Lt. Governor Candidate Blasts Kasich’s Tax Cut Proposal
Lt. Governor-candidate Sharen Neuhardt held a press conference on the City Hall front steps today to lament a tax cut proposed by Gov. John Kasich, claiming that it furthers his agenda to help Ohio’s top 1 percent. Kasich has proposed to cut income tax 8.5 percent across the board by 2016, which would help drive…
Enemy
Director Denis Villeneuve and leading man Jake Gyllenhaal teamed up for an intriguing double feature at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival, where their mainstream thriller Prisoners (with co-stars Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Maria Bello, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo and Paul Dano) screened just prior to its unveiling at theaters nationwide, but it was the…
Muppets Most Wanted
The Muppets are back and looking to continue their assault on popular culture in co-writer (with Nicholas Stoller) and director James Bobin’s latest tale of their escapades. This time the crew is on a world tour, currently settled in Europe, when they encounter a Kermit doppelganger in the midst of a huge jewel-heist. The re-emergence…
Divergent
Well, the next contestant in the young adult franchise sweepstakes is this adaptation of the Veronica Roth series about a dystopian world where society is divided into five distinct groups — to more easily herd the sheepishly huddled masses off for the inevitable slaughter — with a chosen few, the “divergents,” somehow being mysteriously able…
Spring TV Preview
Spring is coming — despite what the weather would have us believe — with a fresh crop of new series and returning favorites. Inside Amy Schumer (Season Premiere, 10:30 p.m. April 1, Comedy Central) – Amy’s back with more laugh-out-loud sketches that run the gamut from sex to #whitegirlproblems. TripTank (Series Premiere, 10:30 p.m. April…
The Tough and Tender Heart of Wes Anderson
The Grand Budapest Hotel is the latest release from Wes Anderson, the precious stylist who seems intent on claiming the distinction of being the current iteration of early Woody Allen — meaning he’s adept at aggressively being himself. During the press screening, my mind wandered away from the painterly details captured, at times, in exquisite…
MainStrasse Shop Supports Fair Trade Practices for Global Change
Few concerts inspire people to change the world. They might inspire you to drink another beer or grind ferociously on some guy in a flannel shirt, but to actually change the world? Remarkably, that’s what happened to Reegan Hill, owner of Covington’s It’s Only Fair, a gift shop specializing in fair-trade jewelry, clothing, accessories and…
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter at 21c
You could go stag to see the carved deer heads, football helmets and other gaming trophies on exhibit in Wild Card at the 21c Museum Hotel downtown. But Michael Combs’ unsettling examination of gender identity and cultural mythology raises so many questions that it’s better not to go hunting alone for answers. The New York…
Coming to a (Movie) Theater Near You
I love going to the movies, but I leave writing about them to others, especially my CityBeat colleague tt stern-enzi, who routinely offers a perspective worth reading. Nevertheless, I’m going to local cineplexes more often for digital transmissions of theater from around the world. It’s a lot easier to drive to Oakley, Springdale, Newport, Ky.,…
Rust Belt Prophet
R ust Belt towns across the upper Midwest are on the verge of oblivion, their economies hallowed out by technological innovation and globalization. Yet many are not ready to give up on blue-collar bastions like Akron, Ohio, as David Giffels’ new book, The Hard Way on Purpose: Essays and Dispatches from the Rust Belt, attests. …
Jeremy Pinnell Gets Personal on Debut Solo Album
The songs of Northern Kentucky native Jeremy Pinnell have received the kind of glowing acclaim that one might perceive as hyperbole … until one actually hears them. With bands like The Light Wires, The Great Depression and The Brothers and The Sisters, Pinnell has proven himself an impossible-to-ignore songwriter who pours every ounce of soul…
Now and Then
"I wanted to create something unique and special in Cincinnati,” Bryce Dessner told me on the occasion of the first MusicNOW in 2006. Uh, mission accomplished, Bryce. The Cincinnati native’s brainchild has undeniably established itself as a one-of-a-kind experience, an eclectic, unusually intimate festival where musical artists as diverse as The Kronos Quartet, Nico Muhly…
Event: Death Cafe
Arlington Memorial Gardens will host the fourth meeting of the Cincinnati Death Café on Monday. Based upon the writings of Swiss sociologist Bernard Crettaz, the Death Café is part of a global movement to challenge and improve attitudes toward death and dying. The café meetings are held in the Arlington Community Room. 7 p.m. Free.…
Event: A Tour of the Universe
Join Dean Regas, Outreach Astronomer for the Cincinnati Observatory and co-host of PBS’s Star Gazers, for a night of exploration. Utilizing simulation software, you’ll investigate the structure and scale of the universe. Stop at the moon and individual planets, witness a variety of objects orbiting the sun, discuss Pluto’s fate and explore the vastness of…
Onstage: Bye Bye Liver
An ode to our city’s love for drinking, Bye Bye Liver: The Cincinnati Drinking Play is a theatrical performance that blends sketch comedy with interactive games and a splash of crazy characters — mixed and served in a show unlike any other. A lively cast uses humor and satire to poke fun at the follies…
Attractions: Turtle Canyon
Turtle Canyon is the newest aquatic exhibit to join the Newport Aquarium. Featuring 14 different species and some of the largest and smallest turtles in the world, the star of the show is the 600-pound Galapagos turtle, Bravo. He may be old — 84 to be exact — but he’s known for climbing a rock…
Event: Betts House Walking Tour
Take a two-hour guided stroll through the Betts Longworth Historic District in the West End and learn about the architecture and history of the unique neighborhood — once home to the city’s notable manufacturing and retailing families. Find narrow Italiante homes and 19th century farmhouses plus early 20th century gems. 1-3 p.m. fourth Saturday of…
Event: Pop, Sparkle & Clink: MusicNOW After Party
This year’s MusicNOW festival (musicnowfestival.org) merges the talents of Louis Langrée, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and artistic director Bryce Dessner of The National. The festival features Bryce and brother Aaron Dessner performing Bryce’s “St. Carolyn by the Sea,” plus world premieres from composer Nico Muhly and Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lang. After the festival, head to…
Event: Vine & Dine
Sample a variety of different wines, taste incredible food and tap your toes to live musical performances at The Art of Entertaining’s new dinner series, Vine & Dine. It’s the perfect way to unwind after your workday or get the party started before your night on the town. This Friday, Vine & Dine hosts musical…
Event: HorrorHound Weekend
HorrorHound Weekend has blossomed into a regionally recognized event, a horror movie extravaganza where rabid aficionados gather to share their love of the genre. For the uninitiated, the annual convention features celebrity panels (this year’s headliner is Evil Dead veteran Bruce Campbell), vendors, screenings and more. “I think the transformation of the event has helped…
Sports: Outdoor Archery Class
Whether you’re an experienced shooter, looking for a new adventure or trying to be in the next Hunger Games, Winton Woods’ archery class is something worth trying. Certified staff will teach the basics of shooting a compound bow, help with hands-on practice and make sure no one gets shot in the process. Perfect for ages…
Comedy: Dan Cummins
“School was over and couldn’t find a job I liked,” says comedian Dan Cummins of his post-college career choice to enter into stand-up. “I had a psychology degree. My fiancé at the time heard on the radio about an amateur night and thought I should give it a try. I did it on a whim.”…
Film: Royal Ballet: The Sleeping Beauty
View a live production of The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty on the big screen. Marius Petipa’s classic ballet takes you into an enchanted world of princesses, fairy godmothers and magic spells. And since it would be difficult to be on the other side of the Atlantic for the sold-out show on Wednesday at the…
Music: Peach Kelli Pop with Bummer’s Eve and Black Planet
Getting her start playing drums with Canadian Garage Pop trio The White Wires, Allie Hanlon began Peach Kelli Pop as a solo outlet for her own songwriting. Peach Kelli Pop (Hanlon does all of the recording and friends join her on the road) is a mix of ’50s Rock & Roll shimmy and Bubblegum head-bopping.…
Onstage: The Mountaintop
Playwright Katori Hall grew up in Memphis, Tenn., hearing her mother and others remember the events surrounding the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She came to speculate about the events, especially what was going through King’s head the night before his death as he decompressed from his rousing “I’ve been to the mountaintop”…
Film: Stand With Me
In this new documentary, follow 9-year-old Vivienne Harr as she raises funds to combat human trafficking and slavery via a lemonade stand. After seeing a photo of two enslaved boys in Nepal, Harr set up a lemonade stand and raised more than $100,000 over the course of 173 days, which she donated to Not for…
Peach Kelli Pop with Bummer’s Eve and Black Planet
Getting her start playing drums with Canadian Garage Pop trio The White Wires, Allie Hanlon began Peach Kelli Pop as a solo outlet for her own songwriting. Peach Kelli Pop (Hanlon does all of the recording and friends join her on the road) is modeled after some of the classics of vintage Pop music. A mix…
von Grey with Ron Pope and Andrea Nardello
Last year was a momentous one for Indie/Alt Folk quartet von Grey, with a relentless road schedule (including opening slots for Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Rusted Root and Carbon Leaf, as well as headlining gigs), television appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and Conan and triumphant debuts at South By Southwest and Bonnaroo.…
Houndmouth with Rayland Baxter
On Houndmouth’s full-length debut, 2013’s From the Hills Below the City, you can tell the quartet is smitten with the majestic charm of Americana masters The Band. “Penitentiary,” the calling-card tune that triggered Internet buzz and eventually drew the interest of famed indie label Rough Trade, could be mistaken for a Music from Big Pink…
Grouplove
The story of Grouplove is like something straight out of the ’60s. The band members met at an artist commune on the Greek island of Crete. All struggling to pay their bills with their various forms of art, they each stumbled upon the right people at the right time. Eventually they found themselves living in…
Blind Boys of Alabama
The legendary five-time Grammy winners Blind Boys of Alabama have steadily brought inspired grooves to the stage since the group’s beginnings in the 1930s. Greater Cincinnati has witnessed some special shows by the group, especially their gig at the last Tall Stacks Festival in 2006, when lead singer Jimmy Carter was led into the outdoor…
Twist of Fate
Whenever Chubby Checker comes to our area to perform “The Twist” and his other early-’60s dance-craze hits, he admires the view as he approaches downtown Cincinnati. “It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen,” he says, talking by phone while driving into town. “I’ve pulled to the side of road so I can see my…
Your Weekend To Do List: 3/14-3/16
Cincinnati may be known as a German city, what with our legendary Oktoberfest and love for pork and sausages, but Irish heritage is also strong here, as we’ll see this weekend. St. Patrick’s Day is officially Monday, March 17, but the green beer starts flowing early in anticipation. The 48th annual Cincinnati St. Patrick’s Day…
Upcoming Beer and Wine Dinners
Here's a list of upcoming curated wine and beer dinners: Experience the Dynamic Flavors of Wines from Argentina at Blinker's Tavern: Robb Rapp of Cutting Edge Selections brings dynamic wines from Argentina to Blinker's Tavern for a four-course dinner. Reservations required. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 20. $65 plus tax and gratuity. Blinker's Tavern, 318 Greenup…
Stage Door: Broadway’s Future
I had a glimpse of Broadway's future last night on campus at UC. I attended Not Yet Famous, the 22nd edition of CCM's musical theater showcase, featuring the about-to-graduate senior class. The 19 vibrant performers presented a 45-minute program that they'll take to New York City on April 7 to present to casting agents, producers…
City to Continue Using Green Energy
Interim City Manager Scott Stiles today announced his intention to keep Cincinnati’s electricity green after City Councilman Chris Seelbach rallied a majority of council to oppose Stiles’ earlier plan to go back to using conventional fossil fuels to light and heat the city. Instead, Cincinnati will continue using 100-percent renewable-backed energy from First Energy Solutions.…
In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens
Lightenin’ and thunder yeah and I get it from my mamma. — Erykah Badu My partner’s mother has been dead 11 years now; mine will have been dead nine years in May. Monday, March 10 was Gladine’s birthday; don’t know which one (80? 82? 83?) because she’d started lying about her age twice in…
Hen of the Woods Underground Preps for a Brick-and-Mortar Location
It was midday a couple Sundays ago and the weather was getting iffy in Cincinnati. Winter was having one last go at it. My husband Jon and I had already stocked the kitchen of our OTR abode. Normally, we would have just settled in and waited it out. But luckily for us, our snow day…
Worst Week Ever!: March 5-11
Greenpeace Protesters Decry P&G Destruction, P&G Promises to Stop Next Year or Whenevz P&G is the Mitt Romney of corporations, a baby-eating psychopath that no amount of coaxing or media manipulation can transform into something you’d want at your dinner table. A much-publicized break-in and protest (featuring someone in a tiger costume = +10 points)…
Parade Ban-ner
A year after being booted out of Cincinnati’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade over its pro-gay platform, the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) has been banned again this year — along with all politicians. Last year’s controversy resulted in City Council passing an ordinance forcing organizers of the four Cincinnati parades that receive city subsidies…
Media Musings from Cincinnati and Beyond
An Enquirer cover story described a local school program that could have fallen under the old-fashioned rubrics of “shop” or “manual arts.” I hope people read it because too few Tristate men and women qualify for increasingly demanding technical/manufacturing jobs. Their lack of entry-level skills makes companies wary of bringing jobs here for want of…
Your Name Here
Heidi Luerra believes in the local musician who needs that first gig to get things rolling, the overlooked fine artist toiling in anonymity, the underground filmmaker and the local hairstylist who might one day open her own salon with the right opportunity and exposure. And Luerra has something to sell people in Cincinnati who dream…
Artistic Empowerment: Local Versus Corporate
L ocal galleries and creative commercial endeavors sometimes charge nominal application and participation fees, but they stray significantly from pay-to-play models and don’t typically result in thousands of dollars in profits per event — and any revenue stays local. Cincinnati offers sundry artistic avenues that successfully empower local artists within their representative milieu, with relatively…
Entire Obama Presidency Discredited
HOT Entire Obama Presidency Discredited During a “Women of Soul” tribute concert at the White House, President Obama paid tribute to one of the guests of honor, Aretha Franklin, saying, “When Aretha first told us what R-S-P-E-C-T meant to her, she had no idea it would become a rallying cry.” While Franklin was fine with…
Songs of the South
Next week, a unique group of accomplished musicians will combine forces to bring a night of swampy tunes and rootsy grooves to Cincinnati’s Taft Theatre. Luther Dickinson, Anders Osborne, Marc Broussard and JJ Grey each have strong legacies and careers of their own, but as The Southern Soul Assembly, they come together to play songs,…
Veronica Mars
Showrunner Rob Thomas finally gets to appease the cultishly devoted fans of his television series about a teenage private eye (Kristen Bell) with this feature presentation that finds Veronica Mars all grown up, returning to her hometown for her high school reunion and, you guessed it, caught up in a murder mystery. Bell has bounced…
Kelly Richey Band Gets Down at the Wisp
Though veteran Cincinnati Blues/Rock guitarist/singer/songwriter Kelly Richey has put out some solid studio albums in her 20 years of releasing music, seeing her live is where jaws are dropped. That’s probably why Richey’s discography includes five live albums and a live DVD. This week, The Kelly Richey Band celebrates yet another live collection, this one…
Tyler Perry’s The Single Moms Club
A disparate collection of single mothers (Nia Long, Amy Smart, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Zulay Henao and Cocoa Brown) join forces to support each other’s attempts to find some quality time for themselves in days crowded with work, the hectic schedules of their children and drama with their exes. Writer-director Tyler Perry wisely seeks to expand his…
Tim’s Vermeer
This Academy Award-nominated documentary feature from Teller, with production assistance and an onscreen appearance from his partner-in-crime Penn Jillette, explores the eternal curiosity of inventor Tim Jenison, the owner of a painting by Dutch Master Johannes Vermeer, who takes it upon himself to uncover the truth about the master’s technical genius. Vermeer is known for…
Need for Speed
The illegal street racing scene gets the spotlight in this revved up feature from director Scott Waugh (Act of Valor) as a top-notch garage crew led by Tobey Marshall (Aaron Paul) faces off against the glowering Dino Brewster (Dominic Cooper), a glitzy racer with flash, cash and Tobey’s former girlfriend Anita (Dakota Johnson). Tobey has…
Better Living Through Chemistry
The writing and directing team of Geoff Moore and David Posamentier make their debut here, detailing the situation of a seemingly regular Everyman pharmacist (Sam Rockwell), married and wandering down a most uneventful road which veers dramatically (and likely quite comedically, since we are talking about Sam Rockwell) when he leaps into an affair with…
Vic and Gab
Victoriah and Hannah Gabriela Banuelos grew up El Paso, Tex., a pair of raven-haired young ladies with a major soft spot for The Police and their dad’s favorite band, Rush. Vic eventually learned to play guitar, while Gab took up the bass. All they needed was their Stewart Copeland or Neil Peart. “We were into…
Dex Romweber Duo with Grotesque Brooms
Dexter Romweber has pursued his distinctive musical direction with a single-minded determination for the past four decades, beginning with his first junior high band in Batesville, Ind. Since then, Romweber has worked with and been cited as a seminal influence by some of the biggest names in music. But varying combinations of bad timing and…
The Tossers with Continental and Mill Creek Revelry
A quick scan of the web reveals dozens of thriving “Celtic Punk” bands, but the Holy Drunken Trinity is clearly the triad formed by Boston’s Dropkick Murphys, Los Angeles’ Flogging Molly and the booze-baptized pride of Chicago, The Tossers. Of that trio, The Tossers are both the longest tenured (formed in 1993, three years before…
The Art of the Steal
Right off the bat, The Art of the Steal draws somewhat lofty comparisons thanks to its similarity to a host of minor-key crime capers, the best of which seem inspired by the late great Elmore Leonard (like Daniel Schechter’s deeply undervalued gem Life of Crime, which played in Toronto last year). What gave Leonard’s work…
Chris Knight with Ben Knight & the Well Diggers
Chris Knight is a singer/songwriter who goes against the grain when it comes to what passes for talent in Nashville these days. A songsmith on par with the Darrell Scotts and Jeff Blacks of the world, Knight has little use for mainstream Country music dreck or stereotypical Americana fare. “They have got to tell everybody…
Individual Stories Provide Ammunition in ‘Generation War’
Five young adult friends from disparate backgrounds living in Germany in 1941 meet — in secret, since one of them is Jewish and therefore subject to a curfew — drink, dance and dare to dream of a shared future and success for all. There is something fascinating about the premise, especially from a Western (U.S.)…
Jesse Dee with Honey & Houston
Boston-based singer/songwriter/guitarist Jesse Dee is one of the foremost on-the-rise vintage Soul/R&B artists on the scene, pimping a sound and live show that comes straight from a steady diet of Motown, Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Jackie Wilson and James Brown. It’s one thing to find inspiration in such Soul legends, but Dee’s honest, genuine songwriting…
Indulging in Vices for a Different Kind of News
Vice Magazine, founded in 1994 in Montreal, employs the style of immersion journalism (comparable to gonzo), where writers become deeply involved with their subject to deliver accounts on their specific experiences. Objective news reporting? Not exactly. But Vice Media (now with books, a news channel, a record company and more) is currently presenting one of…
Women Helping Women Raises Awareness, Resources for Sexual Assault Survivors
Founded in 1973, Women Helping Women (WHW) began as a community-based, feminist response to the many unmet needs of local women. A small group of University of Cincinnati (UC) undergraduates and dedicated community members believed that with the right resources and peer support, they could make a difference in their community and the lives of…
Washington Park’s Success Spurs a MusicNOW ‘Portrait’
The recent $46 million restoration/reinvention of Over-the-Rhine’s Washington Park is already reaping artistic dividends — it’s responsible for a new musical tribute to the transformative powers of landscape architecture. When the trend-setting New York composer Nico Muhly was invited to participate in the March 21-22 MusicNOW Festival — a collaboration between founder Bryce Dessner and…
Luck of the Irish
M uch like their Irish ancestors who immigrated to America before them, husband and wife Kent Covey and Maureen Kennedy were immigrants in their own right when they moved to Cincinnati from New York and California, respectively. And in 2009, after many trips to Ireland to visit relatives and learn about their heritage and traditions,…
