Coming Distractions: ‘Veep,’ ‘Around the World in 80 Plates’
Based on the style of BBC sitcom The Thick of It, HBO’s Veep (10 p.m. Sundays) stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus as the Vice President of the United States. For those of us who’ve had more than their fill of Sarah Palin after the channel’s movie Game Change, don’t worry — this is a fictional storyline not…
Local GOP Has Dueling Responses to State of the City Address
In a replay of the Republican kerfuffle after President Obama’s State of the Nation address last year, there will be dueling GOP responses tonight to Mayor Mark Mallory’s State of the City address. The Hamilton County Republican Party sent a press release this afternoon announcing that Amy Murray, an ex-Cincinnati City Council member, would provide…
City Council Could Repeal Breed-Specific Law Soon
Repealing discriminatory breed-specific legislation could come sooner than expected for Cincinnati. Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach is working to draft a motion that he says could be ready for council signatures as early as today. Yesterday, Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach tweeted this: Last week, CityBeat's April 4 cover story, "Losing Fight," discussed Cincinnati's legislation…
Considering the Reds’ $250 Million Move
Nielsen says we’re the smallest market in Major League Baseball, but last week Bob Castellini sent the message that the Cincinnati Reds are no longer a small-market team, signing Joey Votto to a 10-year, $225 million extension that brings his contract to more than $250 million over the next 12 seasons. Add that to an…
Home Repair?
I n an economy where prices on rental properties continue to skyrocket while the job market remains sluggish, Rep. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) has an idea. He’s introduced radical legislation to reform the federal Section 8 low-income housing program, a reform that would force many in need to fend for themselves to obtain housing. Chabot’s expressed…
A Fine ‘Mess’
Some bands work for years for even the smallest scrap of national attention. For Cincinnati’s Bad Veins, that recognition came just after their second show in 2006 and has hardly abated in the subsequent six years. Their early demo received airplay on Seattle heavyweight KEXP, they were the breakout band at 2008’s CMJ fest, bloggers…
Kanye, Sonic Youth and Skid Row
[HOT] Oh, Kanye … On the recently released single “Mercy,” Kanye West raps “Don’t do no press but I get the most press, kid.” That’s a rare non-hyperbolic statement from West — a bona fide fact. For proof, look no further than another new ’Ye track, “Theraflu,” which managed to get press by pissing off…
The Unknown and the Unknowable
Because it is my lot in life as a writer — however anonymous — to speak of things that are entertaining and/or truthful, I find myself often torn. Especially now that I am post-40, going on 60. But I’m an open book, if nothing else. The only remaining question is whether said book’s ending is…
Award Winners
Cincinnati no longer has a theater awards program resembling the Tonys (nominees for the year’s best Broadway productions will be out soon), but that won’t stop me from naming my choices for the best shows so far. Let’s start with Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati: There’s no doubt in my mind that ETC’s staging last September…
Cincinnati vs. The World 4.11.12
Students from Mater Dei High School in Evansville, Ind., created a gas-powered vehicle that earned 2,188.6 miles to the gallon on its best run in the Shell EcoMarathon Competition last week. WORLD +2 Sales of popular painkiller oxycodone, the key ingredient in OxyContin, and hydrocodone, the key ingredient in Vicodin, are soaring in the U.S.,…
What About ‘(FEM)ME?’
P hotography shows in cafes can be chancy as to quality and depth. Those at Iris BookCafe and Gallery, curated by William Messer, regularly break this rule. Messer, in exhibitions presented quarterly at Iris since fall 2008, is himself an experienced curator with an international background and a photographer in his own right. In fact,…
Anatomy of Injustice by Raymond Bonner
In January 1982, an elderly white woman in South Carolina named Dorothy Edwards was found murdered inside her home. After a botched investigation by local and state investigators and barely a shred of evidence, Edward Lee Elmore (or “Black Elmo,” as local cops liked to call him) was arrested, charged with the crime, quickly brought…
Dust To Dust by Benjamin Busch
Every once in a blue moon a book comes along that has the power to change the way we see our lives. That is exactly the case with an extraordinary new memoir titled Dust To Dust by Benjamin Busch. The book is a collection of memories from the author’s boyhood, as an adventurous young lad…
Q&A with Lucero
Lucero developed their unique sound — a mix of Country, Roots, Rock and Soul — in Memphis, Tenn., and provide a big production every night on the live stage. You will hear everything from a three guitar assault to a horn section to steel guitar pinings on the band's ninth (and so far most successful)…
Event: Art and Poetry: Findlay Market
“Poetry is ordinary language raised to the Nth power,” said American poet Paul Engle. “Poetry is boned with ideas, nerved and blooded with emotions, all held together by the delicate, tough skin of words. In celebration of National Poetry Month, Findlay Market will host its fourth annual Art and Poetry at the Market event featuring…
Music Tonight: The English Beat
Dave Wakeling brings the current version of his legendary Ska-to-Pop band The English Beat to Oakley tonight to perform at the 20th Century Theater with special guests, Cincinnati's own Ska heroes The Pinstripes (who played with The Beat in Michigan last night as well). I wrote extensively about an interview I did with Wakeling a…
Republican ‘War on Women’ Marches Forward
Jobs, jobs, jobs. That is what Republican House Speaker John Boehner said would be priority No. 1 for Republicans after sweeping the House of Representatives and many state legislatures in 2010. This, Republicans said, was why they were elected: People wanted to see changes in the economy fast. But, apparently, there was one other priority.…
This Date in Music History: April 10
On this day in 1956, innovative guitar builder Leo Fender was awarded the patent for a "Tremolo Device for Stringed Instruments," commonly known as the "whammy bar." The device was misnamed — it's more accurately a vibrato bar (tremolo is a "wavering effect in a musical tone, produced by rapid reiteration of a note, by…
Morning News and Stuff
Workplace safety inspectors have cited six companies for violations in connection with the Jan. 27 accident at the construction site of the Horseshoe Casino. More than a dozen workers were injured in the mishap. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) imposed more than $108,000 in fines on the companies, which include such local stalwarts…
Art: Industrial Compositions
For most of us, a warehouse full of discarded wooden foundry moulds doesn’t sound like a lot to get excited about. But for artist Robert Fronk, it was the opportunity of a lifetime. Chicago-based for the past two decades, Fronk recently returned to Cincinnati and took this most unusual gift, combined it with a background…
Art: A Gathering: Installations by Migiwa Orimo
How will the conceptually based installations of Kennedy Arts Center’s 2012 Ohio Arts Council Artist-In-Residence, Migiwa Orimo, look like inside the Kennedy Mansion — a Gothic-style home built in 1875? If you’re as curious as I am about that question, you won’t think of missing the opening for A Gathering: Installations by Migiwa Orimo. In…
Event: Asian Culture Fest
Take a trip to Asia in Cincinnati! The Asian Culture Fest seeks to introduce patrons to the wonders of India, Japan, Korea and China. By traveling to the different “Cultural Hot Spot” booths, visitors can expect authentic cultural experiences from a multitude of Asian countries. Attendees will learn Asian games, martial arts, traditional dances, arts…
Event: International Quilt Festival
Quilt making is a hobby anyone can do, that is if you have the right materials. Quilting has also become an art form with skilled quilters crafting unique and beautiful images in the fabric. If you are just interested or a lifelong quilter, the International Quilt Festival is coming back to Cincinnati. With over 500…
Onstage: Pump Boys & Dinettes
“Worry is like a rocking chair,” we’re told, “gives you something to do but it don’t get you nowhere.” That’s the philosophy behind this down-home musical at the Covington’s Carnegie Center where you can get acquainted with the denizens of the Double Cupp Diner. Sisters Rhetta and Prudie Cupp grind through another day, aching for…
Event: A-Line Pet Event
People talk about their pets like they’re children, myself included. For the endless affection our pets shower upon us, it’s time to give them a reminder of how much we care. A trip to the dog park suits many for others maybe the spa offers a little respite. No matter the case, a change in…
Comedy: Nick Griffin
Comedian Nick Griffin is as excited as ever about going on stage and making people laugh. However, he sees a downside to his chosen career. “Spending 80 to 90 percent of my adult life by myself,” he states. “That’s probably not done great things for my mental stability. If you’re a comic like I am…
Music: Lucero
The steady rise of Memphis rockers Lucero reached another pinnacle this year. The band’s March release — the “love letter” to its hometown, Women & Work — has been the critical darlings’ most glowingly reviewed album to date, its soulful Southern Rock punch drawing praise from heavyweight publications like Rolling Stone, The New Yorker and…
Boehner Ducks Augusta Female-Membership Question
National media are reporting about how West Chester’s favorite son is avoiding taking a stand on whether women should be admitted into the Augusta National Golf Club. As poll after poll shows the Republican Party lagging in support among female voters, various GOP politicians have spoken in favor of admitting women into the club, seeing…
This Date in Music History: April 9
On this date in 1984, Athens, Ga., "College Rock" favorites R.E.M. released its second album, the fantastic Reckoning. The album — featuring the singles "So. Central Rain" and "(Don't Go Back to) Rockville" — was well before the band reached superstar status. The band were pretty big for a cult band, but it wasn't until…
Morning News and Stuff
Buyer beware! Cincinnati police are investigating reports of several hundred counterfeit tickets to Thursday's Opening Day game. The Cincinnati Reds say the tickets were sold on the streets in the lead up to the game versus the Marlins. At least 47 of the bogus tickets were collected when people tried to use them at the…
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Review)
Critic's PickNot many musicals begin with the cast flipping the bird at the audience, but then not many musicals are like Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, the brash show that spins a tale of America’s seventh president to in-your-face Indie Rock tunes. (The “orchestra” for Know Theatre’s production is the local band The Dukes Are Dead.)…
Review: Joan Osborne – ‘Bring It On Home’
When Joan Osborne vaulted into the public consciousness with Relish, her 1995 major label debut, she had already established a loyal fan base that was well aware of her estimable Jazz and Soul skills. With Soul Show in 1991 and the Blue Million Miles EP in 1993, Osborne displayed her smoldering vocal chops and her…
Your Weekend To Do List: 4/6-4/8
While we’re sure many of you crammed enough fun into Opening Day to last the rest of April, there’s still plenty going on this weekend to keep the party going. The Heights Music Festival (formerly Clifton Heights Music Festival, launched in 2009) kicks off tonight with more than 70 bands (and some comedy sets) at…
The Heights Music Festival Starts Tonight!
The first ever edition of The Heights Music Festival kicks off this evening in five Clifton Heights venues at 7 p.m. (While it's the first fest under that name, the bi-annual event has been going for the past seven years.) Once again, the lineup is a great mix of genres and a strong representation of…
Analysis: ‘Stand Your Ground’ States Have More Shootings
An analysis of U.S. crime data by a British newspaper has found there’s been a 25 percent increase in civilian justifiable homicides since the controversial “stand your ground” (SYG) laws started being introduced in 2005. London’s Guardian newspaper analyzed data from FBI and state sources. It concludes that the spike in civilian justifiable homicides is…
This Date in Music History: April 6
On this date in 1962, a pre-performance speech by legendary conductor Leonard Bernstein, seen by some as an attack on guest pianist — the almost equally as legendary Glenn Gould — caused quite a stir in the Classical music world. The concert was to feature Gould performing Brahms' "First Piano Concerto," but apparently the pianist…
Blue October with Girl in a Coma
To say that Blue October has taken a rocky road to stardom would be a bit of an understatement. First, the band picked up early in their career by Universal, then dropped after its first album, but picked back up after its self-released second album. Somewhere along the way, they went independent, again. Later, they…
Merle Haggard
The phrase “living legend” gets thrown around a bit too liberally but there’s no better description for Merle Haggard. Far removed from the big-hat twang Pop dominating Country music today, Haggard was among the ’60s artists who helped popularize and transform the genre beyond its regional hillbilly appeal and teeing up its mainstream success. Haggard…
Graham Parker Duo with Brigitte DeMeyer
In a rare, special visit to our Queen City, Graham Parker — one of the quintessential 1970s English rockers — performs at the 20th Century Theater this week. Since releasing his Nick Lowe-produced classic debut, Howling Wind, back in 1976, Parker keeps delivering his vintage brand of spiked lyricism and jangly Pop Rock in potent…
Stage Door: Several Quality Weekend Offerings
Last night I attended Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production of The Grapes of Wrath, which opened a week ago and runs through April 29. It’s a powerful theatrical interpretation of John Steinbeck’s grim recounting of a Depression-era family of Oklahoma sharecroppers driven from home by ecological and economic disasters. They make an arduous trek to California…
Ohio Executions Back On
Ohio can now resume carrying out executions for the first time since November 2011, after a ruling Wednesday from U.S. District Judge Gregory Frost of Newark. In January, Frost halted the Ohio execution of condemned murderer Charles Lorraine in light of several slip-ups by the state in following its own execution protocol. On Feb. 8,…
The ’80s and ’90s Called; They Want Their Movies Back
Movies that populated theaters in the '80s and '90s are making a comeback. Some are better than others but since there is a built-in audience, Hollywood is cranking out remakes and reboots left and right. This practice has been done for years but recently more movies than ever have been redone. March brought 21 Jump…
Morning News and Stuff
Duke Energy lost its appeal Thursday that sought to get more money from its customers to reimburse the firm for damages it sustained to equipment in the September 2008 windstorm. The Ohio Supreme Court upheld an earlier ruling by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) involving the restoration of electrical service after the storm…
The Grapes of Wrath (Review)
Critic's Pick John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, The Grapes of Wrath, is a grim recounting of a Depression-era family of Oklahoma sharecroppers driven from home by ecological and economic disasters. In the late 1980s theater artist Frank Galati adapted it into a powerful stage production, one you can see throughout April at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company.…
Former Southgate House Location Announces May Shows
It looks like the Thompson House, the venue that is taking the place of the much-beloved Southgate House in Newport, will be open by May. Ticketweb has advanced tickets on sale now for a May 18 concert by trad Ska/Soul revivalists The Aggrolites and Punk Bluegrass band Old Man Markley, as well as a May…
The Seedy Seeds & Newbees Kick Off Zoo Series
Two of Cincinnati's most tuneful, melodically-rich bands perform tonight for the Cincinnati Zoo's weekly, monthlong Tunes & Blooms music series. Poptastic groups The Seedy Seeds and The Newbees perform at the 6 p.m. concert. Admission to the Zoo is free after 5 p.m. (parking is $8 in a Zoo lot). The series runs until the…
This Date in Music History: April 5
On this day 18 years ago, Kurt Cobain decided he was done with life and ended it with a single shotgun blast to the head. While it's fun to play the "What if?" game with brilliant artists who died too soon — like, "Would John Lennon have followed Yoko's lead to become a Dance music…
Heartless Bastards Do Conan
Former local band (now based in Austin, Texas) Heartless Bastards continued its late-night chat show promo rounds in support of its latest album, Arrow, with an appearance on TBS's Conan. The band performed the Arrow track "Parted Ways" on the program last night. Check it out below. At the end, Mr. O'Brien proudly says, "Thank…
Morning News and Stuff
At the risk of alienating some readers, we have to say it: If you don't know that today is Opening Day, you're not a real Cincinnatian. The 93rd annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade begins at 1 p.m., and the Reds will kick off the 2012 season with a game against the Miami Marlins at…
Food + Drink + Baseball
It’s almost here, Cincinnatians — Opening Day 2012 takes place Thursday. The beginning of the Reds’ season is one of several cultural celebrations that the Queen City does bigger than most other places (is it really possible that another city gets down like our triumvirate of Opening Day-Taste of Cincinnati-Oktoberfest?). As such, downtown Cincinnati will…
Mallory to Give State of the City Address
Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory will deliver his annual State of the City address next week. The address, which will be Mallory’s seventh since taking office, will be given 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. It will be held in the Jarson-Kaplan Theater at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, located at 650 Walnut St., downtown. When CityBeat asked…
Language Approved for Ohio Same-Sex Marriage Amendment
A token of good news for advocates of marriage equality in Ohio came on Tuesday when Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine approved language in a new state amendment proposal that, if approved by voters, would overturn Ohio's marriage bill prohibiting marriage for same-sex couples. It's a small bit of progress, but the approval means advocates…
Music Tonight: Milagres/The Fairmount Girls
Another solid free show tonight in Over-the-Rhine at MOTR Pub as Brooklyn band Milagres returns to perform with local heroes The Fairmount Girls. Milagres was last at MOTR just after the release of their latest album, Glowing Mouth, through Kill Rock Stars Records. The album came after songwriter Kyle Wilson seriously injured his back in…
Music Tonight: Snow Patrol/Ed Sheeran
Huge in the U.K. and Europe, Irish Pop/Rock band Snow Patrol has been gradually catching on in the U.S. since its first album release in 1998. The band's 2003 album, Final Straw, went Gold stateside, but five-times Platinum in the U.K. But 2006's Eyes Open notched Platinum sales in the States (thanks in part to…
Enquirer Sheds 12 Newsroom Staffers
The bloodletting in the newsroom at The Enquirer is over, at least for now. Editor Carolyn Washburn sent an email to the newspaper’s editorial staff this morning, announcing the names of 12 people who have decided to accept a voluntary “early retirement” severance deal offered by The Enquirer’s parent firm, The Gannett Co. CityBeat already…
This Date in Music History: April 4
On this day in 1964, The Beatles had the top five singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It's been said that it's an unrivaled feat that will likely never be duplicated but those sorts of records always seem to eventually be broken (especially in the the ever-evolving music biz). The kids on Glee will…
Opening Day on the Horizon: A Reds Preview
With Opening Day fast approaching, you now have 225 million reasons to go watch the Reds this year. Bob Castellini opened up the checkbook and Walt Jocketty busted out his best persuasive vocabulary and Joey Votto accepted; to the tune of a 10-year, $225 million contract extension — the fourth largest in major league history.…
Local Woman’s Lawsuit Against Archdiocese Approved
In 2010, Christa Dias asked for something millions of U.S. women ask for successfully every year: maternity leave. At five and a half months pregnant, the former computer teacher for Holy Family and St. Lawrence schools in East Price Hill approached her superiors requesting time off for the birth of her child. Dias got far…
Review: Justin Townes Earle
Just like his famously troubled father, Justin Townes Earle has often generated as much press for his substance-fueled escapades as his musical prowess. Thankfully, that genetic predeliction has been tempered with a similarly potent gift for songcraft and creative evolution, two elements that have distinguished Earle’s catalog to date, particularly his last album, the sacred-meets-secular…
Morning News and Stuff
In desperate need to bolster his low popularity numbers, Gov. John Kasich visited Cincinnati Tuesday to praise a deal that allows a local company to expand downtown and add jobs. Dunnhumby USA, a retail branding firm, will move from Third Street to a long vacant site at Fifth and Race streets, where it will build…
Kasich Creates Human Trafficking Task Force
“Can you tell me how a 13-year-old kid can be snatched, blackmailed, drugged, raped, in our state? In our country?” That’s the question Ohio Gov. John Kasich asked audiences March 29 before signing an executive order to create the Human Trafficking Task Force, which is intended to combat human trafficking across the state and help…
Riverside Drive Bike Project Gets New Hope
Just as it looked like the project might be delayed for up to two years, plans to create a bike lane along Riverside Drive have gained new support. Last week a Cincinnati City Council meeting ended with every member present in agreement that the project should move forward despite objections from the city’s Department of…
Wilkinson, Cooklis Among Several Leaving The Enquirer
Political columnist Howard Wilkinson and longtime photographer Michael Keating are among the 26 employees who are leaving The Enquirer as part of a buyout deal. Last week was the deadline for editors at the newspaper to decide whether to accept voluntary “early retirement” buyouts from employees. Although The Enquirer hasn’t released any details, current and…
A Brit’s Hard Look at Sgt. Robert Bales
Rarely do foreign journalists’ brutal criticism of American actions or policies get space or time in our mainstream news media. That’s too bad. What passes for comment and debate here is a pretty constipated exercise. That’s why I subscribe to small, partisan journals and value the Internet’s cornucopia of English-language foreign news and commentary. …
Welcome to Miami
Premium cable’s apparent answer to Mad Men, Magic City (10 p.m. Friday, Starz) opens on New Year’s Eve 1958 in Miami Beach, Fla. Ike Evans (played by Javier Bardem-lookalike Jeffrey Dean Morgan) owns the luxurious Miramar Playa Hotel, the pinnacle of Miami vacationing and nightlife. With Frank Sinatra set to ring in 1959, performing on…
The Ready Stance Do Their ‘Damndest’
Cincinnati Rock quartet The Ready Stance will be giving local audiences a special chance to pick up its debut full-length, Damndest, this Friday at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine. The group hosts the locals-only release party two months before the album is made available (digitally and on CD and vinyl) nationally. Local Indie Pop crew Darlene…
March 28-April 3: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY MARCH 28 People who file for tax-exempt status generally deserve a certain amount of privacy — this ain’t the 1940s when people were proud of paying their taxes and making America stronger (kind of the opposite…). That’s why it was no surprise today to learn that a local Tea Party organization is feeling treaded…
ObamaCare’s Fate Will Affect All Americans
S ometime in the next 10 weeks or so, U.S. citizens will learn whether the Supreme Court will uphold the first significant health care reform in nearly a half-century. It doesn’t matter if you’re interested in politics or couldn’t give a hoot, the decision will directly impact you, your family and your friends for years…
Losing Fight
It’s dog No. 377’s dark, weepy eyes that get me. Unlike her neighbors, dog No. 377 isn’t jumping against the fence. She isn’t barking at me or baring her teeth. Instead, she’s sitting pretty, staring patiently at me and clearly trying to contain that full-body wiggle that any dog owner would recognize as a precursor…
