Trainwreck
Amy Schumer is on the fastest of fast tracks. The successful stand-up comedienne made the transition from the stage of comedy clubs to her own Comedy Central show (Inside Amy Schumer) look like a stroll across a barely traveled two-lane road. But I feared the “Amy Schumer” bubble might have been on the verge of…
Testament of Youth
Expertly merging the lofty romantic notions we’ve come to expect from stories of lovers blown apart by the winds of war, veteran television director James Kent (9/11: Phone Calls from the Towers, The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister) captures the literary nuances likely infused in the autobiography of Vera Brittain. Portrayed by Alicia Vikander,…
Mr. Holmes
I can’t say I’ve made the leap back to Arthur Conan Doyle’s celebrated detective. My recent forays into the literary detective genre have been based on a comparative interest in the differences between American writers and the noted European authors, in particular the legion of Scandinavian crime beat writers. The thing is, every detective writer…
Morning News and Stuff
Good morning all. It’s news time, and the biggest news is something you probably already know: The Reds’ Todd Frazier won the MLB Home Run Derby last night in an amazing comeback, sending 14 over the fence in the final round of the tournament against Joc Pederson from the L.A. Dodgers. There were tons of…
Morning News and Stuff
Hey all! Was your All Star Game weekend rad? I spent the better part of mine far from the mass of ASG-related concerts and VIP invite-only parties, which are weird and a little like hosting a slightly unhip out-of-town guest who throws a party at your house for crusty old celebs on the other side…
Weaving a Spell(ing Bee) at NKU
Critic's Pick Back in February 2005 I was in New York City to see some shows, and at the last moment (on a Saturday afternoon) I was offered the chance to see a new off-Broadway show I hadn’t heard of, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. I was totally charmed by the tale of…
Of Thee I Sing
Critic's Pick We all know the basics of how the Declaration of Independence turned out, especially this time of year when we celebrate that historic document on the Fourth of July. But do we really know much about the men who fussed and debated in Philadelphia in 1776 to craft the words that set in…
Your Weekend Playlist: Road Trippin’
Anyone with an adventurous bone in their body naturally loves road trips. It’s the quickest way to embrace your passion for exploration by simply hopping into your vehicle and hitting the road filled with destinations and opportunities. And what’s the ultimate source of entertainment during your long trip? Music. I took a different approach while…
Stage Door
Of course, everyone is focused on baseball this weekend, leading up to Tuesday’s All-Star Game right in our own backyard — and that’s great for Cincinnati. But if you’re looking for theatrical entertainment, it’s here, too. I had a chance to see the musical 1776 at Cincinnati Landmark’s new Warsaw Federal Incline Theater on Wednesday.…
Review: Cincinnati Opera’s Don Pasquale
Cincinnati Opera's Don Pasquale was a delight and, so far, the season’s best overall production. Burak Bilgili’s Pasquale and Alexey Lavrov’s Malatesta share the honors for outstanding performances and the entire enchilada (as Peter Schickele would say) was directed by Chuck Hudson, with production elements and costumes built by Arizona Opera. The setting is 1950s Hollywood and…
All-Star Weekend Events
The All-Star Game’s return to Cincinnati is of significance to both the game and this city, which has hosted the event four times going back to 1938. Though the game is more novel today — each team is awarded a representative in an everyone-gets-a-trophy type of scenario — the contest will still feature many of…
Morning News and Stuff
So let’s talk a little about news today. In case you like, didn’t see the 500 MLB All-Star Game headlines on the Cincinnati Enquirer’s website today, well, that’s happening. Two-hundred-thousand people are headed downtown. Traffic will be bad. Parking will be worse. Prepare yourself. All that headache is probably worth it if you own an…
Your Weekend To Do List (7/10-7/12)
FRIDAY CINCY SPORTS FEST 2015The best thing after making memories might just be, well, buying them. And that’s something you can do at the Cincy Sports Fest, an autographs and collectibles event that will bring in more than 100 exhibitors selling baseball memorabilia, sure to help you cherish the memories you make during the All-Star…
MidPoint Music Festival Announces More Artists
The MidPoint Music Festival today announced a third wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 14th annual event this fall. Locals Heartless Bastards will headline Friday night's shows at the Christian Moerlein stage, touring in support of their new album, Restless One. The band will join Purity Ring and Matthew E. White on Friday…
Conventional Wisdom and Language
Listening to Morning Edition on WVXU, I was struck by a black Baptist pastor’s word choice when asked about the Supreme Court 5-4 ruling on same-sex marriage. He helped crystalize something that has been bothering me about the whole debate: “Holy matrimony.” That phrase reminds me of how easily the news media echo the conventional…
Event: St. Rita Fest
The turtle soup-steeped 100-year-old tradition continues. St. Rita Fest is a three-day annual summer festival that gives participants the chance to win $25,000 in a grand raffle. When you’re not trying to get rich quick, you can celebrate the community with more than 100 booths featuring food, rides, games and the aforementioned renowned turtle soup.…
Art: ‘The Vine’ Restoration at the Cincinnati Art Museum
The Alice Bimel Courtyard, one of Cincinnati Art Museum’s loveliest spaces, has been missing a bronze sculpture for several years, Harriet Whitney Frishmuth’s 1923 “The Vine.” It’s been kept indoors since conservators became alarmed about corrosion from the elements. But beginning this week, conservator Kelly Schulze will be restoring it — in the courtyard, its…
Morning News and Stuff
Good morning y’all. Here’s what’s up in the news today. Cincinnati police have asked Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters to pursue hate crime charges in connection with an attack on a man at Fountain Square Saturday night. That announcement marks a pronounced change of tone for the police, who earlier said the act did not…
Self/Less
The latest narrative take on the question of immortality unfolds in the new film from Tarsem Singh (the music video wunderkind who then directed The Cell, the surreal journey into the mind of a serial killer with Jennifer Lopez, before slipping into the slightly less trippy loop with The Fall and Immortals). Self/Less follows the…
Minions
The Despicable Me sidekicks get their own franchise offshoot, which is explained as a prequel to their time with criminal mastermind Gru (Steve Carell), when they were lowly but eager underlings in search of a super-villain with the right stuff to lead them to nefarious glory. Here, they team up with Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock)…
Amy
The line, “I ain’t got the time, and if my daddy thinks I’m fine …” from Amy Winehouse’s breakthrough single, “Rehab,” became her way out of going to rehab for a drug problem that apparently everyone close to her saw but could do nothing to prevent. Listening to the song now, it all seems so…
Aloft
Peruvian writer-director Claudia Llosa (The Milk of Sorrow) takes audiences on a journey into the seemingly barren spiritual and emotional divide between a mother (Jennifer Connelly) and the now-adult son (Cillian Murphy) she abandoned much earlier in the child’s life. As the struggling mother of two rambunctious young sons, she made tough choices while seeking…
Let’s Roll
It’s as easy as riding a bike. Literally. Red Bike is Greater Cincinnati’s über-popular bike-sharing program. Borrow a bike (with an attached wire basket) from one of about 20 rental stations in the downtown area and get from point A to point B without the hassle of traffic or parking woes and in less time…
Music: Neil Young
What can be said about Neil Young that hasn’t been said countless times before? The man has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once, but twice (as a solo act and a member of Buffalo Springfield); he’s been awarded a couple Grammys and several Junos (Canada’s Grammys); he’s been named…
Music: Swirlies
If you’re curious about Swirlies’ discography, point your browser to rcarchives.com/swirlies and meander through the comprehensive list assembled by Tutunjian and Bernick. It includes every single/EP/studio/live/free MP3 album/etc. that the band has released, although its new 7-inch, Swirlies’ Magic Strop: Orca Vs. Dragon , doesn’t seem to have been added yet. Probably because the band…
Music: Failure
A s a wise philosopher once noted, the only constant is change. Perhaps that’s why Failure’s new album, The Heart is a Monster, is an unexpected surprise. After a two-decade absence, a parade of band/side projects and against all logical odds, guitarist/vocalist Ken Andrews, bassist/vocalist Greg Edwards and drummer Kelli Scott reconvened to follow up…
Music: A Muscle Shoals Music Revue
The Muscle Shoals area of Alabama is a legendary place when it comes to the history of music. An incredible amount of great sounds were produced there in the ’60s and ’70s, buoyed by the talents of world-renowned session musicians like The Swampers, the Muscle Shoals Horns, Duane Allman and more. When Amy Black recorded…
Art: Northern Baroque Splendor
It is not often one is able to stand in the presence of almost indisputable masterpieces, but the Cincinnati Art Museum is offering just this opportunity with Northern Baroque Splendor. The exhibit consists of 64 Dutch and Flemish paintings from the prestigious Hohenbuchau Collection, a bounty of 17th-century marvels from Vienna’s Liechtenstein: The Princely Collections…
Sports: 86th MLB All-Star Game
A late voting push by Reds fans helped earn third baseman Todd Frazier a starting spot in this year’s All-Star Game — not that he didn’t deserve it — the guy has been mashing all year. Joining @FlavaFraz will be teammate Aroldis Chapman, who will come out of the pen for the NL. The game…
Event: Wiffle Ball Home Run Derby
Rhinegeist and CityBeat have partnered to play Wiffle Ball for a cause, with a home run derby inside the OTR brewery. Anyone can play — a $5 entry fee gets you 10 swings and your $5 goes directly to help the Bow Tie Cause and the Jason Motte Foundation. Noon-5 p.m. Sunday. $5. Rhinegeist, 1910…
Event: Heart of Vintage Baseball
The annual Heart of Vintage Baseball Tournament pits the area’s 1860’s-style baseball clubs against each other in a series of games using Civil War-era sporting rules. 10 a.m. Sunday. Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave., California, norwoodhighlanders.com.
Event: The Color Run MLB All-Star 5K
MLB hosts an official All-Star Weekend Color Run 5K, starting at Sawyer Point. The un-timed race will wind through an All-Star-themed course downtown and into Northern Kentucky, dousing runners head-to-toe with colored powder at every kilometer. The start-line window opens at 9 a.m., with music, dancing, stretching and giveaways; waves of runners will continue to…
Event: City Flea All Star Market
A special edition of the City Flea, in honor of All-Star Weekend. The event will feature the normal curated urban flea market selections, plus some baseball-themed fun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, thecityflea.com.
Art: Brighton Art Openings
The West End’s artistic enclave of Brighton hosts the neighborhood’s monthly art openings on second Saturday this month instead of the usual first. semantics gallery features an opening reception for Something Out of Nothing, Or Not, a two-person exhibition featuring new works by Loraine Wible and Alan Pocaro. Two blocks east, Live(In) Gallery will host…
Onstage: One-Minute Play Festival
Got a minute? How about an hour? That’s enough time to see some quick plays this weekend at Know Theatre. Local writers were invited to consider the world around them, locally and beyond, and write about moments that could only happen here and now. The result is a festival described as “a series of 60…
Onstage: 4192 — An Evening with Pete Rose
A live theatrical event during which Pete Rose discusses his childhood on the West Side, his baseball career and the Big Red Machine on a set that looks like a baseball field. Sing the National Anthem, see a surprise guest throw out the first pitch and relive the moment Rose broke Ty Cobb’s hit record…
I Just Can’t Get Enough
American Girl dolls can teach us a lot: what it might be like to be a girl growing up during the American Revolution, Civil War or World War II; how to care for a special collectable; the things white people will blow hundreds of dollars on. But now they’re teaching us how to kick ass.…
Event: Cincy Sports Fest 2015
The best thing after making memories might just be, well, buying them. And that’s something you can do at the Cincy Sports Fest, an autographs and collectibles event that will bring in more than 100 exhibitors selling baseball memorabilia, sure to help you cherish the memories you make during the All-Star Game. The four-day event…
Event: The Summer Draft at Taft’s Ale House
All your favorite local breweries and eats come together at Taft’s Ale House for the all-outdoors Summer Draft All-Star Weekend party. Featuring beers from MadTree, Rhinegeist, Christian Moerlein and Taft’s Ale’s summer selections, paired with Eckerlin Meats from Findlay Market, the draft party also features live music from locals Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty Band,…
Event: Cincy StoryTellers
If it bleeds it leads, the saying goes, so the fact that The Cincinnati Enquirer’s third Cincy StoryTellers event will revolve around the Reds (and baseball in general) should come as no surprise, especially since it’s the night before the start of the MLB All-Star Weekend. Hosted by The Enquirer’s Reds beat writer C. Trent…
Event: All-Star FanFest
This fan-friendly and family-friendly convention includes more than 100 appearances from baseball legends and Hall of Famers. Fans can check out players’ official All-Star Game uniforms, run around and take batting practice and hang out in mini dugouts. There will be daily player appearances and autograph sessions, plus artifacts from the National Baseball Hall of…
Event: Volksfest
Meaning “people’s festival” in German, Volksfest brings all of Cincinnati’s favorite local beers together in one place for a two-day celebration of the Queen City’s craft brewing culture. Featuring more than 20 different area breweries, some of which have created special beers just for Volksfest, the idea is to focus on lighter, lower ABV and…
Film: Field of Dreams
Esquire Theatre is hosting a special screening of the Kevin Costner classic Field of Dreams — build it and they will come. A part of Clifton’s All-Star Weekend events schedule, which includes a vintage baseball game at UC on Saturday, a Wiffle Ball game in Burnet Woods Sunday and a screening of the game in…
Comedy: Geoff Tate
After splitting time between Los Angeles and Cincinnati, Geoff Tate is back in the Tristate full time. Since returning to Cincinnati, Tate has never been busier as he has been able to parlay his multiple appearances on Doug Benson’s Doug Loves Movies podcast into a string of East Coast and Midwest dates. Cincinnati audiences will…
Event: COV200 Summer Celebration
Founded in 1815, this summer marks the city of Covington’s 200th birthday, and they’re going to be fêting their bicentennial the same way you would if you had been alive for 200 years — with a huge six-day celebration. Focused along Covington’s riverfront, there will be a 50-foot Ferris wheel at Covington Landing, a “Bark…
Attractions: Diversity in Baseball
Referred to as America’s Pastime, baseball also mirrors America’s social progress — as barriers were removed in society, so too were those in baseball. The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center’s Diversity in Baseball exhibit celebrates the players who have broken racial and other social barriers. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. $15 adults; $13 seniors; $10.50 children.…
Picnic and Pantry (Feature)
Over-the-Rhine’s creative class continues to add more and more bars, restaurants and shops for its denizens and tourists, including the recent addition (or relocation) of Picnic and Pantry, a convenience store filled with quality sundries and carryout items. Nonprofit Over-the-Rhine Community Housing (OTRCH), whose mission is to build and sustain a diverse neighborhood, tapped Lisa…
Bottomless Brunch (Feature)
L iquid brunches aren’t anything new, but lately a crop of bottomless brunches — meaning you can drink an infinite amount of mimosas and bloody marys for a flat fee — have been surfacing throughout the city. Most places don’t take the time to freshly squeeze the orange juice used in their mimosas, but a…
HBO Mocks Sports Docs
As we approach the finals of Wimbledon, the oldest tennis tournament in the world (which continues in London through Sunday), HBO presents a look at the intensity of the sport through the eyes of two world-class athletes and the spectators that watched their hard work and dedication come to fruition. Just kidding. 7 Days in…
Wandering Aimlessly Inside Blumhouse’s ‘Gallows’
Since filmmaking collaborators Travis Cluff and Chris Lofing teamed up back in 2011 on Kid HULK — a four-minute short about a young Bruce Banner who helps a girl deal with bullies (Lofing even got a bit of screen time as the titular hero) — it might be logical to assume that the pair might…
Community in Clothing
The celebration of manhood that is Over-the-Rhine men’s lifestyle store Article has officially introduced its new sister to the neighborhood, bringing with her a distinct feminine edge. Meet Idlewild Woman. Article and Idlewild Woman are both retail and lifestyle boutiques owned by Anthony and Maria Graziani, a husband-and-wife team with a heart for fashion and the city…
The CAM Invites Viewers to Marvel at a Rare Collection with ‘Northern Baroque Splendor’
It is not often one is able to stand in the presence of almost indisputable masterpieces, but the Cincinnati Art Museum is offering just this opportunity with Northern Baroque Splendor. The exhibit consists of 64 Dutch and Flemish paintings from the prestigious Hohenbuchau Collection, a bounty of 17th-century marvels from Vienna’s Liechtenstein: The Princely Collections…
Theater League Gets Its Act Together
The League of Cincinnati Theatres was established in 1999 to strengthen, nurture and promote local theater companies. Back then, there was precious little interaction between our theaters; each operated pretty much on its own little island. In 2015 things have changed. We now have a true theater “community,” with companies collaborating and cross-pollinating. Actors and…
Diving In
By This River, the new group show curated by Michael Solway at downtown’s Weston Gallery through Aug. 30, is as refreshingly clear in its concept and intent as a sparkling mountain stream. It has the added benefit of offering much excellent work, including several pieces by an artist associated with the 1960s Fluxus movement who…
Officers Charged with Covering Up Accident for Controversial Cop
Two Cincinnati police officers have been charged in the cover up of a car accident involving a third officer, Sgt. Andrew Mitchell. Mitchell was the same officer who shot and killed local musician David “Bones” Hebert in Northside in 2011, according to a source within the department. According to court documents filed July 4, Mitchell…
Summer Breeze
I detest summer in Cincinnati. It personally brings financial uncertainty, and socially and culturally summer brings the uncertainty of the very sanctity of life. Whenever I hear sirens — and living on a boisterous corner of Woodburn Avenue for the past 13 years I hear plenty of sirens — I think: Cincinnati police must be…
What Else is Here?
DOWNTOWN Cincinnati’s central business district boasts riverfront entertainment — including Great American Ball Park — historic skyscrapers, world-class dining and a flurry of arts activity. Grab a local beer, have dinner with a view or relax at one of the many parks on the Ohio River. downtowncincinnati.com. EAT — Find restaurant clusters near the ballet-to-Broadway…
You Are Here … But Not to Watch Sports
Grab an artful espresso at Collective CAC Coffee and culture connoisseurs look no further: Collective Espresso, Cincinnati’s craft coffee masters, recently opened a café in the minimalist lobby of the Zaha Hadid-designed Contemporary Arts Center. With the tranquil ambiance of music from Air and Four Tet and the soft whirring of the light installations overhead, Collective…
You are Here … with an Expense Account
Indulge in a multi-course tasting menu at the five-diamond Orchids Orchids, nestled in the historic 1930s French Art Deco Hilton Netherland Plaza hotel, is the only five-diamond AAA restaurant in Ohio (and one of only 63 in America). Surrounded by rare Brazilian rosewood, ceiling frescoes and locally made historic Rookwood tiles, chef Todd Kelly creates…
You Are Here … with Your Family
Cool down at Sawyer Point With a view of Cincinnati’s famous bridges — the Roebling Suspension Bridge was the model for the Brooklyn Bridge — and the Serpentine Wall, the Armeleder Memorial Sprayground at the mile-long riverfront Sawyer Point park is a scenic space filled with fountains tall enough to shower any human from head…
You Are Here … with a Couple Bros
Enjoy a Bavarian brew in Hofbräuhaus Newport’s giant bier garten Not only does the name itself just sound badass in a Governator sort of way — thanks, German language — but their house-brewed beers will have you thinking you’ve died and gone to heaven, which, yes, happens to be located in Northern Kentucky. Modeled after…
Guided Brewery Tours
Cincy Brew BusRotates breweries weekly and offers between 16-20 beer samples per tour along with trivia, prizes, history and giant pretzels from Servatii. They have 13 different tours happening over All-Star Weekend, with stops at breweries like MadTree, Rivertown, Rhinegeist, Fifty West, Bad Tom, Listermann and more; check their schedule for times and pick-up locations.…
Queen City: King of Beer
W ith our strong German roots and insatiable thirst, Cincinnati has been a beer town since the start. Local brewer Davis Embree’s first commercial brewery on the riverfront in 1812 blazed the trail for beer-baron breweries like Christian Moerlein (1853), Hudepohl (1885) and Wiedemann’s (1870). By 1860, Ohio was the third-largest brewer in the nation,…
Gotta Get Goetta (Or At Least Try It)
It's hard to possess a culinary vocabulary wide or adept enough to fully explain the strange and wonderful delight that is Cincinnati’s signature breakfast meat, goetta. The first thing you should know is that it’s pronounced “get-uh,” not “go-etta.” It’s comparable to sausage or perhaps a crumbly meatloaf — or, if you’re from Pennsylvania, scrapple.…
So You’ve Probably Heard of Cincinnati Chili
Certain cities are in part defined by their native cuisines. Although at times stereotypical, one cannot debate the value of partaking in a hot slice of New York-style pizza in the Big Apple, a hunk of deep dish in Chicago or a greasy cheesesteak topped with Cheez Whiz in Philadelphia. These dishes are unique and…
You Are Here. (Good Job.)
So, you’re in Cincinnati. Porkopolis. The Queen City. Birthplace of assorted specialty meats (goetta, aqueous chili: see page 05), modern baseball (the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings were the first professional baseball team) and once home to President William Howard Taft, Steven Spielberg, Doris Day and boy band 98 Degrees, among others. You’re most likely here…
Sound Advice: Liturgy
Salvador Dali once mused, “There is only one difference between a madman and me. I am not mad.” Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, vocalist, guitarist and lunatic genius at the helm of Liturgy, can certainly relate to that razor-thin distinction. After establishing a brutal and effective baseline for his Black Metal explorations on the largely solo 2008 EP,…
Sound Advice: Neil Young and Promise of the Real with Band of Horses
What can be said about Neil Young that hasn’t been said countless times before? The man has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame not once, but twice (as a solo act and a member of Buffalo Springfield); he’s been awarded a couple Grammys and several Junos (Canada’s Grammys); he’s been named…
Sound Advice: Swirlies
This is technically the 25th-anniversary year for Swirlies, the Boston Shoegaze band that began life as a prospective Go-Go’s cover band in 1990. But it would be slightly erroneous to tag the band with an actual 25-year history. While it’s true Swirlies has never officially called it a day, there have been years along the…
Sound Advice: A Muscle Shoals Music Revue featuring Amy Black and Sarah Borges
The Muscle Shoals area of Alabama is a legendary place when it comes to the history of music. An incredible amount of great sounds were produced there in the ’60s and ’70s, buoyed by the talents of world-renowned session musicians like The Swampers, the Muscle Shoals Horns, Duane Allman and more. When Amy Black recorded…
Maurice Mattei Explores ‘Girl Jungle’ on New LP
Cincinnati’s Maurice Mattei wouldn’t refuse a taste of success. Given the opportunity, I think he would gladly allow one of his brilliant story songs to be used in an appropriate manner in a decent film for a respectable payday. The point is that he doesn’t write and sing and perform to that particular end. Mattei…
Monster University
A s a wise philosopher once noted, the only constant is change. Perhaps that’s why Failure’s new album, The Heart is a Monster, is an unexpected surprise. After a two-decade absence, a parade of band/side projects and against all logical odds, guitarist/vocalist Ken Andrews, bassist/vocalist Greg Edwards and drummer Kelli Scott reconvened to follow up…
Crisis Averted?
W hen the eyes of the nation turn to the All-Star Game in Cincinnati this week, viewers will likely see a pristine version of the city. What they won’t see are hundreds of vacant houses blighting nearby neighborhoods — a haunting reminder the foreclosure crisis is still thriving in Cincinnati. Nonprofit Working in Neighborhoods (WIN)…
Worst Week Ever! July 08-14
New Dating Site Aims to Keep UK Fans’ Courtship Attempts From Being ‘One and Done’ Many Americans grew sick and tired of University of Kentucky fans bragging and acting like they were the ones boxing out and draining three-pointers during the Wildcats’ impressive undefeated run through the regular college basketball season this year. So it…
