Event: Easter Bunny Express
Hop aboard the Lebanon, Mason & Monroe Railroad’s Easter Bunny Express for a day of Easter fun. Catch the train at the Lebanon Station, and enjoy a 30-minute ride along a historic railway to the LM&M junction, where a human dressed in an Easter Bunny costume will be waiting for hugs and photo ops. Kids…
Event: Cincinnati Rollergirls
Picture this: Some badass ladies (aren’t we all?), pushing each other around, duking it out, getting all bloodied and bruised and (here’s the kicker), all on the roller skating rink. Sound appealing? If so, you will be glad to know that on Saturday, the Cincinnati Rollergirls roller derby returns to the Cincinnati Gardens with some…
Film: Cinema Toast Crunch: The Dark Crystal
Fans of the late, great Mystery Science Theater 3000 have a new outlet for their love of snide commentary: LIVE Riffing, an endeavor that finds “riffers” providing running commentary on a movie as it plays live in front of an audience. Cincinnati’s Bombs Away! Comedy troupe is getting in on the interactive trend, presenting a…
Music: Wolff & Clark Expedition
Pianist Michael Wolff and drummer Mike Clark both came up in the ’70s Bay Area Jazz scene and went on to work with numerous legends in the Jazz field. Wolff was in the bands of Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins and Jean Luc Ponty, and he played with musical icons from various genres as the music…
Onstage: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Shakespeare’s tale of mismatched lovers and tomfoolery in the forest is certainly his most beloved comedy. The highly requested show is back at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, staged by longtime company member Jeremy Dubin. He calls it “a near perfect comedy, full of delight, joy, whimsy, frivolity and fun — with just a pinch of impertinence.”…
Onstage: Philadanco
Known for technical prowess, intense energy and broad stylistic range, Philadelphia-based modern dance ensemble Philadanco knows how to deliver diversity. And being a repertory company — one that performs works by various choreographers — has enabled them to work with some of the best in the business: the renowned Ronald K. Brown, who’s known for…
Event: Elementz Eight Year Anniversary Celebration and Open House
When Elementz, an urban arts youth center, had its first Anniversary Celebration and Open House in 2006, Cincinnati was a very different place. Eight years later, Over-the-Rhine — where Elementz is located — is experiencing a renaissance. And the fact that young people in urban centers, many of them at-risk, need positive outlets for their…
Class: Make Your Own Kombucha
Head over to Park + Vine to discover how bacteria and yeast can be tasty with the Make Your Own Kombucha class. Kombucha is a fermented effervescent tea that uses a mushroom-like culture to produce a popular drink many believe holds healing and medicinal properties. The SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) serves as…
Comedy: Nick Vatterott
“When are you going to be famous?” comedian Nick Vatterott is asked by his friends. To which the comic replies: “When they find the bodies.” Bordering on the silly at times, his comedy is sharp and usually takes unexpected turns. Often jokes are acted out with improv-like physicality. “The letter Q can’t do anything without…
Duct Tape Delicacy at DAAP
The School of Art at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning doesn’t yet offer a specific MFA degree in duct tape, but you have to wonder how soon before they do after seeing a current DAAP exhibition, Rise and Fall: Monumental Duct Tape Drawings by Joe Girandola. He is the…
Shriek Week
O nce a year Cincinnati likes to let the freaks out — but we’re not talking about Halloween. After a 16-month absence, HorrorHound Weekend descends onto Sharonville promising vis-à-vis celebrity encounters, film screenings, burlesque performances and horror author signings. Put on your best Michael Myers mask and be prepared to meet your worst nightmare. Cincinnati’s…
Black Pearl Stings!
Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s Black Pearl Sings! is a play come as a warning shot foretelling the modern-day recording industry (such as it is) and its sad history of theft by corporate henchmen. More obviously and tellingly, the play is also a dance of race relations, race politics and the sometimes heartbreaking history of relationships between…
Sixth Street Lives
In October 2011, when Boca Restaurant Group announced they were bringing their flagship, Boca, downtown to join their highly successful Nada, I cheered. I wrote a column talking about how, while it’s probably a challenge for anyone under 40 to remember when The Maisonette was the pinnacle of Cincinnati dining, everyone should appreciate the significance…
Deconstructing Media Coverage of Pope Francis
After Benedict XVI quit and before cardinals began voting for his successor, daily news-free news stories left us as ignorant as the day before. Until Francis’ election, nothing really happened. That’s one reason NPR received 200-plus complaints, its ombudsman reported, mostly about 47 stories running during the four weeks between popes. As a friend and longtime…
AG Supports Driver’s Licenses for Children of Illegal Immigrants
The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles has been reviewing its driver’s license policy for the children of illegal immigrants for nearly two months now, but if it was up to Attorney General Mike DeWine, those people would already be eligible for driver’s licenses. In a letter to the Latino Affairs Commission dated to March 19…
Frightened Rabbit
Urgent and bracing, sullen and surrendering … the music of Frightened Rabbit often seems a mess of emotions tied up in a twitching, fragile guise of genius. Like a thin, bruised girl with a Kurt Cobain kind of problem, Frightened Rabbit would fall apart if you took any one thing (music, lyrics or sentiment) away…
Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts
This just in from the CityBeat newsroom: Scott Weiland, former frontman for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, has fired himself from his solo career. Although no official confirmation has come from Weiland’s camp, it’s been widely reported that the volatile vocalist has long been disenchanted with his own disruptive behavior and finally sat down…
Frank Bang & The Secret Stash
Many Blues guitarists can point to some fairly potent mentors on their way up the genre ladder. Joe Bonamassa received tips from the late Danny Gatton and major juice from B.B. King when he was a mere teenager, while Stevie Ray Vaughan got encouragement and work from the likes of Jackson Browne and David Bowie.…
Jeremiah and the Red Eyes
Need some Christmas woe in your springtime? If so, catch up with Home, the third (as far as we can tell) record by the Los Angeles-based Jeremiah Sammartano and his Delta Blues/Folk/Alt-Country outfit The Red Eyes. On that 2012 full-length, you can experience not one but two odes to winter misery with “Xmas Morn” and…
Policy Matters Pushes Earned Income Tax Credit
Policy Matters Ohio is now pushing an earned income tax credit (EITC) that would benefit the state’s poor and middle class, including more than 822,000 working families. The plan could be a progressive replacement for Republican Gov. John Kasich’s proposed tax plan, which some reports claim disproportionately benefits the wealthy. The EITC is a tax…
New Hip Hop Videos from Cincy’s Puck and Valley High
A pair of Cincinnati Hip Hop acts have recently released music videos showcasing new material. Both are compelling, well-produced clips for solid new tracks. Alternative Hip Hop group Valley High issued the video for "That One Too" at the start of the month. The clip was directed by SnowRowe (who plays keys in the group)…
Morning News and Stuff
The Ohio House is looking to rewrite parts of Gov. John Kasich’s budget proposal after dissent has focused on the governor’s tax plan. The chamber’s leaders are looking to set aside the tax plan from the bill so they can better focus on other complicated parts of the budget, including the Medicaid expansion and school…
Morning News and Stuff
Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade drew a lot of criticism Friday for excluding the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network, a group within K-12 schools that works to prevent bullying by striving for equality regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. Councilman Chris Seelbach led the criticisms and a boycott on the parade —…
The Trip to Bountiful (Review)
Playwright Horton Foote, who died in 2009 at the age of 92, is making a long overdue debut at the Cincinnati Playhouse with The Trip to Bountiful. (The show began as a 1953 play for television; it became a stage play in 1962 and an award-winning film in 1985.) In this script, the prolific writer…
WATCH: Usher Joins Afghan Whigs at SXSW
Cincinnati-spawned rockers The Afghan Whigs surprised fans last week with the announcement that the band would perform at the "Fader Fort" party at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas. Last night, they surprised the music world when superstar Usher joined the Whigs for half their set, performing hits like his own "Climax" and "OMG," as…
Your Weekend To Do List: 3/15-3/17
Top o’ the weekend to ya! Whether you’re as Irish as the Blarney Stone or just enjoy a good excuse to day-drink, there are plenty of St. Patrick’s Day weekend activities for all ye lads and lassies. Kick off the holiday Saturday with the 47th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, which starts at Eggleston Avenue…
Rob Portman Doesn’t Think Gayness Is Gross Anymore
Terrace Park isn’t the likeliest of neighborhoods for Cincinnatians to mingle with diverse groups of people, so it wouldn’t be that surprising if Sen. Rob Portman maybe didn’t have much experience interacting with gay people before his son came out two years ago. But boy what a difference a gay son and two years of…
Local Metallers Azygous Reunite for Cousin
In May of 2011, a man broke into the home of Butler County Assistant Prosecutor Kelly O’Keefe in Fairfield and brutally attacked her. When her brother, Danny O'Keefe, came to her aid, he was also attacked, beaten and stabbed. Miraculously, both siblings survived the attack. The man responsible was caught and sentenced to 21 years…
St. Patrick’s Day Parade Apparently Anti-LGBT
City Councilman Chris Seelbach wants Cincinnatians amped up for this weekend's Cincinnati St. Patrick's Day Parade to be aware that the parade's organizers are purporting an anti-LGBT agenda by refusing to allow the Cincinnati chapter of the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to participate in the parade. GLSEN works within k-12 schools to prevent…
Ruling to Determine Parking Plan’s Future
The city of Cincinnati and opponents of the parking plan met in court today to debate whether laws passed with emergency clauses are subject to referendum — a crucial legal issue as the city attempts to speed ahead with plans to lease the city’s parking assets to the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority to…
Stage Door: Recognizing African-American Stories
February is Black History Month, a period when the arts traditionally wake up and pay attention to African-American stories and artists. I'm always a bit troubled by this segmenting, so I want to commend both the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park and Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati for presenting two fine productions of shows featuring African Americans…
Morning News and Stuff
Republican Sen. Rob Portman reversed his stance on same-sex marriage after his son came out as gay. The announcement means both Ohio senators are poised to support the Freedom to Marry amendment, which would legalize gay marriage in Ohio and could be on the ballot this year. CityBeat covered FreedomOhio’s efforts to legalize same-sex marriage…
Sittenfeld to Kasich: Restore Local Government Funding
With the support of local officials from around the state, Cincinnati Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld is launching a website called ProtectMyOhio.com to organize efforts to restore local government funding cut during Gov. John Kasich’s time in office. Speaking during a phone conference today, Sittenfeld, Dayton Commissioner and mayoral candidate Nan Whaley, Columbus Councilman Zach Klein and…
Beardwatch 2013
Watch this week’s episode of Survivor: Caramoan – Fans vs. Favorites, "Persona Non Grata" here. Warning: It's almost week two on an island for these guys and watching this episode made me really itchy. (Skip to the last minute to check out a preview of next week’s ep, "Operation Thunder Dome") What a brain-numbingly dumb…
The Afghan Whigs … Still Going
As the final notes rang out at Bogart's early on Jan. 1, many fans at The Afghan Whigs' final concert of 2012 (after a year of steady, successful global-touring) were left wondering if they hadn't just witnessed the final Afghan Whigs' show ever. Band members were vague in interviews about the Whigs' future beyond the…
Morning News and Stuff
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown is putting forward legislation that would break up the big banks to avoid what has been colloquially dubbed “too big to fail.” The liberal senator is teaming up with Sen. David Vitter, a very conservative Republican from Louisiana, to put together the bill, which Brown says will make the economy safer,…
Music: The Ready Set
The one-man-basement/bedroom-band project has become a contemporary Pop staple of late and one of the sub-genre’s highest profile acts over the past decade has been Jordan Mark Witzigreuter’s energetic Synth Pop contribution, The Ready Set. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native conceived The Ready Set in 2007 and self-released his 2008 debut EP, Syntax and Bright…
Music: Chevelle
When people of a certain age hear the name Chevelle, they typically think of Chevrolet’s high performance sports coupe from the ’70s. Oddly enough, the brothers Loeffler (Pete on lead vocals/guitar, Sam on drums) had the same thought when naming their band in 1995; the Chevelle was their father’s favorite car. Chevelle’s major label bow,…
Music: Milo Greene with Kopecky Family Band
Hailing from Los Angeles, Milo Greene has taken to calling itself “Cinematic-Pop.” There’s no reason to disagree. The quintet makes music that is indeed “cinematic.” The members intend for their music to possess a softness to it that makes it perfect for soundtracking movies. They’ve intended that sound from the very beginning, which says a lot…
Music: Night Moves
Night Moves took the reverse Radiohead route in getting its full-length debut, Colored Emotions, a proper release. The Minneapolis trio — singer/guitarist John Pelant, bassist Micky Alfano and multi-instrumentalist Mark Ritsema — streamed its self-produced album for free on Bandcamp, eventually drawing notice from the peeps at Domino Records, who released a “refurbished” version of…
Art: Confluence: Partnership and Creativity
The idea came up over dinner. Conversation between Pam Korte, maker of pots; her husband, Richard Hague, maker of poems; Terri Kern, sculptor; and her husband, David Umbenhour, printmaker, brought forth the question: Why not a show of work by couples, focusing on interaction of ideas and mutual reliance and support? Confluence: Partnership and Creativity,…
Cranley: Redirect Funding From Streetcar to Interchange
The MLK/I-71 Interchange project is supposed to be funded through the city’s parking plan, but mayoral candidate John Cranley, who opposes the parking plan and streetcar, says the city should instead use federal funding that was originally intended for the streetcar project. Between 2010 and 2011, the streetcar project was awarded about $40 million in…
I Just Can’t Get Enough
A Parisian bridge covered in padlocks was featured on two reality shows in the last week or so — Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and Kourtney and Kim Take Miami (1. Don’t judge me. 2. Isn’t it weird that both shows ventured outside their titular cities to the same destination?). Kyle and Mauricio (RHOBH) and…
Cincinnati vs. The World 03.13.2013
Forests in China are suffering from huge surges in disposable wooden chopstick demand; the country produces 80 billion chopsticks per year — equivalent to the destruction of 20 million 20-year-old trees. WORLD -2 Cincinnati commutes are much shorter than the national average; only 2.9 percent of Cincinnatians spend more than an hour on a one-way…
Business Association Fears Proposed Spring Grove Bike Lanes
City plans to create bike lanes on Spring Grove Avenue from near Hopple Street to Bank Street are facing some opposition from the Camp Washington Business Association, which is worried the removal of on-street parking could be a threat to their economic livelihood. Spring Grove Avenue is considered a priority cycling corridor because it’s the…
City Manager Presents Deficit Reduction Options
City Manager Milton Dohoney Jr. gave a presentation to City Council March 6 explaining how Cincinnati could work to reduce its structural budget deficits. Even with the parking plan’s one-time infusion of funds, Cincinnati will need to make further changes to balance budgets in the next three years. To help tame these deficits, Dohoney says…
Morning News and Stuff
The Ohio Board of Education named Richard Ross , one of Gov. John Kasich’s top education advisers, to the state school superintendent position. Ross’ appointment links the Ohio Department of Education more closely with Kasich, according to StateImpact Ohio. Ross is replacing Stan Heffner, who resigned in August after an ethics investigation found he had…
Parking Plan Remains in Limbo
The plan to lease Cincinnati’s parking assets remains up in the air after court rulings last week kept a court-mandated restraining order in place until at least March 15, when a hearing is scheduled at the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. The hearing will establish whether the lawsuit should move forward and whether the restraining…
Too Big to Manage?
I n 1911, Standard Oil underwent what many of today’s conservatives would decry as government and judicial overreach; the petroleum giant — 41 years old and originally from Cleveland — was taken apart by the U.S. Supreme Court. More than a century later, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, a fairly liberal Democrat, is teaming up with…
Music: The Whigs
The Whigs specialize in earnest, guitar-driven nuggets that recall both their hometown’s jangle-laden roots and a variety of old-school heavy-hitters, from Neil Young to The Replacements. The band’s latest record, the aptly titled Enjoy the Company, finds the guys — guitarist/vocalist Parker Gispert, drummer Julian Dorio and bassist Timothy Deaux — lightening up a bit, employing…
Review: ‘American Idiot: The Musical’
Critic's Pick As I ate dinner on Tuesday evening before attending a performance at Dayton’s Victoria Theatre, my server asked, “Did you hear that Green Day is performing next door?” I had to set her straight. “Well, not exactly. Green Day’s music is being performed next door — it’s a Broadway show that uses the…
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone
Steve Carell and Jim Carrey team up once again — Remember Bruce Almighty back when Carrey ruled the box office? — but this time, it’s Carell who’s the real draw. Carell plays Burt Wonderstone, an incredible old-school magician with a marvelous sidekick named Anton Marvelton (Steve Buscemi), who must fend off the advances of an…
Onstage: A Common Thread by Catacoustic Consort and concert:nova
William Shakespeare’s drama and poetry resonate far beyond the theater. Music plays a vital role in his plays and his works continue to inspire compositions in all genres of music, from song to symphony to sampling. So when two musical ensembles whose genres are aural opposites decided to collaborate, Shakespeare offered intriguing possibilities for both groups. …
The Call
Talk about phoning in a Hollywood speed pitch. The Call focuses on Jordan Turner (Halle Berry), an experienced 911 operator who takes over a call from a young woman (Abigail Breslin) caught in the clutches of a serial kidnapper/murder from Turner’s past. There’s no need to check your caller ID — we all know that…
The Passing of an Icon
Edward I. Koch died on Feb. 1, 2013, the da
Lamb of God Singer Avoids Prison
HOT Singer Skates After Deadly Fall If an overeager fan defies security and climbs onto a stage during a Heavy Metal concert, gets pushed off the stage by the band’s singer and eventually dies from the head injuries, should the singer go to jail? Not in the Czech Republic (at least for now). Lamb of…
Spring TV Preview
The snow is melting, crocuses are popping up; it can only mean one thing — a fresh crop of spring shows! Here’s what to look forward to in the coming months. Bates Motel (10 p.m. Mondays, A&E; Series Premiere March 18) – Vera Farmiga (Up in the Air) and Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate…
‘Cheek’ Out Strangetunge
Local rockers Strangetunge celebrate their latest album, Tunge in Cheek, with a show at the Southgate House Revival in Newport this Friday. The band performs in the club’s “Revival Room” at 9 p.m., followed by Poke and Wild Mountain Berries. The cover charge ($5 for those 21 and up; $8 for fans 18-20) includes a…
Artists at Home
The idea came up over dinner. Conversation between Pam Korte, maker of pots; her husband, Richard Hague, maker of poems; Terri Kern, sculptor; and her husband, David Umbenhour, printmaker, brought forth the question: Why not a show of work by couples, focusing on interaction of ideas and mutual reliance and support? Confluence: Partnership and Creativity,…
The Second Coming of the Family
In the same way that a match can burn twice, an album can have a second debut. Such is the case with Kopecky Family Band’s heralded first full-length disc, Kids Raising Kids, which the band self-released last October but which will enjoy wide distribution with a re-launch in April, thanks to Kopecky’s recently announced signing…
From Dice to Dinner
Outside the balmy perimeter of Margaritaville, conveniently nestled within the confines of the Horseshoe Casino’s walls, sits steakhouse Jack Binion’s, Café Italia and all-you-can-eat Spread Buffet. And each of these kitchens (plus the banquet and event center catering) are overseen by Horseshoe Casino Executive Chef Pete Ghione. Everything I know about Chef Ghione, I learned…
Still Truckin’
F ood trucks arrived in Cincinnati only three years ago, but already a few are expanding into brick-and-mortar locations. While some of these changes are in hopes of transitioning into a fecund restaurant business, others are just trying to survive in a competitive market in a city with limited spots to park and do business. …
Wasting Away Again in Margaritaville
According to the annals of Jimmy Buffett fandom’s salty-rimmed history, Cincinnati — or “Fincinnati,” depending on which way your lei leans — is the birthplace of the phrase “Parrothead.” In 1985, a Coral Reefer Band bassist remarked that the chillaxed, tropically costumed masses filling the TimberWolf amphitheater were in fact “not Deadheads” (obviously), but “Parrotheads”…
The Art of Glambling
One step into Horseshoe Casino’s chandeliered entrance and it’s clear this is not the set of Casino Royale. There is no visitor dress code and, therefore, the crowd’s attire is far from matching the sparkly, flashy casino façade. Most people who visit a casino plan to stay awhile, opting for comfortable shoes, jeans and a…
You Can’t Win if You Don’t Play
A funny thing happens when you go to a casino with three coworkers who have little to no gambling experience among them: They go straight to the busiest bar in the house, have a couple drinks and then do things they’re not supposed to do, like take cellphone pictures of slot machines being repaired. When…
One-Horse Town
If you aren’t one of the thousands of patrons who visited the new Horseshoe Casino in its first week of business, no worries, it’s still there. Can’t miss it. It’s the big yellowish building downtown that looks kind of like a mall (sans Cheesecake Factory). And similar to a mall in convenience, you no longer…
