Mar 23-30, 2016
Building Character: Jonn Schenz Talks White House Easter Bunnies, Costuming Cincinnati and a Life in the Arts
Krisha
Arriving in theaters with the eerily familiar dysfunctional family dynamic firmly in place, Krisha certainly is a difficult film to like or recommend in the traditional sense, but what writer-director Trey Edward Shults has birthed here is something that demands to be seen. Krisha (Krisha Fairchild) returns home for the holidays after a long period…
I Saw the Light
Up till now, talented Brit Tom Hiddleston has been known for his mischief-making turn as the trickster god Loki in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is quite a departure from the down-home world of Hank Williams, the hard-living, hard-playing Country rebel icon and loverman who died before his time. Hiddleston sings with an eerily spot-on…
God’s Not Dead 2
The debate about the state of spiritual affairs continues in the latest release from Harold Cronk, the helmer behind God Is Not Dead! and God’s Not Dead. This time, a high school teacher (Melissa Joan Hart) unwittingly answers a question about Jesus and faces not only the possibility of losing her job; she also just…
Eye in the Sky
Director Gavin Hood (Tsotsi) sets his sights on the unnerving topicality of the war on terror in Eye in the Sky, his latest release. Overseeing the action from remote perspectives, Col. Katherine Powell (Helen Mirren) compiles, assesses and makes recommendations on up-to-the-minute data about an impending strike on a compound in Kenya that serves as…
National GOP Doesn’t Have a Say on Trump
To quote columnist Robert Fisk in a different context, “If this wasn’t tragic, it would be farce.” The tragedy is the ease with which Republican presidential aspirants manipulate news cycles. Not long ago, it was Mexicans and Muslims. Now it’s candidates’ wives. Anything appears to be more exciting than grasping the substance of national affairs. This goes beyond…
Film: Cincinnati Goddamn
The Mini Microcinema presents the local premiere of Cincinnati Goddamn, a film by April Martin and Paul Hill. The feature-length documentary sheds light on police brutality, institutional and anti-black racism and grassroots activism in Cincinnati. The film focuses on the deaths of Roger Owensby Jr. and Timothy Thomas at the hands of Cincinnati police as…
Event: Findlay Market Opening Day Parade
Opening Day might not be an official local holiday, but we take our season opener pretty damn seriously, so be prepared to wrap up work early on Monday and head downtown ASAP. The celebration begins promptly at noon with the 97th Findlay Market Opening Day Parade, led by grand marshal Lou Piniella, manager of the…
Event: Duttenhofer’s Books 40th Anniversary
Clifton landmark Duttenhofer’s Books — an independent purveyor of rare, old and used books on topics ranging from literature and architecture to poetry, philosophy, history and more — is celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend with a sale and party. Take 20 percent off your purchase, and celebrate with cake and refreshments on Sunday. The…
Get Involved: State Roadway Cleanup
Join forces with Keep Cincinnati Beautiful to give some of the city’s dirtiest roadways a much-needed makeover. The nonprofit’s annual State Roadway Cleanup brings hundreds of volunteers together to pick up litter along Interstates 71 and 75. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful hopes that keeping these heavily traveled highways clean will make a positive impression on visitors…
Attraction: Zoo Blooms
While the Cincinnati Zoo is known for its diverse collection of animals, it’s also home to one of Ohio’s two accredited botanical gardens. Now is the time to catch the garden at its finest with Zoo Blooms, a display of more than one million tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, flowering trees and shrubs blooming throughout the park.…
Event: Over the Moon Vintage Market Spring Show
Whether your decorating style is Parisian, shabby chic, industrial, bohemian, prairie or rusty, Over the Moon Vintage Market has something for you. The market’s 35-plus vendors sell vintage, new and upcycled items, including furniture, décor and artisan jewelry for designers, vintage fashionistas, DIY experts and repurposers alike. 4-9 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free…
Art: University of Cincinnati DAAP Masters of Art Thesis Exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center
As the only local art school that offers an advanced degree in Fine Art, the University of Cincinnati’s School of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning’s MFA program has long been part and parcel of the area’s arts scene. Several years ago, the CAC began exhibiting the thesis work of DAAP MFA grads — a demonstration…
Event: Piston Society Opening
Cruise by the grand opening of the new Piston Society motorcycle shop in Over-the-Rhine this April Fools Day. No joke, there will be a 10 percent-off sale Friday and Saturday along with free beer, soda, wine and snacks, plus a Biltwell Gringo helmet up for grabs as a door prize. The urban boutique sells unique…
Music: Circuit des Yeux
Circuit des Yeux is the brainchild of singer/songwriter/sound-sculptor Haley Fohr, who began mixing experimental soundscapes and evocative Indie/Psych Folk songs during college in Bloomington, Ind. before moving to Chicago in 2012. Recording and performing exclusively as a solo artist for years, Fohr’s touring isolation and immersion in Chicago’s avant-garde music scene helped open her up…
Art: A Purposeless Play at Wave Pool
“A purposeless play” is a term the great experimentalist John Cage coined to describe the joy of music, and it’s being used as the title of a Wave Pool exhibit in which Cincinnati artist Mark Harris and San Franciscan Guillermo Galindo display work inspired by Cage’s embrace of the avant-garde in music. The show opens…
Comedy: Tim Gaither
When asked what he thought Hell was like, 5-year-old Tim Gaither told his church’s congregation: “It will be hotter than the Wal-Mart parking lot on the Fourth of July, barefoot.” Huge laughs followed and Gaither’s comedy career was launched. Not much has changed — he still charms audiences with similarly styled jokes, only the newer…
Onstage: The Book of Mormon
Back by popular demand, the record-breaking The Book of Mormon endeavors to replicate the hit show from Broadway, where it won nine Tony Awards. This tour takes no shortcuts, with an energetic cast of 30 performing the book, music and lyrics created by South Park’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, co-creator of…
Cult Following
Some actors capture a character so well that it’s hard to imagine them portraying anyone else. For example, Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul will always be Jesse Pinkman to many fans, even if he never utters the word “bitch” again. And for the truly talented, it’s less of a pigeonhole than a challenge to raise the…
‘Remember’ Takes a Trip Down ‘Memento’ Lane
The album cover art of Joe Henry’s 2001 release Scar spotlights a man’s chest with his shirt open and a hand caressing the flesh just beneath a carefully penned tattoo that reads, “AMOR.” It is, as intoned on the title track of the album, “a mark, so fine, but still a scar.” The song opens…
Morning News and Stuff
Morning all. Today’s the day: Our enormous, 188-page, biggest-ever Best of Cincinnati issue just dropped with a resounding thud in newsstands throughout the region, and tonight we’re going to party like crazy to forget how hard we all worked on it and because our city is awesome. You’re invited, by the way. In the meantime,…
Greg Behrendt: Still into You
Though he still considers himself a stand-up comedian by trade, Greg Behrendt is probably best known as the co-author, along with Liz Tuccillo, of the book He’s Just Not That Into You. That project grew, in part, out of his work as a consultant on the TV series Sex and the City. The success of…
Covington’s CGN Creates Community Opportunity
The Center for Great Neighborhoods of Covington (CGN) is celebrating 40 years of formulating positive growth in the neighborhood, and it has big plans for the future. In 1976, Covington’s Fourth Street Center and Downtown Neighborhood Center combined to tackle community concerns and the needs of low-income residents. One more name change and two locations…
Cincy Shakes Plays its Part in Promoting the Bard
William Shakespeare died four centuries ago in 1616, but his impact on the world of theater seems stronger than ever today. He’s the most frequently produced playwright on American stages (the annual list of most-produced shows assembled by American Theatre magazine excludes his plays since they are so often presented), and numerous theater companies, from…
To Be American, Gifted and Black
New York Times art critic Holland Cotter recently titled his review of an L.A. gallery exhibition featuring all abstract sculpture by women with the pejorative question, “Are All-Women Shows Good or Bad for Art?” Eye roll. His answer, of course, is implied by the query itself. Why would women want to set themselves apart as…
Cincinnati Reds 2016 Season Preview
I n 1953, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded future Hall of Fame slugger Ralph Kiner to the Chicago Cubs after protracted salary disputes with general manager Branch Rickey, who rebuffed Kiner’s request for a pay raise by letting him know that “We finished last with you, we can finish last without you.” The reasons the Reds…
Spring Has Sprung
Spring has officially sprung, which means it’s time to start drinking outdoors again! April sees the advent of new beer fests, the release of spring-influenced brews and the return of baseball-themed beers, like MadTree’s Rounding Third and Rhinegeist’s Hustle. So crack open a cold one, watch the Reds try to win and enjoy the warmer…
Seeds of Change
True confession: I’ve been a huge fan of La Poste since it launched in Clifton’s Gaslight District in 2010. Anyone who opens a restaurant within walking distance of my house that features multiple certified sommeliers on staff can expect my faithful patronage. In one inspired moment, our neighborhood haunt boasted perhaps the deepest cellar of…
From All Fronts
It seems like an impossibly tall order: confront problems around the economy, the environment and racial equity in Cincinnati communities struggling most with those issues. But some local organizations are addressing those complicated, interwoven challenges in places like South Cumminsville, Avondale, South Fairmount and other neighborhoods, and a groundbreaking initiative in New York might have…
Oh, Donald: We Hardly Knew Ye
U sually, when something akin to Donald Trump rears his ugly Whack-a-Mole head and people — readers, close friends or family at those gatherings that teeter dangerously on splintering family arguments — ask me: “So whaddya think about this guy? About what he is doing?” I keep at the ready a stupid, escape-hatch reply like…
Worst Week Ever! March 23-29
Pollution of America’s Waterways Temporarily Produces Artificial Beauty The Mill Creek was once so clean that Native Americans who lived near it could eat shellfish from it like bosses. Now, the toxic water way will burn right through rubber shoe soles and probably anything else because it is the human way to ruin everything. It’s…
Music: Ani DiFranco
It should come as no surprise that Ani DiFranco is keenly interested in the upcoming U.S. elections — her music, which has appeared on more than 20 albums since her self-released, self-titled debut surfaced in 1990, has long been preoccupied with politics. On cue, DiFranco’s latest road excursion is being dubbed the “VOTE DAMMIT!” tour,…
Sound Advice: Ani DiFranco with Chastity Brown
It should come as no surprise that Ani DiFranco is keenly interested in the upcoming U.S. elections — her music, which has appeared on more than 20 albums since her self-released, self-titled debut surfaced in 1990, has long been preoccupied with politics. On cue, DiFranco’s latest road excursion is being dubbed the “VOTE DAMMIT!” tour,…
Music: Pure Bathing Culture
On the surface, Pure Bathing Culture has had a relatively brief but potent existence, with three well-received releases in four years, including its last album, 2015’s diverse and somewhat atypical Pray for Rain. In fact, the duo — multi-instrumentalists Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman — has been together for the past 17 years, since meeting…
Sound Advice: Pure Bathing Culture with Pillar Point
On the surface, Pure Bathing Culture has had a relatively brief but potent existence, with three well-received releases in four years, including its last album, 2015’s diverse and somewhat atypical Pray for Rain. In fact, the duo — multi-instrumentalists Sarah Versprille and Daniel Hindman — has been together for the past 17 years, since meeting…
Music: Fred Hersch
Cincinnati native Fred Hersch is one of the most respected and celebrated artists in Jazz today. The imaginative and versatile pianist, bandleader and composer, who has lived in New York City since the mid-’70s, boasts a remarkable discography that includes releases for labels like Nonesuch, Concord, Chesky and Angel/EMI. Those releases have notched Hersch eight…
Sound Advice: Fred Hersch
Cincinnati native Fred Hersch is one of the most respected and celebrated artists in Jazz today. The imaginative and versatile pianist, bandleader and composer, who has lived in New York City since the mid-’70s, boasts a remarkable discography that includes releases for labels like Nonesuch, Concord, Chesky and Angel/EMI. Those releases have notched Hersch eight…
Music: Black Tusk
Savannah, Ga. is well-known for its rich Southern traditions, its gorgeous architecture and public squares, and its amazing array of historical homes, churches and cemeteries. One of Savannah’s lesser-known points of interest is its healthy crop of Stoner Metal bands, including Kylesa, Baroness, Circle Takes the Square and Black Tusk. Black Tusk formed 11 years…
Sound Advice: Black Tusk with The Well and Cephalocoitus
Savannah, Ga. is well-known for its rich Southern traditions, its gorgeous architecture and public squares, and its amazing array of historical homes, churches and cemeteries. One of Savannah’s lesser-known points of interest is its healthy crop of Stoner Metal bands, including Kylesa, Baroness, Circle Takes the Square and Black Tusk. Black Tusk formed 11 years…
Frontier Folk Nebraska Goes Live on New Album
Last summer, Covington rockers Frontier Folk Nebraska took over Northern Kentucky’s Southgate House Revival for two nights to record a live album in front of the band’s dedicated area fans. Almost immediately afterward, the foursome (singer/guitarist Michael Hensley, drummer Mark Becknell, bassist Matt McCormick and guitarist Travis Talbert) hit the road, helping to solidify the…
Six Strings for Solace
T hroughout the centuries, music has been both a tool of war and a remedy for the mental trauma and physical injuries sustained in battle. History teaches us that man’s love for music appears to be nearly as old as his need to engage in combat — both stretch back through time. Conductor Leon Botstein…
View the 2016 Best of Cincinnati Issue
Most people don’t want to be reminded of how things were in 1997: The Internet was still referred to as the World Wide Web; we had to ask each other questions instead of using Google or Wikipedia; quoting Austin Powers was the height of hilarity; and iPhones hadn’t even been invented yet. But for us…
Event: Northside Record Fair
The Northside Record Fair brings vinyl nerds together to buy, sell, trade and geek out. Hundreds of collectors and vendors from across the Midwest will gather to hawk thousands of records, CDs, cassettes, 8-tracks, reel-to-reels, posters, concert DVDs, zines and other music memorabilia. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. $5; $10 early-bird 10 a.m. entry. Northside Presbyterian…
2016 Sports & Recreation Staff Picks
BEST INTERNATIONAL SHOWCASE OF THE QUEEN CITY Our fair city, the Reds organization and Major League Baseball came together last summer to to do an All-Star job (ha!) of hosting Major League Baseball’s 86th Midsummer Classic. People from all over the world came to town to witness the game’s best and all the pomp and…
2016 Sports & Recreation Reader Picks
Overall Local Athlete 1 / Andy Dalton (Bengals) 2 / A.J. Green (Bengals) 3 / Brandon Phillips (Reds) Bengal (Current) 1 / Andy Dalton 2 / A.J. Green 3 / Tyler Eifert Red (Current) 1 / Brandon Phillips 2 / Joey Votto 3 / Billy Hamilton Cyclone (Current) 1 / Cody Carlson 2 / Christiaan…
WATCH: Bummers Eve’s “I Want Your Drugs” Video
Earlier today, music website Northern Transmissions premiered the music video for “I Want Your Drugs,” the endearingly noisy and melodic first song on Cincinnati fuzzy, lo-fi Rock trio Bummers Eve’s recently released self-titled full-length. The trippy sheen that coats the song (a highlight on the overall great LP) is reflected in the video’s psychedelic swirl of…
2016 Public Eye Staff Picks
BEST HAPPY ENDING TO A CONTENTIOUS HISTORIC CONSERVATION BATTLE Last year, it looked like efforts to renovate revered Cincinnati landmark Music Hall were stuck. Hamilton County Commissioners scuttled an attempt to include the building, built in 1887, in a countywide tax levy that is currently raising funds for Union Terminal’s big fix. But then Ohio…
2016 Public Eye Reader Picks
Cincinnatian 1 / Pete Rose 2 / Jim Obergefell 3 / Jim Tarbell 4 / Bob Herzog 5 / Nick Lachey 6 / Anthony Muñoz 7 / Molly Wellmann 8 / Buddy LaRosa 9 / Chris Seelbach 10 / Thane Maynard Northern Kentuckian 1 / Nick Clooney 2 / George Clooney 3 / Cris Collinsworth…
2016 Shops & Services Staff Picks
BEST MAMMARY MEMENTOS The future is female. OTR’s Continuum, conceptualized as an eclectic bazaar and women’s clothing shop, features a carefully curated selection of independent designers, artists and makers. And, lucky for us, the trend in all things indie these days is boobs. Stop in to get your fill of bathing beauty boob planters (nipple…
Local Democrats Propose $15 Minimum Wage for City Workers
City of Cincinnati employees like health worker Sheila Nash of Price Hill could get a bump in pay if Cincinnati City Council approves a series of ordinances designed to boost wages, increase worker safety and incentivize city contractors to pay employees more. “I make $27,000 a year,” says Nash, who has worked for the health…
2016 Shops & Services Reader Picks
New Store (Since March 2015) 1 / Elm & Iron 2 / Made in Cincinnati 3 / Cabela’s 4 / Continuum 5 / Grainwell 6 / The Chocolate Bee 7 / Frameri 8 / Rose & Remington 9 / Idlewild Woman 10 / Fresh Thyme Farmers Market Overall Boutique (Local) 1 / MiCA …
2016 Eats Staff Picks
BEST BAR CHARCUTERIE Charcuterie: a fun word to say and a fun snack to eat. And many local gastro-bars are expanding their eats options beyond free nuts and popcorn by offering an elevated meat-and-cheese board. This includes Metropole. Yes, the Metropole is a restaurant inside the 21c Museum Hotel, but it’s also a swanky bar…
2016 Urban Life Reader Picks
Cincinnati Neighborhood 1 / Over-the-Rhine 2 / Hyde Park 3 / Northside 4 / Clifton 5 / Oakley 6 / Pleasant Ridge 7 / Mount Adams 8 / Mount Lookout 9 / East Walnut Hills 10 / College Hill Weekend Getaway (Within 100 Miles) 1 / Hocking Hills 2 / Red River Gorge 3 / Louisville, Ky. 4 / Yellow Springs 5 / Kentucky Bourbon Trail 6 / Indianapolis, Ind. 7…
Morning News and Stuff
Cincinnati Park Board director Willie Carden and Cincinnati Board of Park Commissioners Chairman Otto Budlig stood in front of City Council's Budget and Finance Committee yesterday to defend the construction contracts the Parks Department awarded to independent companies to build Smale Riverfront Park. Nearly all of the $15 million park was built using pre-existing contracts…
R.I.P. Phife Dawg
R.I.P. Phife Dawg A Tribe Called Quest rapper Phife Dawg’s unexpected death brought out a diverse chorus of tributes that showed just how far Phife’s and ATCQ’s influence spans. Along with rappers like Kendrick Lamar and Talib Kweli, tributes came from sports figures (Kobe Bryant), TV legends (writer/producer David Simon), indie rockers (Sean Lennon, Jenny…
2016 Eats Reader Picks
Overall Restaurant 1 / Sotto 2 / Eli’s BBQ 3 / Boca 4 / Jeff Ruby’s Precinct 5 / The Eagle OTR 6 / Dewey’s Pizza 7 / Bakersfield OTR 8 / Incline Public House 9 / Orchids at Palm Court 10 / Taste of Belgium Neighborhood Restaurant (Downtown/OTR) 1 / The Eagle OTR 2…
2016 Arts & Nightlife Staff Picks
BEST ENTERTAINMENT SPECTACLE What makes grand opera grand? Cincinnati Opera showed us with an opulent staging of Puccini’s Turandot. The spectacular production featured equally spectacular singing from soprano Marcy Stonikas, as the ice princess Turandot, and the long-awaited Cincinnati debut of French soprano Norah Amsellem, whose plangent, haunting voice and dramatic presence as the servant…
2016 Arts & Nightlife Reader Picks
New Bar/Club (Since March 2015) 1 / 16-Bit Bar+Arcade 2 / Taft’s Ale House 3 / Northside Yacht Club 4 / Sundry and Vice 5 / Braxton Brewing Company 6 / The Overlook Lodge 7 / Urban Artifact 8 / Live! at the Ludlow Garage 9 / Pearl’s 10 / Bromwell’s HÄRTH Lounge Overall Bar/Club…
2016 Urban Life Staff Picks
BEST CHARLEY HARPER REDISCOVERYIn 1987, someone dry-walled over a 1970s tile mural by famous Cincinnati artist Charley Harper at the Duke Energy Convention Center. Why someone would do that will likely remain a mystery. But thanks to renovations at the convention center in 2014, the colorful mural titled “Space Walk” was re-discovered. The 30,000-tile mural,…
Why Is Kasich Still Running?
Ohio Governor John Kasich was crushed in the last round of primary contests, even losing to the ghost of Sen. Marco Rubio in Utah from early ballots casted before the Florida senator terminated his campaign. Between the recent contests in Utah and Arizona, Kasich failed to pick up any delegates. This battle for the Republican…
Ensemble Theatre: The Dangerous Ascent of ‘Annapurna’
Critic’s Pick Annapurna is the Hindu goddess of nourishment. But that name has been antithetically (and perhaps ironically) applied to one of the most dangerous peaks in the Himalayas, one that has killed nearly as many climbers as it’s allowed to scale its height. It’s also the title of an epic poem that a washed-up…
Two Decades of Celebrating the Best
CityBeat launched its inaugural Best of Cincinnati issue in 1997 with only 41 pages,120 reader ballot categories and a stated mission to identify “Greater Cincinnati’s best food, night spots, arts, media, politicians, community activists, sports figures, products and services.” Back then, we had readers fill out hard-copy surveys from the paper and mail them in…
Morning News and Stuff
Despite Cincinnati Park Board officials' reoccurring claim that the board operates independently from the nonprofit Cincinnati Parks Foundation, the two often work as one organization, according to a four-month Enquirer investigation. The investigation found millions of dollars shifting regularly between the two organizations' accounts with minimal oversight to funds. These actions often circumvent government transparency,…
‘Mothers and Sons’: A Collision of Generations and Attitudes
Playwright Terrence McNally has written a lot of plays. When Mothers and Sons, his 2014 drama currently onstage at the Cincinnati Playhouse, debuted in 2014, it was his 20th Broadway show and his 50th year on Broadway. He’s covered the waterfront with dramas, comedies and musicals. And he’s never been one to dodge from contemporary…
Your Weekend To Do List
FRIDAY 25EVENT: ART AFTER DARK: 30 AMERICANSVisit the Cincinnati Art Museum for the latest installment of after-hours party Art After Dark to celebrate the new exhibit 30 Americans. Some of the most important African-American artists have their work showcased in the provocative display, which focuses on race, gender and historical identity in contemporary culture through…
Morning News and Stuff
Good morning all. Here’s what’s up today. Well, it was enlightening while it lasted. Cincinnati city administration yesterday released, then quickly pulled, a study on safety issues surrounding the Central Parkway Bikeway requested by City Councilman Christopher Smitherman. Smitherman recently introduced a motion to remove the lanes, citing safety concerns. The study, completed by the…
Hamilton County Still Struggling with Infant Mortality
Ninety-nine babies Hamilton County babies died before their first birthday last year, according to the annual report by the Cradle Cincinnati, a nonprofit formed three years ago to address the high infant mortality rate in the region. According to its report released Thursday, the issue is still a pressing concern for the county. In 2015,…
City Administration Releases, Then Pulls, Bike Lane Study
Cincinnati's Central Parkway Bikeway hasn't made the thoroughfare any more dangerous than similar streets without lanes, a study has found. A memo written today by Cincinnati City Manager Harry Black detailed results of a study by the city's transportation department revealing that the stretch of Central Parkway that includes the city's controversial bike lane has…
Matthew Kolodziej’s Paintings at Solway Look But Aren’t Purely Abstract
Upon first encountering Matthew Kolodziej’s wonderful artwork at Carl Solway Gallery’s Patch Work: New Paintings show (through Saturday), you might think he’s reviving the colorfully splattering, helter-skelter Abstract-Expressionist style of Jackson Pollock. But first appearances can be deceiving. He explains, in answer to an inquiry, that he starts the paintings by putting together photo collages…
City Council Passes Homeless-to-Work Program
City Council approved a $50,000 pilot program on Wednesday to help assist homeless people with finding employment. The Homeless-to-Work program will employ 15 to 20 individuals in seasonal jobs and will also provide help with resumes and interview skills. The city funding will be matched by private donations. Councilwoman Yvette Simpson, who worked on the…
Cincinnati Music, Mashed-Up and Live
If there’s one benefit to being a part of Cincinnati’s small but mighty music scene, it’s the ability to meet and mingle with artists far outside of your own particular genre. This accessibility to other musicians and creators is what led to the Cincinnati Soundclash show, featuring Jess Lamb and the Factory, The Cliftones and…
Morning News and Stuff
It took two and a half hours of debate at the transportation committee Tuesday, followed by another half hour of bickering at yesterday's City Council meeting, but they did it. In a vote of 6-2, Council finally approved the sunset ordinance that would allow the organizers of seven events to halt streetcar service. The ordinance…
Council Approves Halting Streetcar for Downtown Festivities
City Council passed an ordinance today that could halt the streetcar's operation during seven downtown heritage events during its first two years of operation. The sunset ordinance would give the organizers of the Flying Pig Marathon, Taste of Cincinnati, Oktoberfest, Opening Day Parade, Thanksgiving 10K, Health Expo and the Heart Mini Marathon 90 days before…
Music: The Cliftones
R eggae can be a tough sell to a Midwestern audience that’s been spoon-fed mainstream musical oatmeal long enough to forget what organic texture and rhythm feels like. The Cliftones have experienced this difficulty, not to mention a certain resistance to the genre, for the entirety of their six-year existence. “We strangely can win over…
Comedy: Chris Kattan
Saturday Night Live alum Chris Kattan brings his stand-up act to the Liberty Funny Bone — and hopefully some classic characters. Mr. Peepers? Mango? A Butabi brother? Expect an evening of some jokes, some memories and some noteworthy up-and-coming opening acts. Dinner package available. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. $22; $52 with meal. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518…
Film: Iris
Cincinnati Art Museum’s free “Moving Images” film series resumes after a short hiatus with one of the great documentarian Albert Maysles’ last films, 2014’s Iris. It celebrates Iris Apfel, a 94-year-old New York style-maker known for her unique look; she combines designer and flea market pieces, accentuated with colorful accessories and oversized signature Mr. Magoo-like…
Music: Shovels & Rope
One of the leading lights in the modern-day Folk/Americana revival, duo Shovels & Rope’s last album of new material was the widely praised 2014 full-length Swimmin’ Time. But 2015 was even more eventful for Cary Ann Hearst and Michael Trent, the married/creative couple that drives S&R. Besides having their first child, the twosome released a…
Attraction: Butterflies of the Caribbean
Krohn Conservatory’s annual extremely popular and extremely beautiful International Butterfly Show returns with Butterflies of the Caribbean. The Caribbean is a collection of cultures and colorful islands connected by a bright blue sea, and the flora, fauna and free-flying butterflies of this exhibit reflect that whimsical seaside attitude. Find white sand, a coral reef, palm…
Music: Boyz II Men
Motown Philly back again. Horseshoe Casino welcomes Grammy-winning R&B group Boyz II Men this weekend for a sold-out show. The best-selling vocal quartet-turned-trio belts out their most iconic emotional ballads, including (hopefully) “End of the Road” and “I’ll Make Love to You” in the casino’s Pavilion. If you don’t have tickets already, wander the building…
Event: Miles Ahead Red Carpet Screening and After Party
Actor/director Don Cheadle’s Miles Ahead — a poignant exploration of famed Jazz musician Miles Davis — was filmed in the Queen City, and the Esquire is rolling out the red carpet this weekend for an advanced screening and celebration. Beginning with a red carpet arrival, festivities continue after the screening with a party at The Transept,…
Event: Art After Dark: 30 Americans
Visit the Cincinnati Art Museum for the latest installment of after-hours party Art After Dark to celebrate the new exhibit 30 Americans. Some of the most important African-American artists have their work showcased in the provocative display, which focuses on race, gender and historical identity in contemporary culture through painting, photography, sculpture, video and installation.…
Art: White People: A Retrospective at Art Beyond Boundaries
Jymi Bolden, director of Art Beyond Boundaries gallery, has curated an encore exhibition of work by award-winning former Cincinnati Post photojournalist Melvin Grier that “looks at the majority through a minority’s eyes.” Bolden and Grier have known each other since Bolden interned for the photographer as a student at the Art Academy in the 1980s.…
Art: Tiger Lily Press at Clay Street Press
The members of Tiger Lily Press, the venerable printmaking organization, will be showing recent work at Clay Street Press. Participating artists will exhibit prints created by traditional techniques — etching, woodcut, silkscreen, collagraph and monoprint — as well as newer methods, like polyester plate lithography. On view through May 14. Free. 1312 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine,…
Art: Final Shows at Phyllis Weston Gallery
Phyllis Weston Gallery is closing after the December death of the grande dame of Cincinnati’s visual art, Phyllis Weston. Pop-up shows will round out the last month of business. First is a group exhibit featuring digitally manipulated photos of long-ago street scenes from gallery director Courtney Huber, feminist Rococo-style drawings by Colleen Kelsey of Dayton…
Lecture: Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine
Established in July by the burgeoning Over-the-Rhine Museum, this lecture series brings in local historians, advocates and OTR residents to discuss topics pertaining to the neighborhood’s history. The Peaslee Neighborhood Center hosts the third installment, featuring the center’s Jennifer Summers and Larry Fogle and associate professors of history Christine Anderson and Eric Jackson of Xavier…
Comedy: Auggie Smith
“The ax I’m grinding now is basically a very long defense of political correctness,” says comedian Auggie Smith. “Which I think is the hardest thing in the world to do, but I’m going to do it on stage at Go Bananas this weekend.” Actually, it’s easier than it sounds. “It’s just about human decency,” he…
Onstage: Annapurna
Annapurna is the Hindu goddess of nourishment. It’s also the name given to one of the most dangerous Himalayan climbing peaks, the 10th highest in the world, with a horrendous fatality rate of 40 percent. That lonely, dangerous place might offer a hint as to some of the perils and pleasures of Sharr White’s new…
Welcome to VICELAND
Since its early days as a government-funded magazine in Montreal, VICE has expanded into a media empire that includes film production, a record label, books, TV series and a huge Internet presence. With ample web series and previous forays into the small screen via MTV and HBO, the company now looks to explore traditional television…
My Big Fat Greek Reunion
In 2002, I was a relatively green member of the CityBeat film section with only a little more than a year’s time covering the beat. I received a call from my editor about an interview opportunity in support of an under-the-radar film that was starting to generate some low-level buzz during a terribly limited rollout.…
John Dunsworth Takes ‘Trailer Park Boys’ Mobile
Most American audiences recognize John Dunsworth as Jim Lahey, the hard-drinking, antagonistic trailer park supervisor in the Canadian mockumentary series Trailer Park Boys. Now, 16 years into the role, he’s had plenty of time to use his celebrity status to bring joy into the world. “I always wanted to be a hero,” Dunsworth says. “Bringing…
Parents, Children and the Ways of the World
Because we all have parents and many of us have children, plays about adults’ impact on their offspring typically resonate with audiences. The results can be for better or for worse, as evidenced by two plays currently on Cincinnati stages. In the case of the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s production of an adaptation of…
Indigo Girl
I magine an artist’s dream garage sale. There are traditional items like brushes, paint, charcoal and paper, but the fun doesn’t end there. Mix in feathers, buttons, wood scraps, natural materials, yarn — anything offbeat you might uncover in an attic — and you have Indigo Hippo. The nonprofit, opening Friday in Over-the-Rhine, is an…
Nonprofit Spotlight: Visionaries + Voices
Visionaries + Voices is a nonprofit organization operating in Northside. The purpose of V+V is to provide space and opportunity for artists with disabilities to thrive, giving exhibition opportunities, studio space, supplies and support to more than 125 artists with disabilities. “Our mission is to provide artists with professional, creative, and cultural opportunities,” says Hannah…
Expand Your Urban Homesteading
One of the best episodes of Portlandia has to be the one where Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein’s characters take a satirical stab at farm-to-table food fanatics who order chicken in a restaurant. It’s not enough for these two to know that their meal will consist of a local, free-range, organic bird that’s been fed…
The Italian Way
It’s been five years since Jared Wayne, his brother Nick and friends opened Italian restaurant A Tavola in Over-the-Rhine, an eatery so successful that they added a second location in the suburb of Madeira in 2014. Continuing their Cincinnati pizza infiltration, earlier this month the brothers opened fast-casual pizza joint Taglio, nestled in Columbia Tusculum’s…
A Bunny Tale
On Monday, March 28, more than 35,000 people will descend on the White House South Lawn for the 138th-annual White House Easter Egg Roll — kids, parents, eggs, wooden spoons, secret service agents, the Obamas, whoever else won tickets through the public lottery and Cincinnati’s own Jonn Schenz, who, dressed in a dark suit with…
Morning News and Stuff
Good morning all. Here’s the news today. Remember back in November when all those accusations were flying about the way the Cincinnati Park Board operates? There are more questions now. As it turns out, the construction of Smale Riverfront Park downtown was carried out without contracts ever going out for bid on the $97 million…
Camp Washington’s Schenz Theatrical Supply Has Provided the White House with Bunny Costumes since 1981
Schenz Theatrical Supply in Camp Washington sticks out from the surrounding urban/industrial landscape like a sore thumb. The building’s once-bright purple ombré paint job has faded over time to a pinkish lavender hue. Add a shiny black gorilla — immortalized in the nearby “Campy Washington” ArtWorks mural — emerging above the entrance like King Kong,…
Heightening Awareness
A dolescence is a difficult time for many young people. But add mental illness on top of normal teenage stresses and hormonal shifts, and life can seem nearly impossible for teens. Experts have been aware of the prevalence of mental illness in youth for decades, but all too often the young people at the very…
Worst Week Ever! March 16-22
Pope Joins Instagram to the Delight of Online Believers Pope Francis lives in his own city-state inside of Rome, so he can easily avoid the world’s trivialities to focus on preserving thousands of artifacts representing Catholicism over the years. But even the Pontifex can’t ignore the power and influence of social media these days —…
I’m Goin’ Down
This will neither take long nor take a lengthy explanation. Thank God idiots — namely, men, in this case — are idiots of the highest order who make their idiocy abundantly clear. And it’s rarefied air, this idiot air they inhale and exhale with their idiot mouths. If you have paid any attention at all…
Music: The Cult
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Ian Astbury fronting bands with “Cult” in the name, beginning in 1981, when the singer and some Yorkshire friends co-opted the moniker Southern Death Cult from a 500-year-old Native American religion and created the first wave of Gothic Punk. In 1983, Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy co-founded Death…
Sound Advice: The Cult with Holy White Hounds
This year marks the 35th anniversary of Ian Astbury fronting bands with “Cult” in the name, beginning in 1981, when the singer and some Yorkshire friends co-opted the moniker Southern Death Cult from a 500-year-old Native American religion and created the first wave of Gothic Punk. In 1983, Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy co-founded Death…
Music: Lazyeyes
With the resurgence and return of Shoegaze giants like My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Swervedriver, it’s not surprising that contemporary bands following a similar sonic arc are enjoying a little added attention as a result. Brooklyn-based Lazyeyes has only emerged from the New York scene over the past four years, but the band has amassed…
Sound Advice: Lazyeyes with Beverly
With the resurgence and return of Shoegaze giants like My Bloody Valentine, Ride and Swervedriver, it’s not surprising that contemporary bands following a similar sonic arc are enjoying a little added attention as a result. Brooklyn-based Lazyeyes has only emerged from the New York scene over the past four years, but the band has amassed…
Music: Tortoise
Tortoise formed in 1990, back before the term “Post Rock” made its way into our musical lexicon and before most of us were even aware of an ambitious couple named Bill and Hillary Clinton. A quarter century later, the adventurous Chicago band is still at it, dropping their first album in seven years, The Catastrophist,…
Sound Advice: Tortoise with Mind Over Mirrors and Watter
Tortoise formed in 1990, back before the term “Post Rock” made its way into our musical lexicon and before most of us were even aware of an ambitious couple named Bill and Hillary Clinton. A quarter century later, the adventurous Chicago band is still at it, dropping their first album in seven years, The Catastrophist,…
Music: Judah & the Lion
Five years ago, four musicians from far-flung American locales found themselves attending college together in Tennessee and comparing notes on the kinds of music they each loved. And while the artists’ sonic interests were fairly disparate — Folk, Rock, Pop, Hip Hop — they concluded that the best course of action for the fledgling band…
Sound Advice: Judah & the Lion with The Saint Johns
Five years ago, four musicians from far-flung American locales found themselves attending college together in Tennessee and comparing notes on the kinds of music they each loved. And while the artists’ sonic interests were fairly disparate — Folk, Rock, Pop, Hip Hop — they concluded that the best course of action for the fledgling band…
Country Crew Kevin McCoy Band Releases Debut
Cincinnati Country/Rock foursome the Kevin McCoy Band celebrates the release of its debut album, Redneck-N-Roll, this Saturday at Jimmy B’s Sports Bar and Grill (606 Ohio Pike, Withamsville, jimmybsbarandgrill.com). Singer/songwriter Ronnie Vaughn opens the show at 8 p.m., followed by the debut performance of the Mark Robinson Band. The Kevin McCoy Band is scheduled to…
Boogie On, Reggae Children
R eggae can be a tough sell to a Midwestern audience that’s been spoon-fed mainstream musical oatmeal long enough to forget what organic texture and rhythm feels like. The Cliftones have experienced this difficulty, not to mention a certain resistance to the genre, for the entirety of their six-year existence. “We strangely can win over…
Snoop’s Accidental Tourism Ad
HOT: Snoop’s Accidental Tourism Ad Hip Hop legend Snoop Dogg, who has shilled for everything from Hot Pockets to a line of pot-vaporizing products, accidentally lent his substantial branding power to a tiny village in Romania recently. The MC posted a selfie on Instagram while on tour and instead of tagging his actual location (Bogotá,…
Noah Purifoy Exhibit Showcases a Great Artist
The current 30 Americans show at the Cincinnati Art Museum offers a good chance to see work by key African-American contemporary artists. All well and good, but you should also definitely get to the Wexner Center for the Arts in nearby Columbus by April 10 to see the retrospective show of another contemporary black artist,…
