Events: Bloomsday
People dedicate holidays to everything from an appreciation for a parent to the birthday of a president. But when was the last time you stepped out to an annual celebration for a book? Bloomsday is a yearly tribute to James Joyce and his world-famous novel, Ulysses. The day itself is named after the novel's main…
Music: The Kickaways
It's a blistering evening in Northside as the four members of The Kickaways swelter in the apartment that they've dubbed the Kickaplex. Although only two of them actually reside there, it doubles as rehearsal space and crash pad for the quartet. But, tonight, "sweat lodge" serves as a functional description. Heat is an apt metaphor…
Onstage: Rigoletto
An intense father-daughter relationship is at the heart of Verdi’s opera Rigoletto, which opens Cincinnati Opera’s summer season with performances Thursday and Saturday. Baritone Stephen Powell makes his role debut as Rigoletto, the acid-tongued jester, and soprano Sarah Coburn is his daughter Gilda. Rigoletto has a classic case of denial — as jester to the…
Art: Northside Art in the Park
Summer days should be full of outdoor pleasures, artful experiences and activities that energize and relax. Northside serves all this up and more this Saturday with Art in the Park at Jacob Hoffner Park. From 11 a.m.-7 p.m. the park will be packed with art by more than 60 different artists and more than 50…
Art: Rites of Passage and Magnitude 7
Manifest Creative Research Gallery kicked off the summer with the college student show Rites of Passage and its seventh-annual Magnitude 7 exhibition of small works. Both exhibitions offer an exciting mix of creative endeavors, both large and small. Rites of Passage, an annual exhibition of work by college juniors, seniors and recent grads, reaches beyond…
Comedy: Ian Bagg
Ian Bagg continues to prove he is a true citizen of the English-speaking world. The Los Angeles-based comic, born to a Canadian father and an Australian mother, is soon to be wed to a girl from Virginia Beach, Va. "When I asked her mom if I could marry her she asked what my back-up plan…
Onstage: CDT’s Area Choreographers Festival
Just as modern dance is ever evolving, so too is Contemporary Dance Theater’s signature annual showcase for top area talent. CDT's program, formerly known as Choreographers Without Companies, has not only changed its name but also its requirements for choreographers submitting works for adjudication. No longer do they need to be free agents (i.e. without…
Onstage: Make Someone Happy
Maybe you don't know Jule Styne's name, but I bet you recognize many of the tunes he wrote for musical theater — "Don’t Rain on My Parade," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "Everything's Coming Up Roses," "The Party’s Over," "Just in Time," "Neverland," "People," "Time After Time," "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let…
Onstage: The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)
I've seen The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) so many times that its hilarity has worn very thin. First produced in 1987, the show features three guys joking their way through goofy re-creations of (and tangential references to) Shakespeare’s 37 plays in less than two hours. If you’ve seen it repeatedly, the supposed spontaneity…
Events: Indie Friday on the Square
Cincinnati, prepare for a double dose of indie this weekend. Along with the music at Friday's MidPoint Indie Summer Series on Fountain Square, the coinciding Indie Craft Market is sure to bring folks out of the depths of record stores and into the daylight. You'll be able to celebrate all things delightfully quirky and original…
Events: Mainstrasse Village Original Goettafest
Back in the 19th century when goetta was first brought to Cincinnati by German immigrants, it was eaten as a breakfast patty served with ketchup, syrup or honey. Since then, goetta has become a celebrated novelty gobbled up by Nati natives by the ton at ballparks and festivals throughout the region each summer. Now you…
Music: Maps & Atlases
Somewhere along the line, someone conjured up the term Math Rock to delineate a style of music that combines the immediacy and economy of Indie Rock with the intricacy and complexity of Prog without the hipster artifice of the former and the interminable bloat of the latter. Maps & Atlases certainly satisfies all of the…
Music: Earth
It must have been something to be a marginalized Rock musician in Seattle in 1993, right when Grunge's popularity was skyrocketing and Kurt Cobain's suicide had yet to cast a pall over the scene. Dylan Carlson, guitarist of (mostly) instrumental titans Earth, was once such a person. In '93, his band released its first LP,…
Events: Juneteenth
Every summer we fire up the grills, blast the speakers and gawk at some firework show in celebration of our country's independence on July 4. However, for hundreds of thousands enslaved people, this was just the beginning of almost a century-long battle for their freedom. June 19 has become known as "Emancipation Day" or "Freedom…
Art: Point of Ascension
Lunar, the technology-savvy, super-hip new nightclub at 435 Elm St., Downtown, is hosting an art show called Point of Ascension from 8-10 p.m. this Saturday. It will feature 16 pieces from three artists — Evan Hildebrandt and the team of Collin Rowland and Daniel Augur — commissioned to create work that natural enhances to club's futuristic interior. (All…
Music: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein knew each other for years and years before ever writing a thing together. More along the lines of acquaintances than friends, the two musicians were familiar through the Detroit music scene and maintained respect for the other’s output, but nothing ever clicked. Then 2009 came along, and their dynamic was…
Literary: Charlaine Harris
Trubies, fang bangers and all-around Sookie Stackhouse devotees might need to wait until June 26 for the latest season of HBO's True Blood, but OG fans know it all started with Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries. Harris' novels follow a mind-reading, (spoiler alert) part-fairy waitress in the fictional town of Bon Temps, La. With the…
Live from Bonnaroo 2011, Part 4
The Bonnaroo Whirlwind kicks into high gear on Saturday afternoon. Today it was hardly half past twelve when Black Joe Lewis & the Honey Bears ripped the Other Tent in half with 60 minutes of high fructose Funk and Gospel that had the surrounding throng speaking in tongues.—- Still staggering in disbelief after the 4…
Paul McCartney at GABP
Paul McCartney — "The Cute One" — will perform at Great American Ballpark on Aug. 4 as a part of a string of summer dates that'll see the former Beatle playing Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field (among many other giant venues). Tickets for the Cincinnati date go on sale this Friday through tickets.com. —- According…
Live from Bonnaroo 2011, Part 3
There’s no such thing as “just another day at Bonnaroo." This morning I was in attendance for a mesmerizing performance by Nashville AltCountry siren Tristen in the press tent that barely ended in time for me to race over to This Tent for a performance by Black Joe Lewis & The Honey Bears that shook…
2011 Cincy Fringe: Distillation of Magic
The 2011 Cincinnati Fringe Festival wrapped up on Saturday, June 11, with an 11 p.m. party and awards announcement. Festival organizer and Know Theatre Producing Artistic Director Eric Vosmeier (amazingly recovered from a traffic accident a week earlier in which both of his arms were injured) was onstage and frenetic as ever to share the…
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Review)
Critic's Pick I’ve seen The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) so many times that its hilarity has worn very thin. First produced in 1987, the show features three guys joking their way through goofy recreations of (and tangential references to) Shakespeare’s 37 plays in less than two hours. If you’ve seen it repeatedly, the…
MPMF11 Tickets Now on Sale
Advance ticket sales are underway for the 2011 MidPoint Music Festival Sept. 22-24 in downtown Cincinnati and Over-the-Rhine. A limited number of 3-Day VIP Passes and 3-Day Wristbands are available through multiple channels. Find more details about ticket sales on the MPMF.com web site. MidPoint introduces the VIP experience this year for rabid fans. VIP…
Morning News and Stuff
Anthony Weiner checked himself into a rehabilitation center this weekend for his addiction to taking lewd pictures of himself. When asked whether he had plans to return to office after his treatment ended his spokeswoman declined to comment beyond a statement saying he needed time to determine what he would do next.—- Weiner is hoping…
Live from Bonnaroo 2011, Part 2
The 4 p.m. press conference didn’t pack nearly as much star power as the one held earlier in the day, but it was loaded with much casual insight about the inner workings of Bonnaroo and the different artists’ experience playing at the festival. The second press conference panel of the day featured Hayes Carll, Ben…
Live from Bonnaroo 2011, Part 1
Howdy folks! It’s your loyal, intrepid Bonnaroo correspondent Ric Hickey. Once again I am pleased and honored to be covering the big festival for CityBeat. We’ve been on-site for barely four hours and already this is shaping up to be one of the best Bonnaroo experiences that I have ever enjoyed. —- First thing this…
MidPoint Announces First Round of 2011 Headliners
The MidPoint Music Festival has announced the first performer confirmations for the 10th edition of the downtown festival happening Sept. 22-24, 2011. Artist highlights will include: • Melbourne, Australia’s CUT COPY, featured in SPIN Magazine’s “25 Must Hear Artists at Coachella” (story here) • Austin, Tex.-based OKKERVIL RIVER, touring in support of their new album,…
Guest Column: Why Schmidt is Pushing Pesticide
(* David Krikorian is a businessman from Madeira who twice ran unsuccessfully against incumbent Jean Schmidt to represent Ohio's 2nd Congressional District. Schmidt is suing Krikorian for defamation, after he called her a “puppet” of special interests for accepting large amounts of cash from the Turkish government. Meanwhile, the Office of Congressional Ethics is investigating…
Buffalo Killers Release LP 3 This Summer
Garage/Psych Pop trio Buffalo Killers will have its third long-player, titled 3, released on Aug. 2 through Alive Records (also home to Brian Olive’s recent sophomore solo album). The band is set to host release parties in Dayton (at Canal Street Tavern July 15) and Cincinnati (at MOTR Pub July 16), then head out west…
Earth
It must have been something to be a marginalized Rock musician in Seattle in 1993, right when Grunge's popularity was skyrocketing and Kurt Cobain's suicide had yet to cast a pall over the scene. Dylan Carlson, guitarist of (mostly) instrumental titans Earth, was once such a person. In '93, his band released its first LP,…
Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer (Review)
Megan McDonald, the writer behind the beloved children’s series of books based on the Judy Moody character, teams up with television screenwriter Kathy Waugh and director John Schultz (Aliens in the Attic) to bring Judy (Jordana Beatty) to life along with her brother Stink (Parris Mosteller) and their funky Aunt Opal (Heather Graham) in this…
Maps & Atlases
Somewhere along the line, someone conjured up the term Math Rock to delineate a style of music that combines the immediacy and economy of Indie Rock with the intricacy and complexity of Prog without the hipster artifice of the former and the interminable bloat of the latter. Maps & Atlases certainly satisfies all of the…
Stage Door: Last Chance for Fringe
Friday and Saturday are the final two days of performances from the Cincinnati Fringe. You can read reviews of all the shows at CityBeat's special Fringe blog site. But for your quick reference, here's a list of the shows that received "Critic's Picks" from one of our writers. —-(Those marked with * have finished their…
Morning News and Stuff
In his farewell speech to the NATO Council in Brussels today, outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates shared his feelings about the intergovernmental military alliance. Gates described NATO as a “two-tiered” alliance poorly equipped to deal with challenges and with members either unable or unwilling to carry out missions in Afghanistan and Libya. Gates illustrated…
Friday Movie Roundup: Woody Allen Returns to Form
Who knew it would take a 75-year-old to make the best movie of the summer (so far)? Woody Allen's 41st feature is his most engaging effort in years,a whimsical comedy that seamlessly melds moments of dreamy, nostalgic delight —its protagonist, played by Allen surrogate Owen Wilson, is somehow, each midnight, transported back to Paris' 1920s…
‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ Trailer Unveiled
David Fincher is a busy man. After giving us only one film (2002's Panic Room) in the eight years following 1999's gleefully subversive, zeitgeist-capturing Fight Club, the notoriously meticulous filmmaker delivered one of 2010’s best films, The Social Network, which was his third effort in four years following 2007's excellent Zodiac and 2008's out-of-character —…
OSU Fans Need to Get a Life
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Fanatic: “excessive or overweening devotion to a cause or belief; further implies unbalanced or obsessive behavior.” — (Dictionary.com) Fan: popular American abbreviation for fanatic. — (Dictionary.com) Reader: remnant of endangered species. — (Etaoin Shrdlu) I don’t know or care whether my university has winning teams. I have a life, something that…
Super 8 (Review)
Give J.J. Abrams credit for stones the size of bowling balls, because he practically gift-wraps the pike on which his science-fiction thriller Super 8 could be skewered. Early in the film, aspiring middle-school filmmaker Charles (Riley Griffiths) explains to his pal, Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney), why he has added new scenes to the zombie movie…
Ex-Mayor Inducted into Hall
A longtime Cincinnati councilwoman who also was the city's first female mayor recently was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame. Bobbie Sterne, 91, who served for a quarter-century on City Council, was given the honor during a ceremony May 26 at the Capitol Theatre in Columbus. She joins more than 350 people…
Morning News and Stuff
John Boehner rose to prominence back in January when he went from Minority Leader to House Speaker, increasing his staff, ego and paycheck. As Minority Leader, Boehner received a monthly payment of $833 from taxpayers to cover “official expenses for leaders,” the same monthly total then-Majority Leader Steny Hoyer received. NBD, right? Well Boehner now…
Interviews from Rock on the Range, Part 2
Editor’s Note: CityBeat contributor Amy Harris attended the recent Rock on the Range in Columbus, one of the most beloved Hard Rock and Metal music fest’s in the country. And she brought her camera and tape recorded along to share the experience with you. Below is Part 1 of her collection of interviews from RotR,…
Eric Church Pre-CMA Fest Interview
I’m in this week covering the CMA Music Festival with photo and interview coverage of all of this year’s festivities. The CMT Music Awards are the formal kickoff to the weekend and we caught up with Eric Church to discuss his nomination this year and his songwriting for the new album. Eric is offering his…
Alert!: Film Fringe Is Thursday
CityBeat’s theater guru Rick Pender is right when he pimps the Cincy Fringe Festival as an “Antidote to Uptight” — personally speaking, the annual smorgasbord of edgy indie theater is among the best 12 days the city has to offer. Even the productions that don’t work are at least unique in one way or another.…
Former XU Priest Under Investigation
A priest who previously was the campus minister at Xavier University has been relieved of his duties by the Catholic Church after it learned about "the improper touching" of two minors several years ago in Maryland. The allegations against the Rev. Louis Bonacci were investigated by the church's Province Review Board, which also has contacted civil…
Swimming Pools and The Celestial
[WINNER] SWIMMING POOLS: For at least the fourth year in a row, the possibility of closing many of the city-owned swimming pools for all or part of the summer has been averted. To help avoid a deficit, City Council approved a budget in January that would’ve left 19 pools closed this summer. In April, a…
Music: Shivering Timbers
Children are a surprisingly underutilized source of inspiration for music. Think for a second — how many songs or bands can you think of that are inspired by or for children? (For the sake of discussion, material directly made for kids shows doesn’t count.) Your tally will likely be low, even if a few examples…
June 1-7: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY JUNE 1 There are times when Cincinnati seems like a cool place — maybe it’s Final Friday or there’s some type of food festival selling so much beer you don’t realize half the people around you live in Mason (“Yeah bro, I’m wasted too! Break whatever that is!”). But for every weekend filled with…
Get Down to the Breakdown
The annual exhibition of Greater Cincinnati’s fantastic American Roots music scene, Rivertown Breakdown, presents its 10th anniversary event this Saturday at Newport’s Southgate House. Besides showcasing local music, the event — the brainchild of local Folk music hero Jake Speed — has raised money each year for “river-related” causes. This year, proceeds will again be…
Shut Up and Cut My Hair
I liked this young woman cutting my hair. Focused at the task at hand, she wasn’t saying a word to me. She kept her eyes squarely on the top of my head and used those scissors like she knew what she was doing. A friend had driven me around Western Hills last week looking for…
Bono, Cassettes and LaBelle
[HOT] How Did He See Such a Teeny Tiny Thumb? Did you know Bono put himself in the position to be murdered by a Canadian serial killer recently? Having clearly not seen enough horror movie thrillers, Bono found himself (and a buddy) in the middle of a downpour while taking a walk around town in…
Majr Gazr & Maidens of the Cosmic Body Running (Review)
CRITIC'S PICK T he Contemporary Arts Center’s second-floor galleries are presently shared by a solo exhibition of sculptures by Matthew Monahan and Majr Gazr, a multimedia installation by the collaborative Maidens of the Cosmic Body Running. Monahan’s work will be on view until Oct. 30, which seems like a long time to spend with an…
Fringe: Antidote to Uptight
You’ve been reading a lot about the current Cincinnati Fringe Festival in CityBeat for several weeks. Now’s my chance to sum up what I like about this crazy annual event, and why it’s more than just fun. It’s actually good for our city. It’s a creative shot in the arm. The artists who perform —…
Keep on Food Truckin’
A few years ago, one of the best things about visiting other cities was exploring their food truck options. Not only do they almost always have really good, cheap and fast food, but they provide a great option for talented chefs to show off their creations to the public without the massive expense of a…
Resting the Wicked
I t is quiet. Tall and thin, Jason Ludwig’s blue eyes hide under prominent brows. His hair is long, light brown, tied back. Mellow, sipping a beer, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, when he talks, it flows, and he often moves his hands, easily gesturing and often guiding talk to the topic of music. Making…
A Sudsy Salute
Y ou might think you’re getting the joke in Soapland’s name, assuming it refers to the long and profitable presence of Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati. Soapland wouldn’t be the first to take a jab at P&G’s pervasive profile. When Wizard Records owner John James conceived his 1988 local album project, his original title concept…
City Officials Protect Tillery’s Sweetheart Deal
P eople who closely follow the budget troubles plaguing City Hall for the past couple of years know that Cincinnati City Council had to make numerous cuts to services last winter to avoid a $54.7 million deficit . Those cuts originally included eliminating residential yard waste collection, ending funding for nurses in public schools and…
Telling Their Stories to Others
A local organization is trying to educate area schools on the importance of accepting the LGBT youth in their midst by presenting a series of documentary videos that it hopes will inspire and educate. The Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network (GLSEN) is creating a series of videos called the “Stories…
Fire … and Lots of It
T he 2011 Cincinnati Fringe Festival will wrap up this weekend. It’s been another year of oddball acts and powerful performances. CityBeat ’s Fringe review team has been out and about on your behalf, catching the first performances of most shows and posting those reviews on a special Fringe page at citybeat.com for you to…
Symphony Hotel (Review)
CRITIC'S PICK The Symphony Hotel and Restaurant is quite the Cincinnati secret. Tucked away on 14th Street, adjacent to Music Hall, the hotel began as a mansion in 1871, built by a local music instructor and was later converted into the current hotel and restaurant. Dining at the Symphony makes you feel, well, fancy. You…
Closing Bars a Black and White Issue?
A ndrew Williams is still standing, much to the chagrin of Cincinnati officials and some of his neighbors. The city of Cincinnati has attempted on numerous occasions to close William’s nightclub — known variously as Club Oasis, Club Ritz and Club Aqua Nite Life — through legal means but he continues to stay open to…
Midnight in Paris
B ack in 2002, during the junket for I Spy, Owen Wilson appeared distracted. As he fielded questions, he took long pauses and the twinkle in his eyes hinted at unspoken responses, tales he could have told but knew better than to share with us because it was likely that we, jaded critics and writers…
Morning News and Stuff
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen today said that it’s safe for Western powers to start planning for a Libya without Moammar Gaddafi because he “is history.” According to Rasmussen, the longtime leader’s departure “may take weeks, but it could happen tomorrow and when he goes the international community has to be ready."—- Speaking at a…
