The Burger Issue: Cincinnati’s 23 Reader-Voted Best Burger Joints (Plus Some Staff Favorites)
Hamburgers tend to adhere to a tried-and-true culinary equation. At the nucleus of a burger is a ground-beef patty (or two), topped with assorted accoutrements — lettuce, tomato, onion, cheese, pickles, bacon, over-easy eggs, etc. — sandwiched between either side of a bun. If a burger isn’t made with beef, it typically boasts a modifier…
TV Presenter and Comedian Godfrey Brings His Stand Up to the Liberty Funny Bone
Comedian Godfrey is probably as well known for his TV presenting skills and voiceover roles as he is for his stand up. From co-hosting the outdoor competition Bullseye on FOX to playing Kofi on the popular animated series Steven Universe, Godfrey is one busy man. Born to Nigerian parents, Godfrey had a hard time convincing…
Art on Vine Takes Over Fountain Square with Dozens of Fine Art Vendors and Makers
Shop up to 60 local vendors showcasing their handmade goods and fine art. A full bar is available and Reds fans can watch the game on Fountain Square’s big screen. If you can’t make it this time, don’t worry: Art on Vine takes place on the first Sunday every the month. Noon-6 p.m. Sunday. Free…
Cincinnati’s Monthly LGTBQ+ Tea Dance Heads to Somm Wine Bar in Price Hill
If you missed Tea Dance Cinci’s big Pride bash at Music Hall, the Sunday Funday party is back this weekend — albeit on a smaller scale. Head to Somm Wine Bar in the Incline District for a dance party featuring music by Ben and Milkshake. This LGTBQ-community gathering is open to everyone and will take…
The Krohn Conservatory Transforms into the Italian Countryside During ‘Il Giardino: A Garden of Tuscany’
Krohn Conservatory’s summer show promises to transport you to Italy’s beautiful Tuscany region. The landscape is designed to recreate a traditional Italian garden, complete with cypress trees, fragrant herbs, fountains and colorful summer flowers. It may be a formal garden, but it certainly isn’t stuffy. Through Aug. 18. $7 adults; $5 children; free under 4.…
Get Ready for ‘The Fight’ with Know Theatre’s Upcoming Season
Know Theatre's 2018-2019 season lineup honed in on "Fear Itself." Looking past scares — both existential and what lurks in the shadows — the Over-the-Rhine theater company is gearing up for "The Fight" in their 2019-2020 season. Six mainstage shows are slated throughout the season that touch on topics ranging from navigating unemployment to parenting…
Northside Hosts Cincinnati’s Most Colorful Fourth of July Parade and Carnival
Northside takes the Fourth of July very seriously, having hosted a carnival and parade in some iteration since the 1980s. Things kick off at 4 p.m. Wednesday with the start of the two-day Rock N’ Roll carnival, a family-friendly music and beer-fueled romp in Hoffner Park featuring free live music on two stages. Day one…
Resolution in Ohio House of Representatives Would Declare Pornography a Public Health Emergency
When you think of emergency health concerns, things like infectious diseases or unsanitary conditions likely come to mind. But some GOP state lawmakers have worries about something else — sexually explicit media, especially in the age of the internet. A resolution before the Ohio House of Representatives introduced by Republican State Rep. Jena Powell of…
The Delta Queen Will Set Sail Once Again in 2020
Come 2020, the Delta Queen — the oldest American overnight passenger steamboat — will sail again. The Queen is in the process of being restored. Her needs include over $10 million in repairs, spanning fire safety, generator, sewage and mechanical upgrades. “What the passengers will hear and see is what the Delta Queen is largely…
Youngstown Vindicator to Close Due to Financial Hardship, Hundreds to Lose Jobs
Owners of the Youngstown Vindicator, the eighth-largest newspaper in Ohio by circulation, announced late last week that it would halt publication on August 31. In light of “great financial hardships,” according to a letter from Publisher Betty Brown and General Manager Mark Brown, the paper had been seeking prospective buyers for the previous year to no avail. …
Roving Gangs of Mayflies Have Converged in Northeast Ohio
Mayflies, like all flying insects, see a light and can't help but buzz in that direction. And Saturday night, one Ohio Division of Wildlife worker found out the hard way that mayflies are more than back in business in Northeast Ohio. At Catawba Island State Park, about an hour and 20 minutes west of Cleveland,…
Cincy Brewing Co. is Transforming the Former Rivertown Brewing Space into its Own Lockland Taproom
Something new is brewing off I-75 in Lockland, filling a spot formerly long held by Rivertown Brewing Company (since relocated to Monroe) and near other small businesses like the La Terza Coffee roasting headquarters. The forthcoming Cincy Brewing Co. is taking over the old Rivertown space to create a brewery and taproom where locals can…
The Aquabats and Reel Big Fish, Giants of the ’90s Ska Punk Explosion, Play Cincinnati This Week
Two of the more popular acts of the Ska/Punk explosion of the 1990s — SoCal’s The Aquabats and Reel Big Fish — are spending part of their summers on a co-headlining North American tour and the second show on the jaunt is right here Cincinnati. The groups play Bogart's this Wednesday, July 3. The costumed…
Keystone Bar & Grill to Serve Mac & Cheese Chicken and Waffles for National Mac & Cheese Day
National Mac & Cheese Day is Sunday, July 14 — a holiday with no specific significance other than to encourage people to eat macaroni and cheese (unlike National Donut Day, which is in fact to celebrate the role donuts played as a comfort food during World War I). Thankfully, requesting that people eat macaroni and…
Cincinnati Musicians and Comedians Team Up for Fourth-Annual ‘Dump Trump’ Concert
Cincinnati comedian Brad Thacker is presenting his fourth “Dump Trump” show this weekend. Featuring a slew of Greater Cincinnati musical acts and comedians, Dump Trump IV: The Agony goes down on Saturday, July 6 at 8 p.m., taking over the whole Southgate House Revival (111 E. Sixth St., Newport, southgatehouse.com). Thacker hosted the first Dump…
Top Democratic Presidential Primary Contender Weighs in on Local Nurses Union Controversy
A high-profile contender in the Democratic Party's presidential primary has waded into a controversy over discipline handed down by a local hospital against leaders of its nurses union. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont yesterday tweeted in support of Jennifer Donaldson and Michelle Thoman, two nurses who hold leadership positions in the Registered Nurses Association…
Free Crown Jewels of Jazz Concerts Return Every Wednesday in July
The annual Crown Jewels of Jazz series featuring local and nationally-recognized Jazz artists returns this week. This year’s home for the free, weekly concerts is the lawn at St. Aloysius Orphanage (4721 Reading Road, Bond Hill). Music begins each week at 6:30 p.m. This week’s series opener on July 3 features Tim Warfield’s Organ Band.…
The SkyStar Wheel is Staying at The Banks… Forever
SkyStar, the once-temporary 15-story "observation wheel" (aka Ferris Wheel) at The Banks downtown, has extended its stay indefinitely. The portable contraption was originally supposed to terminate its run (which started in August 2018) in December 2018, and then decided to extend its stay through June 16. Then it extended its stay again through the end…
Cincinnati Ranks No. 7 Best City in America for Recreation
When it comes to parks and recreation in the Queen City, we have more than enough options to keep us entertained and active. To celebrate July being National Parks and Recreation month, personal finance website WalletHub evaluated data from a number of categories in order to calculate which cities have the best recreation. According to…
‘Porgy and Bess’ Returns to Cincinnati Opera
When Cincinnati Opera’s production of Porgy and Bess opens on July 20, it will do so for only the second time in the company’s 99-year history. Composed by George Gershwin, with a libretto by DuBose Heyward — the author of the play Porgy upon which the opera is based — and Ira Gershwin, Porgy and…
Clifton’s Gaslight Art Scene is Expanding
A new art gallery has opened in Clifton’s Gaslight neighborhood, close to some of Ludlow Avenue’s most popular hot spots. The sensibly named Off Ludlow Gallery is just one of the latest initiatives of the Clifton Town Meeting Arts & Culture Committee to emphasize arts in the neighborhood. Located on Ormond Avenue in the former…
Catch Tom Cruise in a Free ‘Top Gun’ Screening at Washington Park
Head to Washington Park every Wednesday this summer for free cinema in the park. Grab some food on the way down or make a trip to the concession for all your favorite movie snacks, plus wine, local beer and even some boozy cocktails. This week, check out Tom Cruise in his prime as he plays…
HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Exposes Gen-Z for All its Glitter and Grit
Euphoria’s (10 p.m. Sundays, HBO) reputation certainly preceded itself. The TV series debut from creator/writer/director Sam Levinson, this high school-set drama offers a frank look at teen sex, drug use and mental health, with enough adult content to warrant not one but two warnings ahead of each episode. Early reviews harped on the show’s gratuitous…
Coney Island Illuminates During the 20th Annual Hot Air Balloon Glow
The sky above Coney Island will illuminate with more than a dozen glowing hot air balloons for the 20th-anniversary of Balloon Glow. Take in the dazzling light display before a fireworks grand finale from Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks. Make Balloon Glow an all-day experience by heading to the park early to enjoy Coney rides, entertainment and…
Minimum Gauge: Nick Cave and Interpol Respond to Morrissey’s Support of Far Right Political Party
HOT: Artists Respond to Morrissey Alt music icon Morrissey has been getting a lot of flack recently for his show of support for U.K.’s far-right political party For Britain, which some call racist and anti-immigrant. Artists have also been weighing in. A recent interview with Paul Banks from Interpol, which is touring with Morrissey, made…
CCM Alum Omer Ben Seadia Directs Cincinnati Opera’s ‘Ariadne auf Naxos’
Omer Ben Seadia’s career is on a nonstop upswing. I first profiled the Israeli director for CityBeat in May 2014 when — as a grad student at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) — she was granted the rare distinction of directing a mainstage opera production. Five years later, Ben Seadia, now 32,…
Horror Film ‘Midsommar’ is a Psychedelic Mindfuck
Midsommar begins with a sharp inhale and ends with an exhale. From the start, director Ari Aster plunges viewers straight into grief. At the center is Dani (Florence Pugh), an American psychology student in the midst of unfathomable trauma. Even before this, her relationship with long-term boyfriend Christian (Jack Reynor), an anthropology graduate student, was…
City of Cincinnati Launches Short-Term Rental Registry
If you rent out a property in Cincinnati on Airbnb or similar sites, you'll need to register with the city starting today. But there is a website for that. The online portal allows short-term rental operators to apply in a matter of minutes, a news release from the city states, and file paperwork and pay…
Built to Spill to Play Classic Indie Rock Album ‘Keep It Like a Secret’ at the Woodward Theater
Built to Spill joins a curiously robust set of 1990s Indie Rock staples touring this spring and summer — Guided by Voices, Sebadoh, Superchunk, Yo La Tengo and Stereolab, to name just a handful — acts that made their name amid the post-Nirvana Alt Rock explosion with musical outputs that still reverberate today. Some are…
Music Legend “Weird Al” Yankovic Plays the Hits with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra in Kettering This Week
“Weird Al” Yankovic has said that he never imagined that his career would take off the way it has. In the beginning, he started performing on Thursday nights at his college coffeehouse. Students would go and sit and have a coffee and watch local artists and students perform. Nine times out of ten, some guy…
Ohio Lawmakers Pass Temporary Spending Measures as Budget Talks Go Into Extra Innings
Budgeting can be hard — even when your party controls both houses of the Ohio General Assembly and the governor's mansion and has about $2 billion in surplus funds to work with. The Ohio Senate June 30 passed a series of 17-day emergency spending measures as lawmakers ran up against a deadline in the Ohio…
The Cincinnati Zoo is Open Late Tuesdays in July
The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is taking pity on those with 9-to-5 jobs and who hate the hot summer sun by staying open late every Tuesday in July for Twilight Tuesdays. The zoo will stay open until 8 p.m. on July 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 with free admission for members and half-price…
Mt. Lookout’s 54th-Annual Ault Park Independence Day Celebration Will Be a Blast
Although the main firework event isn’t until 10 p.m., the Ault Park Independence Day festivities start long before the sun goes down. The morning program begins at 11 a.m. with a children’s parade and contest. Later in the evening, GenX will take to the stage with a setlist full of crowd pleasers that everybody can…
Enjoy Listening to Patriotic Classics at Riverbend’s Red, White and BOOM! with the Cincinnati Pops
Enjoy an evening listening to all those patriotic classics you’ve known since you were young as seasoned conductor John Morris Russell and the Cincinnati Pops give what’s likely to be an inspiring rendition. The two-hour concert includes guests the US Army Six String Soldiers and vocalist and Tony Award nominee Montego Glover. The concert will…
Red, White and Blue Ash Will Feature Classic Rock Headliners Kansas
What do cool dads who grew up in the '70s and edgy teenage girls who religiously watch Supernatural have in common? A love for the Classic Rock band Kansas, who will be headlining this annual event. Food, drinks, games and other activities will be available when the event kicks off at 4 p.m., and opening act Natalie…
Celebrate Freedom at the Green Township Independence Day Concert and Fireworks
Spend some time on the West Side celebrating with an evening full of fun, food and illuminations at the Green Township Independence Day Concert and Fireworks. Community organizations will be selling beer, burgers, funnel cakes and more, and the money raised will go back into the community. The Midwestern and Saffire Express will perform live music…
Mason’s Annual Red, Rhythm and Boom Celebration Will Feature a Performance by Daughtry
Mason's annual Fourth of July event Red, Rhythm and Boom kicks off the celebration July 3. Join the cool kids in celebrating Independence Day as Echosmith takes the stage, followed by Grammy-nominated headliner Daughtry. Because there’s nothing more patriotic than American Idol. The night opens with a FASTRAX Skydiving exhibit and closes with a fireworks display…
Stricker’s Grove Opens its Nostalgic — and Private — West Side Amusement Park on the Fourth of July
Flashback to the yesteryears of family reunions and elementary school events as you take a ride on the train you used to drag your parents onto or buckle into the classic Tornado roller coaster you were once too scared to try. Although this private family-owned amusement park is closed to the public most days of…
Kentucky Appeals Court Denies Appeal from Students Banned from School Due to Chickenpox
The Northern Kentucky Health Department was within its rights to order students with chickenpox to stay away from their private Northern Kentucky high school, the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled Friday. The students at Assumption Academy and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, two Catholic high schools in Walton, sued after the health department instituted a…
Kid Rock Owns the Libs by Selling Out Riverbend for the Second Year in a Row
For the second year in a row, rocker and Donald Trump golfing partner Kid Rock has sold out a concert at Riverbend Music Center. The venue announced this morning that there are no tickets left for Mr. Rock's Sept. 28 show, which also features special guest Hank Williams Jr. Last year, Rock's Sept. 8 show…
Pitching Ace Luis Castillo to Represent the Cincinnati Reds at the 2019 All-Star Game
Yesterday Major League Baseball announced the pitchers and reserves who will be playing in July 9’s All-Star Game in Cleveland. The Cincinnati Reds' lone selection is pitching ace Luis Castillo. Castillo is part of the “player-elected” batch of all-stars; others are voted on by fans. After bouncing around in the San Francisco Giants and Miami…
Yvette Simpson Tapped as ABC Political Contributor
Former Cincinnati City Council member and 2017 mayoral contender Yvette Simpson is taking a new role on the national stage as a political contributor for ABC News. Simpson today made her first official appearance as a commentator on This Week, where she has previously made guest appearances. She advocated for Medicare for All, a key…
The Moving Arts Dance Festival is Onstage this Weekend at Downtown’s Aronoff Center
The Moving Arts Dance Festival opens tonight at the Aronoff Center for the Arts in the intimate Jarson-Kaplan Theater. The festival gives opportunities for performance not only to dancers from a variety of companies (Cincinnati Ballet, Kansas City Ballet and Oklahoma City Ballet) but also to audiences eager to see dance onstage during the summer…
Music Schedule Announced for Northside’s Fourth (and Third) of July Rock N’ Roll Carnival
The Northside Rock N’ Roll Carnival will again take over Jacob Hoffner Park (1618 Blue Rock St.) on July 3 and 4. The festival is anchored by live local music and also features a variety of beer, food and other vendors. Music starts at 5 p.m. on July 3; on July 4, things get rolling…
Downtown’s Kroger Food Hall Will Feature These Five Local Restaurants
This September, Kroger's forthcoming downtown location will offer five local dining options in their food court. The grocery chain announced in a press release on July 27 its plans for the store's "first-of-its-kind dining experience." Diners can look forward to enjoying bites from Cincinnati favorites like Django Western Taco, Eli's BBQ, Queen City Whip, Dope Asian…
Cincinnati Bengals Fans Ranked Fifth Worst in New Study
Whenever you see news reports that begin with "a new study says…" — and it's not a front-page story about an asteroid that's about to crash into the Earth — it's always best to take it with several grains of salts. See: 95 percent of news stories from the past 50 years about the various…
Councilmember Pushes Back On Scrutiny Into Foundation’s Charitable Giving
Cincinnati City Councilmember Jeff Pastor today took to social media to decry news stories detailing more than $300,000 given to local churches during the 2017 election season by the foundation Pastor led at the time. Pastor, a Republican who won the ninth and final spot on council in 2017 by 223 votes over Democrat Michelle…
Australian Indie Star Courtney Barnett to Rock Northern Kentucky’s Madison Theater
Courtney Barnett combines the dexterous fingerpicking guitar style of Nick Drake with the wry songwriting humor and detached observational vocal delivery of Billy Bragg and folds it all into a blistering Indie Rock presentation that took American by total surprise five years ago with the 2013 release of The Double EP: A Sea of Split…
Jazz/Bluegrass Fusion Legends Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Bring 30th-Anniversary Tour to Cincinnati
Groundbreaking banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck is coming back to Cincinnati, and fans of the 16-time Grammy Award-winning artist should be especially enthusiastic. Fleck is performing with the original Flecktones lineup to celebrate their 30th anniversary. The tour comes to the Taft Theatre this Sunday, June 30. For many, the Flecktones are unquestionably the highlight of…
Local Man Gets Life Sentence for Charlottesville Attack
A federal judge today sentenced 22-year-old Ohio resident James Alex Fields Jr. to life in prison for driving his car into a group of anti-racism protesters at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017, killing protester Heather Heyer and injuring 30 others. Federal prosecutors sought the life sentence for the federal hate…
Walnut Hills’ Comfort Station Transforms a Rest Area into a Hip Cocktail Lounge
The team behind Sundry and Vice is opening their latest bar on Friday, June 28 in Walnut Hills. Comfort Station, located in a former 105-year-old rest area (aka basically a public restroom), has transformed a dilapidated space into an airy nightlife destination full of hip cocktails and outdoor lounging areas. “A long time in the making,…
McConnell Campaign Twitter Account Tangles With ‘Parks and Recreation’ Star
It probably seemed like a good idea at the time: a political campaign tweeting a cheeky GIF from a (sorta) recent popular television show. What could go wrong? But then things took a… well… not great turn. At least for the campaign. The official Twitter account for Kentucky Republican U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's…
All the Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July in Cincinnati
WEDNESDAY 03 Red, Rhythm and Boom — Join the cool kids in celebrating Independence Day as Echosmith takes the stage, followed by Grammy-nominated headliner Daughtry. Because there’s nothing more patriotic than American Idol. The night opens with a FASTRAX Skydiving exhibit and closes with a fireworks display courtesy of Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks. Food, drinks, bouncy houses…
VIDEO: Watch The Love Unfold During Cincinnati’s 2019 Pride Parade
Cincinnati's 46th-annual Pride parade took place over the weekend, bringing thousands to the streets of downtown. This brief video recap illustrates the love and hope spread throughout the city. Video by Emma Stiefel
The 2020 Ohio Presidential Primary Has Been Scheduled for … St. Patrick’s Day
Rowdy masses at the polls decked out in green! Vomit on the ballots! Bagpipes everywhere! Extremely low voter turnout! All are possible eventualities if the 2020 presidential primary election is held — as it's currently scheduled to be held — on St. Patrick's Day: March 17, 2020. Republicans, who set the date, are shrugging their…
More Renderings Released Showing Plans for MEMI’s New Riverfront Music Venue
Music and Event Management Inc. — aka MEMI, the concert arm of the non-profit Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra that runs Riverbend Music Center and Taft Theatre and books concerts at other local venues — has shared new renderings for its forthcoming venue on Cincinnati's riverfront. The organization last month said it was ready to begin construction…
Christian Moerlein Makes a Goetta Beer for the Inaugural Glier’s Goetta Pub Crawl at The Banks
On July 17, the inaugural Glier’s Goetta Pub Crawl takes place in advance of the annual Glier's Goettafest on the Newport riverfront, which has pulled a Coachella and is now a two-weekend affair July 25-28 and Aug. 1-4. The crawl will take over The Banks from 6-10 p.m., starting with a special keg tapping at…
Rookwood Pottery to Open Storefront in Kenwood Towne Centre This Summer
Over-the-Rhine's historic Rookwood Pottery company is celebrating its 140th anniversary by opening up a new location in the Kenwood Towne Centre. The retail shop will have its grand opening party July 13-14. The weekend-long event will feature live artist demonstrations, signings and promotions along with refreshments and light bites. Located in the southwestern wing of…
Paisley Underground Pioneer Dan Stuart Brings Solo Tour to Cincinnati for Free Concert
Dan Stuart was the singer/songwriter/guitarist with the band Green on Red, which started in Tucson in 1979 (as The Serfers) but quickly moved to Los Angeles where it became part of the “paisley underground” movement of supposedly neo-psychedelic Alternative bands. The group lasted until 1992 without widespread success, but a San Francisco guitarist who joined…
U.S Supreme Court: Federal Courts Shouldn’t Intervene in Congressional Redistricting; Ohio Districts Will Stand Until 2022
The United States Supreme Court today ruled 5-4 that federal courts have no business deciding issues around congressional redistricting, leaving battles about gerrymandering to state lawmakers. The ruling on cases in North Carolina and Maryland means that Ohio's current congressional districts will stay until 2022, despite a lower court's decision that struck them down as…
All the Beers You Can Drink at Fifty West’s Punch Out Brewery-On-Brewery Boxing Event
Fifty West’s Punch Out: Round Four will go down 4 p.m.-midnight July 13. The annual event is a series of brewery-on-brewery amateur boxing matches where individuals from eight breweries go full-on Rocky to win bragging rights in the ring. You can cheer on your favorite local brewery/brewer while enjoying live music, local food vendors and…
Fretboard Brewing Hosting Whispering Beard Folk Festival Preview Party This Weekend
After several years nestled in the cozy confines of small-town Friendship, Indiana, this August’s edition of the popular Whispering Beard Folk Festival will take place on Cincinnati’s riverfront at Smale Riverfront Park. The event's lineup will feature national acts like M. Ward, Ryan Bingham, Peter Rowan and The Felice Brothers, as well as local faves…
Tax Documents: Foundation Headed by Cincinnati City Council Candidate Handed Out $300,000 to Churches
The charitable foundation now-Cincinnati City Councilmember Jeff Pastor ran during the 2017 council elections gave out more than $300,000 to churches and other religious institutions during that election year, federal tax filings show. The Charles L. Shor Foundation for Epilepsy Research, Inc.'s form 990 IRS filings come after reports that Pastor handed out checks to…
Wilco to Return to Cincinnati This Fall
Wilco is returning to Cincinnati's Taft Theatre this fall. The Indie Rock heroes will perform at the Taft on Nov. 9. Tickets ($45-$75) go on sale Tuesday, July 2 at 10 a.m. via TIcketmaster. Jeff Tweedy might want to just get an apartment in Cincinnati. He was here last year to promote his fantastic memoir,…
Stanley’s Pub to Host Ninth-Annual Reggae Fest This Weekend
Stanley’s Reggae Fest returns for its ninth-annual event this Saturday, June 29 at Stanley’s Pub (323 Stanley Ave., Columbia-Tusculum, facebook.com/stanleys.pub). As always, the fest will showcase some of Cincinnati’s best Reggae outfits, all Cincinnati Entertainment Award winners and nominees. The Cliftones, Elementree Livity Project and the Queen City Silver Stars will play, joined by Ohio…
