FRIDAY
HALLOWEEN: GLOBE IN THE DARK: DEEP SPACE People’s Liberty’s Globe Gallery hosts an out-of-this-world opening and after party complete with music, food, booze and the main attraction — an interactive iridescent dome. 2015 globe grantee Amy Lynch and partners Joel Masters and J.D. Loughead unveil Deep Space, an “immersive multisensory infinityscape” that provides an intimate experience with colorful, abstract pieces that call reality into question. At 8 p.m., a short presentation will highlight 2015/16 Haile Fellows and Project and Globe Grantees; afterward, the Darkly Dreaming after party takes over 1706 John St. with dancing, music and more. 6-11 p.m. Friday. Free. Globe Gallery, 1805 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, peoplesliberty.org.
HALLOWEEN: ART AFTER DARK: ART OF THRONES
Winter is coming…after Halloween. Head to the Cincinnati Art Museum for the latest installation of Art After Dark, a Game of Thrones-inspired installment that invites guests to show up in their most gallant medieval costumes and celebrate the current exhibit of High Renaissance art, Sublime Beauty. Snap a selfie with Ohio Renaissance Festival characters, listen to live music from Lemon Sky, take a guided ghost tour of the museum or participate in the Medieval & Mythical Creature costume contest. 5-9 p.m. Friday. Free admission; drink and appetizer prices vary. 953 Eden Park Drive, Eden Park, cincinnatiartmuseum.org.
HALLOWEEN: DESTINY AND DANTE'S INFERNO
The May Festival Chorus teams up with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to tackle Liszt’s Dante symphony — inspired by Dante Alighieri’s The Divine Comedy — depicting Dante’s and Virgil’s journey through hell. Australian conductor Simone Young also leads the orchestra in Brahms’ “Song of Destiny” and “Funeral Song.” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $10-$104. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org.
EVENT: DESIGNBUILDCINCY
More than 130 top-notch exhibitors share and discuss the latest design trends during Cincinnati’s only curated design showcase. Whether you’re in the middle of a project or are just getting started, DesignBuildCincy is a place to network, share and get inspired. Personally invited to participate by DesignBuild, exhibitors range from architects, contractors and fabricators to designers, retailers and suppliers. The second-annual event takes over Music Hall this weekend, kicking off Friday with a combined performance by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and May Festival Chorus. 5-8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. $8; Free 13 and younger. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, designbuildcincy.com.
MUSIC: CIRCA SURVIVE
There is much wisdom that can be gleaned from the Toms. Tom Petty taught us long ago to listen to our hearts, because “it’s gonna tell (us) what to do. And Tom Cruise reminded us eloquently and succinctly, “Sometimes you’ve just gotta say, ‘What the fuck, make your move.’ ” Eleven years ago, Anthony Green heeded those philosophical nuggets and momentously left his position as frontman of Post Hardcore outfit Saosin, which was on the verge of a major-label signing, and returned home to suburban Philadelphia.Upon arrival, Green contacted guitarist Colin Frangicetto, his friend and former drummer for This Day Forward, with which Green had briefly jammed during a visit home. The pair began recording and canvassing their circle of musician friends for people to round out the group, quickly adding ex-This Day Forward guitarist Brendan Ekstrom, ex-Taken bassist Nick Beard and drummer Steve Clifford. The original lineup of Circa Survive has remained intact since its 2004 formation. Read more about the band in this week's Sound Advice. See Circa Survive with RX Bandits and Citizen Friday at Bogart's. More info/tickets: bogarts.com.
MUSIC: CRAIG FINN
Craig Finn writes songs. He can’t help it, and he isn’t stopping anytime soon. Best known as the frontman for The Hold Steady, Finn has been delivering his detailed, word-addled songs about everyday people and places for more than two decades, a tradition he continues with his recently released second solo album, the eclectic but still-cohesive Faith in the Future. Far more restrained than the riff-happy Hold Steady records, Faith in the Future is a nuanced, often wistful collection anchored by Finn’s ever-distinctive sing/speak vocals and literate lyrics. Album-opener “Maggie I’ve Been Searching for Our Son,” an evocative tale about a Branch Davidian-like cult, is as moving and memorable as anything in Finn’s now-bursting songbook. Read a full feature on Finn here. Craig Finn performs with Esme Patterson Friday in the Taft Theatre’s Ballroom. Tickets/more info: tafttheatre.org.
MUSIC: KWAME BINEA SHAKEDOWN
After growing up in London and Ghana, singer/songwriter/guitarist Kwame Binea spent his teen years in Cherry Hill, N.J., playing basketball, writing poetry and absorbing the output of artists who would become the foundation of his eventual musical persona — Led Zeppelin, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley and Parliament-Funkadelic, among others. Binea moved to New York City to pursue his musical dreams, and he and his Shakedown band honed their blend of Rock, Funk and Soul on the city’s club scene. This year, Kwame Binea Shakedown issued its first EP, a self-titled four-track release that nicely showcases its organic sound, running from the high-octane, horn-laden Funk explosion of “Let Go” to the folksy, slinky Soul of “Waiting.” 10 p.m. Friday. Free. The Drinkery, 1150 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, drinkeryotr.com.
HALLOWEEN: WEIRD BEER WEEKEND
Head to Arnold’s for a weekend of weird beers. The bar hunted to find the strangest and most peculiar brews they could get their hands on, including Rivertown’s Death, brewed with ghost chili peppers; Jackie O’s Pawpaw Wheat; Rhinegeist’s Vanilla Maple Squirrel; and more. All of the beers will be tapping on Friday, with live music all weekend. Friday and Saturday. Free admission. Arnold’s Bar & Grill, 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, facebook.com/arnoldsbar.
HALLOWEEN: THE NIGHT OF THE LIVING ALES
Brass Tap hosts a costume party in conjunction with Fifty West, featuring six Fifty brews on tap. Costume contest with awards for first, second and third places. 6 p.m. Free admission. Brass Tap, 251 Calhoun Ave., Clifton Heights, facebook.com/fiftywestbrewingcompany.
HALLOWEEN: HALLOWEVE BREW BASH AT AULT PARK
Taste the best selections from more than a dozen of Cincinnati’s breweries, including Bad Tom, Blank Slate, Braxton, Cellar Dweller, Christian Moerlein and more. Tickets include 10 four-ounce tastings. Don’t forget your costume. 6-10 p.m. $25. Ault Park Pavilion, 3600 Observatory Ave., Hyde Park, aultparkac.org.
SATURDAY
EVENT: HOPGEIST
Rhinegeist rings in Halloween with the second-annual Hopgeist Double IPA festival. If you’re really into IBUs, this is the fest for you. Guaranteed to deliver “hair-raising hop flavors,” the fest features beers from breweries across the country — Dogfish Head, Jackie O’s, 21st Amendment — including super-rares from locals Listermann, Blank Slate, MadTree and more. Rhinegeist will also be debuting the winner of their homebrew collaboration, Homie, a double IPA with mosaic hops. VIP tickets include early access at noon and free food from Dutch’s and Maribelle’s. Noon-6 p.m. Saturday. $35; $50 VIP. Rhinegeist, 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinegeist.com/hopgeist.
HALLOWEEN: THE MALICE BALL
The third-annual Malice Ball returns to OTR for a night of illusion, mystery and masquerading in the foggy underworld of the Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom. Dress in chic, dark and elegant costumes to enter the costume contest for prizes and a parade down the red carpet; a makeup artist and masks will be at the ball to enhance your look. Complement your outfit with specialty cocktails, Moerlein’s small-batch rye brown ale Malice Ball Brew, a spooky photo booth and DJs Matt Joy and Kenneth Wright (CityBeat’s event coordinator). Last year’s party was huge (800-plus guests), so get ready to mix and mingle. 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday. $30 at the door; admission includes a drink ticket. 1621 Moore St., Over-the-Rhine, otrchamber.com.
HALLOWEEN: CINCINNATI POPS SYMPHONY SPOOKTACULAR
The Cincinnati Pops hosts a family-friendly, costumes-encouraged concert filled with songs familiar to kids and adults including the “Imperial March” from The Empire Strikes Back and “Harry’s Wondrous World” from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. A Family Fun Zone begins at 9:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. Saturday. $4.50-$16. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org/pops.
COMEDY: ARIES SPEARS
Aries Spears is still plugging away. As the second-longest serving member of Mad TV, he is still recognized for his work on that program. His impressions of Sean “Diddy” Combs, Shaquille O’Neal and Wayne Brady, to name just a few, are still remembered fondly by fans. And while he will still do impressions in his stand-up act, he mostly does observational material. “There’s certain shit I can’t do with white people,” he says to an audience. “Like go drinking...When you’re drunk you make that noise: ‘Wooo!’ There’s a lot of bad history behind that noise. When black people hear ‘Wooo!’ they start looking for pick-up trucks.” Friday-Sunday. $25. Funny Bone on the Levee, Newport on the Levee, Newport, Ky., levee.funnybone.com.
HALLOWEEN: IGBY'S VENETIAN MASQUERADE
Sip on Venetian-themed cocktails at this Halloween costumer party. Think Casanova, ornate masks and fire performers. Unmask yourself at midnight. Free. 122 E. Sixth St., Downtown, igbysbar.com.
HALLOWEEN: ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Do the Time Warp twice in one night with a double screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Esquire. Dress in your best Janet nightie or Dr. Frank-n-Furter thigh-highs and pearls for an evening with the Denton Affair, a live cast who plays along with the action on screen. Bring flashlights, noisemakers and bells. No one under 17 admitted without a guardian. 9:50 and 11:55 p.m. Saturday. $9.75. 320 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, esquiretheatre.com.
ONSTAGE: ANDY'S HOUSE OF [BLANK]
Trey Tatum and Paul Strickland grew up just 45 miles apart — Tatum in southern Alabama and Strickland in Florida’s Panhandle. But they didn’t meet until their paths crossed in Cincinnati during the Fringe Festival in June 2014. When Know Theatre announced Thunderdome, the second round of its 10-week Serials program, inviting local theater artists to create and stage shows in five 15-minute segments, Strickland and Tatum decided to join forces. Neither had previously worked on a collaborative project like this, but they had chemistry. “This was the most fun I’ve ever had making a script,” Strickland says.They populated their show, Andy’s House of [blank], with versions of themselves. As they did during Serials, they’ll perform with two other actors, in what might be called a “semi-autobiographical mystery musical.” Andy’s House of [blank] was the most popular work among the Thunderdome offerings early in 2015, and now it’s back as a full-fledged show, the third production of Know’s 18th season. Read more about the play here. Andy's House of [blank] runs through Nov. 14 at Know Theatre. More info/tickets: knowtheatre.com.
ONSTAGE: CAROUSEL
Rodgers and Hammerstein were the go-to guys during musical theater’s Golden Age. Carousel was their personal favorite, a hit two years after Oklahoma. In fact, the shows were across Broadway’s 44th Street from one another from 1945 to 1947. Carousel is about Billy Bigelow, a reckless carnival barker who’s a ladies man and a gambler often on the wrong side of the law. When he meets Julie Jordan, he tries to go straight, but good behavior is tough. It takes dying and a return from the afterlife to make things right. The story is a testament to the power of love. Through Nov. 1. $31-$35. Corbett Auditorium, CCM Village, University of Cincinnati, Clifton Heights, 513-556-4183, ccm.uc.edu/boxoffice.
EVENT: ROCK THE CORE CIDER AND BEER FESTIVAL
Drink the District held this cider and beer festival in Washington, D.C. in May, and they’re bringing the event to Sawyer Point on Halloween. Sample more than 30 different ciders and 20 beers, both local and regional. There will be food from Alabama Fish Bar mobile and Cuban Pete’s. 2-6 p.m. $35-$50; $10 designated driver. Sawyer Point, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, drinkthedistrict.com/cincinnati/rock-the-core.
HALLOWEEN: DISCO OF THE DEAD
Head to MainStrasse Village for a Halloween parade and Disco dance party at the Goose Girl Fountain. Dress in costume for a masquerade parade down Sixth Street before heading to the fountain for a Disco dance-off and consume contest. Enjoy cauldrons of cocktails by Cock & Bull, Frida 602, Gypsy's, Pachinko, Rosie's, Strasse Haus and more. 9-11 p.m. Saturday. Free. MainStrasse Village, Covington, Ky., facebook.com/mainstrassevillagehalloween.
SUNDAY
ATTRACTIONS: THE ART OF THE BRICK
Millions of LEGO bricks are taking over the Cincinnati Museum Center. Anticipated exhibit The Art of the Brick features more than 100 artworks created by contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya using nothing other than LEGOs. Explore life-size human figures, a 20-foot-long T-Rex skeleton and replicated famous paintings, including “Starry Night” and “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” plus familiar sculptures like “The Thinker” and the Sphinx. Sawaya has also created a Cincinnati-themed piece that will be revealed when the exhibit debuts. Create your own LEGO masterpieces in the interactive Brickopolis, and don’t miss special themed days revolving around Star Wars, dinosaurs, superheroes and more. Through May 1. $19.50 adults; $12.50 children 12 and under. Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, 513-287-7000, cincymuseum.org.
ONSTAGE: MAD RIVER RISING
The Cincinnati Playhouse opens Mad River Rising, a play by Dana Yeaton that artistic director Blake Robison produced two decades ago in New Hampshire. It’s about an elderly man, escaped from a retirement home and hiding out in an old barn hayloft, defending the family farm where he grew up and grew old. The script has been updated and relocated to Ohio, so it’s a new work in many ways. It drifts back and forth in time, especially to a catastrophic 1937 flood. An insight into aging, it’s also a poetic tribute to hanging onto places with meaning. Through Nov. 14. $30-$85. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mt. Adams Circle, Mount Adams, 513-421-3888, cincyplay.com.
HALLOWEEN: ANTIQUE HALLOWEEN
Travel back in time this October at the Taft Museum of Art. Current exhibit Antique Halloween is a one-room display of spooky antiques ranging in date from the 1900s to 1950s. The items, obtained by local collectors, include decorations, toys and games, candy cups and more. A ghostly ambiance is created by candle shades and jack-o-lanterns dispersed throughout the room. Through Nov. 1. $10 adults; $5 ages 6-17; free Sunday. Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown, 513-241-0343, taftmuseum.org.
EVENT: WORLD VEGAN DAY
Celebrate World Vegan Day at Park + Vine with free N’ Eggs Benedict (Shadeau ciabatta roll, topped with tofu, vegan goetta, spinach and vegan hollandaise) and La Teraza Coffee. This marks the 71st anniversary of the term “vegan” and the establishment of The Vegan Society. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Park + Vine, 1202 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, parkandvine.com.
