Morning News and Stuff
Media tycoon Rupert Murdoch today testified that he had no responsibility for illegal phone hacking carried out by his employees at News Corp. Murdoch also told the Parliament committee that he has seen “no evidence” that victims of the September 11 attacks in the United States were victims of phone hacking by his employees and…
Let’s Get Physical
CRITIC'S PICK Body of Art, at Northside’s Prairie gallery through Aug. 20, presents work by a dozen artists who all show their own or someone else's physical form in vastly different ways. Cincinnati artist Michael Scheurer's new video “Far Away Eyes” breaks a couple of conventions. It's visible outside the gallery and not in, and…
Special Effects
Several weeks ago, distracted and sweating, I was daydreaming down at Newport on the Levee; the thick air nearly cooked me. Imagining movie scenes, I took it all in: the shapes, the colors, the smells and the way the sun had reddened strangers’ shoulders and cheeks. That weekend I was selling raffle tickets at a…
Beautiful Brunch
Keystone Bar & Grill in Covington (313 Greenup St., 859-261-6777) is known for its mac and cheese. In fact, they offer a mac and cheese menu. My mission on a recent Sunday, however, was brunch. We arrived just after 11 a.m. to find the restaurant nearly full and met up with friends. The space is…
Let’s Put on a Show
My teenaged and college summers were dominated by swimming pools (I was a lifeguard) and theater. I grew up in northeast Ohio where summer theater was easy to find, from productions featuring TV and movie stars by Kenley Players in Warren to classical plays at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival in Lakewood. I enjoyed shows…
The Poison Control Center with The Dandybeards
If there are other great Rock bands wandering around in the flat expanse of Iowa, we would love to hear the evidence. On the basis of the infectious and wildly diverse Stranger Ballet, it’s clear that The Poison Control Center means there’s at least one — and a bloody great one at that. After releasing…
Caputo, Bowling and Pharrell
[HOT] More Life, Less Agony While a lot of people were tipped off by all that leather gear (and the way he whistled show tunes between songs during concerts), many Metal fans were surprised when Judas Priest singer Rob Halford revealed he was gay in 1998. But even in the machismo-heavy world of Heavy Metal,…
Taking Back Sunday with Colour Revolt
There is an urgency in Taking Back Sunday’s new self-titled album that is disarming but hardly unexpected. The Long Island, N.Y., quintet has honed its Pop/Punk sound to a razor’s edge over the past decade, but TBS’s latest iteration is a familiar blast from its past. Taking Back Sunday’s eponymous fifth album marks the return of…
Music: O.A.R.
It’s been a decade and a half since the original quartet of Marc Roberge, Chris Culos, Richard On and Benj Gershman came together as Of a Revolution in their Rockville, Md., hometown. The high-schoolers recorded and released their 1997 debut, The Wanderer, and then all four members relocated to Columbus, Ohio, in order to attend…
QBG at FB’s (Review)
CRITIC'S PICK I often wonder what makes a restaurant successful. I have been to “hot” places with a line out the door that serve mediocre food, and I have been to spots with excellent food and an empty dining room. An advertising blitz can create a waiting list, but there had better be something more…
Finding the Path to Serenity
Much like the self-induced punishment of Sisyphus in Greek mythology, an addict’s lifelong struggle to resist the immense weight of his compulsions is like the never-ending task of pushing a boulder uphill, knowing that the slightest misstep or falter in spirit along the way could result in a complete loss of control that ultimately subjects…
Art: Body of Art
Body of Art, now at Northside’s Prairie Gallery, presents work by a dozen artists who all show their own or someone else's physical form in vastly different ways. Cincinnati artist Michael Scheurer's new video “Far Away Eyes” breaks a couple of conventions. It's visible outside the gallery and not in, and seen at night rather…
O.A.R. with Soja and Kelly James
It’s been a decade and a half since the original quartet of Marc Roberge, Chris Culos, Richard On and Benj Gershman came together as Of a Revolution in their Rockville, Md., hometown. The high-schoolers recorded and released their 1997 debut, The Wanderer, and then all four members relocated to Columbus, Ohio, in order to attend…
A Little Help (Review)
How quickly can recent history pass the threshold into a period, a point that we can evaluate with the necessary sense of perspective to gain insight and understanding into the moment? Is time the primary factor in making that determination? What I, instead of time and space (actual distance from the moment), we only need…
MPMF Participants Bear Hands Unveil New Video
One of this year's MidPoint Music Festival participants, Brooklyn Indie rockers Bear Hands, have released a new music video for the song "High Society." The group (in town for MidPoint Sept. 24, with the venue TBA) is still out promoting its debut album, Burning Bush Supper Club, which came out last fall. Check the clip…
Mayhem Fest Preview with Machine Head
Machine Head has given us six studio albums with the seventh upcoming in September called Unto the Locusts (listen to the first single, "Locust," below). The band has headlined every Metal festival across the country and has been inspiring up and coming Metal bands for years. CityBeat caught up with lead singer Robb Flynn to…
Murdochs Grilled in UK, Enquirer Ensnared Again
The phone hacking scandal surrounding Rupert Murdoch’s British newspapers continues to explode, as the media baron and his son are appearing before a Parliament committee at this very moment. (Follow the proceedings on BBC’s web site here.) Several U.S. media outlets have reminded the public that an American newspaper once faced its own phone hacking…
Squeeze the Day for 7/19
Music Tonight: Arizonian/singer/songwriter Roger Clyne comes to Newport tonight with his band The Peacemakers to support their latest album, Unida Cantina. Clyne — cofounder of The Refreshments (whose legacy lives in perpetuity thanks to their theme song for Mike Judge’s King of the Hill animated series) — and his crew bring their uplifting, no-BS Rock…
Drew Stubbs: Strikeout King
I opened my New York Times Sports Sunday section yesterday to find an informational graphic on the bottom of page 3 called “Close-Up: Strikeout Kings.” (I was going to link to it, but The Times isn’t providing a version of it online — thus the crappy photo at right, which gets bigger if you click…
Local Musician Cast in Indie Flick
Singer/songwriter Kim Taylor is probably getting used to hearing her songs in films and TV shows. Perhaps the most licensed contemporary songwriter in Greater Cincinnati, Taylor’s songs have been used in numerous network television programs and several made-for-TV movies; most recently, Taylor’s “Build You Up” was used in the season premiere of CBS’s Flashpoint (which…
Morning News and Stuff
Sarah Palin’s documentary The Undefeated grossed around $65,000 in its opening weekend. To put that in perspective, Harry Potter registered $168 million, while Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work grossed around $170,000 when it opened last year. OK, while you might not be surprised that a movie that turns Sarah Palin’s flaws and failures into…
More Plays for Your Calendar
More word about upcoming seasons from two of Cincinnati’s smaller but adventurous companies. New Edgecliff Theatre (NET) has put forth a five-show season with work by several excellent contemporary playwrights, as well as a holiday offering partnering with the True Theatre. Queen City Theatre (QCT is the current incarnation of the dormant Queen City Off…
Winnie the Pooh (Review)
Disney tapped Stephen J. Anderson (writer-director of Meet the Robinsons) and Don Hall (writer of Tarzan and Meet the Robinsons) to helm this new rendering of A.A. Milne’s beloved honey fiend Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) who, along with his stuffed animal buddies including Tigger (Cummings again), Owl (Craig Ferguson), Eyeore (Bud Luckey) and Piglet…
If There Is a God, She’s a Cheap Trick Fan
Clichés like “That band tore the roof off the place!” or “That guitarist really tore up the stage!” probably never applied more than it did during Cheap Trick’s concert at an Ottawa Blues festival last night. As the band performed, the entire giant stage set-up literally collapsed before the audience’s eyes. Check out the shocking…
Interview with Straight Line Stitch
Straight Line Stitch is pure Metal with a strong sound behind lead vocalist Alexis Brown. The band has released seven studio offerings; the most recent, The Fight For Our Lives, came out earlier this year. The album soared up the charts, reaching the Top 5 on Billboard’s Heatseekers and cracking the Top 40 on the…
Squeeze the Day for 7/18
Music Tonight: Just like Happy Days, the TV show Greenwich Groove is taped in front of a live studio audience. Unlike Happy Days, you can be a member of that audience. Hosted by singer/songwriter Tracy Walker, the cable access local music show — which features performances by a wide range of local musical acts —…
Bedroom Farce (Review)
There is nothing very profound about Alan Ayckbourn’s Bedroom Farce, the British writer’s 1975 play that was a Broadway hit in 1979 and nominated for a Tony Award that year. That’s what makes it a fine offering for Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC), which has stepped up to provide our summer theater scene with light, frothy…
Stage Door: CSC’s ‘Bedroom Farce’
If you're seeking something silly to divert your attention from the heat and humidity, I'll refer you to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company where today they open a production of Alan Ayckbourn's Bedroom Farce. I went to a preview on Wednesday, and it's a daffy piece of comedy — four couples, three bedrooms, one crazy night and…
The GOP, ‘Family Values’ and Hypocrisy
What did they know and when did they know it? Moreover, why aren't they commenting on it? “They,” in this case, are leaders of the Ohio Republican Party. And “it” is the drunken driving arrest of State Rep. Robert Mecklenborg (R-Green Township). In the 16 days since the April arrest became publicized through the media,…
Buffalo Killers Offer Free Download (AUDIO)
Though not officially available until Aug. 2 to the rest of the world, Southwestern Ohio’s Buffalo Killers begin their touring duties for the new album 3 tonight in Dayton before coming to MOTR Pub Saturday night for their Cincy album release party. In honor of the forthcoming release, today the band issued a free MP3…
Morning News and Stuff
Top Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-N.V.), are venting their frustration with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, saying he shouldn’t be in the debt limit discussion. “ Eric Cantor has shown that he shouldn’t even be at the table. And Republicans agree.”—- While Republicans may not openly agree, Sen. Charlie Schumer (D-N.Y.) does…
A Better Life (Review)
Director Chris Weitz’s eclecticism gets another workout with his new film, A Better Life, the story of an undocumented Mexican worker in Los Angeles and his struggle to earn a living and win the respect of his increasingly rebellious teenage son. A Better Life is a small, socially conscious character study — a huge departure…
Page One: Inside The New York Times (Review)
The title of Andrew Rossi's often fascinating, sometimes frustrating documentary is only partially accurate. While Page One does give us glimpses into The New York Times inner-workings and access to some of the people who work there, its scattershot narrative structure never fully illuminates how stories make their way to the front page of what…
Your Weekend To Do List
Pork-themed festivals are plentiful in Cincinnati, but this weekend marks the first ever Queen City Sausage Festival. Friday-Sunday, head down to Newport on the Levee to fill your belly with brats, metts, coneys and more creative sausagey combinations. To ensure a great time for all, Hudepohl and Christian Moerlein will be serving up brewskies and…
Shiny and New: Duo Teases New LP (VIDEO)
Cincy-based, ukulele-friendly Folk Pop duo Shiny and the Spoon are gearing up for the release of its first full-length album, Ferris Wheel. The record officially drops Aug. 13, when the twosome (Amber Nash and Jordan Neff) hosts a release party at the Southgate House with guests the Rubber Knife Gang, Lisa Walker (of Wussy) and…
Friday Movie Roundup: Harry Potter Edition
The Harry Potter movie series comes to a close this week with the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, which, if I'm not mistaken, represents the eighth movie adaptation of J.K. Rowling's wildly successful book series. I confess: I've never watched a Harry Potter movie. I've caught a few minutes here…
Squeeze the Day for 7/15
Music Tonight: Lots of strong shows this evening to help usher in the weekend. Tonight’s free MidPoint Indie Summer concert on Fountain Square is headlined by one of Cincinnati’s best bands, Electro rockers Eat Sugar. Get a taste of the sweetness below in the band’s most recent music video (directed by ES drummer Greg Poneris)…
Sculpture on Wheels
The Cincinnati Art Museum has an Alfa Romeo TZ-1 currently on display. They've been exhibiting cars for three years, but are taking a hiatus due to some new construction.
Morning News and Stuff
Barack Obama yesterday told Republican congressional leaders that they need to compromise if the government is to avoid a default. The warning, “don’t call my bluff,” was directed at House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) who is being kind of a douche about the whole thing. Cantor told Fox that both sides are very far…
Reds Still Not Quite Buyers
It's been a long, strange journey for the 2011 Cincinnati Reds. The team's first 92 games have seen injuries, lengthy slumps, poor starting pitching and more close losses than a team with such a good bullpen should statistically endure. Still, with 70 regular-season games remaining, the Reds sit 2 games below .500 and just 4…
Unreleased White Stripes Covers Released (AUDIO)
Subscribers to Third Man Records’ “Vault” service — which allows access to a boatload of unreleased material and videos (among other perks) related to the artists on Jack White’s label, including the half-local band The Raconteurs and full local band The Greenhornes — were treated to two unreleased White Stripes tracks recently, Spin.com reports. Check…
Squeeze the Day for 7/14
Music Tonight: The Vice media empire and riotous rockers The Black Lips (along with sponsor Vitamin Water) present “Uncapped Cincinnati” tonight at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine. The Lips handpicked three excellent local bands — The Harlequins, Weakness and Sacred Spirits — to perform at the free, 8 p.m. event. Be sure to RSVP here if…
Donald Ray Pollock: Badass Writer, Nice Guy
Donald Ray Pollock's debut short-story collection, 2008's Knockemstiff, was something of an unexpected sensation —unexpected in that Pollock was a first-time author at age 53; a sensation in that the stories were driven by a visceral, sharp-edged prose style and a narrative thrust as sensitive as it was savage. Knockemstiff was rightly praised by everyone…
Cedar Rapids (Review)
Miguel Arteta’s films have a specific sensibility, a whimsical yet grounded tone and feel that sets them apart from most everything else on the current cinematic landscape. The 45-year-old director’s work — from Star Maps (1997) and Chuck & Buck (2000) to The Good Girl (2002) and Youth in Revolt (2010) — is no doubt…
Browngrass Part Deux
Veteran local musician David Rhodes Brown presents the second annual Browngrass Festival this Saturday in Rabbit Hash, Ky., starting at noon. Brown — a lap-steel specialist (and multi-instrumentalist) known for his work with Warsaw Falcons, 500 Miles to Memphis, Magnolia Mountain and many others — launched the fest last year at the Southgate House as…
The Get Up Kids
Seven years ago The Get Up Kids imploded after touring their 2004 album Guilt Show in a blow-up that was so well documented it’s natural to wonder what’s kept them together since their 2009 reformation. “We get away from each other,” Kids frontman Matt Pryor says. “It was a weird transition, going from guys who…
Take a Bow
I n August 2010, CityBeat conducted its 14th and final Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for theater, announcing at the time a plan to combine forces with the Acclaim Awards, another theater recognition program launched in 2006 by The Cincinnati Enquirer. Things didn’t work out quite as planned: The erratically conceived Acclaims are no more, and the…
smoQ (Review)
A t smoQ the motto is, “If it’s legal, we’ll smoQ it!” They mean it, too. Nearly everything on the menu is smoked, right down to the apples and peaches on two of the desserts. My intrepid family and I visited on a Monday night, ready for some barbecue and Southern-style food. We must have…
Donald Malloy
To categorize Donald Malloy’s musical expression as eclectic is a bit like calling New York City a quaint little town. Malloy grew up in Cleveland Heights in a household that followed Ifa traditions and African praise music, which introduced him to drumming and singing. Malloy picked up the trumpet in school which inevitably led him…
OTR Foundation and Jean Schmidt
[???] MIKE ALLEN: The former Hamilton County prosecutor has told The Enquirer he’s thinking about returning to politics. Allen — who also is an ex-cop and a one-time county GOP chairman — decided not to seek reelection as prosecutor in 2004 once it was revealed he had an extramarital affair with Rebecca Collins, an assistant…
Blessed to Impress
S ometimes in pop music, they have to invent a new category — a new genre — in order to describe a singular artist’s musical approach. It happened with Elvis (Rock & Roll), Ray Charles (Soul), Bob Dylan (Folk Rock) and The Sex Pistols and their mid-1970s British brethren (Punk). While it would be an…
Diary of a Super Woman
After years of writing about classical music and opera, I’m actually in an opera as a supernumerary, the operatic equivalent of an extra. My role: a Russian peasant peeling potatoes in the first scene of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. The audition was easy: fill out a form and be photographed next to a measuring stick. Less…
July 6-12: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY JULY 6 Every construction manager understands that sometimes there’s just no way around taking a break from the job — between bad weather, lost materials or John Kasich, something is bound to slow down production. Highway workers outside of Columbus today found out the hard way that just about anything can send you home…
Think Local, Rock Global
I t’s easy to think that Buffalo Killers stopped being a local band after Chris Robinson tapped them to open for the Black Crowes tour five years ago. The Gabbard brothers — guitarist/vocalist Zach and bassist/vocalist Andrew — and their drummer, Joey Sebaali, had recently retooled Thee Shams into Buffalo Killers, and their eponymous 2006…
Remembering a Talent Cut Short
I n just a few weeks, friends were to pack Sacred Hearts-St. Stephens Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., to see Chris Hondros, the Pulitzer Prize-nominated photographer, finally tie the knot. For the 40-year-old Hondros, his Aug. 6 vows with fellow photographer Christina Piaia were supposed to be the start of a new life. After years of…
Mara Pushes for Ethics Ruling Against Bortz
A local attorney is urging the Ohio Ethics Commission to rule that a longtime Cincinnati city councilman has a conflict of interest regarding taxpayer subsidies given to a real estate project in Clifton, and the situation should force his removal from office. In a letter sent July 8 to the Ethics Commission, attorney Tim Mara…
Shaan (Review)
My foodie neighbor loves the lunch buffet at Shaan Indian Cuisine (Hyde Park Plaza, 3880 Paxton Road, Hyde Park, 513-533-3100) and my CityBeat colleague, Karen Christopfel, wrote a glowing review of dinner there last year. I decided to give their lunch buffet a chance even though I am really not that into Indian food and…
A Road to Reenter Society
A criminal sentencing reform bill approved last month is estimated to save Ohio taxpayers more than $46 million during the next four years, but some argue that it has a more important purpose. Ohio House Bill No. 86 reduces penalties for many low-level nonviolent criminals in the state, reduces sentencing for inmates who exhibit good…
Modern Technology
About 20 minutes into the phone conversation, I started to feel annoyed. I was tempted to light up another cigarette. But, trying to cut back, I didn’t. My mind raced to excuses I could make to wrap up her nonstop talking. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She wasn’t usually home in the middle of the…
Mary Beth King [Sweet Peace Bakery]
Six years ago, Mary Beth King began living a vegan lifestyle and thought she would probably never eat dessert again. But since she’s resourceful and loves to bake, she learned to craft delicious vegan baked goods and desserts. In 2009, she took a giant step and started Sweet Peace Bakery, (www.sweetpeacebakery.com), while still working at…
Araya
In 1959, Venezuelan filmmaker Margot Benacerraf’s Araya shared the International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival with Alain Resnais’ Hiroshima, Mon Amour. Resnais’ film was a sensation heralding a new cinema, a New Wave. Today, it’s widely recognized as a classic of world cinema. But what happened to Araya? It disappeared. After failing to…
Mope Rock, New Beatles and Prog
[HOT] Is Dog Meat Murder? Mope Rock king Morrissey’s got something new to be sad about — and those seeing him in concert in the coming weeks might notice that his sweeping onstage hand gestures might not be so sweepy. The website True to You reports that the singer/animal rights activist was recently attacked by…
Image of Self
Image: Frieze No. 4. Courtesy of the John Coplans Trust J ohn Coplans: Photographs 1984-2000, on view at the West End’s Carl Solway Gallery through Aug. 13, offers viewers the opportunity to revisit photographs that set a new standard for the use of one’s body in making art and also allows us to consider Coplans’…
Saving a Rookwood Fireplace
The 2007 reopening of West Baden Springs Hotel in southern Indiana ranks as one of America’s finest architectural renovations in recent memory. With its magnificent dome standing 130 feet high above a grand atrium, spanning 208 feet across that atrium’s floor and above five circular floors of hotel rooms that look into the space, it…
Death of Paris with Founding Fathers
In 2009, upon the dissolution of their previous, well-received band This Machine Is Me, singer Jayna Doyle and guitarist Blake Arambula reached a common crossroads almost all artists come to at some point in life. When a band you’ve invested a lot of time in comes to a halt, it causes a bit of an…
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
I f you’ve followed the cinematic adventures of Harry Potter over the last decade — whether in print or cinematic form — it’s hard to imagine how Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 could fail. A series that began as an investment in J.K. Rowling’s remarkable hero-quest narrative evolved, over the course of…
Atmosphere Raps Domestic Violence (VIDEO)
The government may be shut down in Minnesota, but Minneapolis Hip Hop crew Atmosphere is still workin'. Today, MTV debuted Atmosphere's new music video for the song "The Last to Say." The track and video are sober looks at domestic violence in today's society — something fairly timely considering the conversation sparked by the alleged…
GOP to Discuss ‘Section 8’
Amid the recent controversy about possibly adding more publicly subsidized housing for the poor in Green Township, local Republicans will hold a special forum tonight to discuss methods for blocking the expansion. —- The Hamilton County Republican Party is hosting a forum entitled, “The Plan to Expand Further into the Suburbs” at 7 p.m. in…
Morning News and Stuff
Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. today withdrew its bid to take over Britain’s biggest satellite broadcaster, succumbing to increased pressure from lawmakers and the general public alike after a phone-hacking scandal involving newspapers owned by Murdoch.—- "We believe that the proposed acquisition of BSkyB by News Corporation would benefit both companies, but it has become clear…
Homeless Man-Turned-Author Holds Signing
A man who was once homeless and relied on the Drop Inn Center in Over-the-Rhine for shelter will return there later this month to sign copies of his recently released autobiography. Donald Whitehead Jr. will sign copies of his book, Most Unlikely to Succeed, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 29 at the shelter. The Drop Inn…
Local Record Club Covers The Police
There’s a popular trend the past few years whereby popular musical acts perform their classic albums in full during a concert. Music festivals like Pitchfork have been the scene of many of these full album covers, and Rock & Roll weirdos The Flaming Lips are currently performing the album The Soft Bulletin on some summer…
True Theatre Will Be Back at Know
Monday night I attended the fourth of four sold-out evenings of True Theatre, an innovative spoken word program that's been happening at Know Theatre since last October. Organizers Dave Levy and Jeff Groh have found considerable success inviting people (usually five per evening) to speak at these quarter gatherings about some real, personal event —…
Squeeze the Day for 7/13
Music Tonight: If you’re headed to the Goo Goo Dolls/Michelle Branch concert at Riverbend’s PNC Pavilion tonight, there are some traffic alerts you should be aware of. East I-275 in Kentucky is down to two lanes from the AA Highway to around I-471, so, if you don’t want to end up like those whiny NASCAR…
