WEDNESDAY 22
ART: Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life
Closing out a calendar year in which every artist featured at the Wexner Center for the Arts at Ohio State University is a woman, Cindy Sherman: Imitation of Life — on view through the end of the year — surveys the internationally acclaimed photographer’s career-long interest in movie culture. The show, which features more than 100 images by Sherman, is curated by Philipp Kaiser and organized by The Broad contemporary art museum in Los Angeles, which houses the largest collection of Sherman’s photographs in the world. The Wexner is the only other venue hosting the exhibition. It is arranged mostly chronologically, beginning with her Untitled Film Stills series from the late 1970s and proceeding through successive bodies of works. The exhibition title is a reference to filmmaker Douglas Sirk's 1959 melodrama, which deals with highly emotional struggles of identity. The title also signals the importance of cinema in Sherman’s own image making. Throughout her career, Sherman has underscored the concept that the male gaze is responsible for much of cinema’s objectification of women. Cindy Sherman: Imitation if Life is on view at the Wexner Center for the Arts on the Ohio State University campus in Columbus, Ohio through Dec. 31. More info: wexarts.org. — MARIA SEDA-REEDER
ONSTAGE: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The works of Mark Twain are as much classics as the plays of William Shakespeare, so it’s entirely appropriate that Cincinnati Shakespeare Company should be staging an adaptation of one of Twain’s great novels. It’s a tale about a boyhood fantasy turned upside-down when Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn witness a crime. Director Sara Clark says it’s an exciting adventure for children and a “smart, funny, poignant experience for adults.” Mark Twain said, “My books are water; those of the great geniuses are wine. Everyone drinks water.” Audiences will be taking big gulps in this pre-holiday production. Beware: You could be recruited to whitewash a fence. Through Dec. 9. $14-$52. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincyshakes.com. — RICK PENDER
ART: David Yarrow
David Yarrow points out an unexpected detail in “78 Degrees North,” his remarkable fine art photograph of a polar bear retreating into Norway’s icy wilderness. That rear paw pad looks just like Nike’s swoosh. With one picture, Europe’s top-selling wildlife photographer sums up his personal narrative in stark black-and-white: Just do it. That doesn’t mean the London-based Yarrow is reckless as he travels to raw, remote locations to engage with animals, indigenous peoples and surreal storytelling. He’s just relentless about getting the perfect, “pin-sharp” image. Yarrow’s immersive pursuits can be serene and scary, as evidenced by the eight photos in his introductory exhibit at Hyde Park’s Miller Gallery. (He’ll be returning for FotoFocus in October 2018.) There’s a peaceful picture of a stag in his Scottish homeland, but also a looming image from Zambia of a protective mother hippo and calf who appear to be the less-cuddly cousins of Bibi and Fiona from the Cincinnati Zoo. The in-your-face portrait, taken from a boat, is titled “No Nearer.” David Yarrow's photos are on view through Jan. 13, 2018, at Miller Gallery, 2715 Erie Ave., Hyde Park. More info: millergallery.com. — KATHY SCHWARTZ
EVENT: Art After Dark: Transforming Fashion
Kick off the weekend early at Art After Dark. This installation of the after-hours party at the Art Museum is themed around the current Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion exhibit. Get free access to the haute and high-tech sculptural garment display, with bonus couture cocktails, food for purchase from the Terrace CafО and collaborative performances from DJ Mowgli, dance group Pones, Steve Kemple and Electronic band Black Signal. Come dressed to impress. 5-9 p.m. Wednesday. Free. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO
HOLIDAY: Fountain Square Ice Rink
The ice rink is back on Fountain Square. Grab your skates (or rent some there) and bundle up for a night of fun with your friends and family. Keep yourself energized with hot chocolate and other snacks at the concession stand (including alcohol!). Through Feb. 19. $6 admission; $4 skate rental. Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets, Downtown, myfountainsquare.com. — KENNEDY PONDER
EVENT: Thanksgiving Eve at Arnold's Bar & Grill
The Tillers takeover Arnold’s for Thanksgiving Eve. 9 p.m. 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, facebook.com/arnoldsbar.
EVENT: Thanksgiving Eve at Darkness Brewing
The brewery will be tapping a keg of Ike Ike Baby imperial brown ale. Live trivia (with prizes!) starts at 7 p.m., followed by “Drink and Draw.” 7 p.m.-midnight. 224 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, Ky., facebook.com/darknessbrewing.
EVENT: Thanksgiving Eve at Moerlein Lager House
Reunite with high school buds in town for the holiday during Alumni Club. Features $3 Hudepohl Pure Lager bottles, $10 buckets of Little Kings, Alumni Club cocktails and a live DJ. 8 p.m.-midnight. 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, facebook.com/moerleinlagerhouse.
EVENT: Thanksgiving Eve at Northside Yacht Club
Thanksgiving Eve karaoke. 9 p.m.-midnight. 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, northsideyachtclub.com.
EVENT: Thanksgiving Eve at Queen City Exchange
Doors open at 2 p.m. and the bar’s stock-market-exchange-themed prices crash from 6-9 p.m., with $3 pints from any of their 41 drafts. 2 p.m.-2:30 a.m. 32 W. Court St., Downtown, facebook.com/queencityexchange.
EVENT: Thanksgiving Eve at Rhinegeist
Soul Step Records will be slingin’ limited-edition vinyl of Modern Aquatics’ latest release (the band performs at 10 p.m.). There will also be DJ sets, a special Brewers Series Beer and everyone from high school you do and do not want to see. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinegeist.com.
EVENT: Thanksgiving Eve at Urban Artifact
The Blue Wisp Band celebrates its 38th-annual Thanksgiving Eve Extravaganza. Sets at 8 and 10 p.m. $18 per set for seating. 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, artifactbeer.com.
FRIDAY 24
ART: Purple Dreams: Surreality in the X, Y & Z at Bunk Spot
Pendleton’s Bunk Spot, one of Cincinnati’s newest gallery spaces, has been hosting some interesting exhibitions since they opened less than a year ago. On Friday, there will be an opening reception for Purple Dreams: Surreality in the X, Y & Z, an exhibit of digitally based surrealist landscapes. It features the work of Alan Brown, a Cincinnati-based 25-year veteran commercial photographer and computer illustrator; LA-based multimedia artist Paul Rosas; and Ben Brown, one of Bunk Spot’s coordinators who has created a body of work situating headless sculptural forms against backdrops of buffed graffiti in urban spaces. Opening reception 7-11 p.m. Friday. Through Dec. 8. Free. Bunk Spot, 544 E. 12th St., Pendleton, facebook.com/bunknews. — MARIA SEDA-REEDER
HOLIDAY: Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt
The sixth-annual Cincideutsch Christkindlmarkt adds a bit of Bavarian whimsy to Fountain Square with a festive outdoor shopping destination modeled after a traditional German Christmas market. Along with goods from local artisans and crafters, there will be German fare and gluhwein — hot, spiced red wine that’s ubiquitous at European holiday markets — plus the annual twinkling Macy’s Christmas tree on the square. Weekends through Dec. 9. Free admission. Fountain Square, Fifth and Vine streets, Downtown, cincideutsch.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO
HOLIDAY: WinterFest
Kings Island is staying open a little later this season to ring in the holidays. The park is reviving its old-fashioned WinterFest wonderland after a 12-year hiatus, complete with festive food and drinks, special holiday shows and ice skating underneath a Christmas tree-bedecked Eiffel Tower. In addition to select rides remaining open — including KI’s newest, the ’80s-themed Mystic Timbers coaster — the event includes an artisan village that features 30 local makers and crafters. Through Dec. 30. Tickets start at $25. Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason, visitkingsisland.com. — EMILY BEGLEY
EVENT: Plaid Friday Hike
With endless Black Friday ads peddling useless wares from big-box stores and the mall running constantly on TV, it seems like the only way to escape Christmas capitalism is by retreating to the stark wilderness. Luckily, you’re not alone in this sentiment. Slap on a flannel and protest the shopping mayhem with this five-mile Plaid Friday Hike that will surely be a much more wholesome experience than getting trampled at Walmart for a Nintendo Switch. The third-annual jaunt begins at Lydia’s on Ludlow in Clifton and winds through the parks and streets of Cincinnati for a hybrid urban/wilderness hike that might make you swear off Black Friday shenanigans for good. 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Friday. $5 adults; free 12 and under. Lydia’s on Ludlow, 329 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, imagoearth.org. — ERIN COUCH
COMEDY: Mark Chalifoux
“I try to take off a big chunk of October and November so I can be home,” says Cincinnati-based comedian Mark Chalifoux. “My oldest plays soccer and I don’t want to miss all the games. I’ve only had to miss one or two, which is nice.” Though he will talk a bit about his parenting skills onstage, he’s always been careful about not being pigeonholed. “I’ve never wanted to fall into that trap because I remember right after I had my first kid, a few other comics in New York, where I was living, were having kids and they said, ‘We should do a Dad’s of Comedy Tour,’” he says. “And it sounded like the most dreadful thing I can imagine.” His upcoming run at Go Bananas will be his first foray into building a new hour, which he plans to record at the club in the spring. Through Sunday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com. — P.F. WILSON
SATURDAY 25
ONSTAGE: Neverwhere
Neil Gaiman is a contemporary literary machine, churning out short fiction, comic books, graphic novels, audio theater and films. He often converts one genre into another. That’s what happened with Neverwhere, simultaneously a TV miniseries in England and a 1996 novel. Gaiman subsequently revised it at least twice, and now the tale of a young London businessman who slips through the cracks in reality and lands in the sinister labyrinth of “London Below” has been adapted into a stage play by Robert Kauzlaric. With monsters and angels beneath our feet, it’s a beloved tale of adventure, heartache and human nature. Through Dec. 17. $25. Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, knowtheatre.com. — RICK PENDER
MUSIC: Straight No Chaser
If you like your A capella on the rocks, this tour is for you. Straight No Chaser’s “The Speakeasy Tour” stops at the Aronoff on Saturday for a little Pop, Indie and holiday music. This nine-person all-male group’s end-of-year local show has become somewhat of a seasonal tradition. 8 p.m. Saturday. $39.50-$79.50. Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiarts.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO
HOLIDAY: Holiday Artisan Market
Shop local at the Holiday Artisan Market, which makes it easy to find one-of-a-kind gifts made by people around the Tristate. Vendors and artists will have booths selling specially made gifts including ink drawings, woodcuts, pillows, teapots, bottles and more. 1-6 p.m. $5. The Carnegie, 1028 Scott St., Covington, Ky., facebook.com/thecarnegie. — ALISON BAXTER
HOLIDAY: Holiday Toy Trains at the Behringer-Crawford Museum
Unleash your inner locomotive lover at the 26th-annual Holiday Toy Trains display at the Behringer-Crawford Museum. Wonder at more than 250 feet of model train tracks, vintage Lionel and Plasticville trains, Thomas the Tank Engine and a plethora of guest-activated displays. On Sundays between Thanksgiving and Christmas, you and the kids can enjoy a visit from Santa and a reading of the Christmas classic and ode to trains, The Polar Express, while you sip on cocoa. Holiday garb and cozy PJs encouraged. Through Jan. 14. $9 adults; $8 seniors; $5 children. Behringer-Crawford Museum, 1600 Montague Road, Covington, Ky., bcmuseum.org. — ERIN COUCH
EVENT: Swing House Open House
Mark deJong’s Swing House in Camp Washington is swiftly becoming the city’s most notable large-scale art installation/architectural makeover of the still-young new century, even though comparably few have seen it yet. For several years, deJong has been transforming the three-floor, shotgun-style domicile by almost completely opening it up — no stairs, no rooms with walls, no additional floors — and installing a 30-foot-long swing with ropes secured to an iron beam across the ceiling. Now he’s celebrating the almost completion with open houses on Saturday and Sunday — and again on December 2-3 and 9-10 — so people can see the progress he’s made on the interior and exterior and with installing art in the basement. This is preparation for his big Contemporary Arts Center exhibition opening next year. Noon-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Free. Swing House, 1373 Avon Place, Camp Washington. — STEVEN ROSEN
SUNDAY 26
RyanMiller
MUSIC: Swarming Branch
The Columbus, Ohio music scene is a lot like our own in that there is an abundance of great bands in the area but there isn't a representative sound tying them all together. That scene’s diversity is exemplified throughout the latest Swarming Branch full-length, Surreal Number, released last spring on Northern Kentucky’s SofaBurn Records. It is the band's first collection of new material since 2013's acclaimed and beautifully erratic Classic Glass. Just as no single sound characterizes the city of Columbus, Swarming Branch is equally determined to maintain their uniquely unclassifiable sonic profile on Surreal Number. Frontman Andrew Graham has explained that the album's title refers to a mathematical system that includes real numbers and infinite and infinitesimal numbers, which is a good description of an album that features an encyclopedic range of styles. 8 p.m. Sunday. Free. MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com. — BRIAN BAKER
EVENT: Over-the-Rhine Museum History Harvest
The Over-the-Rhine Museum is a project helmed by a board of historians, preservationists, educators, developers and more with the goal of converting a historic tenement into a museum to showcase the history and community of OTR. During the History Harvest in the People’s Liberty building on Sunday, the museum is seeking stories and documents related to their mission, anything from receipts and photos to letters and menus. There will be historians on site to answer questions and listen to and record information in an informal setting. Digital scanning will take place upstairs as will interviews for an oral history project. Snacks provided. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. People’s Liberty, 1805 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, otrmuseum.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO
MONDAY 27
MUSIC: Diet Cig
Three years ago, budding vocalist/guitarist Alex Luciano walked up to Earl Boykins drummer Noah Bowman and asked him for a lighter in the middle of the band's house-show set. Intrigued by Luciano's passion and refreshing lack of calculated ambition, Bowman proposed that they should attempt to write together, leading to the new project opening for Earl Boykins. Luciano thought that was the extent of her involvement with Bowman, until he called to let her know he'd secured studio time to record a few of their Garage/Punk/Pop songs. The resulting five-song EP, Over Easy, was the first volley in Diet Cig's improbable success story. Through a regimen of constant touring, Diet Cig built a fiercely loyal fan base that eagerly devoured Over Easy and the band's follow-up 7-inch release, "Sleep Talk"/"Dinner Date." That slight but potent catalog attracted the attention of Frenchkiss Records honcho Syd Butler, who signed the duo for a debut full-length, the short but compelling Swear I'm Good at This, which was released last April to rave reviews. 8 p.m. Monday. $13 advance; $15 day-of. Woodward Theater, 1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, woodwardtheater.com. — BRIAN BAKER
TUESDAY 28
MUSIC: Kamasi Washington
To quantify Kamasi Washington's music as “Jazz” is almost a disservice. Washington most definitely quacks like a Jazz duck, but his walk encompasses the stuttering rhythms of Hip Hop, the perfect bombast of Fusion and the frenetic pacing of Indie Rock, all within the general context of Jazz. Washington's sprawling 3-disc introduction to the wider world, 2015's The Epic, is its own thing. In 2015, Washington appeared on Kendrick Lamar's landmark Hip Hop album, To Pimp a Butterfly, playing sax and arranging strings. Not long after Butterfly’s release, Washington dropped The Epic to almost universal acclaim. The album peaked at No. 3 on Billboard's Jazz chart and earned a spot on a number of year-end best-of lists, with reviewers nearly breathless in their praise of Washington's evolutionary and populist creation. His Harmony of Difference EP came out in September, offering a much more brief but potent follow-up to The Epic, featuring compositions that were woven together in a suite written for an exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art's Biennial 2017. The release is further evidence that, while Washington fits perfectly into Jazz’s historical lineage, he also deftly transcends the genre and is bound for legendary status within the broader framework of music as a whole. 8 p.m. Tuesday. $32.50-$42.50. Taft Theatre, 317 E. Fifth St., Downtown, tafttheatre.org. — BRIAN BAKER
MUSIC: Curley & Magill
With musical resumes that draw from their diverse professional and culture experiences, young musicians Dave Curley and Andrew Finn Magill have teamed for a two-week tour. An Irish native, Curley is a renowned singer and multi-instrumentalist (not to mention champion step dancer) who has worked with, among many other artists, members of Clannad and Mumford & Sons and is a key member of the popular traditional Irish music group SLIDE. Magill also plays a variety of instruments — though he is best known as a fiddler well versed in Irish stylings, his musical explorations have journeyed into Jazz, Folk and Bluegrass, as well as Brazilian and African music. It should be fascinating to hear where the two musicians’ collaboration takes them — while their roots are well-established, their boundaries are intriguingly unknown. 7 p.m. Tuesday. $18; $20 day of. Irish Heritage Center of Greater Cincinnati, 3905 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum, irishcenterofcincinnati.com. — MIKE BREEN
