Private Groups Back Plan to Pay for Streetcar Operations
More than a dozen business and philanthropic entities support the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority’s (SORTA) offer to develop a private-public partnership to fund the streetcar’s operating costs, Eric Avner, vice president of the Haile Foundation, told CityBeat on Tuesday. If enough private contributors agree to finance the streetcar’s operating costs, they could address a…
Let’s Do Brunch
Whoever invented brunch was a genius. You get to sleep in, enjoy both breakfast and lunch foods in the middle of the day and, if you’re lucky, do it while imbibing either a bloody mary, mimosa or both. But just because you’re cutting out a meal doesn’t mean you need to go hungry. We’ve rounded…
Mama Mimi’s Take ‘N Bake Pizza (Profile)
As Christmas draws near and the window of available holiday shopping days quickly narrows, families have even less time in their busy schedules to sit down to a home-cooked meal. Groceries are too crowded after work; fast-food restaurants fill the belly with empty calories; and pizza delivery drivers can often take upwards of an hour…
Comedy: Underbelly Comedy Show
The Underbelly comedy show returns for a one-off performance at the Southgate House Revival. The show, featuring “stand-up comedians doing everything but stand-up,” ran for several years here with some of the area’s top comics lending their talents before many moved to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Xavier alums Andrew Short and Reid Faylor,…
Holiday: Dickens Brunch
Complete your Sunday morning with a unique holiday brunch straight from 19th-century England. The Dickens Brunch features a wide array of brunch favorites, such as omelets and waffles, along with a signature selection of English dishes including carved leg of lamb and North Sea Salmon. Finish off the perfect brunch entrée with a tasty treat,…
Holiday: Christian Moerlein Brew Ho Ho Ho Dinner Cruise
This holiday dinner cruise is a beer and boat lover’s dream come true. Christian Moerlein Brewery has teamed up with BB Riverboats for a night of beer tasting and food. There will be a holiday-themed buffet and a DJ who will entertain with festive hits throughout the night. In addition to all the fun, guests…
Music: The Movement
Philadelphia’s The Movement, one of America’s most popular Reggae outfits (which also blends Rock and Hip Hop influences into its sound), is headed back to Cincinnati this weekend for a special show to raise funds for The L Foundation, an organization that helps children with mothers who are suffering from ovarian cancer and also assists…
Holiday: Short Vine Holiday Art Show
Beelistic Tattoo and Piercing hosts the second annual Short Vine Holiday Art Show, featuring art inspired by tattoo culture and history by local and national tattoo artists for $25 or less. Businesses along the strip will also have their own special holiday deals: drink specials at Dive Bar, music at Mio’s pizzeria, original clothing at…
Onstage: Amahl and the Night Visitors
Madcap Puppets and the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra team up for the second year to bring the story of Amahl and the Night Visitors, a 50-minute chamber opera about the three kings and their visit with Amahl, a disabled shepherd boy, as they search for the Christ child. The opera, by Gian Carlo Menotti, was written…
Holiday: OTR Holiday Trains
American Legacy Tours brings holiday trains to OTR. Located inside the Christian Moerlein Brewery, the train display offers children a chance to get up-close to this holiday tradition while adults can start a tradition of their own sampling Moerlein’s winter ales. Brewery tours are available, as is the chance to write a letter to Santa.…
Sports: Perfect North Slopes
You don’t need to go to Aspen to hit the slopes — just Lawrenceburg, Ind. With 23 trails ranging from beginner to expert (double black-diamond), a snowboarding “jam session” park with jumps and rails, and snow tubing, Perfect North Slopes has wintry activities for all levels of athleticism. Currently offering special late-night hours on Fridays…
Holiday: Landor Holiday Window Display
In the spirit of the iconic Shillito’s department store before it, Landor Associates decks out its display windows at Seventh and Race streets with an interactive holiday exhibit. A high-tech Christmas photo op, onlookers can Instagram pictures of themselves with the tag #LandorXMAS, which will then be shown in the windows to reveal who’s been naughty…
Holiday: A Cincinnati Scenic Railway Holiday Floral Show at Krohn
Krohn Conservatory’s holiday floral show — A Cincinnati Scenic Railway — features a model train passing through the Queen City’s shrunken, iconic bridges and buildings, including the Roebling bridge, Union Terminal and the Tyler Davidson Fountain. Each is constructed using natural materials and surrounded by festive plant life such as poinsettias, spider plants and rosemary. The…
Holiday: Fountain Square Ice Rink
Ice on the roadways is the dread of Cincinnatians from all sides — East and West — but ice skating on Fountain Square is a rite of passage. Don’t worry about slipping or falling because we all have at some point; it’s not shameful, just fun. And even more fun for the kids (and the kids…
SORTA Agrees to Take on Streetcar Operating Costs
The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) on Tuesday indicated its willingness to pursue a public-private partnership to cover the streetcar’s operating costs, estimated at $3.4-$4.5 million a year. The announcement could provide an avenue for business and philanthropic leaders to help fund streetcar operations through SORTA in an attempt to meet demands from the…
Onstage: The Twelve Dates of Christmas
In this 70-minute solo show, Annie Kalahurka plays Mary, a New York actress who comes back to Ohio for Thanksgiving with her family, only to see her fiancé kissing another woman on national TV during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. What follows is a year of bad dates as she tries to move on. Kalahurka…
Morning News and Stuff
Major events for Cincinnati’s streetcar project this week: Today, supporters will turn in petitions to get the issue on the ballot; late today or early tomorrow, KPMG will turn in audit of the project’s completion, cancellation and operating costs; tomorrow, council will take public comment on the project at 1:30 p.m.; and on Thursday, council…
More Than 36,000 Ohioans Could Lose Unemployment Benefits
Despite lingering signs of a weakened economy, a bipartisan budget deal working through U.S. Congress will not extend emergency benefits for the nation’s long-term unemployed past Dec. 28. If the emergency benefits are allowed to expire, the cut will hit more than 36,000 Ohioans in December and 128,600 through 2014, according to left-leaning think tank…
Budget Committee Advances Uptown Interchange Project
City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee on Monday unanimously agreed to allocate $20 million in capital funding for the $106 million interchange project at Martin Luther King Drive and Interstate 71. The funding will be backed through property taxes, which, according to the city administration, will prevent the city from lowering property taxes in the…
Holiday Humor for Hilarity Hunters
Ready to move beyond the predictable in your pursuit of holiday theater? Three shows offer varied choices. A Klingon Christmas Carol gets its local premiere by Hugo West Theatricals at the Art Academy of Cincinnati (1212 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine) through Dec. 22. If you know Charles Dickens’ Christmas classic, you’ll find yourself on familiar ground…
Morning News and Stuff
The Federal Transit Administration told Mayor John Cranley and streetcar supporters that it won’t extend its Dec. 20 deadline for federal grants funding roughly one-third of the $132.8 million street project. Without the federal grants, the project would likely die because local officials say they are not willing to make up the loss with local…
Your Weekend To Do List: 12/13-12/15
Powerhouse Factories, the brand-building agency/print shop behind some of your favorite local music/concert posters, opens its Newport studio doors to the public Friday for it annual holiday party. ‘Housed for the Hollerdays is a perfect opportunity to do some gift shopping for the music lovers on your list — posters run $10-$50; framed prints start at…
Voting for Cincinnati Entertainment Awards: Now Open
The nominees for the 17th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards were announced Wednesday and now the polls have opened and it’s time for you to vote for your favorite Cincinnati area musicians. The public is invited to vote (once per email address) in 16 categories ranging from Blues, Jazz and Folk/Americana to Electronic, Hip Hop and…
Stage Door: Holiday Cheer
It's Friday the 13th, but if you're in the mood for holiday shows, this is your lucky weekend. Just about every theater in town has something onstage aimed at getting you into the Christmas spirit, making you laugh, diverting you from the stress of being cheerful or just poking fun at the ways of the…
Study: Supportive Housing Doesn’t Hurt Neighborhoods
Although some members of City Council appear ready to rescind support for a supportive housing project in Avondale, a previous study commissioned by the group in charge of the Avondale project found supportive housing facilities cause no negative impact to neighborhoods in which they’re located. The study, conducted by Arch City Development and the Urban…
Morning News and Stuff
In what could be another chance of survival for the $132.8 million streetcar project, Mayor John Cranley on Thursday announced he's willing to continue the project if private contributors cover annual operating expenses that would hit an already-strained operating budget. Although Cranley gave private-sector leaders and streetcar supporters only one week to get a legally…
Curmudgeon Notes 12.11.13
In all of the remembrances of Nelson Mandela after his death, few stood out as clearly as AP’s interview with his former jailer, Christo Brand. I found it in London’s Guardian. It’s a testament to both men’s essential humanity. Brand, an Afrikaner, joined the Robben Island prison staff at 18. He must have known the…
2013 Music Nominees and Winners
[Winners in bold] Rock: Buffalo Killers; Mad Anthony ; The KillTones; The Harlequins; Lemon Sky; Mangrenade Folk/Americana: The Tillers; Magnolia Mountain; Shiny and The Spoon; Young Heirlooms; Josh Eagle and the Harvest City; The Kentucky Struts Electronic: You, You’re Awesome; Playfully Yours; Moonbow; Freekbot; Skeleton Hands; Skeetones World Music/Reggae: Orquesta Kandela; The Cliftones; The Pinstripes;…
Cranley Open to Private Sector Paying Streetcar Operating Costs
The streetcar project’s chances of survival grew on Thursday after Mayor John Cranley announced he’s willing to allow the $132.8 million project move forward if the annual operating costs for the streetcar are underwritten by private contributors. But streetcar supporters might have as little as one week to provide assurances to Cranley that the operating…
Morning News and Stuff
Mayor John Cranley, Councilman Kevin Flynn and four union representatives from the Fraternal Order of Police, Firefighters Local 48, AFSCME and CODE will make a “major announcement” regarding the streetcar project today at 9 a.m., according to the mayor’s office. Local 12 reported last night that the announcement will be an offer from a private…
Council Appoints Interim City Manager
City Council on Wednesday officially appointed Scott Stiles as interim city manager, but only after a testy exchange over the compensation package left three of eight present council members as “no” votes. The package gives Stiles a raise if he returns to his previous role as one of two assistant city managers, which three council…
Get Off the Line
It’s not for me to say because I neither pledged a sorority nor did I even finish college, but I’ve always found Greek life a strange and an unlikely community to want to join, what with all the hazing, humiliation and other heinous pre-membership behaviors that do nothing to pay homage to what black Greek…
Warm Winter Reading
The Best American Comics 2013 Edited by Jeff Smith; series editors Jessica Abel and Matt Madden Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 400 pp., $25 From Jeff Smith’s introduction to the new anthology The Best American Comics 2013: “So get yourself a glass of milk (or a bourbon), because in front of you awaits wit, style, danger, curiosity,…
Covering Mandela in ’63
Listening to BBC after Nelson Mandela died left me sleep deprived. It was virtually nonstop from midnight to 5 a.m. on WVXU, and BBC demonstrated how a first-class news organization covers a major story. The broadcasts carried me back to 1990 when I stayed up to see the telecast of Mandela walking out of prison.…
Cincinnati vs. the World 12.11.13
Right-wing blowhard Rush Limbaugh last week described Pope Francis’ statements decrying excessive capitalism and calling for more inclusion and charity in the world as “pure Marxism.” WORLD -1 A former Cincinnatian who runs the Los Angeles Metro transit agency took to Twitter to comment on the absurdity of Cincinnati’s incoming administration stopping a transportation project…
Worst Week Ever!: Dec. 4-10
Unless Road Salt Becomes a Precious Commodity, Cincinnati Just Wasted a Bunch of Money Anyone who has shopped at Costco knows what it feels like next day, when reality rears its ugly head and it becomes clear that you probably won’t make it through the cement-bag-sized bag of pancake mix before your life ends. Buying…
2014 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Nominations
The annual celebration of Greater Cincinnati’s rich music scene, the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards (CEAs), returns for its 17th year on Jan. 26. Honoring the 2013 achievements of area musicians from a wide variety of genres, Covington’s Madison Theater will again host the CEA ceremony/party. Featuring numerous live performances and first-time host Jac Kern, CityBeat ’s…
I Just Can’t Get Enough
A new channel has found a coveted spot on my television’s favorites list. The Esquire Network replaced Style in late September, but it took me a few months to discover the new channel’s diverse entertaining offerings. The network’s original series feature everything from cooking to travel to style — lots of culture-y (pop and otherwise)…
Music: The Cult
It’s 1986. The Cult has just come off a pair of successful Post Punk records in their native Britain, the latter of which, Love, was recorded by Steve Brown. Eager to build on the success of Love’s “She Sells Sanctuary” (which remains The Cult’s signature tune), the band again enlists Brown and records a dozen songs for…
Art: What’s New: Fashion & Contemporary Craft
“It’s gotta be the shoes,” Nike’s 1980s Air Jordan ads marveled. And if you ask Cincinnati Art Museum curators Cynthia Amnéus and Amy Dehan which of today’s fashions stand the test of time, they too point to shoes — at least those in What’s New: Fashion & Contemporary Craft. The “Fang Shoes” by Dutch designer…
Winter Shelter Finally Opens
Cincinnati’s winter shelter for the homeless opened on Dec. 10, days after a winter storm caused the city to declare a snow emergency, and will remain open through February. It was originally unclear whether the winter shelter would be able to reach its $75,000 fundraising goal to open for its standard two-to-three months. But concerns…
Event: Bi-Okoto Heritage Festival
Cincinnati’s Bi-Okoto (pronounced “Bee-O-Ko-Toe”) Cultural Institute, a nonprofit performing arts organization that illuminates Africa’s rich traditional heritage, recently won the African Professionals Network (APNET) award for African culture, community and entertainment. The Pleasant Ridge-based organization engages individuals through dancing, drumming, music, food, languages and other arts. Bi-Okoto will host its annual Heritage Festival at the…
Cranley’s Choice for City Manager Withdraws Nomination
Cincinnati Parks Department Director Willie Carden, Mayor John Cranley’s choice for city manager, withdrew from consideration, the mayor’s office announced on Dec. 6. Acting City Manager Scott Stiles will continue in his current role while the city launches a nationwide search for a permanent replacement. Carden said in a statement that he decided to remain…
Committee Votes to Pull Support for Supportive Housing Facility
A City Council committee voted on Dec. 10 to rescind council’s support for state tax credits going to a 99-unit supportive housing facility in Avondale that would aid chronically homeless, disabled and low-income individuals. But since National Church Residences already obtained tax credits for the project from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency in June, it’s…
Music: MellowHigh
The roots of the Hip Hop trio of Hodgy Beats, Left Brain and Domo Genesis, better known as MellowHigh, are as complex as the Bible’s begats. The saga began seven years ago in Los Angeles, when Tyler, The Creator assembled a wealth of musical and creative talent under the umbrella of Odd Future Wolf Gang…
Music: Charlie Parr
The acoustic Blues Folk revival of the early ’60s — which lured a younger generation to Greenwich Village from places like small-town Minnesota to learn the songs and guitar- and banjo styles of older Southern and Appalachian musicians — seems like ancient history now. But meet Charlie Parr. He makes the old new. He has…
Music: Gringo Star with the Harlequins
Gringo Star parties like it’s 1969. The latest proof can be found on the opening track on the Atlanta band’s freshly minted third album, Floating Out to See. The brief, all-instrumental “In the Heat” sounds like a Syd Barrett fever dream, a hazy, atmospheric tone-setter to an album that again mines Gringo Star’s long-running fascination with…
Cincinnati’s Impoverished Continue to be Underserved and Undercovered
Even though the project already obtained state tax credits and could continue without City Council’s support, some council members appear ready to demonize a supportive housing facility in Avondale that would aid homeless, disabled and low-income Cincinnatians — showing once again that city leaders are largely all talk and no action on the issues of…
Music: The Oarsman
The Oarsman lead singer Marcus Christopher Maloney’s voice is therapy at its cheapest. No alcohol is needed to sink into the quiet misery from which the listener ultimately lifts hope from the beautifully mundane topics about which Maloney sings. On the Folk band’s debut full-length album, Writing House, you’ll find acoustic guitar, simple drums and whistling.…
Swinging Support
B ecause of a federal deadline, Vice Mayor David Mann and Councilman Kevin Flynn could decide the fate of the $132.8 million streetcar project on Dec. 18 — just two weeks after they were among five council members who decided to pause ongoing construction while an independent auditor reviews what it would cost to continue…
Gringo Star with The Harlequins
Gringo Star parties like it’s 1969. The latest proof can be found on the opening track on the Atlanta band’s freshly minted third album, Floating Out to See. The brief, all-instrumental “In the Heat” sounds like a Syd Barrett fever dream, a hazy, atmospheric tone-setter to an album that again mines Gringo Star’s long-running fascination with…
Charlie Parr with Bulletville
The acoustic Blues Folk revival of the early ’60s — which lured a younger generation to Greenwich Village from places like small-town Minnesota to learn the songs and guitar- and banjo styles of older Southern and Appalachian musicians — seems like ancient history now. After so many decades — so many generations — of performers availing themselves…
The Oarsman with Get in the Ark and Olivia Millerschin
The Oarsman lead singer Marcus Christopher Maloney’s voice is therapy at its cheapest. No alcohol is needed to sink into the quiet misery from which the listener ultimately lifts hope from the beautifully mundane topics about which Maloney sings. On the Folk band’s debut full-length album, Writing House, you’ll find acoustic guitar, simple drums and whistling.…
Nebraska
It’s worth wondering what’s up with Alexander Payne and his fascination with the neuroses of white men. From Election’s poor sad sack Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick) to About Schmidt’s retiring Warren Schmidt (Jack Nicholson) all the way up to hard-drinking Woody Grant (Bruce Dern) who heads off on a deluded quest to claim a million…
Morning News and Stuff
Work began yesterday on an audit of Cincinnati’s $132.8 million streetcar project, but streetcar supporters are upset the audit will only look at the costs and not the potential return on investment. The city hired KPMG, an auditing firm, to review the streetcar’s completion, cancellation and operating costs by Dec. 19, the day the federal…
Tyler Perry’s A Madea Christmas
Tyler Perry’s Madea creation has taken on a personality and life of its own — threatening to eclipse its creator, I would argue — but Perry has exhibited a strong controlling influence over Madea’s onscreen evolution. Madea began as an insulated oddball figure within Perry’s conception of his vision of African American communal life but…
The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug
The dwarves’ epic quest to re-establish their kingdom continues, bringing them and their assorted allies (including the wizard Gandalf, a coalescing collection of elves and Bilbo Baggins) into conflict with the imposing dragon, Smaug (voiced by Benedict Cumberbatch). As a fan of J.R.R. Tolkien’s prequel to The Lord of the Rings saga and Peter Jackson’s…
Better Late Than Never: ‘Modern Family’
One of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedies on television right now is Modern Family (9 p.m. Wednesdays, ABC). It makes sense — the show is progressive enough to explore gay relationships, adoption and mixed families without preaching or alienating old-school viewers. The characters are great, the writing produces both laugh-out-loud and touching moments,…
MellowHigh with TOK
The roots of the Hip Hop trio of Hodgy Beats, Left Brain and Domo Genesis, better known as MellowHigh, are as complex as the Bible’s begats. The saga began seven years ago in Los Angeles, when Tyler, The Creator assembled a wealth of musical and creative talent under the umbrella of Odd Future Wolf Gang…
A Duped Documentarian Seeks the Truth About the Power of a Lie
Audiences will sit down to Alex Gibney’s new film, The Armstrong Lie, wanting to believe that thoroughly disgraced cyclist and athlete Lance Armstrong will come clean in a far more humbling fashion than he did with Oprah Winfrey at the height of the collapse of his empire built upon the notion that he was racing…
Bi-Okoto Brings African Heritage to Cincinnati and Across the World
Cincinnati’s Bi-Okoto (pronounced “Bee-O-Ko-Toe”) Cultural Institute, a nonprofit performing arts organization that illuminates Africa’s rich traditional heritage, recently won the African Professionals Network (APNET) award for African culture, community and entertainment. The Pleasant Ridge-based organization engages individuals through dancing, drumming, music, food, languages and other arts. “I decided to get an African organization together in…
Innovation Is the Heart and Sole of Fashionable Exhibit
“It’s gotta be the shoes,” Nike’s 1980s Air Jordan ads marveled. And if you ask Cincinnati Art Museum curators Cynthia Amnéus and Amy Dehan which of today’s fashions stand the test of time, they too point to shoes — at least those in What’s New: Fashion & Contemporary Craft. The “Fang Shoes” by Dutch designer…
Attention, Holiday (Theater) Shoppers!
Just a few more shopping days before Christmas. Theater is a great idea for last-minute gifts. Start a tradition that’s easy to repeat year after year. A trip to see a show is a wonderful gift, especially for kids. My earliest memory of theatergoing is my grandfather taking me to see the musical Brigadoon. I…
Retrocentric’s Rebirth
W earing horn-rimmed glasses, bright red lipstick and vintage shoes, with her short blonde hair in tight curls, Sailor Gruzleski appears to be plucked from the 1940s. Gruzleski passes this vintage charm along to other local women as founder and owner of Cincinnati’s only full-service pinup photo studio, Retrocentric, which she started as a means…
8-Bits to Hold You
The recent rise of the 8-bit/Chiptune movement within the Indie Pop scene presents a fascinating dichotomy. Electronic game sonics are blended with live instrumentation and assembled and performed by inventive artists who are simultaneously utilizing cutting-edge hardware/software and obsolete technology that dates back to (and in some cases pre-dates) the earliest periods of their childhoods.…
Welcome to Injecting Strangers’ ‘Nightmare Nancy’
Very promising Cincinnati newcomers Injecting Strangers will be promoting the release of their debut recording, a three-song EP titled Nightmare Nancy, Saturday at Mainstay Rock Bar (301 W. Fifth St., Downtown, mainstayrockbar.com). The free show starts at 9 p.m. Chicago area band Dr. Manhattan opens. Injecting Strangers’ elastic Indie Rock sound is impressively — but never…
