocking the Truth (three 13-year-old Punk Rockers) and candy, including the release of a limited-edition birthday cake-flavored Airhead. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free. Smale Riverfront Park, 100 W. Mehring Way, Downtown, mysmaleriverfrontpark.org.
EVENT: BRUNCHED: A BOOZY BREAKFAST CLUB
Shake off Friday night in your nicest athleisure wear and get your boozy breakfast on with a little hair of the dog at CityBeat’s inaugural “Brunched” party. The party kicks off with a bloody mary war and mimosa-off, followed by bottomless bite-sized samples of goetta, hash browns, biscuits, waffles, eggs, bacon and french toast from local eateries including Keystone Bar & Grill, Northside Yacht Club, 27 Bar + Kitchen, Red Feather, Holtman’s and more. A perfect way to start your Saturday. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday. $25; includes food and drink; this event is currently sold out. The Phoenix, 812 Race St., Downtown, facebook.com/cincinnaticitybeat.
EVENT: ROEBLINGFEST
This year’s 12th-annual celebration of the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge — a national historic landmark — focuses on the art, engineering and historical importance of the bridge, which turns 150 years old in 2017. The Covington Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee will lead tours of the bridge throughout the day, and short presentations will discuss topics like architect John Roebling and the restoration of the bridge in the late 20th century. Local artists will also have work on exhibit and for sale, and live Bluegrass music will be performed throughout the day. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. Free to attend; $5 bridge tours. Third and Greenup streets, Covington, Ky., facebook.com/roeblingfest.
ART: TOMÁS SARACENO ARTIST TALK AT THE CAC
Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno, a former artist-in-residence at NASA’s International Space Studies Program, will speak at the Contemporary Arts Center’s lower-level performance space for the opening of his newest installation in the CAC’s lobby. Saraceno’s past work has employed the latest technology in lightweight materials and sustainable energy and captured the artist’s interest in the work of inventor Alexander Graham Bell. For the CAC installation, he created whole and partial tetrahedrons made out of reflective surfaces, mirroring viewers, passersby and the architecture of the center’s Zaha Hadid-designed lobby. 2-4 p.m. Saturday. Free and open to the public. Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, contemporaryartscenter.org.
SUNDAY 19
TV: GAME OF THRONES
Ned Stark’s fall at the Great Sept of Baelor. The Battle of Blackwater Bay. The Red Wedding. The Battle of Castle Black. The Sons of the Harpy’s attack on Daznak’s Pit (not to mention Shireen’s sacrifice). What do all of these plot points have in common? They’re all majorly epic and memorable scenes from Game of Thrones, and they all take place in the second-to-last of their respective season’s 10 episodes. Game of Thrones set a new standard when it killed off the main protagonist in the final moments of Season 1’s penultimate episode. The show treats Episode 9 the way others approach a finale, firing action and drama on all cylinders before devoting a final episode to fallout, a bit of resolution and just enough build-up to leave us hungry for the next chapter. How will this season continue the tradition? The Battle of the Bastards. That’s right — it’s Snow vs. former Snow in a fight for the North. But beyond that, it’s good vs. evil: The recently reunited Jon and Sansa return to their family home at Winterfell to overthrow House Bolton (read: destroy mega-villain Ramsay) and reclaim and reunite the North in preparation for an even bigger, deadlier battle. What could possibly go wrong? 9 p.m. Sunday, HBO.
EVENT: CINCINNATI BEER WEEK
Cincinnati Beer Week descends on the Queen City Sunday through June 25. That means a plethora of bars, breweries, restaurants and beer-based bus tours will turn up the hops and spend seven days celebrating local, regional and national craft beer. Here’s a handful of participating places and events to get your drink on every day this week. *Note: This is not a comprehensive list of events associated with Cincinnati Beer Week; find a full calendar at cincinnatibeerweek.com.celebrates the art of craft beer via citywide pint nights, parties, rare releases and other events. See more in this week's Beer Issue.
COMEDY: PETE DAVIDSON PREHAB TOUR
Right on the tail of Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider’s local stop, SNL’s resident young person and notable pot head, 22-year-old Pete Davidson, hits the Liberty Funny Bone during his first national stand-up tour. He’s funny. 7 p.m. June 19. $25. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.
