Acceptable Doesn’t Mean It’s Right
In response to James Proffitt's article "New Demographics Don't Necessarily Mean Different Values" (issue of Nov. 22), I couldn't help but notice as I read that in some of these cases the new demographics inherently lead to new values. One thing that needs to be recognized is that simply because something is socially acceptable by…
City Link Wins Court Approval
Matt Borgerding Dave Petersen at the site of the proposed City Link Center, which he and some other residents oppose. Backers of a controversial proposal to build a one-stop social services center in the West End have won the latest round in the ongoing legal battle over the project. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge…
Black Like You
Traditionally, I'm a Christmas Eve shopper. This serves two essential purposes: 1) It limits my exposure to the "Baby Jesus economy" to a single day; and 2) as a perfectionist with a tendency to mull and vacillate, I know the sooner I start to shop the more time there is for the process to drag…
Film: Searching for Bobby
Weinstein Co Emilio Estevez directs Christian Slater on the set of Bobby. Emilio Estevez still doesn't know why, but one day in 2000 he and his brother Charlie Sheen found themselves doing a photo shoot at Los Angeles' long-closed but still infamous Ambassador Hotel. It was where Sen. Robert F. Kennedy was fatally shot…
Film: Unearthing the Underground
Sony Pictures Classics Henry Rollins (left) and Black Flag are just one of many bands featured in American Hardcore. Who knew? When I occasionally visited the Cincinnati-area Hardcore Punk bars of the early 1980s — Newport's spacious but grimy Jockey Club and the smaller Brew House in Walnut Hills — the rebellious scene seemed…
BOBBY BARE JR.’S YOUNG CRIMINAL’S STARVATION LEAGUE — THE LONGEST MEOW (BLOODSHOT)
Bobby Bare Jr.'s Young Criminal's Starvation League – The Longest Meow "Eleven songs recorded in one 11-hour session including members of My Morning Jacket" is the quick and dirty headline for this one. But the irrepressible Bobby Bare Jr. is the blinding-bright, life-giving sun/son in this super-session of Alt-Rock stars and satellites. Like his…
News: In Need of Food
Joe Lamb Although activity at the FreeStore FoodBank surges during the holidays, the need for food donations is just as strong the rest of the year. The FreeStore FoodBank's center on Liberty Street last week distributed an estimated 7,500 to 8,000 Thanksgiving meals to those in need. The charity plans to distribute an estimated…
Every Christmas Story Ever Told
James Czar Katey Blood (left) and Sidney Ashe star in Ovation Theatre Company's production of The Miracle Worker. It's the time of year when actors have a hard time dodging around productions involving Scrooge and Santa. So the creative folks at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company have decided to embrace the whole avalanche with one show…
Cover Story: Giving Art
Graham Lienhart If you're looking for a distinctive gift for that person who has everything or if you just want to avoid the crush of mall shoppers, stop in to some of the city's art haunts for truly one-of-a-kind gifts. · First stop should be the 5TH STREET GALLERY (55 W. Fifth St., Downtown)…
A Most Agreeable Hour (and a Half) By Michael Schiaparelli
In his Essay on Boiling Spring Water (circa 1570), T'ien Yiheng wrote, "Tea is drunk to forget the noise of the world." Knowing this, Essencha Tea House (3212 Madison Road, Oakley; 513-533-4832; loose tea and "teaware" available at essencha.com) provides a tranquil atmosphere where patrons can escape the hurly-burly of daily life. This is not…
Upcoming Concert Reviews of the Wood Brothers, Brazilian Girls and More…
Monterey Penninsula Artist The Wood Brothers The Wood Brothers Wednesday · 20th Century Theater Long before there were the slinky Jazz stylings of Medeski Martin & Wood, there were the musical roots of the brothers Wood. Hailing from Boulder, Col., Oliver and Chris Wood both took up musical endeavors at an early age while…
News: What a Year
Jim Fugett It's hard to believe it's only been a year. To tell the truth, it hasn't — it's just been 363 days so far. But Friday will mark the first anniversary of Mark Mallory's term as mayor. Few officeholders have arrived on the scene with expectations as high as those that awaited Mallory.…
BAD ASTRONAUT — TWELVE SMALL STEPS, ONE GIANT DISAPPOINTMENT (FAT WRECK CHORDS)
Bad Astronaut – Twelve Small Steps, One giant Disappointment The sad truth is that no matter how well this album is received, Twelve Small Steps, One Giant Disappointment will be Bad Astronaut's last album. Vocalist Joey Cape (Lagwagon/Me First & the Gimme Gimmes) had to complete the album in the aftermath of the suicide…
News to Use
Workers Can Stop the War The North Shore Federation of Labor and U.S. Labor Against the War (USLAW), a national network of more than 140 unions, labor councils and other labor organizations, are organizing a demonstration at the Federal Building in Cleveland on Dec. 2. A march will begin from Crown Plaza Hotel at 2:30…
Music: Mister Lonely
Erickson Public Relations Ex-Mavericks frontman Raul Malo showcases his interpretative skills on the covers collection, You're Only Lonely. Whether we realize it or not, the success of American Idol and other like-minded cultural kitsch has influenced how many of us judge singers now. Passion has been co-opted by plastic soul, depth has been subsidized…
Cover Story: Boxed Goods
· For your aspiring DJ nephew who needs some better source material, give WHAT IT IS!: FUNKY SOUL AND RARE GROOVES (Rhino). The "rare groove" phenomenon among crate-diggers and general old-school Soul and Funk aficionados has sparked a resurgence of interest in artists who gave up music decades ago. Part of the fun, no…
Lookwhos: Look Who’s Eating
Mary and Toni, Cincinnati's grand dames of the take-home food concept, have been feeding people for 28 years. Toni says that people often confuse what they do with high-end gourmet, but it's really comfort food: "Our cooking is a service to people. We serve their souls and their health. We feed people's whole being." CityBeat:…
Web Onstage: Holiday Send-Up
Cincinnati Shakespeare Company Justin McCombs, Miranda McGee and Sara Clark in Every Christmas Story Ever Told, in a riff on Rudolph. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) is offering an amusing send-up of holiday shows, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings through Dec. 19. If you've laughed yourself silly watching any of…
Film: The Third ‘D’?
New Line Cinema Co-writer/director Liam Lynch has his hands full on the set of Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny. George Martin was credited as the fifth Beatle for his contributions as the band's producer. Martin signed the four lads from Liverpool because somewhere beneath their raw talent he heard the sound they…
Locals Only: : Hillbilly Rock
Taylor Farley and Blue Rock Taylor Farley and Blue Rock "A lot of people, the first thing they think when they see a banjo is Bluegrass," says Taylor Farley, veteran banjo picker and frontman/vocalist for the band Blue Rock. Farley, who has been playing the banjo since age 10, likes to confound expectations. "We…
Cover Story: Time of the Season
Here in the Midwest, it doesn't take fancy meteorological terms to describe the winter climate. "Sucks" sums it up neatly for most people. We awake to gray mornings and abhor the bald trees, the dank dark, the clinging chill. We curse the drizzle, even to an illogical extent: "Snow I could handle. At least…
Diverse Media Ownership Helps Our Democracy
The highly competitive midterm elections Nov. 7 set a new record in campaign spending, and large media companies are cashing in. The Center for Responsive Politics estimates that more than $2.8 billion was spent this election cycle as each party contended for the votes of the American public — a 27 percent increase over 2002.…
THE WHO — ENDLESS WIRE (UNIVERSAL)
The Who – Endless Wire "Fragments," the first song on The Who's excellent new Endless Wire, immediately echoes past glories. With a swirling synth loop, a splash of frenetic drums and a single crashing power chord, Maestro Townshend ushers in the band's first studio album in 24 years. Featuring only Pete's acoustic guitar and…
Manifest Gallery
Jim Fugett Artworks Gallery's Figuratively Speaking is on view through Dec. 22. If you haven't visited MANIFEST GALLERY (2727 Woodburn Ave.) this fall, I'd say a trip is in order. The Walnut Hills gallery currently showcases Something from Nothing, an exhibition that features a combination of artwork from both professors and students. Each artist…
Living Out Loud: : My Name is Karen
My name is Karen and I'm 22-years old. If you read the Living Out Loud Blog, you know a little bit about me, because Larry puts a lot of my posts up. Now he wants me to write a column with a word count that I don't think I can make. I mean, I'm not…
Softly on the Surface
Jake's Notes: This song responds to the recent racist tirade of comedian Michael Richards. He and Mel Gibson have recently brought to the surface a racial rage that many people my age thought died out in the '60s. Clearly, this ire sits just below the surface, waiting for an opportunity to unveil itself. Unfortunately, opportunities…
Cover Story: Holiday Issue 06 – Giving, receiving, dealing
Woodrow J. Hinton Even though socializing tends to be the primary focus, good food makes a get-together better. Sharing the names of favorite caterers is as much a holiday tradition as eggnog, but some of the best are so unconventional they're overlooked. Two such organizations that call Over-the-Rhine home are producing delicious food and…
News: Gouge His Eyes Out
Joe Lamb Capt. Charmaine McGuffey (right) and Deputy Earl Price of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office demonstrate self-defense techniques at the YWCA. Even body language and attitude can help stave off a potential assault. Stephanie Miller confesses that she doesn't think she could pull somebody's eyeball out, even though a captain in the Hamilton…
H-Bomb Ferguson, 1929-2006
The Cincinnati music scene lost one of its giants on Nov. 26, when local Blues legend H-Bomb Ferguson died of complications from emphysema. Ferguson (whose real name is Robert) had been a constant presence in area clubs up until the time of his death. The Charleston, S.C.-born "shouter"/pianist began playing in the late '40s/early '50s,…
Cover Story: Bright Lights
Dan Davidson Know Theatre offers twist on Christmas Three ghosts, Scrooge, Christmas Eve. You've heard the story so many times, you're sick of it, right? Well, you'll have plenty of chances to renew your acquaintance with the old tightwad this holiday season, but several fresh takes are on tap for 2006 that are worth…
Birth of a Nation
C. Matthew Hamby "Nation: A people who share common customs, origins, history, and frequently language" — American Heritage Dictionary Though DJ/producer Eric B. was never really elected president, imagine for a moment that Public Enemy frontman/lyricist Chuck D had launched a campaign to become the first duly elected Chief Executive of the Hip Hop…
Books: On the Road Again
Roger Yager The lay of a man: Richard Ford When I catch up with Richard Ford by phone in Denver recently while promoting his new novel The Lay of the Land, I ask him if he enjoys book tours. "I always have," he says, laughing, "but I wasn't 62 years old on the last…
Bengals Still in the AFC Playoff Hunt
Jerry Dowling The typical assumption that only the cream of professional football can hope to land in the NFL playoffs stands in danger of quaintness as the majority of contending franchises struggle to establish even their mediocrity. No team has escaped its first 11 games without at least two losses, and the teams still…
Diner: Dinner and a Movie
Jim Fugett Hello and welcome to Dinner and a Movie, that annoying show where a perky TV host and a scantily-clad hostess interrupt a perfectly good movie to yack about food. But instead of perky and scanty, tonight it's Grinchy and Santy — and we're watching the holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life starring…
Troublemaker’s Journal
The blue wave that washed over the country has deposited enough Democrats in Washington to give them control of the Congress. However, the Democrats are already seeking not to fight Republicans but to cooperate with them. Charles Rangel, an African-American representative from Harlem likely to chair the Ways and Means Committee, has promised to work…
Cover Story: Seasonal Fun Stuff
Geoff Raker · Ready to start your holiday fun? How about a tree? The Civic Garden Center hosts a homey CHRISTMAS TREE SALE weekends through Dec. 10. A firepot, hot chocolate and cookies will make your quest for the finest Fraser Fir all the more enjoyable. If you don't want to clean up needles,…
Cover Story: Watch This
· For your Dad, who still talks about Ursula Andress' bikini in Dr. No, give JAMES BOND ULTIMATE EDITIONS VOL. 1, 2, 3, 4. All 20 Bond films are spread across four editions, each featuring a smorgasbord of extras, including commentary from several of the series' directors and even a former Bond, Sir Roger…
Cover Story: Winter Wine Guide
Graham Lienhart Bobbie Ferguson offers great Champagne at Party Source. Want to bring something for those nice folks hosting the neighborhood holiday gathering? Well, they don't want a poinsettia. Give them something they'll really enjoy: sparkling wine. Nothing's more festive or goes better in any situation. Depending on your budget and taste, there are…
