Ted (Review)
Residing quite comfortably in the mind of Seth MacFarlane (creator of Family Guy, writer on American Dad, The Cleveland Show and Dexter’s Laboratory back in the 1990s) is an evil genius. Evil might be overstating it a bit because rather than harboring an unquenchable desire to unleash chaos on the world or devise some plan…
WhackBurger (Review)
What do ground beef, onomatopoeia and a slew of fresh ingredients have in common? Well, nothing, really, unless you’re at the new gourmet burger restaurant WhackBurger in Covington. The small restaurant has been open for about a month now, serving big, juicy burgers with creative toppings right across the street from Madison Theater. I’m a…
King Records Museum Would Draw Tourists
Earnestine & Hazel’s, a music club/burger joint/tourist destination in Memphis’ arts district, exudes so much grungy, funky, time-aged Rock and Roll realness it makes the old Southgate House seem like a Kenwood Mall chain store. In a past business-life, when the place was a brothel, the small rooms off the upstairs hallway used to be…
Grammy Winner Recounts Depression, Anxiety in New Memoir
“May we all find salvation in professions that heal” – Shawn Colvin, “Cry Like An Angel” When Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Shawn Colvin penned these lyrics in 1987, few knew that she was hinting at some long-held, “dirty secrets,” specifically her life-long struggle with depression, panic attacks, addiction and anorexia. They were problems that went back…
Bringing The Outdoors In
In a space dedicated to interiors, the expansive second floor of Bromwell’s downtown, Celene Hawkins brings together several of the city’s most accomplished artists with works “in which nature is found, observed and re-made in elegant and subtle ways.” So, the outside comes into these high-ceilinged, fireplace-studded display rooms to mutual benefit. Most of the…
Event: Northside Rock n’ Roll Carnival
Beer connoisseurs and music lovers (though the two usually come hand in hand), may you rejoice under the same sunny sky! The Northside area is proud to present its annual Rock n’ Roll Carnival held at Jacob Hoffner Park, featuring loads of local and regional beer, food and music — all for free. With the…
Event: Tri-State Antique Market
Looking for a new furniture for a rustic rehab? Some war memorabilia or piece of history to add to a collection? Or simply a cute vintage piece to decorate with? The Tri-State Antique Market is the second-hand shopper’s mecca for pre-owned items. The fair boasts its unique and eclectic finds, all of which are required…
Event: Humanity Outpost
Here’s a wish for world peace, or at least the often-overlooked World Peace Bell. Do your small part while giving some attention to the Newport landmark during the Humanity Outpost, through July 22. Whimsical and uplifting steel sculptures by Springdale artist Edward Casagrande, featuring the likes of hearts and angels, will join the bell as…
Love Conquers All
George Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess ranks as America’s most famous opera. Its arias and ensembles are firmly ensconced in the American Popular Songbook: “Summertime ,” “I Got Plenty o Nuttin’,” “Bess, You Is My Woman Now,” “I Loves You, Porgy.” “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” No other opera comes close except Carmen , and that’s French.…
Event: Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival
Need a reason to celebrate outrageously this weekend? Decorate yourself with bright-colored garments and accessories and hitch a ride downtown to partake in the annual Pride celebration. Saturday morning, root for all of your favorite LGBT-friendly organizations as they festively parade through the streets of downtown and relish their show-stopping displays. Head to Sawyer Point…
Event: Madeira Centennial Criterium Bike Race
Well, it’s time to dust off that old 10-speed and throw on your peddlin’ shoes — the Madeira Centennial Criterium Bike Race is upon us. The only criterion for the criterium is to own a bike, so everyone from pro riders to those with training wheels are welcome to ride. The one-mile course weaves around…
Art: Fly Your Own Freak Flag
Declare your independence from normal and pledge allegiance to the great state of freakdom at Northside’s Thunder-Sky Inc. More than 60 freak flags by artists from around the region and around the world — of all ages, races, beliefs and abilities — will be hung inside and outside the gallery. It’s a salute to the…
Art: Funny Mirrors
Coulrophobia — or the fear of clowns — is a comparatively fresh addition to our ever changing language landscape. But as the entry in the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders attests, the fear is real and deep-seated. I don’t fear clowns, but I don’t like them either, which might…
Comedy: Cash Levy
On the heels of CityBeat’s June 20 cover story about Cincinnati comedy, we find out Cash Levy has a Queen City connection. “My father is from Cincinnati, so I have a lot of family here,” says Levy, who came into town a week early to attend his cousin’s wedding. “The bride’s father told me I…
Comedy: Vince Morris
It’s been awhile since we talked to comedian Vince Morris. “Life has been the best,” he says. “Being in prison has changed me. Comedy is different when you’re locked up. You can’t ask guys, ‘What do you do for a living?’ ” In reality, Vince became a father three years ago, and that’s why he…
Your Tuesday To Do List
With Cincinnati Pride Week just around the corner, Oakley’s 20th Century Theater hosts Cincy Pride Week Cruise-In with Chicago cabaret act, Amy & Freddy. The funny and fabulous duo is a smash on the GLBT cruise circuit, and they’ll perform along with Cincinnati Men’s Chorus and The Queen City D-Dolls. Dress in your hottest resort…
Twenty More Acts Announced for MidPoint 2012
Several local acts have been notified in recent weeks that they have been chosen to perform at this fall’s MidPoint Music Festival. Organizers today revealed its second wave of national acts that will join them at the Sept. 27-29 fest — Andrew Bird, Ralph Stanley and his Clinch Mountain Boys (revealed a couple of weeks…
Community Theater Award Winners
Last weekend a dozen Cincinnati-area community theaters competed in the annual Regional OCTA Fest, each presenting 30-minute excerpts of shows that had been produced sometime during the 2011-2012 season. Performances were presented on Thursday, Friday and Saturday; the final day was capped by the annual Orchid Awards recognition program on Saturday evening, where more than…
Morning News and Stuff
It was “Rich People Voice Their Concerns Night” at city councils across town last night, as proponents of the $1 sale of Music Hall packed Cincinnati City Council chambers even though the proposed lease deal wasn’t on the agenda. Mayor Mark Mallory insisted that any middle ground that will allow the nonprofit Music Hall Revitalization…
Music: Todd Snider & the Burnouts
Todd Snider & the Burnouts return to Cincinnati this week for a Wednesday show at the 20th Century Theater with special guest Rosi Golan. Snider is one of the more acclaimed songwriters of his time, earning early support from high-profile fans like John Prine and Jimmy Buffett. He continues to dazzle with his well-crafted songs…
Onstage: The Second City 2: Less Pride…More Pork
If you haven’t yet caught this hilarious evening of poking fun at Cincinnatians’ foibles and sacred cows — or should I say pigs? — you have only a few more days. The team, a product of the legendary comedy troupe from Chicago, has been tickling our local funny bones since late April, but the fun…
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
On their first three albums together, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals impressively balanced influences from four decades ago with a bluesy Rock ethic as fresh as an indie blog posting. On The Lion The Beast The Beat, the quintet amazingly expand their genre parameters without losing the blistering essence of its Blues/Soul/Rock core. The album’s…
Swaggz & Hollywood
After the Cincinnati Pride Parade downtown Saturday, be sure to head to Sawyer Point for the Cincinnati Pride 2012 Festival. The entertainment (on both the Kroger Stage and the CityBeat Stage) is especially strong this year, with everything from comedy and, of course, drag shows, but also an incredibly diverse lineup of musical acts. This…
Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three
Any band with decent musical aptitude and a passion for the days of sheet music stores, phosphates and the Charleston can churn out covers of songs gleaned from thrift shop 78s and attract a sizable, loyal audience. The real gift is taking that Hot Jazz/Country Blues/Ragtime/Western Swing inspiration and translating it into original and completely…
Spirit Song Festival
Spirit Song Festival is once again taking over Kings Island. The three-day features two dozen of Christian music’s most famous artists. The lineup includes the likes of Switchfoot, TobyMac, Owl City, Third Day and NEEDTOBREATHE, as well as Cincinnati’s very own Mosteller. Whether you’re a frequent KLOVE listener or not, some of this year’s line-up…
Q&A with Styx
Classic Rock band Styx originated in the 1970’s and enjoyed hits like “Lady” and “Come Sail Away." Today, while they may not have the exact pieces of the original band from the late ’70s intact, Styx travels the globe annually to give a show similar that of its early days, though these days the group…
Music Tonight: Crimson ProjeKct and Delfeayo Marsalis
Northern Kentucky native and genuine guitar god Adrian Belew returns to the area tonight for a show with The Crimson ProjeKct at the Taft Theatre. Belew is spending half his summer on the road with the ProjeKct — a King Crimson offshoot that also includes KC’s Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto, plus Markus Reuter, Julie…
I Just Can’t Get Enough
Happy Half Christmas, everybody! Celebrate this midpoint to the holiday season in true Workaholics fashion: Throw a HoneyBaked Ham on the grill, tap the keg-nog and if you’re lucky enough to not be in a cubicle today, check out Comedy Central’s Half Christmas programing. National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation kicks things off this morning and the…
Morning News and Stuff
Leaders of the nonprofit Music Hall Revitalization Co. seemed to have compromised last week when the group proposed a 99-year lease of Music Hall as part of a $165 million renovation. But the lease included a clause that would allow the group to acquire the historic building for $1 at the end of the lease…
Q&A with Under the Streetlamp
Under the Streetlamp is a new act storming the nation that presents audiences with a vocal performance spotlighting what they call the "American Radio Songbook." The ensemble took its classic approach and turned it into a full production that has been drawing packed houses all over. Under the Streetlamp is currently barnstorming across the country…
Music Tonight: Art Vs. Science, Beneath Oblivion and More
Australian Dance Rock trio Art Vs. Science headlines the free MidPoint Indie Summer concert on Fountain Square tonight at 7 p.m. Also on the bill is Electro duo You, You're Awesome and unique Indie Rock group SHADOWRAPTR. AvS keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Dan McNamee spoke with CityBeat this week about the band's "conversion mission"/U.S. tour and how they…
Your Weekend To Do List: 6/22-6/24
The Ohio River will be a-buzz this weekend when thousands of locals on canoe and kayak come through for Paddlefest. Celebrate the mighty river Friday at the Ohio River Music & Outdoor Festival. Enjoy live roots music, boating demos, a kayak fishing tournament, gear swap and much more river-y goodness. The free fest takes over…
U.S.-Africa Business Conference Concludes Today
The two-day U.S.-Africa Business Conference, which took place at the Westin Cincinnati Hotel in downtown Cincinnati, wraps up today, concluding a summit congregating business experts from across the world to discuss business concerns related to energy, transportation, water and sanitation. The conference, organized by the U.S. State Department, is intended to serve as a forum…
Former Johnnytwentythree Musician Passes Away at 31
Sad to report this morning that Joe Maier, former bassist for popular local instrumental Post Rock band Johnnytwentythree, passed away suddenly on June 19. He was just 31 years old. Maier and his brother, guitarist Michael Maier, formed the band Halo in the late ’90s, which featured drummer Stephen Imwalle. The three formed Johnnytwentythree in…
Stage Door: ‘next to normal’ Even Better This Year
If you can land a ticket for Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s revival of the Tony Award-winning musical next to normal, that’s what you should be doing this weekend. I saw it on Tuesday night, and it’s even better than it was last September. It’s the story of a woman struggling with schizophrenia and how it affects…
Morning News and Stuff
The Kentucky Speedway and state of Kentucky will find out soon whether the $10 million they spent on highway infrastructure improvements in response to last year’s traffic mess at a NASCAR race was worth it. The Speedway and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet will hold a news conference today to outline plans to actually get all of…
WATCH: Cincy MC Santino Corleon’s New “Tats”
If you happened to have checked out this past Saturday's Beats Summer Concert Series event (the popular Hip Hop/Dance/DJ night presented by Self Diploma every Saturday this summer) on Fountain Square, you probably got a taste of the skills of Cincinnati native Santino Corleon, who performed right before headliner DJ Clockwork. This week, you have…
Review: Alejandro Escovedo’s ‘Big Station’
If great reviews and the respect of your peers were tangible income, Warren Buffett would be paying 30% tax on his income as Alejandro Escovedo’s secretary. From the start of Escovedo’s solo career — after a brief stint with the Kinman brothers in Rank and File and a turn in his own shoulda-been-huge True Believers…
Group Criticizes Pro-Fracking Industry Study
A new study released by the oil and gas industry claims the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been overestimating methane emissions from natural gas and fracking, but environmental groups have dismissed the study as “fatally flawed” and “biased.” The study, released by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and America’s Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA), claims methane…
Your Thursday To Do List
We might be a little biased, but the event at the top of our To Do list tonight is the Her Cincinnati Magazine Launch Party. Remember our sister publication A-Line? It’s gotten a makeover and is now her Cincinnati, an extension of our parent company, SouthComm's existing women’s magazine brand (currently in Nashville). Her will…
Music Tonight: Tommy Castro, Orquesta Kandela and More
Modern Blues/Roots hero Tommy Castro performs tonight at The Redmoor in Mount Lookout, which has been presenting several topnotch national acts of late, thanks to veteran local promoters JBM Promotions (they have contemporary Folk Pop great Dar Williams playing the same club this Saturday with locals Ellery). Castro is pulling in to town with his…
Morning News and Stuff
A local developer has offered to build a new jail adjacent to the Justice Center, a cost of $65 million, in return for the county leasing it for 30 years at $10 million a year, according to The Enquirer. The developer, Rob Smyjunas, said the offer isn’t about making a profit, just making the county…
Cincinnati vs. The World 06.20.12
Cincinnati Duke Energy customers could face increased utility costs to help Duke relocate utility lines for the new streetcar, if state regulators decide to permit Duke to recover expenses associated with the mass transit project. CINCINNATI -1 Bibi and Poldi, two giant tortoises at the Austrian Zoo, have ended a 115-year streak of companionship, and…
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
A beautiful married woman suddenly and mysteriously disappears and her husband immediately becomes the chief suspect in her murder. It’s a storyline so frequently used in books and films that it’s almost become a worn-out cliché. But that is definitely not the case in Gillian Flynn’s third and latest psychological thriller, Gone Girl. Flynn’s ability…
Canada by Richard Ford
Written in a slow, languid, lyrical style so light that it nearly floats, Richard Ford’s new novel, Canada, further solidifies the author’s position among the best American writers of our time. A recollection by a 62-year-old English professor of dramatic events more than 40 years after the fact, Canada is recounted with the same unhurried…
Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria (Review)
Do not be fooled by the quaint brick building and steep steps that sit back off the street as you drive toward Newport on the Levee on Monmouth Street; Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria is not just another pizza joint. Although the exterior doesn’t stand out with screaming colorful signs or a decked-out front entrance, the…
Sorkin’s Series Goes Behind the Scenes of Nightly News
From writer/producer Aaron Sorkin (The West Wing, The Social Network, Moneyball) comes a new series about the people behind nightly cable news. The Newsroom (10 p.m. Sundays, HBO) follows journalist Will McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) and his journey from fair-and-balanced News Night anchor to cable rebel after a revealing and potentially career-ending public outburst in which…
Director Josh Fox Discusses Fracking Documentary
With issues surrounding fracking, natural gas and oil dominating headlines recently, Josh Fox’s 2010 Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary Gasland seems all too relevant. The film is two years old, but the stories presented in the film are now — more than ever — resonant with the people of Ohio. With a law now passed and signed…
Lola and the City: What’s a Girl To Do?
Lola Versus starts with such promise: Lola (Greta Gerwig), on the beach, engaging in morning yoga while through voiceover informing us about life and the changes on the horizon. In particular, she alerts us to the fact that she (like most of us) is not good with change. She wants the steadiness and the security…
Back For More
Not much is normal at the Goodman household. In fact, things are barely even “next to normal,” as Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey suggested in the title of their 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning Rock musical. Once upon a time musicals told slightly troubled love stories that resolved happily. That time is often referred to as the…
The Great Escape
As a critic, I hesitate to read too much into any particular show — my rule of thumb is that if you can’t see it in the work, it probably isn’t there. I say this because I’m keenly aware that humans have an unparalleled capacity for uncovering profundity were only the banal exists, and I’ve…
Next-Generation Lit
T he stairway to the Goodnight Moon room at The Blue Marble serves as a portal to a simpler, more magical time most of us recall as childhood. The local Fort Thomas children’s bookstore this month celebrates 33 years providing literature for children of all ages and interests. There’s no need for the walls to…
Kanye West and KISS
If All the World’s a Stage, We Might Be Screwed With rare exceptions, the concert biz had seemingly figured out how to safely and successfully stage music events during the past century. Advancements from security to taking concertgoers’ hard-earned cash efficiently (they’re definitely good at that) have been perfected over time, but it seems recently…
Second Chance at Eden Launches New EP
Local Rock quartet Second Chance at Eden presents a release party for its new EP, Intrascape, this Saturday at Leapin’ Lizard Lounge (726 Main St., Covington). Joining the band are special guests Killer Star Effect and The Red Maja. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and cover is $5. Second Chance at Eden has been kicking…
They Arted Me With Science
W hen the comment drops that there’s a lot going on in Art vs. Science, keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Dan McNamee rushes to clarify the statement. “You mean sonically?” he immediately queries. “Because personally there is as well. We haven’t killed each other yet, so that’s good.” Although the Australian Dance Rock trio has only been around since…
What’s So Funny?
C incinnati is known for making many things: chili, soap, aircraft engines. Lately, though, the Queen City is being recognized for producing comedy, as several current headlining comedians started their stand-up careers here and more are making their way into the national spotlight. At first glance, it might look like a coincidence. But Cincinnati has…
Post-Father’s Day: Don’t Blame God
It’s been about 16 months since I met my father for the first (and what looks like only) time. It would be difficult to describe his presence in my life. For 40 years, he was an absence, a void, a ghost in the machine; one that I can’t say I missed. He was like a…
Always-Recycler
I’ve got a problem. Some call it a problem, at least. Personally, I prefer “fixation.” Better yet, a love. Passion. Interest. Civic duty, if you want to be fancy about it. Ask any of my former roommates; they’ll call it a compulsion. A quirk. The one descriptor they’ll use to sum me up to their…
Swim Good
I’m like Martin Luther King, you’re like Rodney. — Black Thought R odney King, long the butt of so many jokes with lead-ins about failed civil rights, police brutality, racism and profiling in the era of Arsenio Hall and NWA at the dawn of videotaping everything before the “broadcast yourself” edict of YouTube, the self-flagellating…
Worst Week Ever! : June 13-19
WEDNESDAY JUNE 13 Kroger Co. reported its first quarter results before the markets opened this morning, and things have apparently been going well for the country’s largest supermarket chain. Last quarter, the total number of households who did their grocery shopping at Kroger increased and its core group of “loyal customers” (defined by shopping patterns…
Votto’s Monster Season Going Under the Radar
Joey Votto should be the face of baseball right now. He should be the biggest name in the game, there should be cameras following his every move, national TV commercials and the talking heads on TV saying “Votto” so much that you’d think it was a verb. Right now, Votto might be the best player…
If These Walls Could Talk
T he intersection at Montgomery Road and Ridge Avenue in Pleasant Ridge is not a socialite’s dream dance night destination, nor is it the go-to spot for Cincinnati’s hottest bars or swankiest restaurants. But for the Pleasant Ridge community business district, this crossroads functions as the backbone for a quiet residential community that values its…
Q&A with Makenzie Place of The Sundresses
Makenzie Place strolled into the Northside Tavern wearing a sundress (how appropriate), telling me she had been at a birthday pool party all day. If I was nervous before she came in, I quickly felt at ease because Makenzie, bassist (and occasional trombonist) of Cincinnati's The Sundresses and co-founder of the new band, Buenos Crotches,…
Your Wednesday To Do List
Meet the cast of Cincinnati Opera’s next show, Porgy and Bess (June 28 and 30; July 6 and 8), tonight at Music Hall, as part of the Opera Raps series. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with a talk by CO’s Artistic Director Evans Mirageas. He will walk guests through the history of George…
Review: Sigur Ros’ ‘Valtari’
Since the dawn of Electronic music in the ’60s, one of the consistent difficulties with the genre has been that the idea of a composition or an entire record is often more interesting than the execution of the idea. It would seem that Sigur Ros is at least tangentially aware of that circumstance because the…
Next to Normal (Review)
Critic's Pick When Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC) produced the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical next to normal last September, it was an early highlight of the 2011-2012 theater season. ETC sold a boatload of tickets, so when the opportunity presented itself to offer a two-week revival with virtually the same cast, it wasn’t a hard decision for…
Music: Adrian Belew and the Crimson ProjeKct
Northern Kentucky native and genuine guitar god Adrian Belew returns to the area this week for a Monday show with The Crimson ProjeKct at the Taft Theatre. Belew is spending half his summer on the road with the ProjeKct — a King Crimson offshoot that also includes KC’s Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto, plus Markus…
Film: Le Havre
Few films were more critically lauded last year than Aki Kaurimaki’s Le Havre, a light-hearted Finnish/French political dramedy about a young African immigrant on the run who is befriended by an aging man and his loveable community of oddball neighbors. The issue of immigration is a global concern, but Kaurimaki wisely highlights the core thread…
Event: Beer With Your Best Friend
The Famous Neons Unplugged, one of the most canine-friendly joints in the city, probably has heard all the best (and worst) “So a guy walks into a bar with a dog” jokes. Now it’s helping adoptable dogs find their own drinking buddies. Recycled Doggies and Adore-A-Bull Rescue will be in the beer garden from noon-5…
Event: Symphonic Stylings at the Electric Warehouse
Ain’t no party like a warehouse party, especially when it includes edgy fashion, interactive art, orchestra collectives and plenty of libations. parProjects is a hub for creative ingenuity, organizing arts events throughout the city (the group presented 2011’s Factory Square Fine Arts Festival). Support their mission and other local businesses Saturday at Symphonic Stylings. The…
Event: Panegyri Greek Festival
Baklava, bouzouki and Pericles, oh my! Follow the smell of shouts of “Opa!” to this year’s Panegyri Greek Festival. Fill up on traditional Greek cuisine, from chili to souvlaki to gyros. If you’re a less brazen eater, grab some Skyline Chili, but for those looking to broaden their Greek taste buds, choose one of Yia…
Comedy: Henry Phillips
“Music has always been my passion,” says comedian Henry Phillips. “When I was a kid, I always wanted to be in a rock band.” However, Phillips always had a funny streak inside. “I was always a fan of ‘Deep Thoughts’ on Saturday Night Live, in that it was presented in such a funny, serious way.…
Event: Her Cincinnati Launch Party
Modern. Confident. Beautiful — new name, same game. The final issue of the smart, saucy women’s mag, A-Line Magazine, hit stands in May, but the brains behind A-Line Magazine now head up her Cincinnati, the still-monthly, free local publication for women, by women. Thursday’s event will feature a sneak preview of the July her issue…
Maribelle’s eat + drink Reopens This Week in Oakley
If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, then you know that things can get dirty. If you haven’t had the luxury of working behind a line, then you’ve heard the rumors. But the staff at Maribelle’s eat + drink has nothing to hide; in fact, they want you to see their kitchen. Maribelle’s, which used…
Walk the Moon Plays Letterman on LP Release Day
Last night, Cincinnati's Walk the Moon hosted an album release show at New York City's Mercury Lounge in honor of their full-length debut for RCA Records. To promote the record on a bit of a wider scale, the quartet also performed on The Late Show with David Letterman. The band played its signature tune, "Anna…
