‘New York Times’ Calls Cincinnati and Columbus Twins
Whether you like this statement or not depends on how you feel about Columbus, which is apparently Cincinnati’s twin, according to this New York Times story. The piece examines job opportunities and needs and found that Cincinnati and Columbus rate an 82 out of 100 in terms of matching. Cincinnati also pairs closely with Louisville, Cleveland…
Cincinnati poised to acquire historic King Records site; more news
Hello, Cincinnati. Today is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. as he stood with striking sanitation workers in Memphis. That trip was part of King’s increased focus on the economic plight of African-Americans and other oppressed groups, which he dubbed the Poor People's Campaign. During his final speech the night…
Hotel Covington Gets New Executive Chef
Mitch Arens, most recently of New Orleans' Cochon Butcher, is returning to the Tri-State to take the helm as the executive chef of Hotel Covington, overseeing all of the hotel's culinary/coffee/cocktail outlets: Coppin's, The Walk-Up, the Coffee Bar and the Courtyard. "I’m looking forward to bringing back everything I’ve learned about Southern food and culture and…
WATCH: Cincinnati Indie Rock band Modern Aquatic releases debut music video
This Friday, Cincinnati group Modern Aquatic (a favorite of the late WNKU) is releasing its stellar new single, “Petrichor,” a swirl of warm, endearing melodic hooks and twilight-twinkling guitar riffs. Ahead of the single’s release, the band — which cites artists like The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Cage the Elephant and Hippo Campus as influences — has…
Recommended Greater Cincinnati concerts for April 4-10
WEDNESDAY 04 MADISON LIVE – SunSquabi with Exmag. 8 p.m. Electronic Hydro Funk. $12, $15 day of show. MOTR PUB – Mothers with Soften. 9 p.m. Indie Rock. Free. (Read CityBeat’s 2016 feature on Mothers here) THURSDAY 05 LIVE! AT THE LUDLOW GARAGE – Thompson Square with Noah Smith. 8 p.m. Country. Cover. (Read more…
Ohio names ‘Opportunity Zones’
Cincinnati is the site of several "opportunity zones" recommended by Ohio Gov. John Kasich's administration for a federal program designed to increase investment in low-income neighborhoods. The Opportunity Zone program, ushered in by Republicans in Congress as part of last year's tax reform efforts, is aimed at bringing in more money to neighborhoods that have…
Kentucky Teachers Rally in Frankfort
Kentucky state legislators were seeing red April 2 as thousands of educators, students and others poured into the capital city of Frankfort dressed in “red for public ed” to protest Senate Bill 151 — a sewage-turned-pension bill speedily passed through the House and Senate Thursday night that cuts benefits and bargaining power for future teaching…
One ‘Wild Wild’ Docuseries
If “Rajneeshpuram” doesn’t ring a bell, you’re not alone. The self-made community that seemingly popped up overnight on a Central Oregon ranch in 1981 and the controversies that surrounded it have been largely forgotten by those not directly affected. In this time of documentaries and dramas rehashing highly publicized true crimes, Wild Wild Country (Netflix)…
Controversy continues after Sinclair Broadcasting editorial; Pureval reports big campaign haul; more news
Good morning, all. Let’s get straight to the news today. A long-running dispute between the Cincinnati Park Board and the city over Park Board spending from a private foundation seems to have come to a conclusion. After a state audit dinged the board for its contracting practices on Smale Riverfront Park, and after a heated back…
New Book Shows the unknown Reds’ great Tony Pérez, the only Cuban enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame
How can it be that Tony Pérez, the glue that held the immortal Big Red Machine together, has never had a book written about him? Pérez — who played for the Cincinnati Reds from 1964 to 1976 and from 1984 until his retirement in 1986 — is also the only Major League player from the baseball-mad…
concert:nova Examines Your Brain on Music
In 2007, Daniel Levitin published This is Your Brain on Music, a groundbreaking study of how — as the title suggests — the human brain creates and responds to music. It prompted scientists and musicians to engage in collaborative research and performances. One example occurred here in 2009, when the innovative chamber music ensemble concert:nova performed…
As the opioid crisis rages, this Hamilton County court attempts to repair the families left in its wake
Shelley stands in the courtroom of Magistrate Scheherazade Washington on a recent Tuesday, apologizing. “I know that once you do plant that seed of doubt, it’s tough to get trust back,” she says. It has been a trying month for the 50-year-old single mother, whose easy smile gives no clue that she survived a near-fatal…
Sound Advice: JD McPherson with Jake La Botz (April 10)
With last year’s release of Undivided Heart & Soul, Oklahoma’s JD McPherson swaggered into new sonic turf smeared with Garage Rock crunch, bad-ass grooves and soulful shake and shimmy. It’s ironic that it took a recent move to Nashville from his native state to leave behind some of the retro-Rockabilly of his first two records…
Sound Advice: HIDE with S.N.A.F.U., FAITHXTRACTOR, Asphyxiate, Casteless and Hostik (April 7)
HIDE, the Chicago-based Industrial duo consisting of vocalist Heather Gabel and instrumentalist Seth Sher, is a caustic reminder of exactly what their genre used to stand for. Since HIDE’s inception in 2014, the pair have been producing tracks that reach out and choke the listener with overwhelming bass, unnerving samples and rhythms pulled from the…
UC’s ‘Bloody’ 1968 Spring Arts Festival
This is the 50th anniversary of the most eventful year of the 1960s, itself a decade of change and upheaval, and it will see all manner of media remembrances before 2019 arrives. It was an excitingly creative yet dangerous time — blood was spilled in the streets here and overseas in America’s awful, losing war…
Charnee’s Mindful Donuts: Dairy-, gluten- and grain-free sweets in the Queen City
The owner of Charnee’s Mindful Donuts is making the world a tastier place with whimsically decorated, relatively guilt-free donuts. Cortney Carnes, a resident of Bellevue, honed her baking skills while working at Happy Belly, a healthy-food-focused café in Over-the-Rhine. There, owner Abby Reckman urged her to explore her passion for sweets by experimenting with different…
Sound Advice: Thompson Square (April 5)
Thompson Square is back. Several years ago, you couldn’t get through an awards show without watching Shawna and Keifer Thompson pick up trophies or flirt their way through a performance of their biggest single, “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not.” After parting ways with their longtime label, Stoney Creek Records, the duo took time…
From Elegy to Celebration: An Urban Appalachian’s Mindful Migration
Every time I heard my mom start her daily call with my Aunt Gertrude, I cringed. Within seconds, my mom’s voice — usually crisp, clear and accent-free — slowed to the kind of drawl people heard (and mocked) on Beverly Hillbillies. On days when I was home to hear the call, I cranked up the…
Cincinnati Author and Former Addiction Counselor Examines Lives Caught in an Appalachian Crisis
Since the 1980s, Michael Henson has counseled addicts and alcoholics for various local organizations, including the Talbert House. In retirement he has become a full-time writer and part-time musician, but he remains vitally connected to the issues that framed his long counseling career. For Henson, the transition to writing was natural. “I got paid to…
What a Week!: March 28-April 3
Bunny Love Local costumer Jonn Schenz returned to Washington, D.C., Monday to provide the bunny costumes for the White House Easter Egg roll for the 38th time. The trio of rabbit suits could be seen as the First Family hosted an estimated 30,000 guests at the 140th event. You might remember a lot of buzz…
This Week in Questionable Decisions
This Week in Questionable Decisions… 1. Trump won’t STFU about Roseanne. He called the show’s leading lady and supporter to congratulate her on the ratings this week. 2. Hot Trend Alert! Some people are getting ring finger dermal piercings instead of wearing traditional wedding rings. 3. Sonic will serve pickle juice slushies this summer. 4. SpiceJet female…
Minimum Gauge: Concert venue conglomerate commissions study that touts health benefits of concerts
HOT: Concert Corporation says: ‘Concerts Healthy!’ “Recent studies” are quick and easy click bait popular with a lot of online media outlets these days. They’re often used to connect random items to health concerns (like “fidget spinners cause sleep apnea!”) and are given “legitimacy” by being connected to a college or doctor. But closer inspection…
Listermann’s New Beer Celebrates Art Museum’s ‘Terracotta Army’
The Cincinnati Art Museum's hotly anticipated exhibit, Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China, opens April 20 and by April 21, you could be sipping a themed Terracotta Army New England Red IPA . The ale, "fit for a warrior," was brewed in collaboration with Listermann Brewing Company and features galaxy and citra…
City Hall Unsettled
Cincinnati has seen a chaotic few weeks as Mayor John Cranley, City Manager Harry Black and city council all wrangle over whether Black keeps his job and how much he should walk away with if he leaves. The situation has led to multiple standoffs between the mayor and city council, ugly accusations between the mayor…
More accusations fly between city manager, mayor; FCC scores $4 million from Ohio; Kentucky teachers take to capital; more news
Good morning all. Are you braving the cold to check out the (not actually on) Opening Day Parade today? Here’s hoping the Reds have a better record this year than Cincinnati weather has had. • In a statement sent Friday afternoon, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley accused City Manager Harry Black of interfering in city business…
Opening Day Parade Parties
Celebrate Reds Opening Day No. 2 with the 99th-annual Findlay Market Opening Day Parade. The parade kicks of at noon at Findlay Market and heads down Race Street to Fifth Street, ending at the Taft Theatre. Expect plenty of parade floats, people in Reds gear, day-drinkers, tiny horses, big horses and Grand Marshals Danny Graves…
Sam Adams to Open Taproom in OTR
This fall, Cincinnati’s brew enthusiasts will have yet another option for social sipping: a Samuel Adams taproom opening in Over-the-Rhine, located directly across from the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Brewery at the Urban Sites’ Film Center Project adjacent to Findlay Market. The taproom, which features indoor and outdoor space, spans nearly 9,000 ft., offering an array…
Rufus Wainwright workshops his latest opera in Cincinnati ahead of its October premiere
It’s no surprise that the morning after Rufus Wainwright gave a one-man show at the Taft Theatre, he was workshopping his new opera Hadrian , the latest project undertaken by Opera Fusion: New Works, a collaboration between the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music’s opera department and Cincinnati Opera. “Fluid” may be a trite adjective…
Wes Anderson’s Canine Kinship
For most of his career, I have had a begrudging respect for the fastidious aesthetic of Wes Anderson. There is an undeniable craft on display in every single frame that he composes, one that is meticulous and filled with obvious wit. His films live and breathe in the minute, with carefully orchestrated details of the…
Why FCC’s West End stadium play may not be dead yet
Despite missed deadlines and ongoing drama, the prospect of a stadium for FC Cincinnati in the West End — should the team get a Major League Soccer franchise — has proven hard to kill. Last week, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley promised he would introduce legislation designed to help the team build its facility in the…
Kentucky teachers protest pension cuts
School was out for over 20 counties (including Campbell, Carroll and Gallatin) in Kentucky today as a massive wave of teachers called in and took the day off to protest state lawmakers’ moves to severely cut future teacher’s pension benefits. Conservatives running the Kentucky General Assembly late last night passed pension reform measures tucked away…
Cincinnati musicians to celebrate music icons Merle Haggard and Woody Guthrie in April
This April, Cincinnati musicians will pay tribute to a pair of American music icons — Merle Haggard and Woody Guthrie — with separate live events celebrating the spirit and legacy of each. • Last year, local musician Joe Macheret, fiddle player in popular Folk band The Tillers and leader of his own Country Blues group,…
Hop on over to these local Easter egg hunts
The snow has melted, the trees are budding, the rain is pouring — spring is here and Easter is right around the corner… this Sunday in fact. Grab your kids, find a basket and visit one of these local Easter egg hunts. Cincinnati Zoo Saturday, March 31. Noon-5 p.m. 3400 Vine St. Avondale Along with…
This Week’s Recommended Live Music (March 21-27)
WEDNESDAY 21 MADISON LIVE – Horseshoes and Hand Grenades with Head For The Hills. 8 p.m. Progressive/Bluegrass/Americana. $12, $15 day of show. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) – The Exit Strategy with Brent James, Brandon Losacker and The Stapleton Brothers. 8 p.m. Rock/Various. Free. THURSDAY 22 MOTR PUB – Moonwalks with Denim Gremlin. 10 p.m. Rock.…
Ensemble Theatre’s Next Season Focuses on ‘What’s New’
For the second season in its refurbished and expanded Over-the-Rhine home, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (1127 Vine Street) will present seven productions, most of them regional premieres — six shows constituting the subscription season, opening Sept. 1 and continuing until June 29, 2019. A two-week “bonus” production for Halloween featuring local stage veteran Bruce Cromer is…
Council approves eight-month severance for city manager; Trump in Ohio today; more news
Hello, all. I’m still trying to shake the fogginess that comes from one of the weirdest days on record in City Hall followed by too many servings of chili at the Best of Cincinnati party last night, but I’m going to do my best to soldier on and talk about news. Here goes. In a…
The roots of Cincinnati Funk Fest’s Hip Hop lineup trace back to local legends MOOD
April 27's Cincinnati Funk Fest showcases some big names and up-and-comers in the world of Hip Hop and Hip Hop-flavored R&B. Headlining the event at the U.S. Bank Arena is singer Erykah Badu, queen of the Neo Soul movement since the late ’90s. The rest of the lineup is intertwined in Cincinnati music history. Talented…
Council votes down city manager severance again; reduced offer on the table
Cincinnati City Council voted down a $423,000 severance package for City Manager Harry Black today, again prolonging a nail-biting saga that began several weeks ago with controversy within the Cincinnati Police Department. Council seems poised to try again tomorrow — but it's unclear that a new effort to send Black on his way will be…
The spirit of Scribble Jam lives on in the new Overcast Hip Hop Festival
Beginning in the mid-’90s, Cincinnati’s Scribble Jam grew to become a marquee event for indie and underground Hip Hop lovers. And not just among local fans — the fest attained iconic status within underground Hip Hop circles far and wide, attracting massive crowds every year with its blend of established and up-and-coming performers, as well…
Council could vote on city manager severance today; development authority scuttles FCC meeting; former UC volleyball player sues school; more news
Hello, Cincy. We’ll be partying tonight for our Best of Cincinnati celebration. It’s gonna be a blast and I’ll probably wear a tie. That’ll be weird. Ok. News. So, is there still drama at City Hall? Let me check… yes. Yesterday Cincinnati City Councilman Wendell Young released a statement saying he has filed a complaint…
Leah Stewart’s New ‘Charlie Outlaw’
Through vivid and deeply relatable prose, Cincinnatian Leah Stewart’s new novel What You Don’t Know About Charlie Outlaw is a carefully crafted meditation on modern identity and the divisions between our private and public selves. It arrives at bookstores this week. The narrative follows a rising actor, Charlie Outlaw, who leaves the U.S. for a…
Best Of Cincinnati 2018
Have you ever sat around wishing there were a publication that would list all of the best things in Cincinnati, as determined by a group of your peers as well as a handful of select staffers at your local alt-weekly paper? Well, your wish has been granted. CityBeat has been in the business of curating the Best…
