Morning News and Stuff
Good morning! Here are your morning headlines. • The streetcars are arriving one by one in Cincinnati, slowly parading around the city to get ready for their debut in the second half of 2016, but a new report released by the project's financial advisor says the cars might also be dragging in some money problems…
Morning News and Stuff
Good morning all. Hope your weekend was grand and not too spoiled by the disastrous Bengals loss/Andy Dalton injury Sunday, or, if you’re a UC basketball fan, their loss yet again to XU in the Crosstown Shootout. Luckily, I’m only vaguely aware of sports so I was just dandy. Anyway, news time. Planned Parenthood of…
Morning News and Stuff
Good morning all. It’s Friday. I’m ready for the weekend. You’re ready for the weekend. Let’s keep this news rundown brief today, k? Here's what I've seen floating around in the news and what I have written in my own reporter's notebook. • The Hamilton County Board of Elections has released its report on last…
Stage Door
Most of the theater onstage right now is holiday-themed — or at least family-friendly. If you want to take kids to see something, your best bet is Cinderella at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, a contemporary take on the familiar fairytale — the heroine is a bookworm who prefers to sneakers to glass slippers. There’s lots of…
Locals and Legends
David Rhodes Brown's Warsaw Falcons and Nick Dellaposta's To No End could not possibly be any further from each other on the musical continuum. The Falcons, recently reborn with the classic lineup of Brown on guitar/vocals, the thunderous John Schmidt on bass and the irrepressible Doug Waggoner on drums, are Rockabilly personified, heavy on the…
Judge’s Radio Show Comments Prompt New Hearing
A Hamilton County Appeals Court has ordered a new hearing for a man convicted in the death of his girlfriend’s 1-year-old child. That order comes after Hamilton County Court Common Pleas Judge Leslie Ghiz made critical statements on a radio station the day after she sentenced the defendant last year. Hamilton County Court Judge Peter…
Spoonful of Cinema: Room
Irish-born director Lenny Abrahamson last charmed us with the post-modern indie drama Frank. It was a film about finding harmony and friendship — rather low stakes compared to his newest film. The 49-year-old director is hitting us where it hurts in latest effort, Room, a tense indie drama with its fair share of thrills that…
Morning News and Stuff
Hey Cincy! Here’s the news today. Happy holidays. If you like political drama, then the city’s streetcar is the gift that keeps on giving. The latest dustup comes over Cincinnati City Manager Harry Black’s memo to Mayor John Cranley and City Council late last week that questions whether the $4.2 million operating plan Council passed…
In the Heart of the Sea
Having staked his claim as a noted Academy Award-worthy filmmaker (Best Picture and Best Director on A Beautiful Mind along with nominations in both categories seven years later for Frost/Nixon), Ron Howard has ventured down a more eclectic pathway as of late, bounding from more traditional blockbuster adaptations (The Da Vinci Code and Angels &…
Labels Matter
I was The Cincinnati Enquirer’s new federal beat reporter and the late federal judge Carl Rubin asked what I knew about courts.“The only ones I’ve covered were Native Courts in Northern Rhodesia, but they’re just like the ones here: white judges and black defendants.” Cheeky. I was lucky. He roared. That moment came to mind…
Music: Jim Lauderdale
Singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale is an Americana music favorite who has undoubtedly influenced many artists in his 35 years playing and writing Roots, Country and Bluegrass music. But for his most recent release, the double-album Soul Searching, Lauderdale decided to pay tribute to his own influences — namely vintage R&B, Soul, Blues and Rock & Roll.…
Holiday: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis
It’s been 31 years since Mannheim Steamroller Christmas revolutionized what a Christmas album can sound like, and Grammy-winning artist Chip Davis is determined to show us all that it’s just as relevant today as it was back then. Davis has created a multimedia show featuring the music of Mannheim Steamroller, with dazzling visual effects. This…
Holiday: Cincinnati Santacon
Are you Santa enough to drink your way from downtown to the North Pole (aka Mount Adams) in a costumed, group bar crawl? Put on a red suit and prepare yourself to imbibe a night’s worth of milk and cookies — except replace milk with alcohol; you can still eat the cookies. The Santacon sleigh…
Holiday: Mount Adams Reindog Parade
The holidays go to the dogs this weekend during the 26th-annual Reindog Parade. The procession kicks off at Towne Properties Headquarters and takes participants bounding through the heart of Mount Adams. Canines and their humans are challenged to don their most festive apparel; prizes are awarded to the best-dressed large and small dogs. Don’t be afraid…
Art: But There’s Room for Discussion at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center
The Clifton Cultural Arts Center hosts a group show, but there’s room for discussion, curated by multi-media artist Justin West and Chase Public’s executive director Scott Holzman. The exhibit features a dozen local artists and prioritizes the audience’s experience of art as much as the artists’ intentions. Visitors at the opening reception are encouraged to…
Holiday: Santa’s Workshop at Washington Park
You’ve waited in the lines. You’ve dealt with crying kids and the loud noises of malls and shopping centers. And you’ve paid dearly for the experience, just to get a photograph of your child on Santa’s lap. Well now you can get the end result without all of that hassle. Every Saturday until Christmas, Santa…
Holiday: OTR Holiday Home Tour
Have you ever wanted to see inside some of the beautifully renovated historic OTR homes without feeling like a peeping Tom? American Legacy Tours has a solution: the OTR Holiday Home Tour. This approximately 90-minute self-guided jaunt through the neighborhood offers a chance to get a glimpse inside some of these restored homes and meet…
Holiday: Light Up OTR
The sixth-annual Light Up OTR is a community-based holiday party representing safety and unity during the Christmas season. Shops and businesses from Elm to Main streets decorate their windows with Christmas scenes while luminaries and candles light up the neighborhood. This year’s event is an official stop for Santacon 2015. Winners of the OTR A…
Comedy: Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes is a stand-up comedian, actress, writer and television producer. She’s probably most recognized for her role as Barb Baran on the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. More recently, she and her business partner Page Hurwitz have taken over the production duties of Last Comic Standing. It’s been quite a journey…
Holiday: Holiday Pops
John Morris Russell — aka Mr. Christmas — conducts the Cincinnati Pops in their annual holiday concert at Music Hall. This year, the Pops are joined by Grammy-winning vocal quartet New York Voices in addition to singers and dancers from local ensembles; Santa himself even joins in the fun. The three-concert event features traditional and contemporary festive…
Comedy: Anthony DeVito and Greg Stone
No, they’re not a comedy duo, just good friends who will co-headline Go Bananas this week. “Greg and I are both from Bloomfield, N.J.,” says Anthony DeVito. “We grew up on opposite ends of the town. He was closer to Newark. It was more dangerous. He had his bike stolen. My end wasn’t like that —…
Art: Kin Killin’ Kin
T here’s no denying that violence in the African-American community has been a hot-button issue the last few years, with American media coverage increasing constantly. But while that often relates to police, James Pate has spent years responding to the epidemic of black-on-black violence. The recent national conversation has only fueled the artist’s creative energy,…
Theater in New York City
In November I was in New York City for a gathering of the American Theatre Critics Association. I saw five Broadway shows, listened to some informative panel discussions and attended a luncheon at Sardi’s with an array of Broadway performers. (I sat next to Michael Cerveris, winner of a 2015 Tony Award.) Predictably, the panels…
Winter TV Preview
Look out for these new/returning seasons, series premieres and specials as the days get shorter and the temperature drops lower. Sherlock: The Abominable Bride (9 p.m. Jan. 1, PBS) – This 90-minute special sends Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Watson (Martin Freeman) back in time to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s original setting in the 1890s. New…
Simien’s Femmes Step Up in Their Latest Projects
Justin Simien set his explosive dramedy Dear White People on a fictional Ivy League campus and purported to focus on the experiences of four black students struggling to navigate that elite and somewhat treacherous environment. But the ladies ended up dominating the proceedings, seizing control of the campus and our imaginations. Sam White (Tessa Thompson),…
Still Standing: Wanda Sykes
Wanda Sykes is a stand-up comedian, actress, writer and television producer. She’s probably most recognized for her role as Barb Baran on the CBS sitcom The New Adventures of Old Christine. More recently, she and her business partner Page Hurwitz have taken over the production duties of Last Comic Standing. It’s been quite a journey…
Todd Pavlisko Collects Punk-Loving Pals for ‘Gimmie’
Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie is curator Todd Pavlisko’s homecoming potluck for misfits, with contributions from six artists and 10 local collectors attracted to contemporary works outside the mainstream. Two shows in one, Gimmie draws its title and Punk inspiration from the Black Flag song of the same name, featuring the lyrics, “I need some more /…
Stories That Must be Told
T here’s no denying that violence in the African-American community has been a hot-button issue the last few years, with American media coverage increasing constantly. But while that often relates to police, James Pate has spent years responding to the epidemic of black-on-black violence. The recent national conversation has only fueled the artist’s creative energy,…
Home Away from Home
FOR LIZ MATTHEWS, THE BEST PART OF WORKING FOR BETHANY HOUSE SERVICES IS HEARING KEYS JINGLING. When it’s time for a guest to leave the shelter and move into a permanent home, Matthews — the shelter’s lead social worker — will ask them to come back and jingle the keys to their new place for…
Where They Do That At?
The terrorist attack in San Bernardino that left 14 people dead and another 21 injured last week marked a red-letter day for feminists the world over: Tashfeen Malik, a 29-year-old female Jihadist terrorist, is shaping up to perhaps be the braintrust behind the ghastly massacre. Nothing says “equal opportunity” and “job sharing” more adroitly than…
Morning News and Stuff
Hello all! Let’s talk about news today. Let’s play a rousing game of “would you rather” shall we? As in, would you rather take the upcoming Over-the-Rhine/downtown streetcar late at night when you’ve got your swerve on from your sixth OTR-brewed high-ABV craft beer, or early the next morning when you’re hungover and on the…
Worst Week Ever! Dec. 09-15
America Supports France Against Terrorism, but Climate Change BS Still Annoys Us France is a place that Americans don’t know a lot about, other than thinking the people there all wear white-and-black-striped shirts and subsist off of cigarettes, wine and baguettes because who knows what grows out of the ground over there? For a while…
Report: Lieutenant Governor Aide Made Campaign Calls on Taxpayers’ Dime
Ohio Lieutenant Governor Mary Taylor’s top aide spent hours placing campaign phone calls and engaging in other political activity while she was supposed to be working on behalf of taxpayers, a state investigation says. The revelations come as some in the Republican party have touted Taylor as a top possibility to run as Ohio’s next…
Council Set to Vote on Ban on Conversion Therapy
Cincinnati City Council will vote Wednesday on legislation designed to ban so-called conversion therapy. The Christian-based therapy seeks to “convert” LGBT people, often youth, to heterosexual preferences. The legislation to ban it for residents under 18 was introduced by Councilman Chris Seelbach. Transgender teen Leelah Alcorn, who committed suicide last year after she was bullied…
Federal Transit Bill Could Mean Boost to Metro, Regional Rail
Congress is poised to pass a historic, five-year transit spending bill, and it could mean big things for local bus service and regional rail. The Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority could see a boost from the $305-billion transit spending bill, which is expected to clear Congress and be signed by President Barack Obama as soon…
Fighting Intolerance
A recent rally against Islamophobia at the University of Cincinnati followed the same route a UC pre-med student was walking just two weeks prior, when she says she was a victim of Islamophobia. The event, which began outside the Starbucks on University Square in Clifton Heights, traveled past the intersection of Calhoun Street and Clifton…
Music: The Yawpers
In the mood for garage-y, rough-hewn, slide guitar-infested Acid Blues Rock for the masses? The Yawpers are all of that and more. In this day and age of compression-flattened recordings and auto-tuned horseshit played off as edgy, The Yawpers thankfully cut through that mess with blatantly loose and fun yet sometimes poignant grooves. Hailing from…
Sound Advice: The Yawpers with Magnolia Mountain
In the mood for garage-y, rough-hewn, slide guitar-infested Acid Blues Rock for the masses? The Yawpers are all of that and more. In this day and age of compression-flattened recordings and auto-tuned horseshit played off as edgy, The Yawpers thankfully cut through that mess with blatantly loose and fun yet sometimes poignant grooves. Hailing from…
Music: Andy McKee
The term “virtuoso” is not used much these days when it comes to musical acts that tour outside of on-campus recital halls or similar venues. But Andy McKee is just that, a wonderful guitarist who can play a wide array of styles masterfully. Back in the day, high-end fingerpick guitarists like John Fahey and Michael…
Sound Advice: Andy McKee
The term “virtuoso” is not used much these days when it comes to musical acts that tour outside of on-campus recital halls or similar venues. But Andy McKee is just that, a wonderful guitarist who can play a wide array of styles masterfully. Back in the day, high-end fingerpick guitarists like John Fahey and Michael…
Music: The Revivalists
There’s a case to be made that New Orleans is blessed with equal amounts of musical talent and unexplainable magic, and The Revivalists offer potent evidence. Eight years ago, guitarist Zack Feinberg inexplicably shifted routes on his bike ride home from work and discovered recent-Ohioan-turned-New Orleanian David Shaw singing and playing guitar on his porch.…
Sound Advice: The Revivalists with The Almighty Get Down
There’s a case to be made that New Orleans is blessed with equal amounts of musical talent and unexplainable magic, and The Revivalists offer potent evidence. Eight years ago, guitarist Zack Feinberg inexplicably shifted routes on his bike ride home from work and discovered recent-Ohioan-turned-New Orleanian David Shaw singing and playing guitar on his porch.…
Music: Steel Panther
Steel Panther is like a ’70s commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: “‘Hey, you got comedy on my Glam Metal.’ ‘No, you got Glam Metal on my comedy.’ ” They’re both correct, of course. Steel Panther is serious about being funny and never funnier than when they’re being serious. Is Steel Panther a parody or…
Sound Advice: Steel Panther
Steel Panther is like a ’70s commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups: “‘Hey, you got comedy on my Glam Metal.’ ‘No, you got Glam Metal on my comedy.’ ” They’re both correct, of course. Steel Panther is serious about being funny and never funnier than when they’re being serious. Is Steel Panther a parody or…
‘Cannon Ball’ Local-Music Showcase Debuts
Cincinnati Indie Pop band Multimagic is launching a new local-music showcase called The Cannon Ball this Saturday at the Woodward Theater (1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, woodwardtheater.com). The Cannon Ball will be a bi-annual event featuring a handful of area touring bands that, according to a press release, “share a unique vision, rigorous focus and saturated…
Wikipedia as Backstage Pass
HOT: Wikipedia as Backstage Pass With its user-created and policed policy and notorious user-generated pranks and factual errors, Wikipedia should never be taken as gospel. But the site’s easily manipulated nature came in handy recently for a fan of Australian Electronic duo Peking Duk. The fan approached security at a concert in Melbourne and requested…
