New Bad Veins Album Due in April
Every week or so, a song by Cincinnati Indie Pop duo Bad Veins comes on my iPod and I wonder, "When will there be new Bad Veins," because it feels as if I've been listening to those same dozen or so songs (great as they are) for the last 25 years. But drummer Sebastien Schultz…
I Shall Be Released: New Music Reviews
The air seems sweeter here in the front of the website, the sun a little brighter and the deadlines a little more immediate, but as Uncle Ben once reminded Peter Parker, with great power comes great responsibility. So here we are in relatively short order with a batch of new reviews and a few more…
Early Voting Begins Next Week
Some important dates involving Ohio’s March 6 primary election are fast approaching. Early voting — both at the Board of Elections and via mail-in ballot — begins Jan. 31. Applications for mail-in ballots are available on the board’s website or by calling the board’s offices at 513-632-7039, 513-632 7040 or 513-632-7044.—- The deadline for mail-in…
James Craig and Jerome Simpson
[WINNER] JAMES CRAIG : Cincinnati’s new police chief, who began his job in August, already is making some welcome and long overdue changes. Ten supervisors and 40 officers are being transferred from the department’s numerous specialized units and put on street patrol. Among the units being disbanded include the DARE program, which several studies have…
Reds Try to Win Now Without Breaking the Bank
The Reds offseason would have been considered a success even if they did nothing, thanks to the losses of the division’s top teams. The Cardinals lost Albert Pujols (although they’ll have Adam Wainwright back from injury) and it appears the Brewers will start the season without Prince Fielder and with Ryan Braun suspended. But Walt…
ArtReach Inspires Future Theatergoers
You might be aware of many of Cincinnati’s local theaters. But there is one probably not on your radar. Nevertheless, ArtReach annually reaches hundreds of thousands of kids in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Tennessee and Wisconsin. The company employs four to six actors annually to perform in productions designed for kids from kindergarten through…
Working For the Underdogs
Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series of profiles on the four new members elected to Cincinnati City Council. The phrase, "Cincinnati’s first openly gay council member" has been regularly linked to Chris Seelbach’s name in media reports ever since his November election. In an interview last week, Seelbach told CityBeat that this…
What the Frack?
A series of 12 unusual earthquakes in northern Ohio reached a 4.0 magnitude on New Year’s Eve, shaking homes in Youngstown and intensifying nationwide opposition to fracking, a controversial natural gas extraction process. John Armbruster, a Columbia University seismologist hired by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), located the quakes’ epicenters near the base…
Self Reflection Eternal
In the beginning, there was Tanya Morgan. And Tanya Morgan was good. Comprised of gifted Cincinnati rappers Ilyas Nashid and Donald “Donwill” Freeman, along with equally talented Brooklyn, N.Y., MC/producer Devon “Von Pea” Callender, Tanya Morgan was hailed as one of Hip Hop’s brightest young groups on the strength of two EPs (2005’s Sunlight, 2008’s…
Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
An 82-year-old named George Murphy was getting stomped by a ferocious Alaskan moose before his 85-year-old, 97-pound wife Dorothea Taylor intervened. With a shovel. Story here. Mee Yan Leong, 58, sat down on a toilet and refused to get up for 902 days because she claimed she “felt a force holding me down.” Story here.—-…
People Who Need People
I n an interview last year, frontman Andrew McMahon of Pop Rock band Jack’s Mannequin said the band’s mission was simply to get “people fired up for some new music.” That new music arrived in early October with People and Things, the third album from the group led by the piano-playing vocalist McMahon. That mission…
A Dangerous Method (Review)
Danger has been a factor in the recent films of David Cronenberg, but the tension and anxiety has been focused on the physical, the threat of bodily harm and the need to determine where said harm would originate. Would, as in the 2005 release A History of Violence, the fatal treacherous blow be delivered by…
Obama, Grateful Dead and Joy Division
[HOT] Some Guys Have All the Luck … Barack Obama’s persona often seems so perfect, we wonder if he isn’t some sort of android. It now appears Obamabot 3000, or, uh, the President even has the ability to sing. Falsetto. Like Al Green. During an appearance at Harlem’s Apollo Theater, Obama smoothly let out a…
Cafes Inside CAM, Taft Offer Tasty Treasures
We who call Cincinnati home are incredibly fortunate to have at our disposal several world-class art museums — the Taft Museum of Art and the Cincinnati Art Museum, in particular. To be able to call one of the oldest art museums in the nation (CAM) and “one of the finest small art museums in America”…
Carl Solway Celebrates John Cage Centennial
Carl Solway, celebrating his 50th year as a Cincinnati gallerist, was speaking recently to arts patrons in the residence at Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park about the milestone that is his new show. He’s presenting a John Cage show, he said, because Cage was the 20th Century’s greatest artist. Now open and staying up through…
Morning News and Stuff
Sensing he needs to make up for lost ground, Mitt Romney went on the offensive in Monday night’s Republican presidential debate in Tampa, Fla., hammering Newt Gingrich as an “influence peddler.” Occasionally appearing at a loss for words, the bombastic ex-Speaker of the House accused Romney of engaging in “trivial politics.” Boys, boys: Settle down…
Squeeze the Day 1/24
Music Tonight: It's a slow night for touring acts, but a good one to catch a few local acts in a more laid-back-Tuesday-evening atmosphere. For example — Zach Mechlem of local "Alt-Western" group Mack West (pictured; Zach is second from the front) plays a free show at the Northside Tavern tonight with a pair of…
Oscar Nominees Announced
The nominees for the 84th annual Academy Awards were announced this morning. Local-boy-done-very-very-good George Clooney, as expected, is up for this year's Actor in a Leading Role trophy for his work in The Descendants, while The Ides of March scored Clooney another nod for best Adapted Screenplay (the only nomination for the largely-locally-filmed flick). Below…
Potent Potential
G ood news from City Hall? Yes, actually. City Council has voted to re-instate and improve a long-established program providing grants to individual artists, which was cut for budgetary reasons in 2009. Councilwoman Laure Quinlivan, who made the proposal, says the new version will provide “fewer but more impactful grants,” by raising the individual amounts,…
Groups Call for Execution Moratorium
Ohioans to Stop Executions and other human rights groups are asking Gov. John Kasich to halt any further executions of inmates until the Ohio Supreme Court completes its review of the state’s death penalty process. The groups, which include the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC) in Cincinnati, say the U.S. Supreme Court has denied…
Squeeze the Day 1/23
Music Tonight: This evening you can celebrate the birthday of Scotland's great poet Robert Burns (pictured) in a fitting setting — downtown gastropub Nicholson's. The Scottish restaurant is joining in on the Burns Night tradition (also known as a Burns supper), which was started near the end of the 18th century by a group of…
National Media Follow Misreported Death of Joe Paterno By Student Paper
The Penn State student-run newspaper, Onward State, over the weekend wrongly reported that former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno had died, leading CBS News and the Huffington Post to publish his obituary. Paterno, who died early Sunday morning, was still alive when Onward State “broke” the story. The managing editor of the student paper…
Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
A Florida man has told the IRS he ain’t given them shit because he doesn’t live among the meek, he “resided in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Russell P. Gentile, 40, has pleaded not guilty to charges of filing false tax return and one count of obstruction of an IRS agent. Gentile reportedly told IRS agents…
Morning News and Stuff
Hey, did you hear that Newt Gingrich pulled off an upset victory in South Carolina over the weekend? Of course you did; you’re CityBeat readers, so you’re all well read. But any rational observer must wonder if Republicans truly think Newt can win in a general election, where there are actual moderates and progressives voting.…
Israeli Ambassador Visits Cincinnati
Israel’s ambassador to the United States will speak at an event in Cincinnati on Saturday night. Michael Oren will speak about U.S.-Israeli relations and current events affecting both nations. Time will be allowed for questions following Oren’s speech. Several area politicians are scheduled to attend the event including U.S. Reps. Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township) and…
Hear Foxy Shazam’s New Album via Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone's website has been hosting a lot of exclusive full-album streams of soon-to-be-released recordings and today they added the forthcoming fourth effort from Cincinnati's Foxy Shazam. Click here to listen to The Church of Rock and Roll in full. The band performs tomorrow (Saturday) in Covington at Madison Theater for a local release party,…
The O’s with Rhett Miller and The Old 97’s
On the sophomore album from The O’s, Between the Two, the band’s dual braintrust of Taylor Young and John Pedigo were so determined to do everything themselves that they actually learned how to play piano in order to avoid having to bring anyone in from the outside. Anyone familiar with the duo knows that isn’t…
‘An Acoustic Café Evening’ featuring Carrie Rodriguez, Kelly Joe Phelps and Erin McKeown
Most Folk/Roots/Blues fans would pony up plenty to see Carrie Rodriguez, Kelly Joe Phelps or Erin McKeown on their own. A triple bill for free with that line-up is a gift from the musical heavens. Here’s why: • Rodriguez came to prominence over a decade ago when iconic singer/songwriter Chip Taylor saw her playing with…
MPMF.11 Stars The Ridges Returning Soon
Last year before their appearance in Cincinnati at the MidPoint Music Festival, Athens, Ohio, band The Ridges allowed us to premiere a cool promo video they had made prior to the festival to promote their appearance. The orchestral Folk/Indie/Pop ensemble ended up being one of the highlights of last year's festival, with their buoyant, endearing…
Q&A with Singer/Comedian Tim Wilson
Tim Wilson is a comedian and singer/songwriter who represents Southern culture and lifestyle with his songs and stand-up. He is often featured on national telecasts of the syndicated radio shows The Bob and Tom Show and the John Boy and Billy Morning Show and Wilson has also been appeared on many of the late-night talk…
Squeeze the Day 1/20
Music Tonight: Downtown at historic eat-and-drinkery Arnold's, Columbus, Ohio, Roots music trio The Salty Caramels performs a free, 9 p.m. show. Together for just over a year now, the three singer/songwriters' music (sometimes performed live with additional musicians) is as charmingly adorable as their personalities appear to be, mixing classic Americana, old-timey Jazz and Girl…
Misery’s Company: The Watering Hole
Winter is here. Not quite the bitter cold but no longer the brutal heat wave Cincinnati was treated to during the middle months. A nice enough night to appreciate not having to be at work, servicing the needs of diners. As I approach the steel gates I show the doorman my ID even though I’ve…
Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
Cleveland’s WOIO is using puppets to cover the trial of former Cuyahoga county Democratic chairman Jimmy Dimora, who is charged with bribery and racketeering. Cameras are barred from court so instead of simply showing sketch artist renditions, news director Dan Salamone believes the puppet show featuring a talking squirrel reporter who provides updates on the…
Stage Door: Local Theatre Overfloweth this Weekend
There are lots of good choices for theatergoing this weekend. Enjoy these newly opened productions and your last chance to see an excellent production at the Playhouse.—- Billy Elliott The Musical is in town for a two-week run, through Jan. 29. This is probably the best touring show we’ll have at the Aronoff Center for…
Loretta Lynn
In the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, Country music was dominated by male performers. Then, amongst the baritones, a handful of women burst onto the scene. And they had something to say. Among the likes of Kitty Wells and Patsy Cline stood Loretta Lynn. Lynn was (and still is) Country music’s very own Rosie The…
Ryan Adams
Ryan Adams is only 37 and he’s already more accomplished than most people are at retirement. The North Carolina native is certainly an overachiever. During his 12-year career he has released eight official solo albums and five albums with his former backing band, The Cardinals. That averages out to more than an album a year.…
Resident Files Complaint Against Smitherman
A resident has filed a complaint with the city's Law Department, alleging that Christopher Smitherman’s dual role as a Cincinnati city councilman and president of the NAACP’s local chapter constitutes an abuse of corporate powers. In his complaint, resident Casey Coston states that the NAACP’s status as a 501(c)(4) organization under the federal tax code…
Pig Out on Veggie Pigs-in-a-Blanket
Here's the dish on hogs: they rank among the smartest in the animal kingdom and despite the phrase "pigging out," they actually savor their food. On March 1, National Pig Day, Americans across the Midwest don snouts, dress in pink and "eat like pigs" to celebrate their intelligence and contributions to mankind.—- While most of…
Billy Elliot The Musical (Review)
Critic's Pick The touring production of Billy Elliott The Musical, the 2009 Tony Award-winning best musical, shows why this show has been such a crowd pleaser — despite the dour tale of an unsuccessful coal-mining strike in 1984. It’s set in a beleaguered town in northeast England where people speak with a dense accent that…
Music: Miss Tess & the Bon Ton Parade
If you’re looking for yet another sign of the reemergence of American Roots music, look no further than Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade. The Brooklyn-based Tess has been around the country and back again, performing her version of folkie Jazz and Swing music from sea to shining sea. The results of her extensive…
Onstage: concert:nova Presents Shut Up and Play the Zappa!
“A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians,” Frank Vincent Zappa, modern master, composer, iconoclast, social critic, filmmaker and equal opportunity offender, once said. This weekend, Zappa’s music gets the help of musicians who are very much on to the molecules.…
Art: UPS: An Ugly Portrait Series
The myth of the bohemian painter as a brooding, heroic individual at odds with society has been an enduring aspect of public perception since the late 19th century. In truth, artists have historically been less like troubled outsiders and more like the village blacksmith — hard working professionals plying a learned trade, often with…
My Night with Tim Gunn
Project Runway mentor, author, fashion guru and catch phrase king Tim Gunn stopped by Cincinnati this weekend as he opened the 2012 SmartTalk ConnectedConversations speaker series at the Aronoff Center. Gunn, who I envision as that proverbial angel on everyone's shoulder, was just as sweet in person as on TV.—- Dapper as ever in a…
Portman to Address Local GOP
At least three members of Congress are set to attend the 13th annual Northeast Hamilton County Republican Pancake Breakfast next week. U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-Terrace Park), a budget director under President George W. Bush, is the keynote speaker at the event. Also scheduled to attend are U.S. Reps. Steve Chabot (R-Westwood) and Jean Schmidt…
Beer Dinner at Nectar
Chef Julie Francis at Nectar Restaurant has been offering Dinner Clubs for years. It’s her creative way of building customer loyalty and breaking out of the menu rut every now and then with something completely different. The dinner club menu is generally based on a seasonal ingredient: beets, garlic, honey, pork. Always local, always top…
Squeeze the Day for 1/18
Music Tonight: MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine hosts a solid Indie Rock double bill tonight (made extra appealing by MOTR's "never a cover charge" policy) as "buzz band" The Dig swings through for a show with Cincinnati's The Ready Stance. Featuring a couple of former members of onetime local music heroes Middlemarch, The Ready Stance is…
Music: Future Shock
Fans who love the music presented at the MusicNOW festival (the annual local event organized by Bryce Dessner of The National) will want to be at the CAC this weekend for a special night of “electro-acoustic Chamber music” by a trio of notable musicians — cellist Clarice Jensen, violist Nadia Sirota and William Brittelle on…
Music: Foxy Shazam
One of the hardest touring and most internationally renowned bands to come out of Cincinnati in the past decade, electrifying carnival rockers Foxy Shazam, are all set to release their new album, The Rock and Roll Church, which is due in stores this Tuesday. But the band’s fourth full-length won’t be coming out on Sire/Warner…
Music: Tea Leaf Green with Ha Ha Tonka
Tea Leaf Green plays Rock music, but not the kind you hear on WEBN or the sort that sometimes makes it onto Top 40 playlists. The only new(-ish) artist that even begins to compare to the band is Derek Trucks, and he’s not appearing regularly during the rush hour mix, either. That’s OK, though. Tea…
Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
In a taped messaged to Betty White, who today turns 90, President Barack Obama wrote a note saying, “Dear Betty, You look so fantastic and full of energy, I can't believe you're 90 years old. In fact, I don't believe it. That's why I'm writing to ask if you will be willing to produce a…
SOPA: Stopping Pirating or Needless Censorship?
Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I'm a total Internet junkie. I spend a lot of my free time online, browsing various sites like Youtube, chatting in forums with friends and otherwise killing time. As of late, though, one particular subject seems to have pushed itself into the forefront of internet denizens…
Jan. 11-17: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY JAN. 11 Southwest Ohio Lawmaker Rep. Ron Maag (R-Salem Township) believes The Buckeye State should raise its speed limit from 65 to 70 miles an hour. “To be consistent, the other interstates should be 70,” Maag told The Enquirer. “And neighboring states — Kentucky, Indiana, West Virginia — have 70. It’s just important to…
Barry Larkin Discusses Election to Hall of Fame
Cincinnati has every right to call itself one of the great baseball towns in the United States — it’s the birthplace of the first professional team, home of one of the greatest teams of all time and home of some of the greats of the game. But currently there are no members of the Baseball…
ONE Program and Chris Bortz
[WINNER] ONE PROGRAM : The Organizations of Noteworthy Excellence (ONE) program recognized six Greater Cincinnati nonprofit organizations for their systems effectiveness and performance results. The groups were the Assistance League, Cincinnati Union Bethel, 4C for Children, Redwood, the Society of St. Vincent DePaul and the Children’s Home of Cincinnati. Now in its fifth year, ONE…
COAST’s Skewed Worldview and Bortz’s Flip-Flop
L ast week’s ruling by the Ohio Civil Rights Commission that a Greater Cincinnati landlady violated a girl’s civil rights by posting a “whites only” sign at an apartment complex’s swimming pool is a decision that most rational people would say is just. The Jan. 12 ruling means the commission, if it cannot reach a…
HBO’s ‘Angry Boys’ Is Over-the-Top Hilarity
If you don’t know Australian comedic jack-of-all-trades Chris Lilley, then get your Netflix/HBO.com/illegal download on and check out his work in We Can Be Heroes, Summer Heights High and Angry Boys (10 p.m. Sunday, HBO). Each of Lilley’s mockumentary-style shows features his uncanny ability to portray any person — regardless of age, race, gender or…
Local Chamber Ensemble concert:nova Does Zappa
“A composer is a guy who goes around forcing his will on unsuspecting air molecules, often with the assistance of unsuspecting musicians,” Frank Vincent Zappa, modern master, composer, iconoclast, social critic, filmmaker and equal opportunity offender, once said. This weekend, Zappa’s music gets the help of musicians who are very much on to the molecules.…
Terminal Error
S ixteen years ago, as the vote for the now infamous stadium sales tax issue loomed for the March primary election, proponents of the half-cent sales tax hike to fund construction of new stadiums for the Reds and Bengals got a boost from an economic impact study that foretold a prosperous future. The study, conducted…
Women Helping Women
Weddings are magical events for many people, and Stacey Shiring is adding her own dash of magic to the proceedings of local brides. Shiring, the owner of Bridal Divas Ink, is the newest graduate and recipient of a business loan of $25,000 from Bad Girl Ventures, a local company focused on financially helping women business…
The Truth about ObamaCare
I t’s been nearly two years since the embattled notion of universal healthcare was whittled down into something that could make it onto President Obama’s desk for a signature. During that time, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) — commonly known as “ObamaCare” — has withstood some courtroom challenges and the ire of…
Michel Hazanavicius Lovingly Re-Creates the Silent Film Era
Critical backlash and a groundswell of negativity rises at this time of the year in the world of film. The various creative guilds and the major critics groups have issued their nominations for the best films and performances of the past year, all in the hopes of being able to sway the minds and opinions…
Clarkson, Spin and Death Metal
[HOT] A Real Political Hack Pop star Kelly Clarkson got an unexpected sales bump when she announced her support for cult fave Republican Ron Paul and it looked like her successful (if inadvertent) publicity stunt had given some of her celebrity peers the bright idea to also endorse Paul. The Twitters of No Doubt and…
How to Quit … Everything
Now that it is mid-January and our New Year’s resolutions tilt perilously on a cliff, I offer the following wisdom and inspiration to bulwark the masses. But first these words: It was only a year ago that I watched The Fighter, a film that dramatized the true story of Micky Ward’s improbable ride to the…
blublu Restaurant (Review)
The prospect of Greek food on a cold January night sounded pretty inviting, but blublu really outdoes itself in the inviting department. We arrived at the restaurant a little on the early side for dinner, but the Nika family was already busy. Our host/server still politely greeted and seated us before dashing back behind the…
A Child of Two Lands
Let’s answer the inevitable question about local roots: Playwright Theresa Rebeck grew up in Kenwood and graduated from Ursuline Academy. But she’s made her career as a writer for theater and television series like Brooklyn Bridge, LA Law, Law & Order: Criminal Intent and NYPD Blue. Her plays have previously been onstage at the Cincinnati…
Foxy Goes to ‘Church’
One of the hardest touring and most internationally renowned bands to come out of Cincinnati in the past decade, electrifying carnival rockers Foxy Shazam, are all set to release their new album, The Rock and Roll Church, which is due in stores this Tuesday. But the band’s fourth full-length won’t be coming out on Sire/Warner…
WEBB 2.0
T he AOL Music website describes Jimmy Webb as “that rarity in Rock music, a professional songwriter who achieved stardom in that capacity,” pointing out that almost all of Rock’s other great songwriters became well-known for their own versions of their material. The truth of that has long seemed self-evident. After starting to write professionally…
Suitable For Display
N ick Cave refers to himself as a “trans” artist because his work transcends so many categories — sculpture, fashion, performance, dance, fine crafts, contemporary art — that it turns the whole notion of artistic categories upside-down. (Note: The Nick Cave featured in this story is not the same person as the Post Punk music…
