Shovels & Rope
The husband and wife duo of Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst, better known as Shovels & Rope, were slated for an appearance at MidPoint Music Festival here in Cincinnati last fall, but an offer to open for Jack White convinced them to bow out of the fest. Given the hardscrabble road the pair has…
Donny McCaslin
California native and acclaimed Jazz composer/saxophonist Donny McCaslin got a fairly big jump on his music career, performing with an ensemble of experienced musicians by the time he was 12. If there was any nepotism involved (the group was McCaslin’s father’s, a vibraphonist), the criticisms probably faded quickly as McCaslin started his own group in…
Mice Parade
It’s been nearly a decade and a half since New York City percussionist Adam Pierce anagrammed his name in order to christen his new solo project Mice Parade. A veteran of several respected Indie bands, including The Swirlies, The Dylan Group and Philistines Jr., Pierce was looking to bring a fresh creative perspective to the…
Down
The inherent problem with forming a supergroup from members in successful working bands is finding the time for any of the normal things a band is supposed to do. Down is the poster child for that problem. Over the past 22 years, Down has released three studio albums, a live set and a recent EP…
Film: Beauty is Embarrassing
“It’s beautiful out here… it’s so beautiful it hurts my feelings.” Wayne White’s drawled Tennessee accent frames things in such a hilariously human way that one can’t help but love the guy. As one of the most storied artists in American pop and (now) fine art, he demands that funny sort of sweet, common respect…
Event: Public Library Mardi Gras Celebration
It’s a piece of cake, literally, if you stop by the Main Library at Eighth and Vine streets downtown for a slice of Mardi Gras on Saturday from 1-4 p.m. Members of The Greater Cincinnati Retail Bakers Association will construct, ice, decorate and serve to the public Ohio’s largest King Cake, amongst other festive activities.…
Music: Ellis Paul and Kim Taylor
Modern Folk Pop favorite Ellis Paul is bringing his music to his fans in Greater Cincinnati this weekend, performing Saturday at The Redmoor. Paul’s connection to his fans is well known to music biz observers — his 2010 album, The Day After Everything Changed, is considered one of the first big “fan-funded” music success stories.…
Music: Catacoustic Consort
Matthias Maute has been dubbed “the wild man of the recorder,” but in this case, the recorder is not a digital device — it’s the flute’s predecessor in a variety of ranges. Maute teams up with the Catacoustic Consort for a performance of Baroque music spanning two centuries, accompanied by period instruments including the viola…
Art: James Welling Lecture
Photographer and conceptual artist James Welling has been working in the aforementioned (typically marginalized) disciplines before either were an established part of the contemporary art dialogue. Mentored by the art world’s patron saint of Conceptualism, John Baldessari, and with an oeuvre that has evolved through various formats and processes (from Polaroids to his iconic color…
Event: Balls Around the Block
Do you love dogs? Do you love beer? Good news, because both of those enthusiasms will be entertained at the annual Balls Around the Block fundraiser in downtown Cincinnati. Mingle and drink with fellow dog lovers as you begin your journey at the Contemporary Arts Center downtown and “pub crawl” to some of the best…
Onstage: Camelot
Lerner and Loewe’s tuneful musical about the mythical court of King Arthur and his Round Table was the soundtrack 50 years ago for a youthful, energetic American President, John F. Kennedy. With a presidential inauguration just passed, Covington’s Carnegie Center reminds us of those optimistic days with a concert staging of Camelot. With accompaniment by…
Event: Art + Craft(Beer) Night
Mayday’s inaugural new Art & Craft [Beer] night celebrates what Northside is already all about — paying homage to Cincinnati’s creative types who pour their souls into the work they create. Of course, that comes in many forms — and sometimes, it’s liquid. Buy local, affordable art in an array of mediums from artists Tory…
Comedy: Rob Little
Many comedy fans know that comedian Jeff Foxworthy left a job at IBM to start a career in stand-up. Detroit native Rob Little also worked for “Big Blue,” but when he left he advised others to do the same. “It was pretty cool, I sent out this company-wide email,” he explains. “It went to Europe…
Camelot (Review)
In 1960, Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe followed their 1956 megahit My Fair Lady with the musical Camelot. Its arrival on Broadway coincided with the election of John Kennedy, and many people extended the vision of a “magical kingdom” to his ascendance as America’s charismatic 35th president. Some of the charm of their earlier…
Report: School Choice Hurts Education
In support of Ohio’s charter school and voucher programs, conservatives point to the wonders of “school choice.” But a new Policy Matters Ohio report revealed school choice may not be the boon supporters make it out to be. Citing a study from Community Research Partners, the Policy Matters report found the extra mobility enabled by…
Broadway Bound (Review)
Broadway Bound is the third and final installment in Neil Simon’s semi-autobiographical cycle of plays about growing up in Brooklyn in the 1930s and ’40s. The prequels are Brighton Beach Memoirs and Biloxi Blues. In 2011, Covedale presented a side-splitting and well-acted Brighton Beach Memoirs, the kind of production audiences have come to expect from…
Morning News and Stuff
Ohio Democrats are moving to sue the state if it continues blocking access to texts from State Board of Education President Debe Terhar, a Republican from Cincinnati. The school board leader has been facing criticism for making a Facebook post that compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler. The post was a picture with the…
CEAs 2013: Local Music Love Fest
On Sunday night, hundreds of local musicians — as well as the many of the fans who love them — had Covington's Madison Theater packed to capacity to celebrate the 16th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards. It was another love fest, as the music, laughs, camaraderie and drinks flowed throughout the tight three-hour ceremony/party CityBeat founded…
Morning News and Stuff
School superintendents will hear about Gov. John Kasich’s school funding proposal Thursday. The proposal, which will change how all of Ohio’s schools are publicly funded, will be released to the wider public Feb. 4. Many school officials are bracing for the worst , according to Cleveland’s The Plain Dealer . Rob Nichols previously told CityBeat…
Cincinnati Entertainment Awards: The Winners
It was another epic Cincinnati Entertainment Awards ceremony tonight at the Madison Theater, as a full house celebrated some of the best Greater Cincinnati music has to offer. And drank. A lot. The show went off great, with some excellent live performances from nominees and lots of fun from new host Ted Clark. I'll have…
Abigail/1702 (Review)
Critic's Pick Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa’s world premiere play, Abigail/1702, is under way at the Cincinnati Playhouse. It’s the Mount Adams theater’s 66th premiere, and a positive sign that new artistic director Blake Robison will continue the company’s long tradition of fostering new theatrical works and emerging writers. The playwright, who also writes scripts for TV series…
Tropicoso’s Epic Monday Night Residency to End
After a run of over 14 years, the popular "Monday Salsa Night" at Corryville club The Mad Frog — featuring local nine-piece Salsa ensemble Tropicoso (and weekly free dance lessons) — will come to an end this coming Monday (Jan. 28). "The change is of course bittersweet," says Tropicoso's Nicholas Radina (who also tours with…
Morning News and Stuff
A new analysis found Ohio has some of the toughest requirements for unemployment benefits. The Policy Matters Ohio report shows Ohio is the only state besides Michigan where a worker who makes minimum wage for 29 hours a week would not qualify for unemployment compensation. Ohio’s standards require workers to earn an average of at…
Stage Door: Good vs. Evil
The clash of good and evil seems to be on the mind of most of our local theaters this week as numerous openings bring plenty of offerings for you to choose from. Abigail/1702 at the Cincinnati Playhouse is a kind of sequel to Arthur Miller's The Crucible. This new play by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (it's actually…
City Negotiating Settlement Over Pension-Funding Lawsuit
The city of Cincinnati and a union representing city workers are currently negotiating an out-of-court settlement for a lawsuit involving the city's pension program. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) claimed in a 2011 lawsuit that the city government isn’t meeting funding requirements. A Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas motion…
New Cincinnati Band Madness
Last Friday at Bogart's, CityBeat and the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards presented a showcase featuring some of the best new local bands of 2012. (Check out some pics from the event here.) This coming week, four brand-new acts (featuring musicians from other established groups) will be playing their first shows ever. Here's a round-up of the…
I Just Can’t Get Enough
Monday was President Barack Obama’s second inauguration or, as it will be remembered, Michelle Obama’s Bang-auguration or, perhaps, Beyonce-gate. I think we can all agree that most of the event was kind of coma-inducing, right Sasha? Between all the swearing-ins and speeches, frozen onlookers and viewers at home were treated to James Taylor singing “America…
Morning News and Stuff
Council Member Chris Seelbach says he’s getting impatient with streetcar delays. During a series of complaints aired on Twitter, Seelbach wrote the deadline for streetcar operation should be the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2015. This week’s CityBeat cover story explains some of the delays and how the streetcar relates to the 2013 mayor’s…
Freud’s Last Session (Review)
When two great minds come together, you should expect a serious conversation. That’s what Freud’s Last Session is all about. It’s Sept. 3, 1939. The father of psychoanalysis, Dr. Sigmund Freud, has invited to his London flat a young scholar of literature and theology from Oxford, C. S. Lewis. Mark St. Germain’s play envisions their…
Chabot Refuses to Authorize Superstorm Sandy Disaster Relief
U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot called the deadly storms that hit the Cincinnati area last March “catastrophic,” and he offered shattered communities a financial lifeline through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s low-interest rate disaster loan program. In 1997, when Washington wrangling over budget issues held up relief after the Ohio River flooded Cincinnati, Chabot raged against…
Midnight Star Featured on TV One’s ‘Unsung’
The sixth season of TV One's entertaining and informative Unsung series, showcasing artists who did well but didn't quite reach the heights many expected, kicks off tonight at 10 p.m. with an episode about the late, great Soul star Isaac Hayes. Next week, on Jan. 30, the series focuses on a group that was formed…
Music Tonight: Maps & Atlases, Terrapin Flyer and More
Slanted Indie Pop crew Maps & Atlases formed in 2004 and, in 2010, released its breakthrough LP Perch Patchwork, the Chicago quartet's debut for the esteemed Barsuk label. Since Patchwork, the band has spent tons of time touring, which has included several dates in the Cincinnati area. The band's compelling latest release, Beware and Be…
Quartet
It should come as no surprise that Dustin Hoffman would eventually step behind the camera. After all, he’s an actor noted for depth, intelligence and an intuitiveness perfectly suited to working with others in order to bring the best out of them. What’s astounding is how long it took him to get around to this…
Parker
Jason Statham is the current crown prince of the action hero genre and Parker looks like the latest mandate from on high. Taylor Hackford (Ray) directs this by the book installment about an expert thief (Statham) with a unique code of ethics for his trade who gets double-crossed and left for dead by his crew,…
Movie 43
A short film anthology with multiple directors tackling an interconnected story about a group of teens on the Internet in search of the most banned movie ever, Movie 43 features a who’s who cast (Emma Stone, Halle Berry, Richard Gere, Seth MacFarlane and Kate Winslet, to name a few) that dares to taunt their own…
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
Yet another retelling of a classic fairy tale with modern flourishes, this time with Hansel (Jeremy Renner) and Gretel (Gemma Arterton) as sibling bounty hunters who travel the land dispatching witches with style and flair until they discover that the biggest and baddest witch (Famke Janssen) has been setting a trap for them. Director Tommy…
Local Drag Queen Penny Tration Is Off to the Races
Everyone loves to see a familiar face on television, even if it’s just a friend getting interviewed on the news (or better yet, a friend getting arrested on Cops). Reality TV has offered more opportunities for non-actor types to get their 15 minutes — there’s lots of buzz surrounding local musician/BMXer Matt Bischoff and his…
DVD/Blu-Ray Highlights from Across the Spectrum for the Start of 2013
Beauty Is Embarrassing: The Wayne White Story Sometimes the true pleasure of a film, especially a documentary, is having the opportunity to bask in the presence of someone you wish you could invite into your home for dinner or head off on an epic road trip with or, as in the case of artist extraordinaire…
Follow the ‘Pulp Art’ Paper Trail
My grandmother would say to me, in German, “Paper is patient,” explaining that one could write anything he or she wanted on paper, whether true or false. In her diary, Anne Frank used a variation of the phrase, observing that, “Paper is more patient than man.” Paper won’t dismiss your ideas, no matter how different…
Memphis (Review)
Critic's Pick Broadway is not known for originality in the 21st century: Shows seldom make it unless they’re a sure bet, based on familiar movies or music by performers (ABBA, Elvis, The Four Seasons) whose tunes are already known. So the musical Memphis is something of an anomaly. The 2010 Tony Award winner for best…
Bringing All-Star Game to Cincinnati Is a Castellini Triumph
It’s tough, at this point, to debate the fact that Bob Castellini might be the greatest thing to happen to the Cincinnati sporting scene in the last decade. Coaches and players come and go, but a commitment from ownership is the most important thing any pro sports franchise needs for sustained success. When Castellini took…
Study Finds Cancer Link Among Fernald Hourly Workers
More than 18 years later, Hamilton County’s Fernald Feed Materials Production Center is in the news again. A new study found a correlation between higher rates of cancer mortality and hourly workers, with some evidence of radiation causing intestinal cancer. The study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) found salaried workers…
State School Official Draws Heat for Obama-Hitler Comparison
Democrats are calling for the resignation of Ohio State Board of Education President Debe Terhar, who compared President Barack Obama to Adolf Hitler in a Facebook post. The Columbus Dispatch reported Terhar posted an image of Adolf Hitler on her personal Facebook page that read, “Never forget what this tyrant said: ‘To conquer a nation,…
Judge Explains Rape Flier Case Sealing in Deposition
If the adverse publicity from pleading guilty to a minor crime — say indecent exposure or public intoxication — is likely to cause you mental anguish, pray that you go before a judge like Robert Lyons in Oxford. Lyons is the Butler County judge who took the guilty plea from the former Miami University student…
Cincinnati vs. The World 01.23.2013
In Afghanistan, violence against women is becoming increasingly brutal and is on the rise by 22 percent, according to the country’s independent Human Rights Commission. WORLD -1 Cincinnati was recognized by the World Wildlife Foundation as one of three global finalists for its efforts to address climate change, along with Chicago and San Francisco. CINCINNATI…
All Part of the Game
A s America spends the next two weeks readying for its largest annual sporting event, the spectacle, hype and excitement of the Super Bowl will undoubtedly overshadow the toll our enjoyment takes on the players on the field. For years the obvious injuries — broken bones, torn ligaments and the such — have been seen…
Back on the Ballot
T he public spotlight is nothing new for Cincinnati’s $125 million streetcar project, but it’s a factor supporters are getting increasingly tired of dealing with. Facing new delays and political controversy, the streetcar is once again in the news — and, for better or worse, this year’s mayoral campaign will keep it there for much of…
Taft Museum Creates a Show From Its Fascinating Archives
Maybe because the Taft Museum of Art was such a major player in FotoFocus with its Star Power: Edward Steichen’s Glamour Photography exhibit, I managed to (almost) completely miss a second smaller but extremely impressive show it had at roughly the same time. Pages of History: 80 Years at the Taft was on view Aug.…
Izakaya Style
T he dining room at Kaze officially opened Jan. 14, but I spent an evening dining in the bar area a few weeks before then — first, to avoid deadline pressure and second, to take along an ex-pat American friend who has been living in Tokyo for the past five years. Sometimes, it’s good to…
Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Return Sunday
The 16th annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards take place at the Madison Theater in Covington this Sunday. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. The CEAs are a party, first and foremost, for local musicians (nominated or not), but also for the fans that nurture and support them. The “ceremony” part…
Ahead Of Their Time
W hen Ravi Shankar died last month at age 92, Jim Tarbell’s thoughts turned to when he brought the great Indian classical musician to the historic — and endangered — St. Paul Church in the Pendleton District. At the time, in the early 1970s, Tarbell had created the Committee to Save St. Paul’s, and for…
Morning News and Stuff
On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, House Health and Aging Chairman Lynn Watchman said anti-abortion legislation could come back in the current legislative session. That includes the heartbeat bill, which would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, and a plan to defund Planned Parenthood. CityBeat wrote about the anti-abortion legislation last time…
It’s a Long Way to The Top …
Plenty of American music fans are starting to hear the name and music of Ed Sheeran. And considering his Sheeran’s single, “The A Team,” is now Top 10 at Top 40 radio and up for a Grammy award for Song of the Year — and that he’ll open Taylor Swift’s epic Red tour beginning this…
Worst Week Ever!: Jan. 16-22
WEDNESDAY JAN. 16 Newport on the Levee has added a new wrinkle to the movie-watching experience. The seldom-used arcade has been replaced by MacGuffins Bar & Lounge, which is now open and serving drinks that can be brought into the movie. AMC Theatre management notes that “MacGuffin” is a term and technique which was popularized by…
Public Records Are Such For a Reason
Cui bono? That’s Latin for asking who benefits. When a reporter uses the law to pry public records from resisting officials, readers are supposed to benefit. And when readers value that invocation of open records laws, it adds luster to the reporter’s work. That’s why the Enquirer and other Gannett papers don’t shy from pressing open…
Roe v. Wade v. Us
I believe Jehoveh-Jireh I believe there’s heaven I believe in war I believe a woman’s temple gives her the right to choose but baby don’t abort. — Frank Ocean, “We All Try” This week several frames of scores of black women’s identities simultaneously came into play and focus: Monday, the day observing the Rev. Dr.…
