Attention Cycling Enthusiasts
Queen City Bike today sent out an email asking for help in convincing St. Bernard Service Director Phil Stegman why including a climbing lane on Mitchell Avenue between Vine Street and Reading Road is important to the area's cycling infrastructure. According to QCB, St. Bernard's engineers prefer to keep 10 feet of space for parking…
Events: German Day Weekend
It’s that time of year again when the heritage of Cincinnati is giving locals a reason to overindulge in cultural activities. Head to Findlay Market (1801 Race St., Downtown) Saturday for the kick-off of the Tri State’s 116 Duetscher Tag opening celebration. From 11 a.m.-1 p.m., ceremony goers can watch as the Bavarian parade marches…
Events: Cincinnati Opera’s Season Kick-off: Curtain Up!
Don’t forget to grab your bangles and bindi before heading to Cincinnati Opera’s Bollywood-style party, “Curtain Up!” Inspired by the Opera’s upcoming production of Indian folk tale rendition, A Flowering Tree, this celebration helps kick off the company’s 2011 season. There will be henna tattoo painting, Indian cuisine, dance performances by two University of Cincinnati…
I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business
If you ever forget just how lousy life in the music business can be, Arthur “Ace” Enders’ interview with PropertyOfZack last December will refresh your memory. Until that point, the musician sounded like he had an awesome 2010. A Kickstarter project raising funds for a new album by his band I Can Make a Mess…
Onstage: Cincinnati Fringe Festival
Harry Nilsson once sang that “one is the loneliest number,” but you actually have a goodly amount of company if you’re a 2011 Cincinnati Fringe Festival performer. Close to one-third of the acts included in the eighth annual Fringe, commencing this week, are solo performers — and quite a few of them are veterans who…
Javelin
There are more bands using the name Javelin than you can throw a javelin at. The Javelin kicking off the initial MidPoint Indie Summer series on Fountain Square is a pair of beat-boxing cousins from Providence, R.I., who have completely transformed the concept of sampling and Hip Hop mix tapery into a full-blown art project.…
Art: Lady Parts
Lady Parts, an art show at Southgate House opening Friday, initially conjures Newport's sordid past of nude dance clubs and prostitution rings. Really, though, it is an all-woman exhibition that looks into the inner life of femininity and how it fuels each artist's work. The content moves fluidly through different waves of Feminism and manifests…
Comedy: Paul Mecurio
At the beginning of his stand-up career, Paul Mecurio was being pulled in several directions at once. He had a day job on Wall Street, and family back in Rhode Island trying to get him to move back and help run the family furniture business, all while secretly doing open mics all over Manhattan. "I…
Comedy: Paula Poundstone
Paula Poundstone was very young when she started her comedy career in suburban Boston. One only has to look at the summary sent home to her parents at the end of her Kindergarten year in May of 1965. The teacher wrote, "I have enjoyed many of Paula’s humorous comments about our activities." Paula loved the…
Events: The City Flea
There's always been a certain appeal to flea markets: local smells, questionable meat by-products and absurd deals on forgotten pop-culture memorabilia. An excursion to Trader's World or Turtle Creek isn't necessary this weekend, as The City Flea brings local traders the opportunity to share their wares. While featuring local artisans, this temporary flea market might…
Onstage: God’s Favorite
The Showboat Majestic can finally get its season afloat now that the Ohio River has settled down. (The Majestic’s first production had to be moved to the Covedale Center for the Performing Arts because of high water at the Public Landing.) Maybe it took an act of God: That seems somehow appropriate, since the show…
Art: Joey Versoza
Joey Versoza’s new solo exhibition, at West End’s Aisle gallery through June 24, is titled Do You Make Work? He answers his own question with just five pieces consisting of a number of digital prints, a projected video and two installations that make use of the gallery spaces and fixtures in conjunction with found objects.…
Morning Teleportation
How does a band start off with influences as seemingly benign as The James Gang and Crosby Stills Nash & Young and come out the other end of the music grinder sounding like the bastard love child of Modest Mouse, Flaming Lips, Pavement and Animal Collective? Whatever mechanism is required for just such an occurrence,…
Art: Summerfair
Get out your shorts and, if you're female, find that halter top. . .you'll want to welcome summer at Summerfair's 44th appearance, 2-8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday at Coney Island, 6201 Kellogg Ave. More than 300 selected artists and crafts people from our region and across the country…
Music: I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody’s Business
If you ever forget just how lousy life in the music business can be, Arthur "Ace" Enders' interview with PropertyOfZack last December will refresh your memory. Until that point, the musician sounded like he had an awesome 2010. A Kickstarter project raising funds for a new album by his band I Can Make a Mess…
Events: Meet The Police Women of Cincinnati
Reality television, bad ass female crime-fighting and Cincinnati pride come together in TLC's hit show The Police Women of Cincinnati and fans will get the chance to meet the crew this Wednesday. Mayerson JCC and Access for Jewish Young Professionals welcome Officer Mandy "I am not your baby" Curfiss and everyone's favorite undercover hooker, Officer…
Music: MidPoint Indie Summer Series
There are more bands using the name Javelin than you can throw a javelin at. The Javelin kicking off the initial MidPoint Indie Summer series on Fountain Square is a pair of beat-boxing cousins from Providence, R.I., who have completely transformed the concept of sampling and Hip Hop mix tapery into a full-blown art project.…
Music: Morning Teleportation
How does a band start off with influences as seemingly benign as The James Gang and Crosby Stills Nash & Young and come out the other end of the music grinder sounding like the bastard love child of Modest Mouse, Flaming Lips, Pavement and Animal Collective? Whatever mechanism is required for just such an occurrence,…
Morning News and Stuff
A “new” study has found that you can’t live on minimum wage. The Basic Economic Security Tables for Michigan, a study that analyzes the cost of essential needs for singles and families across Michigan, found the cost of providing basic necessities —roof, food, transportation — far exceeds minimum wage and the paychecks of people working…
R.I.P. Tebbe Farrell 1956-2011
Whenever I would get a phone call from Tebbe Farrell, I’d usually save whatever I was working on and put my computer into sleep mode. Regardless of the purpose of the call — to hip me to an upcoming show, to pitch a story that she wanted me to write, to alert me to some…
Morning News and Stuff
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty on Sunday said they refuse to aid in raising the nation’s debt ceiling without major cuts in the federal budget deficit. McConnell told NBC’s Meet the Press that he is prepared to keep the ceiling in place “unless we do something really significant about…
Taste of Local Music: Monday Recommendations
Happy Memorial Day! The popular annual food-fest Taste of Cincinnati ends today (Monday), your last chance to hear some solid local music and eat some excellent local grub (at least until the next downtown street event). Today’s musical offerings kick off on a bittersweet note. At 1 p.m., the Katie Reider Spirit of Music Award…
Friday Movie Roundup: Long Live Kelly Reichardt
Kelly Reichardt's Meek's Cutoff is the opposite of a summer blockbuster: stylistically spare, elliptical, emotionally nuanced and told from a distinctly female perspective. It's the antithesis of the garish big-budget behemoths currently crowding the multiplex, a film that has zero interest in delivering a typical audience-pandering moviegoing experience.—- As Reichardt says in this interview, “I'm…
MidPoint Indie Summer Series Announces Acts
The MidPoint Indie Summer Series returns to Fountain Square on Friday evenings June 3-Sept. 2. For the third consecutive year, MidPoint presents national, regional and local acts for free on downtown’s main public square, leading up to the big MidPoint Music Festival Sept. 22-24. The kickoff show June 3 features fun, lively local Electronica duo…
Stage Door: Get Ready for Fringe
OK, so it's Memorial Day weekend, and theater-going might not be what you have in mind. How about this? If you're heading downtown for the feeding frenzy at Taste of Cincinnati (and what true Cincinnatian isn't?), you can take a quick side trip to Jackson Street in Over-the-Rhine to pick up some tickets or a…
Morning News and Stuff
Republican Representative Jim DeMint said yesterday that the 2012 election is the “last chance” the party has to save the country. DeMint also added during his interview with pastor Bryan Fischer that Republicans cannot cooperate or compromise with Democrats on any level because Democrats are bent on instituting socialism. “I think it's our last chance.…
Taste of Local Music: Sunday Recommendations
This holiday weekend is shaping up to be a scorcher, so be sure to add sweatbands to your “things to bring to Taste of Cincinnati” list (along with your Tums and earplugs). Below are some local music suggestions for Sunday's Taste.—- For the full entertainment lineup, Saturday-Monday, click here. And click here for a map…
Taste of Local Music: Saturday Recommendations
At this Memorial Day weekend’s Taste of Cincinnati festival, the sampling isn’t limited to food. It’s also a great way to taste some of the best local music has to offer. Whether you’re a curious newbie, a lapsed fan needing to brush up or a Cincinnati music connoisseur, this Saturday-Monday, Taste of Cincinnati again provides…
Media Fail on Water Safety Coverage
We’re headed into Memorial Day weekend and I hope The Enquirer resists any inclination to repeat the pratfall when the newspaper tried to give holiday water safety advice. It was a beaut: How to use the Heimlich Maneuver to resuscitate a standing victim pulled from the water. Think about it. Your “patient” is standing. How…
The Hangover Part II (Review)
The comedic premise of the 2009 original was pure genius, executed with minimal imagination; it was like teenagers blessed with the power of invisibility who could only think to sneak into the girls’ locker room. This version copies the formula, to the same effect. Phil (Bradley Cooper) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis) have joined Stu (Ed…
Kung Fu Panda 2 (Review)
Grand-scale animated spectacle in an atmosphere of China's exotic natural beauty is part and parcel to DreamWorks Animation's winning sequel to the 2008 original. Although the filmmakers only take full advantage of the film's 3-D aspect once to allow Jack Black's panda character Po to discharge dumplings across the fourth wall, the animation is gorgeous.…
Meek’s Cutoff (Review)
You might have seen various re-creations of pioneer journeys, but chances are you’ve never seen the stark realities of that kind of journey given the existential weight of Kelly Reichardt’s Meek’s Cutoff. Screenwriter Jon Raymond draws from a real-life historical tale: an Oregon-bound wagon train led by guide Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood) in 1845 that…
The Double Hour (Review)
Although not as witty in plot design as debut director Giuseppe Capotondi imagines, The Double Hour is an atmospheric suspense thriller that succeeds on the strength of its two leading actors. Filippo Timi (Vincere) and Ksenia Rappoport play newly minted romantic partners Guido and Sonia. Guido is a former police officer who works as a…
Morning News and Stuff
Serbian police have arrested former Serbian military commander Ratko Mladic, the highest-ranking war crimes suspect still at large from the Balkan wars of the 1990s. Mladic, 69, is wanted on charges of genocide, extermination and murder by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia. The tribunal accuses Mladic of “direct involvement in the genocide…
Eastern Conference Champions with Neon Trees Tonight
Eastern Conference Champions are a Philadelphia-based Indie band that has been gaining steam through soundtrack appearances, gaining most fame from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse album with the song “A Million Miles an Hour.” They have also gained attention through songs appearing on the small screen in Friday Night Lights and Gossip Girl. The band is…
Dancing Queen: Dawn Landes at MOTR
Twenty minutes ago I knew next to nothing about Dawn Landes. A few keystrokes later I found out that her third full-length album of country-folk ditties, Sweetheart Rodeo, was unveiled to the world in January and that she's repeatedly denied that the title of the record has anything to do with The Byrds' 1968 album…
Taste This: Pork Products
I don’t think Muslim extremists “hate us for our freedom,” as George W. liked to say. I think the hatred is directly related to our eating habits, specifically our gratuitous, flamboyant consumption of pig meat and organs. While some might react to the thought of putting any filthy pig meat in their mouth with the…
Todd Portune and The Enquirer
[WINNER] TODD PORTUNE: One of the nice things about Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune is he never gives up trying to find a way to help taxpayers get out of the supremely bad deal that led to the construction of the Reds and Bengals stadiums. A 1996 sales-tax increase approved by voters was supposed to…
First MPMF ’11 Performers Announced
The initial 20 national artists booked for this September’s MidPoint Music Festival (coming Sept. 22-24 to various venues in Downtown and Over-the-Rhine) were recently announced and they show the fest is already off to a great start. This year’s event will feature Cut Copy, Deerhoof, Kaki King, Xiu Xiu, Mates of State, The Low Anthem,…
Gaga, iTunes and Suing Zombies
[HOT] Leading Lady Somebody sure wanted a blockbuster No. 1 opening weekend for their new album. Along with the months-long promotional lead-up to Lady Gaga’s Born This Way album, sales for the release received an extra boost when Amazon made it available for 99 cents. The sale was good on the day of the release,…
Bawe Shinholster [Jeff Ruby Culinary Entertainment]
Downtowner Bawe Shinholster is a busy man — especially when I spoke to him just after Jeff Ruby’s Walnut Street Grille (631 Walnut St., Downtown, 513-241-0707) opened for lunch. The Grille, which has been hugely successful with dinnertime guests, opened to a pent-up crowd of lunchsters who couldn’t wait to try the new sandwiches, sides,…
Above the Law
I n the summer of 2004, an unknown African-American tenor starred in Cincinnati Opera’s production of The Daughter of the Regiment, best known for the killer aria “Ah! Mes Amis!” with its nine high C notes. Lawrence Brownlee made it sound effortless, spinning off octave jumps with crystalline purity and laser-like accuracy. When he finished,…
Disputed Race Drags On and On
A federal court might finally put an end to a contested judicial race that has been bitterly disputed since the November election. A hearing date of July 18 has been set in the Hamilton County Juvenile Court judge race. At the hearing, U.S. District Court Judge Susan Dlott will determine if provisional ballots that were…
White People: A Retrospective (Review)
O ne of the things that made the late Cincinnati Post so good — and made it so important to the city — was its background as a blue-collar, afternoon newspaper. While its morning competition had to struggle to resist seeing the city solely through wealthy establishment eyes, the Post had a natural sense for…
Theater’s Power to Unite and Heal
I have a dramatic story for you, dramatic in every sense of the word — impressive and theatrical. It’s about a collaborative project involving drama students and a professor from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and others in Dadaab, Kenya, the site of the world’s largest refugee camp, a desolate place originally…
Not That There’s Anything Wrong With That
The guy has been eyeballing me for weeks at the bus stop in the mornings and has been chatting with me. Small talk at first — you know, the weather, why are the buses always late, that type of thing — but lately, the conversation has been more personal, wanting to know what I do…
What Really Happened in Mount Adams?
C ircumstances surrounding a racial slur allegedly used last week by a Cincinnati city councilman against a black municipal sanitation worker are getting murkier and murkier. Perhaps the only person who knows for certain whether Councilman Chris Bortz called garbage truck driver Shawn T. Allen a “nigger” and threatened to “shoot his ass” is the…
Earle to Rise
O h, the trouble Justin Townes Earle has seen. The 29-year-old singer/songwriter’s well-publicized drug and alcohol problems over the years have resulted in several rehab stints, the most recent coming last fall after an altercation at an Indianapolis venue which necessitated Earle’s return to treatment and the cancellation of his tour, including his scheduled appearance…
No Ordinary Western
O n the Oregon Trail in 1845, a wagon train of three families led by the mountain man Stephen Meek (Bruce Greenwood) is perilously lost, even though none are yet fully aware of that fact. It’s here that director Kelly Reichardt’s film begins. Actually, Meek’s Cutoff opens in silence, or, more accurately, with the sounds…
Adding to the Stigma
E ven with all the medical advances, people infected with HIV have plenty to worry about. They include concerns like fearing the reaction when telling a potential new sexual partner about the infection, being able to afford expensive medications or not being able to qualify for health insurance. Then there’s the case of Andre Davis,…
May 16-24: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY MAY 18 It’s difficult to understand why Gov. John Kasich does many of the things he does — one day he’s offering tax breaks to any corporation that contributes to his campaign interested in investing in Ohio, the next day he’s raising taxes on casino developers because someone in Southeastern Indiana told him to…
Sassy Molasses (Profile)
W e meet at the Waffle House. Behold the brown and orange seats, the slippery booths, the jukebox, the clock sporting the name of the place. Yeah, we’re on Waffle House time. Moriah Haven Lawson, founder of modern Bluegrass trio Sassy Molasses (providing vocals, mandolin, violin, guitar and songwriting), chose the meeting place. “We country…
Trattoria Roma (Review)
S ome of you will hate me for saying this, but, in my opinion, Cincinnati is not an Italian restaurant town. Sure there are a few high-end, really good places (love you, Vito’s, Primavista and Nicola’s!), but reasonably priced, quality Italian is hard to find in these parts. Yes, I am jaded as I previously…
The Blizzard of Odd
A re you ready for your eighth consecutive dose of weird? The 2011 Cincinnati Fringe Festival, presented by Know Theatre, kicks off next week for 10 days and more than 30 productions. What can you expect? Well, actually, the unexpected is what makes it fun. Some acts are returning; others are completely new. About half…
Morning News and Stuff
President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron said in a joint appearance today that they would not stop laying in to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi. Obama promised that “ultimately” Gadhafi would go. "I do think we have made enormous progress in Libya. We have saved lives. Gadhafi and his regime need to understand…
