First Four Ohio Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Open Tomorrow, And Long Lines Are Expected
After months of delays, medical marijuana is finally coming to Ohio. Wednesday, four dispensaries around the state are set to open at 9 a.m. on the first day that medical pot becomes legal under state law. While none of the four dispensaries are in the Cincinnati area, residents can expect others to follow shortly. The…
Rootsy Michigan Jam Band Greensky Bluegrass Plays Covington Ahead of New Studio Album Release, ‘All for Money’
Just two days after Michigan’s Greensky Bluegrass returns to Greater Cincinnati to perform (this Wednesday, Jan. 16 at Covington, Kentucky's Madison Theater), the Bluegrass/Americana Jam band will release its anticipated seventh full-length studio album, All for Money, on its own Big Blue Zoo Records. The unique and critically-acclaimed group — featuring Anders Beck (dobro), Michael…
Cincinnati Musician Adam Flaig Absorbed New Experiences in Portugal to Create His Transformative Album ‘O Turista’
Sitting down with Adam Flaig to discuss his recently completed solo record, O Turista, it’s evident that the singer and guitarist was changed by the process of making the album. Namely, he’s really, really calm. That’s not to say that Flaig was previously a whirlwind of pent-up energy ready to be unleashed. But as of…
Downtown Cincinnati’s Historic Terrace Plaza Hotel Could Get Local Landmark Status
Cincinnati City Council member David Mann has filed an application with the city's Historic Conservation Board seeking to make downtown's Terrace Plaza Hotel a local historic landmark, a move that could provide more protections as developers eye redevelopment of the Modernist building. The proposal comes as at least one developer eyes big changes for the…
Experience Sarah Shook’s Powerful Roots, Rock and Country Music Blend This Week in Newport
Sarah Shook & the Disarmers represent a welcome shift in the ongoing evolution of Roots music, namely the blending of the contemporary scorch of Punk and the three-chords-and-the-truth interrogation lamp of traditional honest-to-God Country. Shook is a songwriter of unparalleled power, offering lyrics that detail unvarnished and unfiltered tales of failed relationships, the alcoholic reverie…
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights’ at Mount Adams’ Playhouse is the Perfect Precursor to the Arrival of ‘Hamilton’ at the Aronoff
Before there was Hamilton, there was In the Heights, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hip Hop Broadway musical about New York’s tight-knight, majority Dominican neighborhood of Washington Heights. Usnavi narrates three days in the life of the Heights and the characters that live there from his corner De La Vega Bodega. Expect vibrant choreography, Latin rhythms, Rap, Hip…
The Travel, Sports & Boat Show Brings Adventure Sports and a Hint of Summer to the Duke Energy Convention Center
For more than 60 years, the Cincinnati Travel, Sports & Boat Show has been injecting Cincinnati winter with a dose of summer wanderlust. Head to the convention center to check out vendors, dealers and exhibitors showcasing the latest goods, services and more to get you outdoors and into nature. There will be more than 300…
‘Star Wars,’ ‘Star Trek’ and Holst’s ‘The Planets’ Collide at Cincinnati Pops in Space at Music Hall
The Pops adventure into the far reaches of the galaxy as they launch themselves into deep space with this weekend’s concert series. With a blend of Classical fare and pop culture favorites, John Morris Russell will lead the orchestra through selections including the Galaxy Quest and Star Trek theme songs, selections from Gustav Holst’s The…
J. Mascis Co-Signed Indie Rock Band Weakened Friends Return to Cincinnati for Free Concert This Week
When Weakened Friends rolled through town almost exactly a year ago, they were riding high on the attention and acclaim being lavished on “Hate Mail,” the Portland, Maine trio’s late 2017 single release that featured a potent guitar cameo from J. Mascis, iconic frontperson for Dinosaur Jr. Mascis was a fabulous guest for the fledgling…
Comedian Shane Mauss Talks Mental Health, Psychology and Psychedelics at Go Bananas
These days, Shane Mauss is exploring the meaning of life. “I really like to talk about some of our subconscious decision making,” he says. “I’m also bi-polar and have been writing material about that recently. And then there are the struggles to improve my life and this journey we’re all on.” Last year he did…
Beach Night at Taft’s Ale House is an Exclusive Tropical Experience with Sand, Steel Drums and Fruity Cocktails
Get out of the cold and into Nellie’s Tap Room at Taft’s Ale House for a tropical getaway. Beach Night at Taft’s is a heated indoor party where you get a free lei and welcome pint when you walk in the door. Build a sand castle while you listen to music from the Queen City…
Blues Legend Buddy Guy and the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band To Team Up for Cincinnati Concert in June
Blues legend Buddy Guy returns to Cincinnati this summer and he'll be joined by another local favorite, The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band, which features former local singer Noah Hunt. Guy and KWSB kick off their joint tour on June 11 in Huber Heights, Ohio, then come to PNC Pavilion on June 16. It's a co-headlining…
‘Paris to New York: Photographs by Eugène Atget & Berenice Abbott’ Closes with a Third Sunday Funday: Vive La France at the Taft Museum of Art
Paris to New York: Photographs by Eugène Atget & Berenice Abbott closes Sunday and the Taft Museum of Art celebrates with a special Third Sunday Funday themed “Vive La France.” It’s a Francophile and family-friendly afternoon with macaron baking demonstrations from OCD Cakes, wandering mimes from Cincinnati Circus, a hands-on photo transfer craft project and…
See the First Lunar Eclipse of 2019 at the Cincinnati Observatory
This week, 2019 will see its first lunar eclipse: the sun, Earth and moon will align — and Cincinnati will have a stunning view. Head over to the Cincinnati Observatory to watch the whole shebang unfold; the process will start at 10:33 p.m. when the shadow of the Earth first crosses the moon. By 11:41…
January’s LGBTQ Tea Dance Takes Over Mr. Pitiful’s — the Place Where it All Started — to Celebrate 2019 and 50 Years of Pride
After you fill up on a Big Gay Brunch at Below Zero Lounge, head over to Mr. Pitiful’s for January’s Tea Dance. This is where the conversation to bring Tea Dances to Cincinnati started almost two years ago, so it seems a fitting way to ring in 2019. The tea dance is a revived LGBTQ…
Have a Big Gay Brunch at Below Zero Lounge Before January’s Tea Dance at Mr. Pitiful’s
Head to Below Zero before this Sunday’s Tea Dance for drink specials and a brunch buffet. Enjoy bloody marys, mimosas and pitchers of beer, a drag queen or two and music video and comedy clips played on request from VJ Fuel. Brunch reservations are highly recommended and can be made online. The Tea Dance will…
The Freedom Center Celebrates MLK Day 2019 with a Breakfast, March, Free Admission and More
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center celebrates the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. with a day of events, starting with the 2019 King Legacy Awards Breakfast at 8 a.m.; tickets are $40 per person and $20 for youth. This year’s keynote speaker is Dr. Holly Y. McGee, assistant professor of history at the University…
Rhinegeist’s Taproom Transforms into a Local Shopping Destination During Art on Vine
What started as a college class project has evolved into a recurring monthly fine arts fair with more than 70 local makers, crafters and artists. Head to Rhinegeist on Sunday for a little shopping, beer and family-friendly fun. Interact with artists, buy some goods and enjoy food from in-house Sartre. Noon-7 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 20).…
ESPN Ranks Cincinnati Reds No. 7 for Most Miserable Fanbases in Professional Sports
The Cincinnati Reds made some moves this off-season that have many fans hyped that the 2019 season will find the team back in the playoffs and making a legit run for a World Series champsionship. At the very least, one would think the acquisition of superstar Yasiel Puig from the Dodgers (and maybe Cy Young-winning…
Greater Cincinnati’s First Esports Lounge is Here
Now you can play Overwatch in style. Tonight, a new esports lounge is set to open inside Newport on the Levee's GameWorks. Newport's mayor will come out for the lounge's unveiling — and partake in an esports game with GameWorks employees. The lounge features 20 Alienware Gaming PCs with 240 Hz Alienware monitors and RTX…
Minimum Gauge: An Art Installation Featuring Toto’s “Africa” Played on Endless Loop to Soon Torture Desert Wildlife
HOT: Too Much “Africa” Last year when Weezer revived Toto’s dreadful ’80s hit “Africa” in response to a cheeky online fan campaign, it was worth a chuckle or two. But it’s been all downhill from there. Pitbull managed to make the song 100-times worse by incorporating it into his Aquaman soundtrack contribution, “Ocean to Ocean,”…
West End Business Owner to Cincinnati City Council: ‘It’s Emotional for Me Right Now’
The proprietor of a restaurant that had to move to make way for FC Cincinnati's coming soccer stadium says she's out of work due to the fact she can't find a new place for her business. Now, she wants help. Monica Williams, along with a half-dozen supporters, came to Cincinnati City Council's Budget and Finance…
Proposal Would Make Programs for Seniors a Part of City of Cincinnati’s Human Services Funding
In the wake of the near-closing of a senior center in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati City Council member P.G. Sittenfeld is calling for a change to the way the city funds human services organizations to make room for those who provide care to senior citizens. Cincinnati Area Senior Services runs the Over-the-Rhine Senior Service Center, which has…
The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir and His Wolf Bros Band are Coming to Cincinnati this Spring
Grateful Dead legend Bob Weir is returning to Cincinnati this spring, this time for a performance with his Wolf Bros band project. The trio also features esteemed veteran producer/musician Don Was on bass and drummer Jay Lane, a longtime member of Weir's group RatDog who has also played with Phil Lesh and Friends. Bob Weir…
Rock Legends The Who Still Aren’t Coming to Cincinnati, But You Can See Them With an Orchestra in Indy Later This Year
Last week, The Who announced that they would embark on a North American tour and release a new album in 2019. Today, the dates were announced, and like with every tour since 1979, Cincinnati is not on the itinerary. On Dec. 3, 1979, one of the worst concert tragedies in history occurred at Cincinnati's Riverfront…
The Contemporary Arts Center Unveils New Performance Art Fest
The Contemporary Arts Center has announced an upcoming new festival: This Time Tomorrow. Expect a diverse array of performance art over four days — April 11-14 — at venues across the city. "This is the spirit of collaboration, experimentation and exploration that we are taking on wholeheartedly over the course of four days — and asking…
Poetic ‘Red Bike’ Pedals Through Childhood at Know Theatre
If fresh, new theatrical works are what you seek, Know Theatre is the place to find them. Continuing its involvement with the National New Play Network, Know is presenting yet another “rolling world premiere,” this time with Red Bike by Caridad Svich. Two unique productions already happened in 2018 in Salt Lake City and Philadelphia; Know marks…
Organizers: Cincinnati Women’s March Canceled This Year
The local iteration of the national Women's March on Washington will not take place this year, at least according to a group of organizers who have been heading up planning for the Cincinnati event's third year. Organizers writing on the Women's March on Washington — Ohio Chapter's Facebook page cited funding and logistics difficulties as…
Scouting for New, Original Movies in 2019
The start of a new year gives rise to certain inevitable critical tropes: We fanatically focus on the current awards season infighting (from cold shouldering A Star Is Born to the culture-war takedown of Green Book); offer previews of either the upcoming year or, more selectively, the highly-anticipated movies on the dawning film festival circuit;…
Shutdown Could Hobble New Craft Brews; Plus More News in Our Friday Rundown
Hello all! It’s been a while since we’ve done a weekly news roundup (I was out of the country for a bit, alas) but it is well past time to do another. So let’s do it. First, if you need something to pass the time when you’re stuck in the house after the snow comes…
Roll the Dice: An Art Show About Dungeons & Dragons Opens at Chase Public Tonight
Last summer, 12 Cincinnati artists and writers — who were, for the most part, relative strangers — came together to play Dungeons & Dragons. The notion might sound like the basis of a reality show or a spin-off of Freaks and Geeks but its end result is an art show, which will open at Chase…
We Have Become Vikings is Selling a Shirt Featuring the Poster for Nirvana’s First Cincinnati Club Show to Support Women Helping Women
This week's CityBeat features Bill Furbee's profile of writer/musician Peter Aaron, who currently lives in New York and recently co-wrote a book with Richie Ramone about the Punk musician's storied life. Aaron's own storied life included a stint booking early Punk, Alternative, Hardcore, Post Punk and Indie Rock shows around the Greater Cincinnati area in…
Council Members Call for ‘Zero Tolerance’ Policy for Racial Slurs in Cincinnati Police Department
After uproar over revelations that two Cincinnati Police officers late last year used the same racial slur for African-Americans in separate incidents while on duty, two Cincinnati City Council members are calling for changes to the city's policy around use of the epithets. Council members Tamaya Dennard and Wendell Young have introduced legislation that would…
Cincinnati City Council Member: City Should Make Big Changes, Including ‘Vision Zero,’ for Pedestrian Safety
In the wake of a number of tragic injuries and deaths involving pedestrians hit by cars in Cincinnati in the past few years, city officials are working to find ways to make walking safer in the Queen City. One — announced yesterday by Cincinnati City Council member Greg Landsman — includes legislation that asks city…
Urban Axes Brings Hatchet Throwing to Over-the-Rhine
Good news for people who love throwing axes: There's another place opening up in Cincinnati where you can toss the deadly projectiles. Urban Axes axe-throwing chain is hosting a soft opening for its OTR location starting 5 p.m. Jan. 11. The official grand opening is slated for Jan. 25. Like other axe-throwing locations nearby, at…
This New Program Approved by Cincinnati City Council Could Help Prevent Evictions
Cincinnati City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday which seeks to help families facing eviction due to inability to pay rent. The ordinance, submitted by council member Greg Landsman, will appropriate $227,000 from the Community and Economic Development Department’s non-personnel budget for a pilot program which aims to give one-time assistance to families who face eviction.…
Watch WHY?’s Yoni Wolf and Lala Lala’s Lillie West Run Around Cincinnati in Music Video for Collaborative Single, “Siren 042”
Cincinnati’s Yoni Wolf has teamed up with Lillie West’s acclaimed Indie Pop project Lala Lala (which opened for Wolf's claimed Art Pop band WHY? at the Woodward Theater last summer) for a new single. The gauzy, hypnotic track “Siren 042” comes out Jan. 11 as a joint release between the Hardly Art (Lala Lala's label…
Cincinnati City Council Members Seek Changes to City Abatement Policies
Should the city change the way it hands out tax incentives for development? Some Cincinnati City Council members think so. A motion introduced by council members Tamaya Dennard, Greg Landsman and Wendell Young, all Democrats, seeks more information from city administration about how it makes decisions on tax incentives and asks for a report on…
Find Out Who is Playing 2019’s Bunbury Music Festival on Jan. 31 at Woodward Theater
The lineup for this summer's Bunbury Music Festival will be announced on Jan. 31 at the Woodward Theater. The outdoor event returns to Cincinnati's riverfront (at Yeatman's Cove and Sawyer Point) May 31-June 2. The free announcement event at the Woodward begins at 6 p.m. and is open to the public. Bunbury had its first-ever…
Skateboard Legend Duane Peters Brings His Veteran Punk Band U.S. Bombs to Newport This Weekend
Veteran Punk band U.S. Bombs has a history almost as tumultuous and frenetic as their genre. Since their 1993 formation in Orange County, California, the band has played as a quartet and a quintet, recorded about a dozen studio albums and featured nearly two dozen different members, including notables Jonny “2 Bags” Wickersham (Social Distortion),…
Tickets On Sale Soon for Cincinnati-Area Events Featuring Jeremy Enigk, Mike Epps, ‘Watch What Crappens’ and More
Tickets for a handful of upcoming Greater Cincinnati concerts and other events go on sale Jan. 11. Here's a rundown of shows you can buy tickets for Friday morning beginning at 10 a.m.: • The Deplorables Tour — featuring several proudly right-wing comedians — hits Taft Theatre on March 15. • The Watch What Crappens…
Jimmy Buffett is Coming to Cincinnati This Summer, Of Course
Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band will indeed be returning to Cincinnati this summer. This is not a repeat from 1989, 1995, 2003, 2016… at this point, it would be much more newsworthy if Buffett wasn't coming to Cincinnati in the summertime. Riverbend Music Center has announced that the local favorite will play the…
Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins and Mark Ruffalo to Star in Todd Haynes’ Cincinnati-Filmed Drama About DuPont Lawsuit
Director Todd Haynes will be back in Cincinnati to film a new movie called Dry Run, based on a New York Times Magazine article, "The Lawyer who Became DuPont's Worst Nightmare." It will center around Robert Bilott, a Cincinnati-based lawyer who took on the chemical company DuPont in an environmental lawsuit that stretched for eight years. Haynes' 2015…
Mt. Airy Water Towers Secure Historic Landmark Status
A few months after it looked like parts of the iconic Mt. Airy water towers might be demolished, the structure — in its entirety — today secured local historic landmark status. Cincinnati City Council gave final approval for the status today, another step protecting the landmark from potential partial demolition. Initially, Greater Cincinnati Water Works,…
Cincinnati City Council Approves Historic Designation for Walnut Hills’ Manse Hotel
A refuge from segregation for black visitors to and residents of Cincinnati is now a local historic landmark. Cincinnati City Council today gave final approval of that designation the Manse Hotel and an annex building in Walnut Hills on Chapel Street near Gilbert Avenue. The designation of the two buildings so highly significant to Cincinnati’s…
Ventriloquist/Comedian Jeff Dunham Goes Passively Aggressive at Northern Kentucky’s BB&T Arena
Ventriloquist and comic Jeff Dunham is bringing his cast of characters to BB&T Arena. Dunham’s Passively Aggressive Tour features his handcrafted dummies like Walter the Grumpy Retiree, Bubba J the redneck, Peanut the purple creature and assorted borderline racist/non-PC characters like Achmed the Dead Terrorist and Jose Jalapeno. Despite some pandering stereotypical humor — or because…
Broadway in Cincinnati Brings ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ to the Aronoff Center
Broadway in Cincinnati brings Fiddler on the Roof to the Aronoff with a new production featuring fresh movement and dance from Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins. The Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical tells the “heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions…
The Cincinnati Symphony Tackles ‘Vivaldi’s Four Seasons’ at Music Hall
While the lack of any real punch of winter weather may make it feel like we haven’t truly experienced all four seasons here in Cincinnati yet, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra is bringing Baroque composer Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons to the stage at Music Hall, with spring, summer, fall and winter personified by the violin…
Find Dale Earnhardt Jr., Pin-Ups, Hot Rods and More at This Weekend’s Cavalcade of Customs
The 59th-annual Cavalcade of Customs car show returns to the Duke Energy Convention Center for a weekend’s worth of customs cars, classics, hot rods, trucks, motorcycles and more. If you like shiny paint jobs, chop shops and pin-up girls, you’re probably going to like this show. Celebrity guests WWE superstar Kevin Owens, NASCAR driver Dale…
Pet a Snake or Buy One at This Weekend’s Cin City Reptile Show
If you didn’t get a puppy (or a hippopotamus) for Christmas, head to the Cin City Reptile Show for something slightly scalier. This monthly reptile show brings together collectors, vendors and breeders to present thousands of exotic reptiles, amphibians, morphs, inverts and supplies, all in one place. Whether you are looking to add a bearded…
See Yourself in a New Way at Visionaries+Voices’ ‘I’ll Be Your Mirror’ Exhibit
Visionaries+Voices presents I'll Be Your Mirror, a group exhibit of "reflections, refractions and the angles we can't see," according to the show statement. The art will run the gamut between sculpture, video and photography, all with the mission of providing new ways to see yourself and others. The show will teach you to see "aspects…
Ludlow, Kentucky’s Second Sight Spirits Set to Expand Distillery to Include Cocktail Lounge and Event Space
Ludlow, Kentucky's steampunk spirit-maker Second Sight is expanding its footprint. The craft distillery has announced it is taking over the space adjacent to theirs to make more room for their small-batch rums, Kentucky bourbon and visitor experience. The expansion is slated to be open by April 2019 and the current space will be open during…
Italian Eatery Pepp and Dolores Coming to Over-the-Rhine From Thunderdome Restaurant Group
Over the past decade, Over-the-Rhine's Vine Street has become a treasure trove of tasty dining destinations. From sophisticated diner food to Japanese cuisine, pizzerias and Mexican food to sharable tapas spots and fancy hot dogs — the list goes on. If you were having trouble choosing before, your decision will soon get a little bit…
Writer/Musician Peter Aaron Reflects on New Richie Ramone Book and His Own Storied Cincinnati Past
“For a couple years, I was a bitter guy with a day job that I didn’t want,” says Peter Aaron by phone from New York. That was after he’d spent a handful of years booking young bands like Nirvana and Mudhoney at small clubs around Greater Cincinnati, and then leading his own influential Blues Punk…
Ohio’s Potential 2020 Presidential Contenders Bash Trump’s Border Wall Speech
Two Ohio elected officials who may have their sights set on the 2020 presidential contest issued sharp rebukes of President Donald Trump's roughly 10-minute address issued from the Oval Office last night regarding funding for a border wall with Mexico. The fight over the $5.6 billion Trump is seeking for the wall has gridlocked the…
The Taft Museum of Art Goes 1990s for a Board Game House Party
The Taft turns happy hour into a nostalgic night of wholesome ’90s fun with a night of games, Perler bead crafts (those bright, melty beads that look kind of like ditalini pasta) and an adult hot chocolate bar at this Thursday House Party event. Play classic board games from the Play Library, take a “What…
Recommended Greater Cincinnati Concerts of the Week (January 9-15)
WEDNESDAY 09 THE GREENWICH – Brandon Coleman Quartet. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. $5. MOTR PUB – Neal Francis. 10 p.m. Soul/Funk/Blues. Free. URBAN ARTIFACT – Tooth Lures a Fang with Sorry Eric and J. Stout. 9 p.m. Indie/Pop/Rock. Free. THURSDAY 10 BLUE NOTE HARRISON – Shaggy 2 Dope. 7 p.m. Rap. $20. CAFFÈ VIVACE – Spherical…
Braxton Announces $5 Million Expansion and Big-Ass Rooftop Bar
Starting this summer, Braxton Brewing Co. is giving people another reason to love the Cov: a 5,000-square-foot rooftop bar. The deck comes as part of an announced $5 million expansion plan, which will allow the brewery to increase annual production up to 30,000 barrels aka allow them to better serve craft beer-drinkers in Ohio, Kentucky…
Show Your Support This Weekend for the Musicians Representing Southwestern Ohio at 2019’s International Blues Challenge
Show your support this weekend for the Blues artists selected to represent Southwest Ohio at the 2019 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee. Also a fundraiser to help the artists with travel costs, the event features the band winners from the Dayton and Cincinnati Blues Challenge competitions — the Doug Hart Band and Johnny Fink…
Half of Insane Clown Posse Plays a Concert at the Blue Note in Harrison This Week
Cincinnati area Insane Clown Posse fans won’t have a chance to see the Rap duo any time soon, but this week area Juggalos can experience half of ICP. Shaggy 2 Dope and Violent J — who founded ICP in Detroit 30 years ago — are each on solo tours that will wind through different parts…
