My Romantic Evening at White Castle
White Castle is the oldest fast-food burger joint in the country, serving up savory, moist cardboard-like mini sandwiches for 90 years. That's right, back when people enjoyed a night of Prohibition-grade bathtub gin, they could wash it down with some sliders. —- A sack of chicken rings would sooo hit the spot right now! In…
Finally, ‘Curveball’ Admits Lie
The defector who provided the rationale for President George W. Bush's invasion of Iraq in 2003 has admitted he made it all up. In an interview with Britain's Guardian newspaper, Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi — the formerly secret government informant known as “Curveball” — said he knew Saddam Hussein didn't have hidden stockpiles of chemical…
Onstage: The Importance of Being Ernest
Dennis Murphy directs Oscar Wilde’s tale of double lives, love and frivolity in 19th-century London. The satire concerns the paradoxes of the Victorian age. The play is produced by the Drama Workshop, which has brought classics to local stages since 1954. $15. Performances are Friday-Sunday and Feb 24-26 at Westwood Town Hall (3017 Harrison Ave.,…
In My Humble Opinion…
What the heck are theater critics good for? Few of us are actually curmudgeons who revel in badmouthing actors and shows. Most I know are theater fans. I typically attend a show full of optimism, expecting to be entertained. I love it when something unexpected happens and I only write negatively when I feel a…
Art: Minumental Exhibition
Art Academy of Cincinnati's annual Minumental Exhibition is about to open its 24th annual installment of one of smallest traditions on the Cincinnati arts calendar. No, we're not demeaning the show — it's small for a good reason. Work by Academy students, faculty and alumni must measure no more than 2 inches in any dimension,…
Music: David Wax Museum
David Wax is one of the universe’s misplaced souls, a Mexicali Folk troubadour whose soul was inexplicably dropped into the relentlessly Caucasian flannel-and-denim backwoods of Missouri. Wax found his musical passion while working with the American Friends Service Committee in rural Mexico, where he returned after finishing his degree at Harvard. On a yearlong fellowship,…
Onstage: MUSE Cabaret
It’s a law of choral singing that solo voices never stand out, but for once soloists take center stage as MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, presents a cabaret fund-raiser at Below Zero Lounge (1122 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine). MUSE is internationally acclaimed for its unique sound and you can hear some of the talents who contribute to…
Events: Pretty Things Peep Show
Some things in life must be seen to be believed. If you ask me, a midget burlesque dancer would be near the top of that list. Fortunately for those with overactive imaginations, the Pretty Things Peepshow is back in town to help satisfy your curiosity. In addition to the aforementioned Lil’ Miss Firefly, the Peepshow…
Onstage: American Spiritual Ensemble
America’s musical heritage starts with Negro Spirituals, says Dr. Everett McCorvey, founder and director of the internationally acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble. “I call Spirituals the mother music, an art form truly founded in this country,” he says. American Negro Spirituals are one of American history’s great ironies. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Go Down, Moses” and…
The Art of War
Cincinnati Metalcore band I Am The Messenger signed a record deal with Iowa-based indie label Bombworks Records and this weekend the band celebrates the first results of the new partnership. Saturday at Covington’s Mad Hatter, the group introduces The War Between with a hometown release party featuring guests To Die For, Conditional Compromise, Give Us…
Gnomeo & Juliet (Review)
p { margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; } Gnomeo (James McAvoy) and Juliet (Emily Blunt), the offspring of rival clans of garden gnomes, fall in love and attempt to unite the two sides in this umpteenth retelling of the Shakespearean classic, which fares better than expected thanks to rollicking tunes from Elton John and middle-of-the-road gags…
Making a Spirituals Connection
America’s musical heritage starts with Negro Spirituals, says Dr. Everett McCorvey, founder and director of the internationally acclaimed American Spiritual Ensemble. “I call Spirituals the mother music, an art form truly founded in this country,” he says. American Negro Spirituals are one of American history’s great ironies. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” “Go Down, Moses” and…
Jun Kaneko (Review)
Critic's Pick The surest cure for winter blues can be found in the West End’s Carl Solway Gallery, where Jun Kaneko's big, brash, superbly finished ceramic sculptures and his brilliantly colored paintings and drawings lift the spirit at first glance. The 68-year-old artist, whose works are included in many prestigious museum collections, left his native…
8 Tracks, Grammys and LCD Soundsystem
[HOT] 8-Track Comeback? The popularity of left-for-dead formats in some circles makes us wish we had saved that Sha Na Na flexi-disc that came with a box of Tide mom bought in 1977. Vinyl died and then was instantly reborn and had a cult following. A growing network of underground artists and tape buffs have…
Art: The Today Show at CS13
For most ambitious, hardworking artists, it can feel like a 24-hour-a-day job. The multi-disciplinary alternative space CS13 (1420 Main St., Over-the-Rhine) is highlighting this “go, go, go” spirit of the art world in the upcoming exhibition The Today Show. Nine artists have been invited to use the space as a studio, gallery, printing press and…
Music: Randy Newman
Randy Newman’s foray into southwest Ohio this week, performing at Miami University’s Middletown campus Saturday, is a rare treat. It’s not that he doesn’t like going on the road (“I enjoy doing that,” he says during a telephone interview), but he has so many competing interests, it’s often difficult to find the time. In addition…
Music: Calvin Johnson
There is an army of people who could be credited for helping to shape and push forward “Indie” music as it became less underground and more mainstream. I’m using Indie as it was originally intended — describing D.I.Y. artists completely free of corporate influence/support — not its contemporary catch-all meaning, which lumps millionaire major-label acts…
Just Go With It (Review)
p { margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify; } A successful plastic surgeon (Adam Sandler) pretends to be married to woo women, but when he meets the woman of his dreams (Brooklyn Decker) he ensnares his assistant (Jennifer Aniston) into a deeper (and dumber and dumber) web of lies and misunderstandings on the way to his happily…
Music: Colour Revolt with Sacred Spirits
If one were to play a lightning round of word association, the phrase “Oxford, Mississippi” would likely evoke an immediate response of “Delta Blues” or something along those lines. At the same time, it’s highly improbable that the response would be “quirky cool Indie Rock with a twisted sense of humor, a stuttering sense of…
The Sweetest Redo
It’s a proud moment when a band can celebrate the release of its debut full-length album but slightly more unusual to celebrate the same release again six months later. But, as any fan will tell you, Eat Sugar doesn’t do much by the book. Last August, the Cincy-based Electro/Indie/Rock quartet announced the digital release of…
I Am Newman, Hear Me Score
Randy Newman’s foray into southwest Ohio this week, performing at Miami University’s Middletown campus Saturday, is a rare treat. It’s not that he doesn’t like going on the road (“I enjoy doing that,” he says during a telephone interview), but he has so many competing interests, it’s often difficult to find the time. In addition…
Music: Eat Sugar
It’s a proud moment when a band can celebrate the release of its debut full-length album but slightly more unusual to celebrate the same release again six months later. But, as any fan will tell you, Eat Sugar doesn’t do much by the book. Last August, the Cincy-based Electro/Indie/Rock quartet announced the digital release of…
Immaculata on Mt. Adams (Review)
Mount Adams, high above the river and overlooking downtown, is the part of the city that seems to belong to us all. Almost everyone knows about “Praying the Steps” on Good Friday. Everyone knows about the theft of the statue of St. Patrick and its return in the St. Patrick's Day parade. And everyone goes…
Worst Day Ever!
Generally, accepting free services from an organization with straight-up racist motivations is considered a bad idea by American politicians. That's not the case for local Rep./candidate citizenship investigator Jean Schmidt, who is being investigated by the Office of Congressional Ethics for receiving free legal advice from a Turkish-American interest group that didn't so much respect…
Here We Go Again: UC’s February Blues
Would UC make the NCAA tournament if the season ended today? Yes, according to Joe Lunardi, the diminutive Italian dude who compiles ESPN’s Bracketology predictions. Lunardi currently has the ’Cats as an 11 seed, which means at least four other at-large teams are below them in the seeding. (Conversely, he has a streaking Xavier team…
Grammy Upsets Both Enthralling and Upsetting
Music lovers complaining about the out-of-touchness of the Grammy awards is like stand-up comedians complaining about airline food. Both are overdone and clichéd, but the frustration is a shared experience that people instantly identify with. With the Grammys, sometimes an unlikely win or loss is so infuriating and baffling, people can’t help but go ballistic.…
Bonnaroo Line-up Announced
If you like live music, sharing a port-a-potty with tens of thousands of people, camping and open drug use, you'll be excited to hear the the line-up for the 10th annual Bonnaroo has just been announced! Check it: * Eminem * Arcade Fire * Widespread Panic * The Black Keys * Buffalo Springfield feat…
Onstage: Transmigration
If you’ve started thinking about the fun you’ll have in June when the 2011 Cincinnati Fringe rolls around, I have a suggestion to keep you going while it’s still winter. Head to the University of Cincinnati campus for the third consecutive year of Transmigration, a festival of student-created works. Offering six different 30-minute productions by…
Comedy: Shane Mauss
“I wanted to be a stand-up comic since I was 10 years old,” says Shane Mauss. “I think even younger than that, 8 or 9, I forget what I usually tell people. I should get my story straight one of these days.” It’s a long way from La Crosse, Wis. to the comedy clubs of…
Music: Josh Ritter
Josh Ritter’s latest record flirts with Folk and Rock and leaves AltCountry in the dust, capturing the Idaho singer/songwriter whispering melodies over pianos and acoustics or getting a little dirty with organs and guitars. So Runs the World Away is one of his most lyrically dense records, with the reanimation-themed song “The Curse” leading the…
Attractions: Cleopatra at the Museum Center
Cleopatra, considered ancient Egypt’s great last pharaoh before that civilization fell to Roman conquest in the first century B.C., had a reputation for knowing how to present herself stunningly to outsiders. Legend has it she once sailed upriver in a gilded barge with purple sails to introduce herself to Mark Antony, the powerful Roman leader…
Art: Jun Kaneko at Carl Solway Gallery
The surest cure for winter blues can be found in the West End’s Carl Solway Gallery, where Jun Kaneko's big, brash, superbly finished ceramic sculptures and his brilliantly colored paintings and drawings lift the spirit at first glance. The 68-year-old artist, whose works are included in many prestigious museum collections, left his native Japan to…
Worst Day Ever!
The Enquirer today continued its new policy of “reporting polls sent in by anonymous people because they're sooo controversial.” Actually, today's biased poll is brought to you by The Center for Equal Opportunity, a conservative think-tank whose results show an unfair treatment of white applicants to Miami University. The university said the poll only took…
Friday Movie Roundup: Javier Bardem Edition
Alejandro González Iñárritu's Biutiful, the only film featuring a 2011 acting Oscar nominee (Javier Bardem for Actor in a Leading Role) that has yet to open in Cincinnati, drops at the Esquire today. If tt stern-enzi's review is any indication, expect Bardem's latest performance — as a deeply troubled guy named Uxtal traversing the underworld of…
Berding, in Black and White
It took awhile due to some miscommunication about police terminology, but CityBeat managed to get a copy of the incident report that Cincinnati City Councilman Jeff Berding filed late last month against a one-time political ally. Berding filed a report with Cincinnati Police Officer Jay D. Barnes on Jan. 27, the same day that Berding…
Area Music Fest Updates
Three of the finest music festivals in the region — spring’s Nelsonville Music Festival in northeastern Ohio, summer’s Forecastle Festival in Louisville and Cincy’s own MidPoint Music Festival, returning Sept. 22-24 — have made recent announcements concerning their 2011 events.—- • The Forecastle Festival — which usually features several acts from Greater Cincinnati — is…
Josh Ritter & the Royal City Band
Josh Ritter’s latest record flirts with Folk and Rock and leaves AltCountry in the dust, capturing the Idaho singer/songwriter whispering melodies over pianos and acoustics or getting a little dirty with organs and guitars. So Runs the World Away is one of his most lyrically dense records, with the reanimation-themed song “The Curse” leading the…
David Wax Museum
David Wax is one of the universe’s misplaced souls, a Mexicali Folk troubadour whose soul was inexplicably dropped into the relentlessly Caucasian flannel-and-denim backwoods of Missouri. Wax found his musical passion while working with the American Friends Service Committee in rural Mexico, where he returned after finishing his degree at Harvard. On a yearlong fellowship,…
Colour Revolt
If one were to play a lightning round of word association, the phrase “Oxford, Mississippi” would likely evoke an immediate response of “Delta Blues” or something along those lines. At the same time, it’s highly improbable that the response would be “quirky cool Indie Rock with a twisted sense of humor, a stuttering sense of…
Destroyer, Fujiya & Miyagi, Wanda Jackson and John Vanderslice
Holy crap on a communion cracker, when the sheets fill up, they get full in the proverbial New York minute. A month ago, I was digging though last year’s forgotten stacks for some titles to cover, and now I’m pushing things to next week in order to work around the wealth of material to cover…
Listening Party for New Seedy Seeds LP Tonight
Want to be one of the first people on the planet to hear Verb Noun, the forthcoming album from local Indie/Electro/Folk/Pop buzz band The Seedy Seeds? You're in luck. Tonight at 7 p.m., the band is hosting a listening party at Shake It Records in Northside. It's free and open to all ages, and there…
Worst Day Ever!
Enquirer Political Editor Carl Weiser later yesterday did part of what he should have done before posting a Chris Finney-submitted streetcar survey by figuring out who did the survey and what the questions were. The story, which is still featured on The Enquirer's homepage, might also want to note that Paul M. Fallon of Fallon…
Stage Door: ETC’s Next Fall Extended
The title of the show currently onstage at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati might be Next Fall, but it's only running for another week. That's longer than expected — it was originally set to close this weekend, but despite several added performances within the show's original three-week period, there was enough demand to add another weekend.…
UPDATE: Twilight Singers To Play Southgate
In a post earlier this week about an early "sneak peak" stream of the new album by Cincy favorite son Greg Dulli and his Twilight Singers, it was mentioned that local fans would have to wait a bit longer for a return visit from the group since they were headed to Europe to launch the…
The Eagle (Review)
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Film journalists might gripe about empty-headed movies, yet there’s something even more aggravating about a movie that tries to say something despite having no idea exactly what that “something” is. In 140 A.D. Roman-occupied Great Britain, Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) is a soldier’s son haunted by an infamous military…
The Illusionist (Review)
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Animating an unproduced script by the late, great Jacques Tati proves a problematic challenge for filmmaker Sylvain Chomet (The Triplets of Belleville): Tati's ingenious style of physical comedy just doesn't translate in to animation. The entertaining effect of watching the actor play with balance and proportion as he moves is…
Listen to New Bootsy Collins Track
Rolling Stone has the first preview of Cincinnati-bred Funk superhero Bootsy Collins' anticipated forthcoming album, Tha Funk Capital of the World, which features a fascinating array of special guests and is slated for release April 26. The RS Web site is streaming the album's first single, "Don't Take My Funk," a groovy slice of bubbling…
Worst Day Ever!
The Enquirer today received a new streetcar survey from anti-streetcar activist/COAST leader Chris Finney and decided to post the results despite having no idea who funded it or what the exact questions were. Finney said: “I have no idea who paid for it. It's awesome though.”—- Is Cincinnati's favorite son of a Reading barkeep having…
It’s Official: Olbermann Joins Current TV
Current TV confirmed today that recently axed MSNBC host Keith Olbermann would being joining the network later in 2011. According to a press release, Olbermann will not only be executive producing and hosting a new nightly primetime news and commentary show but that he will also serve as the network's Chief News Officer and that…
Ty Stone Rambling Through the Country
Ty Stone epitomizes the Cindarella story within the music business. An opportunist of fate, Ty Stone is embarking on stardom under the tutelage of mentor Kid Rock and behind his upcoming debut single American Style. His smooth rock-country style vocals have been wowing audiences for the last couple years touring with national acts like Uncle…
Listen to New Twilight Singers Now
Spin magazine is currently streaming Dynamite Steps, the new album by local native Greg Dulli’s Twilight Singers, in its entirety. Dulli’s first album under the Twilight Singers banner in five years is officially released next week (Feb. 15).—- Eager fans can give it an early listen here. The album is the first Twilight Singers album…
Summer Genetti [Palace Restaurant]
Summer Genetti — the pastry chef at the Palace Restaurant at the Cincinnatian Hotel (601 Vine Street, Downtown; 513-381-6006) — is an incredibly talented woman who loves her work. When I spoke to her at Christmastime, she’d just put together a series of playful “Teddy Bear Teas” for little guests to discover the magic of…
Fred Durst, Hawaiin Musicians and The Black Eyed Peas
[HOT] Durst Trashing Given Austin, Texas, reputation as the most hipstery part of the Lone Star state, you’d think they’d know better, but city officials still went to its citizens to find a new name for its Solid Waste Services Department, responsible for things like recycling and garbage collection. The city put up an online…
Biutiful (Review)
W ith Amores Perros, 21 Grams, and Babel, Alejandro Goñzález Iñárritu and screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga forged a collaborative filmmaking partnership that generated stories grounded in a triptych structure that deconstructed time and narrative form into piercing slivers of emotional diamonds. For their efforts, the duo earned a trio of Academy Award nominations for Babel and…
Middletown (Review)
Middletown, a 1982 PBS documentary series about everyday life in Middle America — Muncie, Ind., where Robert and Helen Lynd based their landmark 1929 sociological book, also called Middletown — has had a troubled history. Produced by Peter Davis — who had won an Oscar for the critical Vietnam War documentary Hearts and Minds and…
‘Families Create’
Children and parents participated in the Weston Art Gallery's 'Families Create' workshop where they were introduced to the work of Elissa Morley and then created their own art using similar materials.
Fire on the Mountain
P oets have long understood the metaphorical power of music to move mountains, but Mark Utley hopes his new compilation album, Music From the Mountains, has the literal power to stop mountains from moving. Years ago, major coal mining operations abandoned shaft mining and embraced strip mining and mountaintop removal (or MTR), where Appalachian hilltops…
Soup du Jour (Review)
It is definitely soup weather. Cold weather compels me to bundle up in thick, cozy blankets with bowls (or mugs) of hot, comforting soup. That’s just what I did (minus the thick, cozy blankets, sadly) when I visited Soup du Jour (6064 West Chester Road, West Chester, 513-874-7687) on a wintry, drizzly day last week.…
Love Sick at Southgate
• Cincinnati’s popular and supremely talented Latin group Tropicoso celebrates its 12th anniversary with a special show at Corryville’s Mad Frog Saturday. The ensemble began performing at The Mad Frog every Monday night immediately after forming in 1999 and became an instant hit. Still going strong, the band’s Monday night residency is the city’s longest-running…
Tokyo Police Club Entrance
T okyo Police Club will probably deliver another EP of Electro-laced Indie Rock in late 2011, but most of this year brings month-long tours and time for jamming. So says guitarist Josh Hook, who checked in by phone from Austin, Tex., more than 1,500 miles from his home in Toronto. “It might be an album,…
The Unofficial History of Valentine’s Day
One hundred forty one million Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged annually, not including those sent in children’s classrooms (apparently Hallmark was unable to verify at what age children officially receive their cootie’s shot), in order to celebrate love, chocolates wrapped in heart-shaped boxes, underwear with “kiss me” written on the crotch and to give disgruntled…
Banana Leaf Modern Thai (Review)
B anana Leaf Modern Thai restaurant has so much going for it. The restaurant is located in a well-preserved historic building in downtown Mason. It is visually beautiful with boldly painted walls, stunning lighting fixtures and a spectacular gold-painted ceiling. Upon entering, there is a large but comfortable waiting area. Attention to detail is found…
Casino Reaches Out to Minorities
Developers of the casino planned at Broadway Commons downtown will hold a session Thursday aimed at increasing the use of subcontractors and suppliers on the project from businesses owned by women or African-Americans. The session will be held from 5-7 p.m. at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, located at 1740 Langdon Farm Road in…
Worst Day Ever!
In light of streetcar opponents' incessant attempts to stop the city from constructing infrastructure it legally planned, funded and is attempting to implement, Mayor Mark Mallory has pointed out that by the time streetcar opponents have a chance to stop the project in mid-construction via a November charter amendment the city would have spent $50…
Pomegranates Vs. Pop Empire Remix
Cincinnati Electro/Indie Rock & Roll duo Pop Empire just performed a show in honor of the release of its debut full-length, The Devil’s Party, which came out on PE member Cameron Cochran’s just-launched all-digital, all-free imprint, The Recording Label. But the duo still found time to do a clever remix of “50’s,” a track off…
