Tex Schramm’s Solo Debut Dazzles
Greg “Tex” Schramm, former drummer for local faves StarDevils and Catalog Cowboys and current time-keeper with western swingers The Sidecars and Roots music masters Magnolia Mountain, steps up to the mic with his first solo album, Greetings From (credited to Tex Schramm and His Radio King Cowboys). Schramm’s debut suggests he’s paid studious attention behind…
The Decider Strikes Back
George W. Bush’s new memoir, Decision Points, hits bookstores today. I don’t think I can stomach reading it — or as David Letterman recently joked, I certainly won’t read it until Bush does — but that hasn’t stopped me from perusing a few reviews, most of which reveal the same thing: that Bush was “shocked”…
Music: BRINK New Music Showcase
Saturday night brings back the BRINK New Music Showcase, returning for its 10th year and spreading its wings. The showcase, a cousin event of the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, first went down in 2001 as a way to highlight the next generation of great local musicians before the big CEA event honored the current crop. For…
BRINK Spreads Out in Northside
Saturday night the annual BRINK New Music Showcase returns for its 10th year and spreads its wings. The showcase, a cousin event of the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, first went down in 2001 as a way to showcase the next generation of great local musicians before the big CEA event honored the current crop. For its…
For Colored Girls (Review)
In its original presentation, for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enuff, Ntozake Shange used a series of poems, told in a bracingly bare spoken word format by women, black women, identified by the colors of the rainbow, who endured the abuses of life, the daily trials and tribulations, the heartbreak…
Greening Cincinnati’s Economy
An organization committed to expanding environmentally clean jobs recently released a report detailing recommendations for how Cincinnati could become a national leader in creating more so-called “green” jobs. Issued by the Blue Green Alliance, the 80-page report is envisioned as the first step in transitioning Cincinnati’s old-style Rust Belt manufacturing industry to meet the new…
Fun? I’ll Second That
If I say “Second City,” you say "Chicago?" Maybe. But I bet "comedy club" comes in a close “second.” The Windy City’s legendary improv club turned 50 a year ago, but it’s not slowing down in middle age. In fact, it’s exporting city-specific shows around the country, including one right here for Cincinnati audiences at…
Kanye, Radiohead and Gaga
[HOT] Sympathy for the Devil? The ever-boastful Kanye West has identified himself with some fairly huge personalities: Michelangelo, Picasso, fashion designer Alexander McQueen, filmmaker James Cameron and, uh, the people who built the Egyptian pyramids (and that was all spouted during one interview!). But his latest genius-by-association comparison is definitely the most unexpected, even for…
BRINK New Music Showcase
Saturday night brings back the BRINK New Music Showcase, returning for its 10th year and spreading its wings. The showcase, a cousin event of the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, first went down in 2001 as a way to highlight the next generation of great local musicians before the big CEA event honored the current crop. For…
Greg Hartmann and Marc Monahan
[LOSER] MARC MONAHAN: Willing to stoop to any level to save the jobs of firefighters, the leader of the local firefighters union recently alleged brownouts delayed the rescue of two people from a burning house Nov. 5 in Northside. Monahan said brownouts — when certain pieces of equipment are taken off-line at some fire stations…
Myth of the American Motorcycle (Review)
Critic's Pick With the opening last week of its newest exhibition, Rosson Crow: Myth of the American Motorcycle, the Contemporary Art Center (CAC) is drawing regional attention to another rising star who produces art-history savvy works with heavy doses of A-list glamour and the red-and-black color schemes of revolutions and rebels. This seems like an…
Jeff Hamilton Trio
In many ways, world-renowned Jazz drummer Jeff Hamilton is something of a local talent. The Richmond, Ind., native started accompanying his parents' Oscar Peterson albums on drums at the age of 8, which ultimately led to his attendance at Indiana University and afterschool studies with future Blue Wisp Big Band skins legend John Von Ohlen.…
Ben Folds
Besides putting out solo albums (and, before that, records with his trio, Ben Folds Five), Ben Folds gets involved in all sorts of interesting and unusual collaborations. He has played with symphony orchestras around the world, judged a cappella contests and produced the acclaimed if underappreciated 2004 album Has Been for actor William Shatner. Now…
Priestess
The long gap between the two Priestess albums — 2005’s Hello Master and the just-released-in-the-U.S. Prior to the Fire — is only partially the band’s doing. The Montreal-based Hard Rock quartet, formed in 2003 by vocalist/guitarist Mikey Heppner when his Dropouts bandmates abandoned him to form The Stills, committed themselves to a relentless touring schedule…
Events: Cincinnati Psych-OTR-onic Night
It's been nearly 30 years since Sam Raimi's ultra-low-budget horror classic, Evil Dead, crawled out the woods and scared the shit out of unsuspecting moviegoers and inspired an entire generation of like-mindedly crafty, DIY filmmakers. (Interesting Evil Dead trivia: Joel Coen — who used many of Raimi's unorthodox techniques on the Coen brothers' debut, Blood…
Rubber Balls
This story is basically true, but I’ll be changing a few facts around. I don’t want Mary — that’s the name I’m going to give her — to recognize herself. The reality is she probably won’t be reading this anyway, as she doesn’t like alternative newspapers. The Wall Street Journal is more her thing. She’s…
Lighting Up the Night
When the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge reopened Nov. 5 after eight months of repainting and revitalization, people in attendance likely marveled at the massive stone towers and spider's web of freshly painted blue cables that support the 1,057-foot span. They might have cringed as they walked across the open grate of the bridge's two-lane…
Go With the Phro
With a name like “Smucker’s,” it has to be good. And so it follows that, with a last name like “Swallow,” you’re bound to make food (or porn). Luckily, sisters Meg and Ellen Swallow went into the food business, creating Phro*ZEN, their own line of vegan ice cream — or vegan “frozen dessert” to be…
Tea Party Candidates Painted Media as Enemy
Partisan campaign violence and intimidation are worrying, especially when elected leaders remain silent. It's as if Republicans know the radical fringe could turn on them. Egregious examples are Tea Party favorites. Given public perceptions of Tea Party power, that suggests the next two years will be ugly as reporters try to elicit useful information from…
Art: Jessica Dessner at Country Club
Jessica Dessner, a Brooklyn artist with a familiar last name in these parts, has a show of new drawings on display at Country Club gallery in Oakley. She is the older sister of twin brothers Bryce and Aaron, native-Cincinnatian members of the popular Brooklyn-based Indie band The National. Bryce also founded MusicNow, the boutique music…
Bill Bryson: King of Curiosity
How did salt and pepper become our default, go-to spices? Why are there four tines on a fork? How did stairs become so ubiquitous? These are just a few of the curiosities explored in Bill Bryson’s latest book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life, which uses the floor plan of the author’s own…
Groups Plan DADT Vigil
With the prospects for repealing the U.S. military's “Don't Ask, Don't Tell” policy looking ever dimmer, two local groups will hold a vigil to remember the men and women discharged due to the policy. The Greater Cincinnati Human Rights Campaign and the Alliance, a student group at Xavier University, will hold the vigil Nov. 15…
More Roebling Bridge
As expected, the freshly painted and lighted Roebling Suspension Bridge made several appearances on last night's ESPN telecast of the Bengals-Steelers game. Also as expected, the Bengals failed to win … but that's another blog post for another time. Matt Cunningham has an interesting story in this week's CityBeat about the volunteer group Covington-Cincinnati Suspension…
Understanding Islam
With all the blather about banning or restricting the construction of mosques in the United States because of Islam's alleged connections to terrorism, now is a good time to examine exactly what the religion is and what its central tenets are.—- The Community of the Good Shepherd Church is hosting a discussion this week entitled,…
Art: Rosson Crow at CAC
With the opening last week of its newest exhibition, Rosson Crow: Myth of the American Motorcycle, the Contemporary Art Center (CAC) is drawing regional attention to another rising star who produces art-history savvy works with heavy doses of A-list glamour and the red-and-black color schemes of revolutions and rebels. This seems like an ongoing train…
Events: Taste of the World Wine and Beer Fest
Drink to help others? Sure, why not? Stop by the Newport Aquarium Saturday and enjoy wine, beer and spirits from around the world as well as local cuisine from your favorite restaurants. Take home door prizes or try your luck in a raffle.
Events: Shakes”beer” Pub Crawl
Shakespeare and alcohol are rarely spoken in the same sentence, unless you are quoting MacBeth. But never fear, fans of Bill and booze, because the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company is putting those two things together to form an interesting marriage of theater and adult beverages. Friday at 6:30 p.m., the CSC wants to meet at 719…
Art: c.r. at CS13
This Friday, CS13 opens the first exhibition in their new space on 1420 Main St., an installation entitled c.r. by longtime CS13 collaborator Arthur Menezes Brum. Drawing from the complex cultural histories of crickets, Brum presents a minimalist, ready-made installation piece in which the subject of crickets is “quantified, priced, and packaged, creating a tension…
Music: The Jeff Hamilton Trio
In many ways, world-renowned Jazz drummer Jeff Hamilton is something of a local talent. The Richmond, Ind., native started accompanying his parents Oscar Peterson albums on drums at the age of 8, which ultimately led to his attendance at Indiana University and after school studies with future Blue Wisp Big Band skins legend John Von…
Jay Farrar, the Man From Uncle
Every once in a while it’s good to take a breather, a vacation from our various stress-loads. But Jay Farrar, the longtime Son Volt bandleader, doesn’t subscribe to this. How can he? Within the last 15 months, he’s released two totally diverse record projects and is now engaged in a nationwide solo tour. He’s still…
Music: Ben Folds
Besides putting out solo albums (and, before that, records with his trio, Ben Folds Five), Ben Folds gets involved in all sorts of interesting and unusual collaborations. He has played with symphony orchestras around the world, judged a cappella contests and produced the acclaimed if underappreciated 2004 album Has Been for actor William Shatner. Now…
Comedy: Troy Baxley
The Onion describes comedian Troy Baxley’s style as, among other things, “impish.” It’s a rather odd description for a stand-up comic. “If I show an impish side,” he says, “it’s probably in my crowd interactions. If the devil had a goofy fucker
Elton John and Leon Russell: The Union
Forty years ago, Elton John was a complete cipher, making his debut at L.A.’s famed Troubadour club. In the audience and offering total support to the rookie piano-pounder was acclaimed veteran Leon Russell, whose stint with Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour had made him a star, a career boost that he rode into…
Events: Green Homes Summit
The area’s largest green homes event offers workshops on solar energy for homes, greening older homes and working toward more sustainable lifestyles. The event includes a keynote presentation by Randy Florke, author of Recycle, Restore, Repurpose: Create A Beautiful Home and a tour of local homes that were built or retrofitted to be energy efficient…
Events: Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market
Clear the dates and mark your calendar for one of the area’s most sought-after shopping extravaganza. The annual Greater Cincinnati Holiday Market is back this weekend at the Duke Energy Center. The doors are open from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Sunday. The Market is packed with more…
Alone at 3am (Profile)
Outside of Alone at 3am’s core fan base, it’s natural to consider the Northern Kentucky quintet as one of the local scene’s newest shining lights. The band’s acclaimed 2008 debut album, City Out of Luck, and the about-to-be-released and even better sophomore disc, Cut Your Gills, suggests a band with just over a couple of…
Events: HorrorHound Weekend
So what if I told you that you could be taking a dip with Alex from A Clockwork Orange at a local pool party this Saturday? It could happen. The late night water resort party (celebrities may attend, but it’s not guaranteed) is just one small part of HorrorHound Weekend, the area’s largest horror movie…
Music: Jay Farrar
Every once in a while it’s good to take a breather, a vacation from our various stress-loads. But Jay Farrar, the longtime Son Volt bandleader, doesn’t subscribe to this. How can he? Within the last 15 months, he’s released two totally diverse record projects and is now engaged in a nationwide solo tour.
Literary: Bill Bryson
How did salt and pepper become our default, go-to spices? Why are there four tines on a fork? How did stairs become so ubiquitous? These are just a few of the curiosities explored in Bill Bryson’s latest book, At Home: A Short History of Private Life, which uses the floor plan of the author’s own…
Music: Priestess
The long gap between the two Priestess albums — 2005’s Hello Master and the just-released-in-the-U.S. Prior to the Fire — is only partially the band’s doing. The Montreal-based Hard Rock quartet, formed in 2003 by vocalist/guitarist Mikey Heppner when his Dropouts bandmates abandoned him to form The Stills, committed themselves to a relentless touring schedule…
Art: A Shared Window at Calvary Episcopal Church
War veteran artists, musicians and writers offer perspectives on their experiences with military service, war and the return to civilian life this Veterans’ Day. A Shared Window at Calvary Episcopal Church (3766 Clifton Ave.) combines an art exhibition with a concert and reading. Featured are photographs by Gordon Baer, Joseph Stoner and Ellsworth Cochran; mixed…
Music: Alone at 3am
Outside of Alone at 3am’s core fan base, it’s natural to consider the Northern Kentucky quintet as one of the local scene’s newest shining lights. The band’s acclaimed 2008 debut album, City Out of Luck, and the about-to-be-released and even better sophomore disc, Cut Your Gills, suggests a band with just over a couple of…
Former Fizzgig Frontman Comes Home
Evan Brass, former singer/songwriter/guitarist for the popular local Power Pop band Fizzgig, moved to Los Angeles last summer to pursue a career in music. Tomorrow (Nov. 9) at the 20th Century Theatre in Oakley, Brass returns to Cincinnati as a result of his ongoing sideman work, playing bass with Pop singer/songwriter Joshua Radin’s band. —-…
Showing Off the Bridge for MNF
The iconic Roebling Suspension Bridge reopened Friday after seven months of painting and repairs. Despite some talk about painting it brown to replicate the original color scheme when it opened in 1866, the "blue bridge" remains blue. New lights are still being installed, with the official relighting scheduled for tonight to coincide with the Bengals-Steelers…
Jocketty, Reds Get Props in Sporting News
I flipped through the latest issue of The Sporting News during a stop at Fountain News (far and away the best source for magazines and newspapers downtown) yesterday. A few locally related mentions caught my eye: 1. Reds General Manager Walt Jocketty was named SN’s 2010 MLB Executive of the Year by a group of…
Stage Door: Sad Siblings
It was just a year ago that the Cincinnati Playhouse offered an enigmatic production of Anton Chekhov's The Three Sisters. It was staged by Tony Award winner John Doyle with an A-list Broadway cast, but Doyle's deconstructed take on the show had many audience members walking out at intermission. If you'd like to see what…
Friday Movie Roundup: ’Tis the Season
It's already November? It seems like it just yesterday that The Hurt Locker took home a surprising (and much deserved) Best Picture win. We're now entering the stretch drive of the fall movie season, a period laden with the big studios' “prestige” films — those they believe have the best chance to grab awards love (thus…
More Layoffs at The Enquirer
Jim Hopkins' Gannett Blog and some local sources are reporting The Enquirer has laid off between 5 to 7 people this week. Two of the casualties were the person in charge of the incessantly promoted Moms Like Me Web site and the assistant managing editor of operations, who performed the administrative functions in the newsroom.—-…
Elton John/Leon Russell, Marshall Chapman, Liz Phair, Bryan Ferry, Iggy Pop and Johnny Clegg
It’s only taken a month, but I think I’m catching up after the onslaught that was the 2010 MidPoint Music Festival. In some ways, the reduced number of releases and shows over the next couple of months is something of a blessing as it offers a respite from an increasingly hectic schedule and allows time…
Due Date (Review)
Critics gripe about formulas, but give credit where credit is due: If ever there were a formula that has proven its durability, it’s the odd-couple road comedy. Director Todd Phillips (The Hangover) brings us the story of Type-A architect Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) and spacey, would-be actor Ethan (Zach Galifianakis) forced by improbable circumstances to…
Megamind (Review)
While the animated story of a criminal mastermind who stumbles off the beaten track and onto the path of heroic fame and glory (and for the chance to win the love of a woman) might seem a bit familiar to audiences — Despicable Me appeared only a couple of months ago — Megamind devotes more time…
The Elephant in the Living Room (Review)
Dayton filmmaker Michael Webber makes his directorial debut with this compelling, refreshingly restrained documentary about people who possess exotic animals as pets and the various issues that arise in such cases — everything from the ethical dilemma of caging “wild” animals to the increasingly more acute problem of public safety when they escape. [Read tt stern-enzi's…
Food News to Remember for November
November already … it doesn’t seem possible. On the plus side, this is the month of my favorite holiday, National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day. Ostensibly designed to make room for your turkey, it also serves the valuable function of making all those coagulated condiments and remaining bottles of raspberry beer you really didn’t like…
John Kleber Wildlife Area Hike
Key At-A-Glance Information Length: 1.8 milesConfiguration: Out-and-backDifficulty: Easy-moderateScenery: Woods, prairie, and old fieldsExposure: Full sun and some shadeTraffic: LightTrail Surface: Mowed PathHiking Time: 1-1.5 hoursDriving Distance: 1.5 hours from CincinnatiSeason: Year-roundAccess: Sunrise-sunsetMaps: USGS Switzer; John A. Kleber Wildlife Management Area mapWheelchair Accessible: NoFacilities: NoneFor More Information: John A. Kleber Wildlife Management Area, (502) 535-6335Special Comments:…
The Posies Are Ready to Pop
One of Rock’s more enduring friendships — long-lasting as well as often long-distance — began in the early 1980s, when 12-year-old Jon Auer met 13-year-old Ken Stringfellow at a music store in Bellingham, Wash. That friendship is still going strong — their celebrated Pop/Rock band The Posies comes to Southgate House Sunday in support of…
Get Ready for FotoFocus 2012
October 2012 might seem a long way off, but in the museum world that’s almost like tomorrow. And Cincinnati’s art museums, major galleries and related arts institutions are already at work planning for the city’s first FotoFocus. The plan is to highlight photography as an art form in all sorts of innovative ways, from high-profile…
Despite Good Intentions, CPS Becomes Easy Target
To borrow a phrase from Richard Nixon, let me make one thing perfectly clear: I am not a fan of the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST). Generally, I think the group's worldview is too simplistic and its leaders are more concerned with dismantling government rather than helping it run more efficiently. Make…
Congressional Races Hold Few Surprises
If the 2010 Congressional races in Hamilton County were remarkable for anything, it was their adherence to what many saw as all-but-inevitable results. In the 1st and 2nd districts, the favorites locked in victory — and concessions from their competitors — before midnight Tuesday. The 2nd District race concluded first. Incumbent Republican Jean Schmidt earned…
BRINK Music Festival and More Great Shows
• Block out next Saturday, Nov. 13, on your day planner for the 10th annual BRINK New Music Showcase, which this year morphs from a one-venue event (at the Southgate House) to a multi-venue extravaganza in Northside. Tied to the annual Cincinnati Entertainment Awards, BRINK is a chance to check out the next wave of…
New Cincinnati Barbeque Joints (Review)
With The Classy Pig in Ludlow, Pinky Sue’s in Newport and Riverside Barbeque and Drive Thru on River Road in Sedamsville, suddenly Greater Cincinnati is sprouting some of the little barbeque gems that you find in so many other parts of the country. (The Classy Pig was reviewed separately a few weeks ago.) If Guy…
Monzel Rides Tide to Victory
Todd Portune and Tim Burke will have at least the next two years to learn that karma, as the old saying goes, is a bitch. With Republican Chris Monzel's decisive victory Tuesday night, the Hamilton County Commission will now return to GOP control after four years of having a Democratic majority. Monzel received 56 percent…
Aggravated Assault
“Hello,” says a voice on the other end of the phone. “Is this Doug?” I ask. “As far as you know,” he replies. “Sometimes I have other people do my interviews if I think the reporter doesn’t recognize my voice. But this is me.” It’s a plausible premise, as Stanhope sounds gregarious on the line.…
Oct. 27-Nov. 2: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY OCT. 27 We liberals like to believe that we're fully aware of our motivations — every purchase of free-trade coffee is a step in the right direction, every advanced degree a checkmark in the “My Dad Was Wrong About Art School” category. The AP reported today that new research suggests the satisfaction we receive…
Artful Menagerie
Critic’s Pick Never before have I seen such a menagerie in an art gallery. An iridescent blue peacock, its feathers spreading at least 8 feet, stands in full glory near the entrance to Prairie gallery in Northside. Two other peacocks — one leucistic (white), the other a rare bronze variety — perch on columns, their…
Taming Mount Rumpke
Some Colerain Township residents are proposing methods for drastically reducing or halting the thousands of tons of trash that's dumped daily into "Mount Rumpke," the landfill nicknamed for its distinction as Hamilton County's highest elevated point. Colerain Township's Property Owners Want Equal Rights (POWER) and Ohio Citizen Action have banded together for an effort dubbed…
Leonard Cohen Releases (Review)
Leonard Cohen has changed a lot in the time between just-released Bird on the Wire (a 1972 world tour) and just-released Songs From the Road (the 2008-2009 world tour) — from an earnest, Folk-oriented singer-songwriter into one of the world’s most beloved musical performers. Bird on the Wire was shot by the British filmmaker Tony…
Pets or Predators?
Earlier this year, Dayton filmmaker Mike Webber began screening The Elephant in the Living Room, his first documentary feature (after four producing credits on films with 20th Century Fox and Lionsgate). The film explores the controversy surrounding raising the deadliest and most exotic animals on earth as common household pets through a story that follows…
Tim McGee [Geeter’s Bar & Grill]
After retiring from the Bengals at the end of the 1994 season, Cleveland native Tim McGee stayed in town and is now making his mark in the restaurant world instead of the football field. McGee, who also is a prominent sports agent, opened Geeter's Bar & Grill (854 Reading Road, Mason, 513-770-0667) at his McGee's…
Elections: The Day After
After a seemingly interminable campaign season filled with bizarre antics and toxic TV commercials, Election 2010 is finally over. Some people are recovering from partying on Tuesday night, while others might be beginning therapy to deal with what lies ahead for our county, state and nation.—- To access CityBeat's coverage of area Congressional races, click…
