Music: Valentiger
Back in the day, just after the earth’s crust cooled, America hit the charts with their first big single, “Horse With No Name,” and more than a few people mistakenly believed, at first blush, that it was something new from Neil Young. About a year later, Stealer’s Wheel had a similarly big hit with “Stuck…
Art: Weston Art Gallery
University of Cincinnati professor Cynthia Lockhart presents Fibercations, a solo exhibition of the artist’s sculptural art quilts that go far beyond “crazy quilts” into explorations that fuse fashion influences to African art and inspiration from nature, resulting in richly layered assemblages. Alongside Lockhart’s work is Narrative Figuration, a group exhibition curated by Daniel Brown that…
Onstage: Gee’s Bend
Playwright Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder researched Gee’s Bend by interviewing women from the Alabama island community that gives the play its name who wove quilts from tattered clothing and other scraps of their lives. She was advised, “Just write it honest.” Wilder took that wisdom to heart, and it shines through the Cincinnati Playhouse’s current production…
Ontage: Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra with Stewart Goodyear
Without much fanfare — well, actually, with fanfare — the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has played a key role in the shaping of American popular culture as we know it. That’s the contention made — a bit indirectly — by Sean Wilentz, a Princeton University professor, in his recent book Bob Dylan in America. (He…
Comedy: Roz G.
How tough and dedicated is comedian Roz G? A few years ago I was scheduled to interview her for a weekly paper in Cleveland. Hours before our phone conversation she was in a serious car accident, but she still managed to do the interview. "The car was totaled," she says. "Everybody walked away, (but they…
Music: PlexArt 3: Rebirth
Another winter has passed and it’s finally time to exit the stronghold, go outside and embrace the vernal spirit with rituals of song and dance. The Mockbee (2260 Central Pkwy., Brighton) is set to host “PlexArt 3: Rebirth” in celebration of spring’s long-awaited arrival, featuring live music, dancing and local artwork well past witching hour…
Gee’s Bend (Review)
Critic's Pick Playwright Elyzabeth Gregory Wilder researched Gee’s Bend by interviewing women who wove quilts from tattered clothing and other scraps of their lives in an Alabama island community that gives the play its name. She was advised, “Just write it honest.” Wilder took that wisdom to heart, and it shines through the Cincinnati Playhouse’s…
Music: Southeast Engine
Southeast Engine is a potent example of a band whose sound doesn’t necessarily reflect its initial influences. The seeds of Southeast Engine were planted in the ’90s, when vocalist/guitarist Adam Remnant and drummer Leo DeLuca attended the same Dayton-area high school. Like most musically inclined teenagers at that time, Remnant and DeLuca were profoundly moved…
End Days (Review)
The title of Deborah Zoe Laufer’s thoughtful comedy, End Days, says it all — the end is near. However, depending on which character you listen to, the shape of that conclusion is not clear. The play portrays a family changed by the events of 9/11, two years earlier. Sylvia (Amy Warner) has flipped from being…
Art: Creating the New Century
Creating the New Century, a jam-packed exhibition with few artists represented more than once, is on view at the Dayton Art Institute through July 10 and worth the trip up I-75. Drawn from the collection of Ohio businessman James Dicke, himself an exhibiting artist, all the works are post-2000 but reflect Dicke's admiration for 20th…
Music: Wanda Jackson
I once asked Steve Wynn if he was bothered that bands like R.E.M. had cited his Dream Syndicate as an influence, given their relative success and his relative obscurity. His response was both mature and profound, insisting he would much rather be remembered as an influence, since it continued to ripple through the universe, in…
Events: Eco-Fabulous Fashion Show
Paper or plastic? No wait … trash or recycle? Those aren’t the typical questions you’d think of when you think about a fashion show. Come explore and enjoy a different kind of fashion at the Eco-Fabulous Fashion Show. This green event — held at Lexus Rivercenter (633 W. Third St., Covington) — features unique garments…
Southeast Engine
Southeast Engine is a potent example of a band whose sound doesn’t necessarily reflect its initial influences. The seeds of Southeast Engine were planted in the ’90s, when vocalist/guitarist Adam Remnant and drummer Leo DeLuca attended the same Dayton-area high school. Like most musically inclined teenagers at that time, Remnant and DeLuca were profoundly moved…
Valentiger
Back in the day, just after the earth’s crust cooled, America hit the charts with their first big single, “Horse With No Name,” and more than a few people mistakenly believed, at first blush, that it was something new from Neil Young. About a year later, Stealer’s Wheel had a similarly big hit with “Stuck…
Wanda Jackson
I once asked Steve Wynn if he was bothered that bands like R.E.M. had cited his Dream Syndicate as an influence, given their relative success and his relative obscurity. His response was both mature and profound, insisting he would much rather be remembered as an influence, since it continued to ripple through the universe, in…
The National on Indie Flick Soundtrack
A new track from The National leaked last week and it serves as a good mini-preview of the Cincinnati-bred group’s headlining appearance at National guitarist Bryce Dessner’s MusicNOW festival on May 15 at Music Hall. The track “Think You Can Wait” comes from the soundtrack to the upcoming film Win Win by director Tom McCarthy…
Playhouse Announces Stern’s Final Season
Ed Stern, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s producing artistic director, today announced the shows that will make up his 20th and final season for the city’s Tony Award-winning regional theater. It consists of several shows that have proven track records with audiences as well as a smattering of new works. The season is precisely the…
Friday Movie Roundup: Short(s) But Sweet Edition
A heads up for those who want like to mix a little creativity into your cinematic fix: Cincinnati World Cinema's most popular event, the annual Oscar Shorts & More, still has one more screening at The Madison Theater in Covington 7:30 p.m. Sunday. —- (Go here to read my earlier post about the program's various…
What’s Next for Streicher?
Today is the last day on the job for Cincinnati Police Chief Thomas Streicher Jr. During his rocky 12-year tenure, the department has endured rioting sparked by a police shooting, costly lawsuit settlements, oversight by a federal court and a police slowdown that precipitated a spike in crime. Quite a record.—- A private reception for…
Paul (Review)
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Indie director Greg Mottola started out with The Daytrippers back in 1996 and has gradually transitioned into more mainstream fare, although he has maintained enough smart edge to stave off the impression that he has simply become a studio pawn. He has found capable collaborators (Saturday Night Live’s Kristen Wiig,…
All-Star, Life-Affirming Musical Bash Sunday
Sunday at MOTR Pub in Over-the-Rhine, Beth Holzerwilson of the band Lovely Crash presents a special night of music to celebrate a couple of personal milestones, as well as how priceless it is to have good, supportive friends. The “50 Friends” show (subtitled “an amazing evening of music, food and dance”) is free and runs…
Stage Door: Start Something to Last a Lifetime
Lots of good theater onstage this weekend — like Gee's Bend at the Playhouse and End Days at Ensemble Theatre — but if you want to do something that will last a long time, take a kid to UC's College-Conservatory of Music to see The Last Dragon of Camelot. It's the world premiere of a…
Banderas Steps Up for Japanese Relief
More than a few times I’ve heard news announcers and commentators on TV and radio mention that donations to help victims of the Japanese earthquake/tsunami/potential nuclear-meltdown are way down, then add, “Likely because people don’t view Japan as needy as, say, Haiti.” Then … end of story. No explanation as to why we shouldn’t be…
Count Again, Mr. Chairman
After years of dithering and months of debate, Cincinnati City Council narrowly approved a plan Wednesday to make changes to the cash-strapped pension plan for municipal workers. But a local GOP leader is confused about who voted for what.—- Council voted 5-4 to approve changes to lessen an estimated $1 billion shortfall in the pension…
The Lincoln Lawyer (Review)
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Mystery writer Michael Connelly's series of spin-off books provides the basis for this sturdy but rushed legal thriller. Matthew McConaughey ages nicely into the role of hotshot Los Angeles defense attorney Mick Haller. Mick's rolling office is his vintage Lincoln Continental (thus the title). He…
Ra Ra Riot Bonus Content
Ra Ra Riot, an addictive Indie Pop outfit from Syracuse, N.Y., plays the Mad Hatter in Covington Saturday night. (Local heroes Pomegranates open the show.) I talked to RRR bassist Mathieu Santos for a feature that appeared in this week's print edition. We had to edit the interview because of space constraints, but I thought…
Transit Workers OK New Contract
A labor impasse between managers of Greater Cincinnati's Metro bus system and its transit workers appears to be near an end. Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 627 voted Tuesday to accept a new three-year labor contract with the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA). The final tally was 409-49.—- SORTA's board of…
Signs of Theater to Come
Announcements for the 2011-12 theater season are beginning. CityBeat usually doesn’t devote much space to such matters because we know our readers tend to want information about what’s happening in the week ahead rather than next fall or the spring of 2012. Nevertheless, assembling a smart season is essential to theaters. That effort enables them…
Ra Ra Riot Breaks Out
Ra Ra Riot grabbed a slot at the CMJ Music Marathon less than six months after forming on the campus of Syracuse University in early 2006. It’s been onward and upward ever since. The sextet — which includes singer Wes Miles, guitarist Milo Bonacci, bassist Mathieu Santos, cellist Alexandra Lawn, violinist Rebecca Zeller and new drummer…
Poco a Poco (Brunch Review)
Latin cuisine probably doesn’t come to mind when you think “first meal of the day.” But after having brunch at Poco a Poco (2724 Erie Ave., Hyde Park Square, 513-321-7626), it might. I’ve been really into Sunday brunch lately, so I was excited to try someplace other than my usual haunts. On our first visit,…
March 9-15: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY MARCH 9 Most people know what it’s like to stroll into the doctor’s office for a routine checkup only to hop on the scale and receive a startling dose of reality (“yes, sir, you weigh 20 pounds more than last year; also, you can’t eat those chicken wings in here). Mayor Mark Mallory today…
Apocalypse Again
Back in 2003, I interviewed director Peter Weir on the occasion of his newest film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World. That was, all in all, a good action/adventure movie. Based on a well-regarded Patrick O’Brian novel about British Royal Navy life and set on the high seas during the Napoleonic Wars,…
Local NAACP Attorney Fights For Obama’s Defeat
I t sounds like the setup for a bad joke, but unfortunately it’s all too real. The attorney for the NAACP’s local chapter is among the featured speakers at an event held by an anti-tax group scheduled for March 16, the day this issue is published. What’s strange about the event is the e-mail invitation…
Stephen Williams [Chef/owner Bouquet Restaurant and Wine Bar]
Since opening in November 2007, Bouquet Restaurant and Wine Bar (519 Main St., Covington, 859-491-7777) has been a small, charming bistro where diners always find great seasonal food and excellent wines. Chef/owner Stephen Williams has been one of the leaders in using fresh, local food on his ever-changing menu. Williams creates a new menu at…
Rehabilitating the Rehabilitators
While opponents have stepped up calls to shut the Volunteers of America (VOA) center that treats sexual offenders in Over-the-Rhine, operators of the controversial halfway house are trying to assuage longstanding concerns — concerns that flared anew due to two recent cases in which sexual offenders from the program committed new crimes. “We understand their…
The ’Wave of the Future
N ow in the middle of its first fund-raising campaign under the new name ArtsWave, the organization formerly known as the Fine Arts Fund wants to pioneer a new approach to valuing the role of the arts in our community. But with that might come controversy. Some worry that in trying to broaden its mission,…
Don’t Panic, It’s Organic
T he weather in Cincinnati likes to keep residents on their toes. One day the sun will grace us with 60-degree temperatures, the next day we wake to frost on our windshields. It’s no longer wintertime but not quite spring, so what is there to do? The Civic Garden Center has the right ingredients to…
Mellow Mushroom (Review)
T here are a few foods that people have such strong opinions about that they’ll start a conversation (or a fight) whenever they’re brought up. Hamburgers, ice cream and Cincinnati-style chili are a few, but I’ve only ever experienced honest-to-goodness harsh words from anyone over pizza. On one hand, you have people who are rabid…
Red Riding Hood (Review)
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } My, what big dreams Hollywood has for transforming fairy tales into the next big Twilight thing in the business. And, in theory at least, Red Riding Hood offers real promise by exploring the roots of the legend for a fresh interpretation; it gets all medieval on us, as a village…
Planned Parenthood Vows to Fight On
Despite attempts to cut its federal funding, officials in Planned Parenthood’s Southwest Ohio Region insist closing isn’t an option. “I won’t close,” says Becki Brenner, regional president. “We will find a way to provide our services." Her concern isn’t merely for her organization’s survival but for the many people who have lost their jobs, had…
Farehaven (Profile)
Most 9-month-old bands are happy with a few really good rehearsals and a handful of successful gigs. The rockers of Cincinnati’s Farehaven had no interest in a lengthy incubation period when they coalesced last June. “I think our first gig was a month and a half into being a band,” bassist Rob Jamison says while…
Race In the South African News Media
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa today leaves me feeling like Rip Van Winkle. It’s as if I went to sleep in the mid-20th Century when this nation suffered under a violent, racist white minority government and its Apartheid policy of color-defined racial segregation. Each morning now, I wake up in the 21st Century South Africa, ruled…
A Blessid Rebirth
With a slew of uplifting singles and a band name like Blessid Union of Souls, it shouldn’t be a shock to discover that the chart-topping Cincinnati band’s frontman Eliot Sloan puts a lot of stock in his spiritual beliefs. But the band — one of the most commercially successful acts to ever come out of…
The Beach Boys, Tom Waits and Bon Jovi
[HOT] Reason to ‘Smile’ The biggest legendarily unreleased album of all time will finally hit store shelves and digital retailers, an outlet that would have seemed like sci-fi fantasy when it was being made 44 years ago. After releasing what is arguably the greatest album in Pop and Rock history, Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys…
The Firebird Lets Risk Take Flight
W here would dance be without risk? Risk-taking is required to progress the form, especially when it comes to ballet. In recent years, Cincinnati Ballet has taken bold leaps forward by presenting fresh, contemporary works both in their annual New Works studio series and season programs. The Ballet’s Resident Choreographer Adam Hougland continues to play…
Cincinnati Zoo and John Kasich
[WINNER] CINCINNATI ZOO: Shit happens, and the zoo is trying to turn that into a positive. About 1 million pounds of animal feces are produced each year at the zoo by various critters, so it’s teaming with Marvin’s Organic Gardens in Lebanon to compost some of the organic waste. About 500 tons of waste are…
Unmentionables
Exiled from Main Street XXXVII: for Brad Smith There is a responsibility and a joy that comes with living in a place that has a modicum of freedom. At a time in which lines are being drawn in the sand and decades-old regimes are being overturned in pursuit of it, we should perhaps show our…
Morning News Stuff
Hundreds of protesters gathered at Fountain Square on Tuesday to rally for ‘a better Ohio.” Or more specifically, an Ohio without John Kasich. The demonstration was organized by Stand Up for Good Jobs and Strong Communities, which is one of the groups that has been making a point during recent months to be heard wherever…
First Amendment Champion Goehler Passes Away
Everyone in the media — and indeed everyone who cares about the First Amendment — is mourning the loss of Dick Goehler, a leading attorney at Cincinnati's Frost Brown Todd law firm who passed away yesterday after battling leukemia. Dick's practice focused on media law and represented media clients in all aspects of First Amendment…
