Q&A with Five Finger Death Punch
Five Finger Death Punch is one of the most popular Metal bands in the world. The band has a catchy, melodic sound that resonates with its crowds and the band's songs have become arena anthems across the country. Five Finger continues to tour on its third studio album American Capitalist. Currently, the group is out…
Music: D-Why
The bad news: Amazing Hip Hop crew The Cool Kids had to cancel their appearance at this Saturday’s free Beats Summer Concert Series on Fountain Square. The good news: The good folks at local kick-ass promo group Self Diploma have found at great replacement — rapper D-Why — and the rest of the lineup is…
Event: Back to School_MF
Remember those dances in school where boys and girls stayed on their respective sides? Chalk them up to experience. It’s time to grind up on a good time for a good cause. Join PROJECTMILL as they host their dance party, Back to School_MF, at Northside Tavern. The event is free but hoofers are asked to…
Ten Seasons of ‘Making It Work’
“You’re either in, or you’re out.” In addition to cranking out catchphrases, Heidi Klum has kept her infectious runway reality show going for nearly a decade. Project Runway (9 p.m. Thursdays, Lifetime) pits designers against each other as they create ensembles (often of a particular theme or material) to be shown on the catwalk and…
An Old Angel Looks Homeward
Film, as a medium, provides writers and directors the opportunity to tell great stories. But sometimes, as is the case with Jonathan Demme’s latest effort, Neil Young Journeys, film simply goes along for the ride with an even greater storyteller as he does his thing. Neil Young is a great — and greatly underrated —…
City Council Moves to Ban Fracking Injection Wells
Nobody stood up for fracking in today's City Council committee meeting that saw dozens of people urge council to pass an ordinance banning injection wells within Cincinnati. All members of the Strategic Growth Committee voted in favor of the proposed ordinance, with the exception of Councilman Chris Seelbach, who was recovering after allegedly being assaulted…
Hello Honey, Bellevue Farmers Market, Restaurant Week
July was so exciting that I feel like we should all take August off. With the amazing Bunbury festival, the spectacular Choir Games and the red-hot Reds, c’mon! Maybe we’ve done enough for this summer, and it’s time to chillax. But then we’d miss out on the Farmers Markets, City Flea at the gorgeous new…
Eat + Drink + Be Mari
When I heard Maribelle’s Tavern closed down, I thought my casual, impress-all-my-friends restaurant was gone for good. To my surprise, they relocated, but to my utter delight, they only refreshed the menu while giving the new location a total facelift. The tavern from Riverside Drive now occupies the space formerly held by trendy Hugo. The…
The Spaces in Between: Henry Navarro’s ‘Mis-Measured Structures’
Don’t put Henry Navarro in a box. The multidisciplinary artist who is trained in fine arts (sculpture, ceramics and drawing) as well as fashion design has exhibited his fine art in galleries and museums internationally, taught at the college level and organized site-specific fashion projects around the globe. His current exhibition, Mis-Measured Structures: Paintings and…
Shakespeare Al Fresco
Back in the 16th century when William Shakespeare was writing and performing his plays, they were presented in theaters where nature was often close at hand and with open sky overhead: Many of the venues, including London’s Globe Theatre, Shakespeare’s theatrical home, were without roofs. “Groundlings,” the rabble who paid almost nothing to stand in…
In The Crosshairs
Go up the imposing staircase at Thompson House, continue past the second floor and on to the third, and you’ll be in the Thompson House Shooting Gallery, where art is the weapon at hand. A change of management at what used to be Southgate House has resulted in the new name for the music venue…
Event: One Night Only: A Performance Unlike Any Other
Long before its grandiose, multimillion-dollar renovation and opening celebration, Washington Park has remained an anchor and mainstay amidst the effervescent downtown and Over-the-Rhine arts communities. In celebration of the park and neighborhood’s renaissance, four of the area’s leading performing arts organizations, including soloists from Cincinnati Opera, dancers from Cincinnati Ballet, May Festival Chorus singers and…
Event: Ohio Valley Greenmarket
As summer winds down, squeeze in a few more outdoors days and late nights at the first annual Ohio Valley Greenmarket. The collaboration between the Hamilton County Park District and edible Ohio Valley magazine merged backyard BBQs with farmers markets while giving community members the opportunity to support local vendors. The weekend-long event starts with…
Onstage: The Legend of Pocahontas
Children’s Theatre of Cincinnati knows how to turn a kid into a STAR. That’s the name of the theater company’s summer program providing an intense four weeks of musical theater training for talented kids ages 9 to 18. Their efforts culminate in a production on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of The Legend of Pocahontas at…
Event: The World’s Longest Yard Sale
Leave it up to the United States to produce the World’s Longest Yard Sale. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, this record-setting event is bigger than ever, spanning 690 miles starting five miles north of Addison, Mich. and ending in Gadsden, Ala. Lucky for bargain hunters in the Buckeye State, that puts Ohio right on its trail,…
Event: Glier’s Goettafest
Do you wake up in a pool of drool after dreaming about sizzling goetta patties? Do you pride yourself on the inventive ways you cook goetta and incorporate the crispy, delicious breakfast item in every meal of the day? Then grab your friends and join the rest of the goetta-loving community at Newport on the…
Comedy: Pat Dixon
Most comedians amplify their offstage personality when they perform. Pat Dixon claims, in his case, it’s the other way around. “Oh, I’m twisted. If anything, I’m toning it down for the stage,” he says. That’s hard to imagine, considering he asks audiences a question like, “How come when you’re having sex it’s OK to say.…
Wussy To Join Afghan Whigs U.S. Tour
Cincy rockers Wussy are set to join the much-celebrated Afghan Whigs' reunion tour this fall when the band finally hits the U.S. for a string of dates. Another great exhibition of Cincy's rich music scene, again in the national spotlight. Wussy has been touring a lot more than usual lately, including its first West Coast…
GLAAD and Mike Huckabee Face Off
Last week, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Aug. 1 will be Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. Huckabee, who is against gay marriage, wants to celebrate the restaurant chain’s anti-gay marriage stance. But gay rights groups are fighting back. On the same day, gay rights supporters will be running Marriage Equality Day. The idea behind Marriage Equality…
Unknown Hinson
Perhaps it’s too prosaic to continue to believe that Stuart Baker created the backstory and persona of Unknown Hinson for a North Carolina public access show 20 years ago and thus began his Whackabilly onslaught of stages and studios. It may be conveniently comforting to imagine that Hinson blacks out his front teeth, glues on…
MidPoint Indie Summer Series featuring Bear Hands
An overly earnest attitude afflicts a lot of Post Rock bands these days, but Bear Hands shouldn’t be counted in that dour census. The Brooklyn quartet’s sense of humor is bannered up front with their name and extends through their playfully weird lyrical content, which often addresses serious subjects from a skewed perspective (or vice…
Warped Tour Hits Riverbend Today
The Van's Warped Tour might not be the most financially successful summer package tour of all time (the promoter and performers work together to keep an ego-free environment and low ticket prices), but it's hard to argue that it is not the most successful overall, especially in terms of longevity. Now in its 18th year,…
Morning News and Stuff
Mayor Mark Mallory announced a trade deal between the small Greater Cincinnati-based Solutions Plus, Inc. and the giant Saudi Arabia-based Diversified Lines Petroleum Company. The deal will produce $20 million in business in the next two to five years, said Solutions Plus President Charlie Weaver. The deal is largely due to a trade mission to…
A Lull
When I told a friend via cell phone that a band called A Lull was about to take the stage at the recently completed Pitchfork Music Festival his response was, “A what?” “A Lull,” I said. “Wow, they really are running out of names, aren’t they?” he responded, incredulously. Possibly uninspired moniker aside, Chicago’s A…
The Temper Trap
Nearly everything in music has already been done. To a certain extent, once you dive into each genre or subgenre, all bands start to sound alike. That goes for Australia’s Indie/Pop/Alternative group The Temper Trap, too. Don’t get me wrong. I like The Temper Trap. However, like so many bands out already, The Temper Trap…
Ridin’ With Hank & Other Summer Vacation Hits
My life usually has a musical component, so it's not shocking that my vacations have many musical memories inexorably tied to the trips. I'm sure most music lovers have had similar experiences. My family went to Washington, D.C., every 4th of July for many years when I was growing up and The Beach Boys always…
Morning News and Stuff
Ohio Voters First turned in a total of 750,000 signatures for its redistricting amendment to the Secretary of State by the end of Saturday. If 385,000 of those signatures are approved, the amendment will be put on the November ballot. On July 3, the organization turned in 450,000 signatures, but the office of Secretary of…
The Hound of the Baskervilles (Review)
Critic's Pick The process of translating clichés into high humor is a delicate one: Don’t take it far enough and it will feel forced, push it too hard and the results will seem stupid. Luckily for Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, the able three actors assembled for a very tongue-in-cheek retelling of the Sherlock Holmes tale The…
ODNR Gives Out Record Fracking Permits
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is not being slowed down by critics of hydraulic fracturing. ODNR in June authorized 36 new permits for horizontal drilling wells used for the process also known as fracking, a record for ODNR, according to Friday's Hannah Report. Carroll County was at the top of obtaining new permits…
Your Weekend To Do List: 7/27-7/29
It’s T-Shirt time, and I’m not talking about juiced a-holes in Jersey. Cincy Apparel’s T-Shirt Market is in full effect on Fountain Square until 11 p.m. Friday night. Stock up on tees made by local designers, and plenty emblazoned with Cincinnati inside jokes, landmarks and product logos. Park + Vine, Donkey Tees and Cinci Shirts…
Stage Door: ‘Wedding Singer’ and ‘Hound of the Baskervilles’
I can't say that a musical based on the Adam Sandler film The Wedding Singer is going to be either edifying or educational for a bunch of teens. But I can assure you that the kids from all over the region involved in Cincinnati Young People's Theatre, which opens its production of the show tonight,…
Q&A with Doobie Brothers’ Tom Johnston
The Doobie Brothers have been entertaining audiences across the world for more than 40 years. In 2010 the band released World Gone Crazy, their first album in a decade . They continue to be an inspiration with their recordings and their rigorous tour schedule. CityBeat caught up with guitarist and vocalist Tom Johnston by phone…
Morning News and Stuff
The Ohio Department of Education is caught in a bit of a mess. This morning, the state auditor’s office announced it would be conducting a probe into the Ohio Department of Education over school test and attendance data. Yesterday, Ohio Superintendent of Public Instruction Stan Heffner said the Ohio Department of Education will be investigating…
Q&A with Slipknot’s Shawn Crahan
I’ve spent the last two mind-blowing days with the greats of heavy metal and their dedicated fans at Mayhem Festival in Cincinnati and Cleveland. We have experienced serious thunderstorms, crowd surfing and mega mosh pits together and all made it out the other side again this year. My experience was topped off with sitting down…
Study: Expanded Medicaid Improved Lives in Other States
A new study by Harvard researchers has found that a 2001 and 2002 expansion of Medicaid coverage in Arizona, New York and Maine might have saved lives. The study also concluded that the Medicaid expansion in the three states improved coverage, access to care and self-reported health. The study found that mortality rates in the…
Your Thursday To Do List
Whenever I hear about laser night at planetariums, I immediately think of Freaks and Geeks. Lindsay and the crew would go to Laser Dome and hang out/make out under squiggly beams set to Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. You can pretend it’s 1980, too, as Drake Planetarium presents Laser Beatles, 8-9 p.m. Making out optional.…
Morning News and Stuff
Petitions for the redistricting amendment being pushed by Voters First are about to reach their Friday deadline. If Voters First does not obtain enough signatures, the redistricting amendment will not be on the November ballot. CityBeat has previously covered the petition issue here and the GOP attempt to redraw state districts to its advantage here.…
Curmudgeon Notes 7.25.12
Enquirer editor Carolyn Washburn’s recent note to readers assures us that the continually shrinking page will elicit readers’ joyous cries of “new and improved!” Don’t hold your breath. The 10-1/2 x 14-2/3 page — about the size of the Business Courier — will be printed in Columbus on the Dispatch’s new press. The tabloid should…
Trayvon Martin’s Parents Speak in Cincinnati
Panelists including the parents of slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin talked about reconciliation and turning personal suffering into power at the National and Racial Healing Town Hall at the Duke Energy Convention Center on Wednesday during the Children’s Defense Fund National Conference. Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father, broke down in tears as he told the story…
Review: Best Coast and Those Darlins in Columbus
Seeing as Those Darlins cancelled their planned show in Cincinnati back in January and I couldn’t wait until Midpoint Music Fest to see Best Coast, I made the trek up to Columbus on Monday to see them together at Newport Music Hall. It was a great combination of bands with extremely strong lead women. Those…
Your Wednesday To Do List
Those lucky enough to snag a ticket to Cincinnati Opera’s sold-out run of Maria de Beunos Aires get to see a rare performance, which opens tonight. Cincinnati Opera and concert:nova team up for the first time to present the story of an a woman in Argentina who becomes the embodiment of Tango. If you didn’t…
Report: Nearly 1 in 4 Ohio Children in Poverty
The 2012 Kids Count report, released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, has found 23 percent of Ohio children lived in poverty in 2010, barely higher than the national average of 22 percent. Overall, Ohio was No. 35 in terms of poverty with New Hampshire at No. 1 with only 10 percent of children in…
Encore! Encore!
If you want to know the “best” shows in New York City, you need only check which Broadway productions are nominated annually for Tony Awards. In fact, the Big Apple has tons of awards to recognize and honor theatrical work. Not so in Cincinnati. From 1997 to 2010, CityBeat nominated and celebrated locally produced theater…
Worst Nights, Best Music
After the 2010 release of Mixtapes’ debut recording, the 10-song, 18-minute Maps, guitarist/vocalist Ryan Rockwell and his bandmates developed an interesting songwriting regimen. Whenever Rockwell and Maura Weaver, Mixtapes’ guitarist/vocalist and Rockwell’s songwriting partner, would hit on a particularly resonant tune, they would then relegate it to a slush pile of material for an album…
Bengals Preseason: Many Questions, Many Options
Looking for their first back-to-back winning seasons and consecutive playoff appearances in 20 years, the Bengals enter the 2012 season with the swagger of a Pro Bowl quarterback-receiver tandem that could be the backbone of a winning foundation for years to come (haven’t we heard that before?). There’s also what promises to be an improved…
The Watch
The simple premise of this suburban comedy — about a group of dads who form a neighborhood watch group to patrol their block, but soon discover an extraterrestrial menace threat far beyond their control — feels like a lazy opportunity for Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill to hang out and crack wise on…
Step Up Revolution
This time out, with director Scott Speer (who helmed the first two seasons of The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers — I feel so unhip, not knowing that there was a legion of dancers so extraordinary that they had their own show), another crew of anonymous dancers (whatever happened to that Channing Tatum kid, he was…
Four More Years
C incinnati voters will decide in November whether their City Council members will serve four-year terms instead of the current two-year ones — councilors just haven’t decided which proposal to send to voters. Council will meet Aug. 1 to choose between two ordinances to put four-year terms on the ballot. They’re extremely similar, but one…
Lottery Profits Won’t Aid Schools
The Ohio Department of Education hit the jackpot in the past fiscal year, with a record $771 million in lottery profits. By state law, lottery profits are supposed to go to the Lottery Profits Education Fund, which funds schools in Ohio — in theory, a great opportunity to increase education funding. Maybe not. In a…
The Deep Blue Sea
Terence Davies (screenwriter and director of The House of Mirth) once again takes on dual roles with this adaptation of Terence Rattigan’s play about the self-destructive love affair between the wife (Academy Award winner Rachel Weisz) of a British judge (Simon Russell Beale) and a pilot (Tom Hiddleston) in the Royal Air Force. Set in…
Commissioners Hear Arguments for Fully Funding Social Services
T he message at a July 18 County Commission public hearing: Don’t reduce funding for mental health and senior services. On July 12, the county’s Tax Levy Review Committee recommended to commissioners that the levies that fund services such as Meals on Wheels, home care and counseling for 30,000 county residents should remain at their…
Ohio Supreme Court to Address Racial Bias in Execution Cases
Ohio’s death penalty came under scrutiny July 19, when the Ohio Supreme Court’s Death Penalty Task Force heard presentations from three subcommittees on strategies to make sure death penalty sentencing in Ohio is transparent and fair. The task force heard presentations from the Law Enforcement Subcommittee, Race and Ethnicity Subcommittee and Clemency Subcommittee. The Race…
Cincinnati vs. The World 07.25.12
Villagers in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region have discovered four barrels containing 248 human fetuses preserved in formaldehyde in a forest in the Ural Mountains. Police suspect a nearby hospital dumped the barrels. WORLD -2 If it hadn’t been for one robbery suspect’s sticky fingers, he might have evaded police: The 26-year-old who robbed a gas station…
IFC Keeps it Weird with ‘Comedy Bang! Bang!’
When one of the guys behind Mr. Show and Between Two Ferns creates a podcast-turned-television series, you can’t expect a modern day Johnny Carson. And while it will never reach a totally mainstream audience, creator/host Scott Auckerman’s Comedy Bang! Bang! (10 p.m. Fridays, IFC) adapts perfectly to the small screen. Comedy Bang! Bang! playfully spoofs…
Claes Oldenburg’s Proposed Giant Cincinnati Soap Bar
If you want to learn about one of the biggest and most unusual public-art projects ever proposed for Cincinnati, see the display related to “The Soap at Baton Rouge” at Carl Solway Gallery’s current Thanks: 50th Anniversary Celebration. Beginning in the 1970s and continuing into the 1990s, Solway and famed sculptor Claes Oldenburg tried to…
Cincinnati Opera’s Embodiment of Tango
Ten years ago, Marcus Küchle first heard the music of legendary Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), courtesy of a former Indiana University classmate. If it wasn’t life-changing, it made Küchle a Piazzolla fan, with a special fondness for Piazzolla’s tango opera Maria de Buenos Aires. “That captivating quality of his music never left me,” recalled…
Morning News and Stuff
A performance audit for the Cincinnati Service Department could save the city $3.7 million. The audit claims $2 million could be saved every year if the city privately contracted solid waste collection and street sweeping. An additional $1.7 million could be saved if the city reduced overtime, sick leave and staffing levels. Along with other…
Is ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ the Best Threequel in History?
Christopher Nolan is daring us to ask the question. Attempting — as difficult as it is — to turn the focus from the senseless tragedy at last week’s midnight screening in Colorado back to a purely cinematic discussion about Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises, the question is quickly asked: Is it the best third film…
Braunschweiger: The ’Wurst?
“Lost in the Supermarket” has been on hiatus for a few months. If this is your first, welcome. For the column, I mostly play the “food rube,” searching the aisles of average neighborhood grocery stores for “everyday” items that strike me (and maybe you) as “weird” or “gross.” I investigate the food item and taste…
NOLA Could Offer Blueprint for Ohio Papers
The Good and Great of New Orleans have risen up to demand better from Times-Picayune owners and executives. Their ad hoc citizens group is spitting into the wind. Trying to shame a newspaper owner is futile. It’s an alien emotion. Economics might humble owners and executives, but that pain can be passed on to employees.…
Cincinnati, You’re Very Attractive
We, as humans, really love getting compliments. Next to free stuff, there are few things we appreciate more. Compliments make us feel like we’re special or have done something smart, even if it’s as simple as choosing an item from the fast-fashion store that ends up earning praise from an acquaintance. “I like that shirt,”…
Worst Week Ever!: July 18-23
WEDNESDAY JULY 18 Most people are familiar with the kinds of things Tea Partiers worry about — where the president was born, being treaded on in various ways and keeping the government from getting its hands on their Medicaid are all common concerns. Turns out the organization is not only interested in preserving these freedoms…
Django Western Taco (Review)
For Chef David Bach, Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming film, Django Unchained, can’t come soon enough. The movie, which opens in December, pays homage to the same ’60s Spaghetti Western that had inspired Bach and a posse of established local culinary artists to open the new Northside restaurant, Django Western Taco. “We’re actually really excited that people…
The Joker
Colorado is a square, expansive state and it doesn’t take long living there to realize the great Rockies are God’s GPS. Look west — find the majestic mountain range — to get your bearings in Colorado. It’s what I did when I lived there; it’s how I navigated the city in our black 1984 Ford…
We Take Care of Our Own
Bob Cushing is one of Cincinnati’s hardest working musicians, making his living by performing shows in clubs in and around the area for the past two decades-plus, armed with only his trusty acoustic, hearty baritone voice, wicked sense of humor and welcoming, lively corner-bar charm. Cushing is a human jukebox, performing from a seemingly telephone-book…
