Metal Detectors Could Come Back to City Hall
In light of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, a City Council member wants metal detectors put back in City Hall. Democratic Councilman Cecil Thomas says he’s always been concerned about security, and he hopes recent bouts of gun violence will make it clear more protective steps are necessary. Thomas argues City Hall should not be an…
Jerky? Sure!
I’ve always had some sense of “beef jerky” over my lifetime. It’s always been in gas stations and convenient stores. And I’m certain I’ve eaten jerky before. Not en masse, but a bit. And not on a dare, even. But it’s been quite a while. It seems like in the past 10 years, there’s been…
Giving the Gift of Theater
All right, you’re going to have to forgive me — I am a theater critic and a theater lover. Those terms are not mutually exclusive. In fact, if you’re not someone who looks forward to every time the lights go down as a performance begins, then you should get out of the criticism game. Most…
Coffee And Community: Collective Espresso Opens in Over-the-Rhine
They have been talking about it since they were 15 years old. Now, about 15 years later, all it took was an evening stroll through some back alleys on the way to The Famous Neons Unplugged in Over-the-Rhine to stumble across the perfect spot for their new start-up on Woodward Street, Collective Espresso. Owners Dave…
Finding The Sweet Spot
A s a ballet, The Nutcracker stands alone. On paper, it’s classical and traditional, yet to succeed — not to mention sell tickets — a production must offer big fun for the whole family. We’re talking about creating holiday memories here … and perhaps even building broader ballet audiences. Cincinnati Ballet’s much-ballyhooed new Nutcracker production…
Plea Deal Reached in Bid Rigging Case
A Cincinnati-based company and one of its top executives have pleaded guilty to circumventing Ohio’s competitive bid process, a move the state’s top lawyer said cheated taxpayers out of tens of thousands of dollars. Attorney General Mike DeWine announced on Tuesday that Quattro Inc. pleaded guilty to two felonies while sales manager Timothy O’Brien pleaded…
Event: Ice Skating on Fountain Square
While our summertime version of Fountain Square holds its charm with its warm-weather hoopla of constant live music and dancing, wintry Fountain Square comes alive in its own rite with an ice rink rivaling the size of the rink at the Rockefeller Center. It’s a classic feel-good, family-friendly Cincinnati tradition that’s worth keeping up. Warm…
Music: Cincy Psych Fest Showcase
Following a successful inaugural event in October, the folks behind the Cincy Psych Fest — celebrating the best in local and regional Psych Rock — aren’t just hanging out waiting for next year’s festival to celebrate and revel in the trippiness. This Friday at MOTR Pub, the CPF presents its first show of the ongoing…
Onstage: Amahl
Start a new holiday tradition this weekend with a unique opera for all ages. Amahl combines child-like wonder with a deep message perfect for the whole family. Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra and Madcap Puppets present the story of a shepherd boy, his mother and their miraculous, life-changing encounter with the Three Wise Men searching for the first child.…
Event: The Honey Combs + Username: Mammy Spanx Show
Performance art can take many forms. And somewhere between Nicki Minaj’s over-the-top theatrics and Carol Burnett’s physical slapstick resides the whimsical two-woman show of Honey Combs and Mammy Spanx. The two friends, acoustic Pop artist Caitlin Combs and comedic filmmaker Kristen Lundberg, join forces this weekend for a night of beautiful weirdness. The program will…
Event: Yelp’s Jingle Bowl
Yelp Cincinnati will hold its first ever Jingle Bowl at Western Bowl, a classic old-timey Westside bowling alley, in honor of some do-good holiday fun. All Yelpers are invited to get decked out in their finest ugly Christmas sweaters/reindeer noses/elvin garb/Santa suits or anything else generally wintry and cheerful for a good old-fashioned night on…
Comedy: David Waite
It’s been quite a year for comedian Dave Waite, highlighted by an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. “That was the best day of my life,” Waite says. “It definitely helped. It kind of solidified me as a headliner.” Waite, who has been living in New York for the past two years, came back…
Event: Slurring Bee Wordplay Fundraiser
The art of mastering language and appreciating it during the process is a vital part of any human being’s intellectual and psychological development. The existence and popularity of the Slurring Bee is proof of such; once a month, word-nerds congregate for a friendly spelling bee competition, made more fun by everyone’s favorite social lubricant, alcohol.…
Onstage: The Apocalypse Show
According to the Mayan calendar, this is your last issue of CityBeat — what with the world ending on Friday. Know Theatre is offering you the chance to go out laughing by attending one of their 9 p.m. performances of The Apocalypse Show. The plan is for a rowdy variety show that’s equal parts party…
Onstage: The Nutcracker
The Cincinnati Ballet stretched and practiced their pirouettes just in time for this holiday season’s return of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker. Enter a world of magic and wonder as Clara helps the Nutcracker win the war against the Mouse King before embarking on an adventure to see the Sugar Plum Fairy. A celebration awaits once the…
Zak Morgan Goes Major Label with Stellar New Kids’ LP
Holidays are especially exciting times for children and, given the recent tragedy in Newtown, Conn., kids all over will likely be going to be getting a little extra love this season. Zak Morgan knows kids. The Cincinnati-based singer/songwriter has already had an amazing career in children’s music, with his second self-financed album, When Bullfrogs Croak,…
Music Tonight: Dying Fetus, Madison Theater Band Challenge and More
• Influential Maryland-spawned Death Metal/Hardcore/Gindcore group Dying Fetus headlines Newport's Thompson House for a night of hardcore release. Singer/guitarist John Gallagher has kept the Fetus alive for 21 years, maintaining a dedicated following and racking up honors like having his band's 2000 release, Destroy the Opposition, named to Decibel Magazine's list of "Hall of Fame"…
Morning News and Stuff
Former Ohio governor Ted Strickland, who rose to the governorship with the help of the National Rifle Association, says gun rights and gun control can co-exist. The claim is in light of the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., which killed 20 children and six adults. Many have called for stricter gun…
Music Tonight: Steve Schmidt Organ Trio Christmas Spectacular
Veteran ace Jazz pianist/organist Steve Schmidt returns to The Comet in Northside to launch his Christmas-themed two-night stand at the venue. Schmidt's annual Christmas Jazz "Spectacular" has become a local holiday tradition. Schmidt whips out his organ (a Hammond B3; get your mind out of the gutter!) for the occasion and, as always, brings along…
Morning News and Stuff
By now, most of you have heard there was another horrible mass shooting, this time in Newtown, Conn., that resulted in the death of 20 children and six adults. While everyone is hoping this is the last time the nation has to deal with an event of unspeakable horror, it is only a possibility if…
Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some) (Review)
Critic's Pick I am sorry for your luck if you haven’t yet obtained tickets for Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some) at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Even before the show opened on Sunday evening, most of its two-week run was sold out. A few more performances were added: 2:30 p.m. matinees on Dec. 22,…
Council Passes Budget Reliant on Parking Lease
Cincinnati City Council on Friday approved a budget that relies on parking privatization as a means to plug a $34 million budget deficit while also raising property taxes in 2014. Mayor Mark Mallory opened up the council meeting with a moment of silent prayer for the 27 students and adults killed at an elementary school…
Judge Who Sealed Miami Rape Flier Case Defends Decision
The Butler County judge who granted the anonymity of a former Miami University student convicted of posting a rape tips list on campus is standing by his decision. Area 1 Court Judge Robert Lyons ordered all case records sealed Nov. 8 after the student pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and agreed to pay an undisclosed…
Fact Check: Cranley’s ‘Very Easy’ Budget Plan
Former Democratic city council member John Cranley is kicking off his 2013 mayoral campaign by getting involved in budget talks. In a public hearing at City Hall last week, Cranley tried to provide an alternative to privatizing the city’s parking assets, which City Manager Milton Dohoney has suggested to pay for $21 million of the…
Voting Opens for Cincinnati Entertainment Awards
Voting for Greater Cincinnati's annual celebration of our amazing local music scene, the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, is now open. Vote for your faves or, even better, do some research online, check out all of the nominees and THEN pick who you think is most deserving. Click here to get started on your ballot. The 16th…
Your Weekend To Do List: 12/14-12/16
Northside and OTR get a lot of neighborhood love, but Walnut Hills is quickly becoming yet another hot spot for local businesses, art galleries, shopping and more. Support the Hills Friday and check out the Walk on Woodburn from 6-9 p.m. Neusole Glassworks will have a mobile glass-blowing truck, there will be plenty of live…
Stage Door: Making Merry Edition
By next weekend you'll be all crazy with gift shopping and baking cookies, so theater might not be such a high priority. So how about catching a great holiday show this weekend to put in in the holiday mood? Starting Sunday evening you can get caught up on Christmas lore — well, at least a…
Morning News and Stuff
It’s official: Gov. John Kasich won’t privatize the Ohio Turnpike. Instead, the Republican governor wants to increase tolls at the rate of inflation and issue bonds backed by the turnpike’s profits to raise an estimated $3 billion for infrastructure projects — more than 90 percent of which will be in northern Ohio, where the turnpike…
I Just Can’t Get Enough
Since I’m convinced the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Will and Kate, rarely have physical contact and imagining their sexy times is like picturing two pieces of notebook paper laying on a desk, I think it’s safe to say Queen Elizabeth’s turkey baster procedure was a success, cause Royal Baby Watch is upon us! Duchess…
Two Thursday Night Cincinnati Roots Music Spectaculars
Fans of live, homegrown American Roots music will want to keep their Thursday nights free for the next few weeks. Two strong, weekly events featuring several of the city's best musicians in the field (many of whom were recently nominated for 2012 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards) will continue (at least) until the end of 2012. Mark…
U.S. May Scour Fifth Third Records for Infomercial King’s Cash
A court order issued by U.S. District Judge Susan Dlott will permit the Federal Trade Commission to enforce subpoenas that seek access to bank accounts held by Kevin Trudeau, his wife Natilya Babenko and Global Information Network. Trudeau reportedly made more than 32,000 broadcasts for The Weight Loss Cure, a book that the government claims…
Morning News and Stuff
School report card reform is about to head to Gov. John Kasich, who is likely to sign it. The bill, which places higher grading standards on schools, passed the Ohio Senate yesterday with some minor tweaks. The Ohio House is expected to approve the bill again, and then Kasich will need to sign it for…
The Final Countdown: An Apocalyptic Top 40
It’s probably one of those things that’s impossible to know without being in the situation, but when the world ends on a pre-determined date like, say, Dec. 21, how you will spend that last day? Will you do a power-bucket list? Bunker up with family and loved ones? Weep uncontrollably? Will art play a role?…
Life Sucks Anyway
America is the type of place where people don’t read. It’s also where few people question the logic behind heeding the stone-calendar-based prophetic warnings of an ancient people whose neighbors thought the Spanish invaders on horseback were gods and not human beings. Does it matter what day the world ends on? What sitcoms will be…
The History, Myths and Future of the Apocalypse
F or as long as humans have walked the Earth , they’ve been trying to figure out how we got here and predict how it will all end. Over time, everyone from respected scientists to complete nutbags have claimed to have discovered a clue about humanity’s demise. As one of the most widely recognized apocalyptic…
Event: Art: Third Party Gallery, Staring Eyes #3: Yule Logs and Certain Types of Nog
As part of their monthly experimental film program, Staring Eyes, Third Party Gallery in Brighton presents a seasonal screening of holiday-related animated films “you most certainly can’t Tivo.” This month, the gallery will present films by artist-animators such as Alison Schulnik, whose work you might recognize from the Bjork film featured in the CAC’s recent…
Music: Sing Hallelujah
If you think the “Hallelujah” chorus is all there is to Handel’s Messiah, you’ll have to wait until the end of Part II. But it’s well worth hanging in there. Handel’s iconic oratorio is in three parts, depicting the life of Jesus through memorable choruses and dramatic arias that are vocal touchstones. This holiday tradition…
Music: The Shanks
Toronto-based The Shanks’ classics-influenced Rock & Roll rumble draws all of its power and thunder from just two musicians — frontman/singer/songwriter/bassist Pistolwhip von Shankenstein and drummer/singer Colonel Crankshaft. Like Death From Above 1979, the duo — which was founded in 2005 — creates a whirling dervish of Rock sounds with distorted bass and expansive drumming…
Worst Week Ever!: Dec. 5-11
WEDNESDAY DEC. 5 CNN today ran the first installment of a three-part series on the potential effects of using ecstasy to treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Ecstasy can reportedly lead people to greater levels of understanding and tolerance, along with making crappy jam band music sound amazing. And today a growing number of medical professionals believe…
Family Tree
“It’s a good thing we have pretty skinny kids,” Mom chuckled. “This would be much more uncomfortable if you weren’t.” Dylan and I maneuvered our way into the back of my dad’s 1994 Ford Ranger truck, the kind with the little fold-down seats in the back that pop out of the walls. I remember riding…
A Star is Born at CCM
After previewing for CityBeat the recent American Voices XIV: Celebrating John Cage at 100 concert at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music, I attended the crowded event to see the group I had featured, Percussion Group Cincinnati, perform Cage’s Music for Three while the CCM Philharmonia played Cage’s Ranga. It was as charming and strange, as enigmatically…
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
The cynical play here would be to knock the “unexpected” nature of this enterprise because, after the overwhelming success of Peter Jackson’s justifiably epic Lord of the Rings saga, why wouldn’t Jackson and New Line seek to replicate that run with The Hobbit? It’s not like they had to invent a prequel from scratch or…
Votto Still Working Toward Full Health
Joey Votto finished his 2012 season with singles in each of his final two plate appearances, but it was his fifth-inning at-bat in Game 5 of the National League Division Series that sticks with him. The Reds trailed 6-2 in the bottom of the fifth and Votto had two men aboard with two outs. He…
Happy Hipmas!
Pack your bags for a holiday retreat to the place where the dream of the 1990s and 1890s is alive. Portlandia might not return for Season Three until next month, but IFC has left a little gift in every hipster’s stocking with the holiday special, Winter in Portlandia (10:30 p.m. Friday). Starring Saturday Night Live’s…
Workers’ Compensation Bill Under Scrutiny
An Ohio policy research group is criticizing a local state senator’s “anti-immigrant bill.” If passed, S.B. 323, proposed in April by Republican Ohio Sen. Bill Seitz, would require workers to prove their legal status to work before receiving workers’ compensation, but Innovation Ohio says the bill reaches too far to solve a problem that might…
Court Might Reveal Identity of Miami Rape Flier Author
The sealing of a criminal court case involving a former Miami University student who posted a “Top Ten Ways to Get Away with Rape” flier in a freshman dormitory now has the presiding judge defending his decision to the Ohio Supreme Court. And he’s doing it with the help of the Butler County prosecutor who…
Framing 2013: How to Look at the New Year in Film
Consider this a mission or statement of purpose for next year’s film coverage. The seed of the idea began at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where I decided to go, as I stated, where the frames took me. I wasn’t interested in chasing the potential mainstream hits and misses. Instead, I wanted to wander…
Cincinnati vs. The World 12.12.2012
Women spend less than half as much time cleaning today as they did 50 years ago, according to a study on the cleaning habits of adult women living in the UK. WORLD +2 Nonprofit group the Polaris Project ranked Ohio as one of four states judged as “most improved” in its recent statewide battle against…
Jobs, Jobs, Jobs?
If someone turned on the news during the past few weeks, it would be hard to blame him if he thought the most pressing issues in the world right now are budgets and abortions. In recent news, the economy has taken a backseat to raising taxes and cutting spending. That’s despite the fact that the…
Parking Pass
T he plan to balance Cincinnati’s budget and its $34 million deficit seems to hinge on one thing — the controversial plan to lease city parking facilities to a private company. The plan involves leasing 6,000 parking spaces, five garages and three surface lots for a minimum $40 million upfront payment and a share of…
Hair Apparent
T he guys in Steel Panther have a purpose. And that purpose is to make ’80s Metal popular again. “Our whole mission is to bring Heavy Metal back,” singer Michael Starr declares. “If there’s a band that sees what we’re doing and digs it and wants to do it and grows their hair out and…
Playing the Holiday Soundtracks
‘Tis the season for an abundance of music that includes beloved traditions: Handel’s oratorio Messiah and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Both pieces are holiday staples performed year after year. After year. Cincinnati is no exception when it comes to these classics but there’s a big difference. The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is the house ensemble for the…
Holiday Dish
Whether your favorite version of A Christmas Carol stars Alastair Sim or Donald Duck, there’s something endearing about Scrooge’s change of heart and Tiny Tim’s blessing. And how about that Christmas goose? The Golden Lamb has it! The historic inn in Lebanon — always a beautiful setting for a holiday moment — is celebrating with…
Reporters Should Challenge Candidates on Creationism
I’m grateful to the GQ magazine reporter who asked Florida Sen. Marco Rubio about the age of the earth. It raises a vital question for a country where significant numbers of Americans reject much of science from creation to evolution. Biblical belief in the age of the earth is a matter of faith. That…
Morning News and Stuff
The Ohio Turnpike will remain a public asset , according to The Columbus Dispatch . Many Ohioans have been worried Gov. John Kasich would attempt to privatize the Turnpike in order to pay for transportation projects; instead, the governor will try to generate revenue for state infrastructure projects elsewhere, perhaps by using the Turnpike’s tolls.…
CAC Celebrates Christmas in an ‘Unsilent,’ Booming Way
It’s never too late in the history of humankind for a new Christmas tradition — especially if it comes out of the world of edgy, avant-garde participatory performance art. Edgy, avant-garde and fun participatory performance art, that is. It is into this world that downtown’s Contemporary Arts Center is venturing this Saturday evening to hopefully…
The Hiders’ Tremendous ‘Temenos’ Drops Saturday
Consistently excellent Cincinnati Rock band The Hiders celebrate the release of their latest full-length, Temenos , this Saturday at Hoffner Lodge (4120 Hamilton Ave., Northside) . The album release performance kicks off at 10 p.m. The band will play the new album from start to finish, followed by a set of older material. Admission is…
Campus Insecurity
There is a profoundly false sense of security not only on the campus of the University of Cincinnati but also surrounding it, and this isn’t anything new. Way back in the Stone Ages of the early 1980s when I was a floundering freshman English major and about to spend all my student loan money on…
See Ya At The CEAs
The annual celebration of Greater Cincinnati’s rich music scene, the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards (CEAs), didn’t occur in its usual time slot this year (around Thanksgiving). To give us some space after CityBeat’s other big-time music event — September’s MidPoint Music Festival — the CEAs will now be held in January to honor the best local…
