COAST Wants You
A regional anti-tax group is trying to expand its membership and decide which issues to advocate in the coming year.—- The Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST) will hold three membership recruitment meetings in the next few weeks. The group’s motto is, “limiting the rate of taxes and spending and stopping the abuse…
Events: Community Reconciliation
A local community reconciliation process continues Saturday during the Cincinnati Museum Center’s annual African Culture Fest. First Unitarian Church hosts African American Family History: A Pathway to Racial Reconciliation, a panel discussion of the Rev. William Henry Grey Carter, who in the 1920s founded the country’s first African-American Unitarian congregation in the West End. Carter’s…
Onstage: The Seagull
Although Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece was first performed in 1896, it wasn’t translated from Russian into English until 13 years later in 1909. A full century later, the dramatic comedy is coming to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, opening this week in a relatively new translation by veteran playwright Tom Stoppard. When this version of The Seagull was…
Events: African Culture Fest
Celebrating cultural diversity is the order of the day at the Cincinnati Museum Center Saturday-Monday with the African Culture Fest, part of the Passport to the World series. The three-day event runs through Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and features the “heritage, music, dance, arts and crafts of Africa.” Watch performances by artists from South…
Events: Fifth Annual Chili Cook-Off
It’s freaking cold outside, and guess what? Low temperatures are one of the 1,724 documented reasons for Cincinnatians to eat chili. And in the name of fun chili-eating and competition, Gold Star Chili is sponsoring the fifth annual Chili Cook-Off at Findlay Market. This free event will offer all the promotional chili-themed apparatuses we’ve come…
Comedy: Dan Horn
Ventriloquist Dan Horn doesn’t look like he’s been in show business for almost 30 years. Indeed he doesn’t look a day over 30. Does not moving your lips lead to youthful looks? “I don’t know if it’s ventriloquism that keeps you younger, or just laughing,” he ponders. “They say laughter is the best medicine, and…
Art: Out of Time at designsmithgallery
Jim Wainscott’s series of paintings currently on display at designsmithgallery break down daily views of cities, nature and interiors into meticulous details. All of the circular paintings on panel are built up with acrylic and polymer mediums; he paints each object and element of the space so they are sandwiched between layers of clear medium.…
Events: Inauguration Parties
Given CityBeat’s readership demographics, we’re betting that most of you are happy that George W. Bush is leaving the White House on Tuesday after eight years that have been alternately scary, depressing and angering. A good portion of our readers are probably even happier that Dubya is being replaced by Barack Obama, the nation’s first…
Jesse McCartney
(Cincinnati, OH 1/12/09) – Live Nation is proud to present Jesse McCartney at Bogart’s on Saturday, February 21 at 8:00 p.m. "The record is called Departure for a number of reasons," says Jesse McCartney, whose multi-platinum 2004 debut album Beautiful Soul launched his career as an international singing star. "There have been departures in my…
Art: The Stars in the Sky Are Still Boss
Poet Gregory Corso has been called “The Last Beat.” Indeed, that is the title of a new documentary by Gustave Reininger to be shown as part of the upcoming I Gave Away the Sky Corso festival at University of Cincinnati. The festival will consider Corso’s work and legacy through an art exhibition, a lecture, a…
Art: Joan Snyder: Selected Paintings 1999-2007 at Solway Gallery
Joan Snyder is one of a generation of painters who revived the most expressive parts of Abstract Expressionism to the shock and awe of a world after Minimalism. Since the late 1960s, the New Jersey-born Snyder’s paintings have made their way through any number of New York galleries and been shown in a solo exhibition…
Chelsea Handler
(Cincinnati, OH 1/12/09) – Live Nation welcomes Chelsea Handler to the Taft Theatre on Friday, March 6 at 8:00 p.m. Born in Livingston, New Jersey, to a Jewish father and Mormon mother, Chelsea Handler is the youngest of six children…all good material for a career in comedy. Chelsea recently broke into the world of male-dominated…
Music: Streetlight Manifesto
Ska just isn’t what it used to be. In the genre’s salad days of the 1960s, it was associated with luminous names such as Toots & the Maytals and The Wailers, who used a fresh and upbeat dancehall aesthetic to energize Jamaica, the sound’s birthplace. Within a decade or two, English bands like The Clash…
Music: David Allan Coe
Country music is chest deep in guys who have been branded as outlaws, and a few of them have actually lived up to the title. But only one of them has ever written a couple of bona fide No.1 classics as well as filthy obscurities like “Cum Stains on the Pillow” and “Pussywhipped Blues.” That…
Music: Jerry Douglas
A certain vision and drive is required to be a recording artist and it takes a distinct lack of ego and talent for self-subjugation to be a session musician. An even greater strength of character is necessary to be a producer, to help artists realize their vision without heavy-handed personal involvement. How then to explain…
Music: Lil Wayne
Rap star Lil Wayne isn’t just the biggest, most successful Hip Hop artist in the country right now. Wayne is a genuine superstar across genres. The prolific MC started his career as a teen with The Hot Boys, but today he finds himself at the center of the Pop music world’s attention. His latest album,…
Lit: Patsyann Maloney
“The first time I traded my body for money, I was eight years old. I made twenty-five cents that day.” So begins The Making of a Madam, local author Patsyann Maloney’s recently self-published memoir with Wayne Holmes. Presented in short chapters with titles like “An Inappropriate Touch,” “First Sex,” The Lost Child” and “Brothel Life,”…
Events: Tranny Roadshow
The Tranny Roadshow has been delighting audiences across North America since 2005 by exploring gender identity using witty, multimedia performances. Myriad transgender artists will be on hand to explore what it means to be you and me. There will be musicians, humorists, spoken word artists, a magician and a puppeteer all using performance art as…
Pearlene, Pickles and the New Holy Ghost
With the departure of bassist Jesse Ebaugh (who joined The Heartless Bastards last year), it appears that local, critically-acclaimed Rock/Blues juggernaut Pearlene has retooled and become "born again" as Holy Ghost. According to a press release from Perkins Pickles (uh, more on that in a sec), drummer Andy Jody, singer/songwriter/guitarist Reuben Glaser and The Greenhornes'…
Review: Scratch Beginnings
One of the most common complaints I hear about is that I’m writing financial suggestions for people who have already “made it.” To a certain extent, it’s true – many of the situations I write about assume you already have a certain level of income and financial security. But what of those situations where such…
Mr. Harris Makes the Grade
After all was said and done, the frontrunner got the job. As widely predicted during the past week, Greg Harris was formally selected today to take the seat on Cincinnati City Council that was vacated when John Cranley resigned.—- The decision was made by council’s Democrats — Jeff Berding, Laketa Cole, David Crowley and Cecil…
Cincinnati Art Museum Lays Off Seven Staffers
Stung by a drop in income from all sources — donations as well as sales — the Cincinnati Art Museum has laid off seven staff members, or about 4 percent of its staff. That will allow it to continue through the foreseeable future with its hours and exhibition schedule preserved, Director Aaron Betsky says. "People…
Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC)
Who is IJPC and what do they do? If you’ve ever wondered, here’s your chance to find out.—- IJPC is hosting a “Breakfast Benefit” on Jan. 17 at St. Frances de Sales School (1600 Madison Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45206) in the cafeteria, 9-10:30 a.m. The breakfast is free is has the simple goal of explaining…
Reconsidering Dunn
Thinking it over, Manny probably wouldn't be too stoked on coming to Cincinnati once he realized that the number of decent sushi places can be counted on the fingers of one hand. His casual, laid back demeanor may or may not encourage the core of the Reds team to approach the game with the true…
More Golden Globlog
Also, just in case you've never wasted days and days of your life/work looking at the archives of this blog, check out Go Fug Yourself for genius and snarky commentary on all things Golden Globe and celebrity-related. WTF, now and forever:
Voinovich Retires; Portman to Run?
Sen. George Voinovich (R-Ohio) announced this morning that he won't seek re-election in 2010. The political pundits are already debating the possibility of a Democratic pickup in Ohio, while local GOP name brand Rob Portman might be the Republicans' best chance to retain the seat. Voinovich's announcement means four veteran Republican senators have already decided…
Bust a Move (For No Charge)
It's Free Dance Week at the Cincinnati Ballet. Get your groove on at The Otto M. Budig Academy in Over-the-Rhine or in Blue Ash. All classes are free: ballet, pointe, creative dance, jazz and Rhythm and Motion, a workout class. —- On Tuesday, a rehearsal for Peter Pan will be open to the public at…
Toby Keith with Jack Ingram and Julianne Hough
Freedom Hall in Louisville on Friday, Feb. 6. Click here for more.
WDJO & OMAR Presents Elvis Birthday Tribute Artist Spectacular
Bogart's in Cincinnati on Thursday Jan. 15. Click here for more.
Lil Wayne with Keri Hilson and Gym Class Heros
U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 18. Click here for more.
Reel Big Fish with Streetlight Manifesto and Tip the Van
Bogarts in Cincinnati on Thursday, Jan 15. Click here for more.
Nickleback
Rump Arena in Lexington on Friday, Feb 27. Click here for more details.
Joel McHale
Taft Theatre in Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 18. Click here for more.
Ron White
Taft Theatre in Cincinnati on Friday, Jan. 23. Click here for more.
Concert Review: AC/DC at U.S. Bank Arena
A friend recently asked me what my worst pet peeves are about going to concerts. It took me all of two seconds to spit out, "Everything is outrageously expensive: the tickets, the parking, the T-shirts and, of course, the ridiculously overpriced beers." I’ve been a huge fan of AC/DC since I first heard them when…
Local CD of the Week: Eric Falstrom
Singer/songwriter Eric Falstrom has been performing locally for several years, including with the rockin’ Mystery Wagon in the early ’90s. Since then, Falstrom has been working the solo route, releasing records on his own off and on since the end of the Wagon. But Falstrom’s latest disc, Love Will Come Through, feels much like a…
New Music Column: I Shall Be Released
Longtime CityBeat music writer Brian Baker has a new weekly column available at citybeat.com called I Shall Be Released. Read the first edition right here. The column — which will talk about some of the week's new releases as well as featuring some "flashback" reviews from Brian's extensive vinyl collection — will run the middle…
Golden Globes
Last night's Golden Globe coverage has left me asking a few questions: WTF is up with Kate Winslet? (See YouTube insert.) Is "windblown" the new hairstyle (see Renee Zellweger and Drew Barrymore)? And why was every female celebrity dressed in nude (see this, this or this)? —- It also left me asking myself: Self, did…
Where Are They Now?: Dennis Barrie
Ever wonder what happened to Dennis Barrie, director of the Contemporary Arts Center when it showed Robert Mapplethorpe's The Perfect Moment in 1990, resulting in pornography charges that a Hamilton County jury rejected in a landmark local case? —- He moved on to the Rock and Roll Hall of in Cleveland before moving on again.…
Pundit: Blackwell a Bad Fit for RNC Job
Salon.com’s always excellent War Room blog doesn’t think much of Ken Blackwell’s bid to become the Republican National Committee’s next chairman.—- Blackwell is the Cincinnati native, former City Council member and mayor who ran unsuccessfully as the GOP candidate for Ohio governor in 2006, while serving as Ohio’s Secretary of State. He’s best known nationally…
Six Interviewing To Replace Cranley
Interviews will be held Monday to screen the candidates interested in filling the remainder of John Cranley’s term on Cincinnati City Council. Facing term limits, the longtime Democratic councilman resigned Thursday to ponder the next step in his political career as he works as an attorney.—- Democratic Party sources say six people will be interviewed…
Dying City (Review)
Critic's Pick Big stories in the news — events like 9/11 and the Iraq War — have been the focus of many plays and films during the past several years. They are points of reference in Dying City, a 2007 play by Christopher Shinn that portrays the effects of such world-changing events in the context…
CDs and Vinyl Released and Remembered
With the new year, I've chosen to take on a new challenge: Namely a weekly review column I've christened with the title of a classic Bob Dylan track. The name appealed to me on a number of levels, which makes sense as I'm a multi-leveled guy. Since I’ll be covering new releases in this space,…
Pizza Hut Is Run by D*@&s
Some advertisers are evil. Its' true, we all can admit it. I'm sure Bill Gates thought that when the Apple people came after him. But Pizza Hut has not only taken evil to a whole new level and have managed to do it in a way that will probably get them less business. Check out…
Green Party, Bortz Sound Off About Streetcars
This week’s issue of CityBeat features a cover story about the effort by the NAACP's local chapter and other groups to get an initiative on next fall’s ballot that would require a public vote before any taxpayer money is spent on Cincinnati’s proposed streetcar system.—- Today, the Southwest Ohio Green Party joined the list of…
Goodbye to Boberg
If you've been hearing rumors that Scott Boberg, the current Curator of Education at the Contemporary Arts Center, is leaving, then you've been hearing right.—- After working tirelessly in our community to create access points for the public to engage with contemporary art (including educational programming, writing text panels for exhibitions or organizing film series…
Good Old Grapes
Let me just give you a run down on why grapes are so awesome. Grapes are by far one of the most versatile and delicious fruits on this wonderful planet we call Earth. Grapes are used in jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine and oils, which are the bases for many tantalizing treats we consume on…
Magnet Magazine Still Loves Cincy’s Peter Adams
The love affair between Philly-based Indie music magazine Magnet and Cincinnati singer/songwriter Peter Adams continues with his 2008 release, I Woke With Planets in My Face. His debut, The Spiral Eyes, earned Adams several glowing mentions/articles/reviews in the magazine a couple of years ago. The review of Adams' latest is featured in the current issue…
Jimmy Buffett Music: Officially Dangerous
If you've ever heard a Jimmy Buffett song and thought, "This just makes me want to kill someone" … well, cut it out, because that shit's not funny anymore. A soldier from Fort Bragg, hanging out at a bar in Steamboat Springs, Col., was reportedly killed as a result of a bar fight, instigated when…
Brain Garry Seeks Cranley’s Seat
Brian Garry has sent out word to the media that he's interested in replacing outgoing Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley, who announced yesterday that he's leaving office to work on Price Hill development projects and join a local law firm. Kevin Osborne reported yesterday that Greg Harris is the favorite to replace Cranley. Garry, who…
Bush Bash ’09
Celebrate the end of the Bush era by planning your own Bush Bash and then putting the photos on flickr. Get in on the action and get more information by clicking here.
Cranley Out, Harris In?
Facing term limits, Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley announced today that he would resign his seat Thursday to join the Keating Muething & Klekamp law firm and concentrate on development projects in East Price Hill.—- Cranley’s fellow Democrats on City Council will get to select his replacement, and that person will wield the power of…
No Point Guard Help In Sight
So, a coach recruits a really good point guard out of high school and assumes that starting a freshman in the Big East will have its rough moments but that the experience will go a long way toward the kid’s — and the program’s — development. Then the kid gets hurt in preseason practice and…
Policies & Science
Policies & ScienceThanks for the article about Dr. Richard Wyderski and his support for medical marijuana via Ohio Senate Bill 343 (re: “Docs for Dope” news article). He has thousands of other doctors on his side. The American College of Physicians (124,000 members) recently asked the government for the right to prescribe. They note, “A…
Sweet Child ’09
It’s almost beyond belief that we’re on the cusp of the last year of the first decade of the new millennium. Soon it will be the end of the Naughties and next year we’ll be talking about the prospects for the 21st century’s teen years. What does this last year of the millennium’s first decade…
Train Wreck
A diverse coalition of groups led by the NAACP’s Cincinnati chapter that blocked Hamilton County officials from increasing the sales tax in 2007 to build a new jail has set its sights on another project: the city’s proposed streetcar system. The NAACP recently launched a petition drive to place an issue on the November ballot…
Bootsy’s Produced By Jeff Ruby (Review)
If there’s a heaven for hairdressers, fashionistas, people on first dates and older women from Miami recovering from cosmetic surgery, Bootsy’s Produced by Jeff Ruby would be it. Packed into the two-story building across from the Aronoff Center where Pizzeria Uno’s used to be, Bootsy’s draws the young, the old and the beautiful. Marrying Moroccan…
Goodbye and Good Riddance
“Really, he’s not as bad as you think.” As if they could possibly pull the wool over a jaded public’s eyes one more time, many of George W. Bush’s advisers and friends have been in full spin mode the past few weeks trying to convince us that his presidency wasn’t nearly as disastrous as most…
Winds of Political Change in 2009
As I learned working on a political campaign this fall, guessing is a genuine art form for politicos of all stripes. Each person guesses over another’s guess about what might happen next, and the cycle continues ad nauseam. Accuracy is fine and all that, but speculation and rumor-mongering is much more fun. In that spirit,…
Are You Really You?
The lost-wallet panic, having a credit card rejected unexpectedly or being the victim of a pickpocket can make you realize the value of credit cards or a driver’s license in the hands of a thief. Such problems can destroy a credit rating, deplete savings and make it impossible to pay essential bills, yet millions of…
Living to Work, Working to Live
We go to work for lots of different reasons. Mostly we want and/or need money, though not everyone takes the highest-paying job available. If it were only about money, we’d all be hedge fund managers or CEOs of Fortune 500 corporations. No one would stay home with the kids or work in the arts or…
The Upset Victory (Profile)
When the subject of a band’s influences is broached, virtually anything is open to discussion. Influence can be gleaned from an endless supply of sources, from the obvious (other bands’ music) to the pervasive (love, hate, substance binges) to the subtle (good book, good meal, good dream). For the material on their new five-song EP,…
The Best of Sexology (Review)
Founded in 1933 by Hugo Gernsback, Sexology is said to be the first sex-related magazine to achieve widespread (relatively speaking) circulation in the United States. Not familiar? You’re not alone. While not as ubiquitous as Playboy founder/perpetual cultivator of synthetically endowed blondes Hugh Heffner, Gernsback had a similarly intriguing back-story. Born in 1884 in Luxembourg…
Another Seven Days of MTV for Some and Stimulation for All
WEDNESDAY DEC. 31As 2008 came to an end, most of us were looking forward to celebrating the final days of the worst presidency ever the opportunity to dedicate 2009 to bettering ourselves and humanity. But today media giant Viacom said that if Time Warner Cable doesn’t pay up then sweet channels like Nickelodeon, MTV and…
Gran Torino (Review)
Clint Eastwood is not a gifted actor. Twenty years ago, that wouldn’t have been a particularly daring critical statement. The odd outlier like Tightrope notwithstanding, he was known primarily as a guy who could squint one-dimensionally while firing a gun or squint one-dimensionally while being punched by an orangutan. But at some point during his…
New Trends, Kaldi’s Closes
It’s a new year with new dining trends, new menus and (unfortunately) new restaurant closings. So let’s dish. The trends for 2009 would make Aldous Huxley happy. According to The Food Channel, the second-largest dining trend this year will be virtual food communities, which explains why I got an invitation to a virtual cookie swap…
Half Empty or Half Full?
It’s a New Year, a time typically full of hope and new beginnings, including our local theater scene. The economic downturn, however, is having its effect. Ovation Theatre Company, a regular at the Aronoff Center for more than a decade, will postpone two previously announced spring productions until the fall, essentially eliminating its 2008-09 season.…
Special Skills Required for Early Morning Newscasts
For years, I worked late nights on morning papers and a wire service. I awakened late and went to the office in the afternoon. I could always party after work, especially in Rome or London. Later, I started at 6 a.m. at the late, great Minneapolis Star, an afternoon paper with deadlines before noon. Instead…
A Stroke of Luck
One year ago this week, on the morning of Jan. 3, 2008, I woke up with an excruciating headache. I sleepily stumbled downstairs, used the bathroom, popped a couple of Advil and headed back to bed. I’ll feel better in a couple of hours, I thought to myself, and then head in to work. My…
The Dart League King (Review)
Keith Lee Morris’ second book takes place entirely at a championship darts match on a single night in Idaho in June of 2007. Surprisingly for such a narrowly focused work, it is as compelling a novel as I’ve read all year. Morris, like Martin Amis in his 1989 novel London Fields, not only uses darts…
Which Hazle?
The fruitcakes have been throw away, the eggnog is spoiled, the big ball dropped, the champagne is gone and we’ve all had time to reflect on 2008. Now chin up, sport: It’s time to start looking ahead to 2009 and what lies ahead for Cincinnati’s local music scene. If the first release of 2009 (well,…
Wonk, the New Punk
Once upon a time she had a Chuck Taylor collection. Now, cowboy boots. Around seven pairs, less than $5 apiece. This day, Wonky Tonk (acoustic guitar, vocals, banjo) wears white, fringed boots. Her clothes are littered with mismatched stripes and stars. She has a crooked pierced lip, a pierced nose and some tats to brag…
UC and Bengals Proved Football Axiom: You’re Never Over the Hump
Football for Cincinnati fans made a rare intrusion on January, which turned out not to be such a glorious moment. But we’ll take it and hope for more next year, understanding that the interim poses numerous challenging scenarios. Down on the river, the Bengals are stuck in the same old program, hoping that if they…
Breaking Down Walls
As Barack Obama prepares to become America’s 44th president on Jan. 20, there are many who see something of themselves in his progressive, time-for-a-change victory against the ruinous Republican status quo. Those include visual artists working on the fringes, showing in urban co-op galleries with limited hours or in coffee houses and group shows at…
Led Zep Reunion: Who Should Supplant Plant?
Rumors of a Led Zeppelin tour have been floating around since the band reunited for a one-off show in England in 2007. Every week or so a "reliable source" has announced it was a sure thing, only to be followed by official statements that singer Robert Plant has no interest. The latest word comes from…
Meet the Mayor of Covington
If you’ve ever wanted a chance to ask someone in Covington about how they’re doing what they’re doing over there, here’s your chance.—- During the next "Covington After Hours" at the Strasse Haus (630 Main Street) Jan. 14, Mayor Denny Bowman serves as the guest speaker. The event includes complimentary appetizers and snacks with a…
