Music: Pop Evil
This past May’s incarnation of Rock on the Range, the annual Hard Rock/Metal fest held in Columbus, Ohio, was far from noteworthy in terms of idiosyncratic performances. Heavyweights such as A Perfect Circle, Danzig and Korn played sets that were so technically well-orchestrated that they offered little in the way of spontaneity or unusual detail;…
Music: JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound
Soul is what happens on both sides of the chicken wire in the roadhouse at the crossroads of passion and abandon. In the equation “heart + emotion + desire,” the answer is “Soul.” You can lose your way, your mind, your edge, your virginity, your baby, your freedom, your stash, your identity, your lovin’ feeling,…
Music: Ric Hordinski
As a kid, Monk guitarist/solo artist/producer Ric Hordinski fell under the spell of spiritual guitarist Phil Keaggy’s brilliant instrumental album, The Master and the Musician. Coincidentally, Hordinski played guitar on tour with Keaggy years later, the experience reawakening his interest in attempting his own instrumental album. Thus was born the Cincinnati-based guitar hero’s jaw-dropping wordless…
Music: Robert Ellis
Though only recently legally old enough to drink, Houston-bred singer/songwriter Robert Ellis is being treated by the music press like a veteran artist who’s been in the game for the past four decades or so. That’s largely due to Ellis’ wise-beyond-his-years talent, something evident to anyone who has spent time with the songwriter’s first two…
Onstage: White Christmas
Showbiz is at the heart of White Christmas. The popular 1954 movie has been translated into a charming stage musical that’s premiering locally at the Covedale Center this month. (A touring production passed through Cincinnati in November of 2009.) This backstage musical about good-hearted people putting on a show to save a struggling Vermont ski…
Music: Rocket From the Tombs
What’s the most important Rock & Roll ever to come out of Ohio? A tough question, but a consensus is emerging that it was the Punk/Post Punk created by northeast Ohio bands in the late 1970s/early 1980s. Underground at the start, but then finding a foothold at indie (and major) labels, the wildly inventive and…
Onstage: Love’s Labour’s Lost
A character man aptly named “Dull” in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost is chastised for speaking “no word all this while.” He responds, “Nor understood none neither, sir.” Audiences at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s production might commiserate. But director Sara Clark assures us that not understanding “every word or all the puns in this play does not…
Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
Rapper 50 Cent says Hip Hop is lost. “The whole culture, I think, is a little … confused,” 50 said in an interview with XXL. “It’s not what I fell in love with, you know? So my job is to make a album that doesn’t have any holes in it, that is a representation of…
Art: Dick Waller
What happens when a serious musician gives serious attention to making paintings? The exhibition Contrasts now at Malton Gallery shows the results of clarinetist Dick Waller's picking up a paint brush instead of his instrument and the works are — it seems trite to say but is true — lyrical. Waller, for 34 years the principal…
Morning News and Stuff
Despite the economic troubles affecting the state, Ohioans are smoking more than ever, according to a study that found the highest percentage point increase of any state. An official with the Ohio Department of Health attributes the increase to the stress people are under, though the Ohio General Assembly also cut funding to the state's…
Squeeze the Day for 12/6
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Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
According to the Washington Post, the Pole Fitness Association is campaigning for pole dancing to become an Olympic sport. "Nowadays there are very few who are training to perform in a strip club," Anjel Dust, an organizer at the California Pole Dance Championships, told LA Weekly. "It's all about fitness or competitions. There is no…
More Details on New Foxy Shazam LP Revealed
Eclectic, eccentric rockers Foxy Shazam will release its new album on Jan. 24 of next year through its new deal with the resuscitated IRS Records imprint (distributed via EMI). Eric Nally, wild frontman for the Cincinnati band (which is currently touring the U.K. with The Darkness), talks more about the album — titled The Church…
Squeeze the Day for 12/5
Music Tonight: New Grammys darling Justin Vernon/Bon Iver isn't the only band to come out of Eau Claire, Wisc. Tonight at The Comet, the city's The Daredevil Christopher Wright (which has opened for Bon Iver often in the past) comes back to town for a free show. One of the MidPoint Music Festival's great discoveries a…
Morning News and Stuff
Occupy D.C. protesters built some type of structure in a park Saturday night, and police on Sunday notified them that they didn't have a permit and took it down, arresting dozens in the process. It was a pretty nice structure, though.—- City Council will begin discussing City Manager Milton Dohoney's 2012 budget today, and it's…
Megadeth, Noel Gallagher, Meshell Ndgeocello and More
Since my last post, the 2011 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards have come and gone, and what a show it was. Some stellar performances from Ma Crow and the Lady Slippers, Pomegranates, the spectacular Los Honchos, the thundering Two Headed Dog and the always jaw-dropping Wussy, slinging out bits of brilliance from their new and best Strawberry…
Weekend Squeeze for 12/3 & 4
Music Saturday: If Herman Munster had decided he wanted to play stand-up Country/Rockabilly bass, he'd have a gig in the band of enigmatic performer Unknown Hinson offered to him immediately. Despite the high camp of UH's persona (his bio says he looks like "Dracula's nasty little brother who spent some hard years drinking and working…
Stage Door: It’s the Truth Edition
There are lots of holiday shows available to you this weekend, and just about every one of them is pretty entertaining. But based on a smallish audience at last night’s opening of The Santaland Diaries, I want to draw your attention to New Edgecliff Theatre’s revival of a great performance from a year ago: Joshua…
Friday Movie Roundup: Sundance Lineup Edition
I haven't done an exhaustive study, but it seems for the first time since I've been writing the words that appear in this space, there are no new movies opening in theaters this week. Zero. But that's not to say there aren't plenty of worthwhile options currently residing in local theaters. As I pointed out…
Mr. Chabot, Meet Mr. Will
As far as conservatives go, I can tolerate columnist George Will and often enjoy reading his work. Unlike most of what passes as conservatism today, Will tends to base his arguments on logic and fact, not emotion and rhetoric. Making him even more of an anomaly in Republican circles, Will acknowledges and corrects his errors,…
‘Historic’ Memories Made at the Southgate House
What are your favorite memories from the Southgate House? On Monday night/Tuesday morning this week, as news that the popular Newport music venue would cease to exist (in its current state, at least) leaked out, I watched a steady stream of comments on Facebook respond to the news with a mix of stunned disbelief and…
Squeeze the Day for 12/2
Music Tonight: Guns N’ Roses finally makes its way back to Cincinnati, performing tonight at U.S. Bank Arena, the band's first appearance here in over 20 years. I believe Guns' last show in Cincy was when the Appetite for Destruction-era edition opened for Aerosmith at Riverbend in 1988. I remember because some friends and I…
Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
Jessie Dimmick, a 25-year-old convicted kidnaper out of Colorado, is suing a couple he held hostage for two years because they broke their promise that they’d help hide him from the police. Dimmick claims that Jared and Lindsay Rowley agreed to take an unspecified amount of cash in exchange for helping him elude the police…
Morning News and Stuff
State lawmakers are slowing down on the puppy-mill bill. They apparently need more time to find common ground between those who wish to protect dogs from abuse and those who think new regulations on cage sizes are just too [expletive] limiting. From The Columbus Dispatch: "Supporters want to protect dogs from abuse and extinguish Ohio’s…
Snow White (Review)
Good and evil play tug-of-war throughout the story of Snow White, Ensemble Theatre’s new holiday fairytale musical. As the leading lady, energetic Sara Kenny brings a lot of spunk but not enough soul to her role. David Kisor and Joe McDonough’s eighth collaboration (since 1997) is a fanciful retelling of the story of a princess…
Listen to Heartless Bastards’ First Single from ‘Arrow’
Soulful Austin-via-Cincinnati rockers The Heartless Bastards have issued the first single from Arrow, their new album (and first with their current lineup) due Feb. 14 from the band's new label home, Brooklyn-based indie Partisan Records. The track is available for free from the group's website (in exchange for your email address), but you can also…
Random Grammy Nomination Observations
Last night, this year's Grammy nominations were announced. Apparently. I flipped to the 10 p.m. "announcement" — CBS's The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — a few times but didn't hear one word about who was nominated. Although the all-star rendition of Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's Hip Hop classic (host LL Cool J called…
Homunculus To Reunite New Year’s Eve Eve
On Dec. 30, progressive local Groove Pop/Rock band Homunculus is getting back together for the first time in four years for a reunion show that, thanks to the recent turn of events at the Southgate House, will serve as the penultimate concert at the famed Newport venue (at least in its current, beloved state). With…
Squeeze the Day for 12/1
Music Tonight: Charming new Brooklyn Indie Pop band Friends plays a free show at Northside club Mayday tonight, a great chance to see a likely "next big thing" in a small (and quite affordable!) setting. The dancey, poppy band formed just last year and has only released a couple of singles, but already Friends has…
Morning News and Stuff
More details are coming out about Chris Monzel and Todd Portune working a behind-the-scenes deal to sell Drake Hospital for way less than it was worth in order to save rich people money on their property taxes for one year. Critics have called it a “fire sale” and questioned the legality of selling a public…
Q&A with GNR’s Richard Fortus
Icon Rock & Roll band Guns N’ Roses has been selling out arenas since their debut album Appetite for Destruction went to No. 1 in 1987. Though Axl Rose and Co. have not released an album since Chinese Democracy in 2008, they've continued to rock out across the with large-production shows, entertaining audiences not only…
Q&A with Trans-Siberian Orchestra
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Trans-Siberian Orchestra combines a night at the symphony with an in-your-face Rock concert experience and is best known for its holiday-centric shows, with grand musical scores and massive light and production pieces that stimulate your visual senses as much as your auditory ones. The project began in 1993 and has…
Art: Diana Duncan Holmes Discussion
Diana Duncan Holmes' extraordinary monochromatic photographs line the walls at Iris BookCafe, making art of such humble subjects as plastic bags blowing in the wind or the shreds of automobile tires. Three series are here: the bags, the blowouts and works Holmes calls “bowlz,” reflecting the dips and swoops of skateboard parks. There's also a…
Retiree Group: Focus on True Causes of Deficit
An organization of retired labor union workers is praising the failure of Congress' so-called “super committee” to agree on a deficit reduction deal as a good development for elderly Americans. The Ohio chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans said many politicians, especially Republicans, are unfairly blaming the deficit on Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.…
Onstage: Dialogues in Dance
The holiday season is in full swing, but if you’re looking for a break from Christmas activities this weekend, head to Contemporary Dance Theater’s home base (the historic College Hill Town Hall) Saturday at 8 p.m. for Dialogues in Dance. Presented by Cincinnati-based MamLuft&Co. Dance, this unique series features new works from four different choreographers…
Art: distance between _______.
Despite claims to the contrary, drawing remains the indispensable tool for serious artists concerned with the task of organizing credible space. That’s why quantum leaps in technological innovation notwithstanding, it’s the humble pencil and paper that many reach for when inspiration first strikes. But as a vital 21st-century practice, drawing has grown to encompass more…
Music: Tommy Stinson and Guns N’ Roses
S herman, set the Wayback Machine to 1983. We’re visiting Bogart’s in Cincinnati, Ohio, where young publicity manager Brian Baker is witnessing the second area appearance of R.E.M., which he’s vigorously advertised for a net result of just over 300 attendees. Local Art Pop provocateurs Junta have just finished, and the stage is taken by…
Events: RedsFest
Billed as Major League Baseball’s premiere fan festival, Redsfest is your chance to meet and interact with current and former Reds players as they look forward to the beginning of next season with Spring Training in February. Come out and see manager Dusty Baker and some of your favorite Reds, like Joey Votto, Jay Bruce,…
Events: Get Wet Prohibition Repeal Anniversary Party
It seems that in the last few years the media has taken a special interest in prohibition. From the HBO series Boardwalk Empire to Ken Burns' documentary on PBS that aired in September, I, along with the many other avid watchers, have learned more about this memorable period in history than I or they did…
Music, Movies and the Not So Mundane
Daniel Radcliffe is in talks to be the next person to portray the late poet Allen Ginsberg in the upcoming thriller Kill Your Darlings. The film, slated for a 2012 release, will revolve around Ginsberg’s relationship with Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs and Lucien Carr, the man who killed Ginsberg’s lover, David Kammerer.—- It has…
Squeeze the Day for 11/30
Music Tonight: Indie music fans can take a break from sobbing uncontrollably about the loss of premier area venue the Southgate House (yes, the booking there reached far beyond just "Indie," but it was still a major supporter) by heading out to one of the several clubs in town that host similar top touring acts…
‘The Artist’ Wins Best Picture Award
The awards season is upon us. In just the first of a coming avalanche of groups that will unveil their various movie awards/prizes/best lists, the New York Film Critics' Circle, considered one the more discerning groups of critics in the country, yesterday announced its 2011 award winners. Michel Hazanavicius' The Artist — a silent, black-and-white…
Morning News and Stuff
A new study has found high levels of arsenic in fruit juices that millions of kids are drinking because there's pictures of actual food on the label. Too bad government regulation is just a big waste of money that hurts the economy. A full 10 percent of the juices tested by the magazine had arsenic…
Costing Costello, Lyin Ass Bitch and Judas Priest
[HOT] “Wheel” Costs Fortune ’Tis the season for record companies to repackage music by your favorite artists in an effort to get you to give (to yourself or others) the gift of music. And if the artist objects to, say, another expensive “greatest hits” collection on the grounds that it is exploiting their fan base,…
Sherrod Brown and Chiquita
[WINNER] SHERROD BROWN: The Democratic senator from Cleveland is coming to the aid of Greater Cincinnati football fans. Disturbed by the large number of Bengals games that aren’t allowed to be aired on TV stations in Cincinnati, Dayton and Lexington, Ky., Brown has proposed the Federal Communications Commission repeal or revise the “sports blackout rule,”…
Nov. 23-29: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY NOV. 23 Some things just don’t work the way you’d expect, like skipping breakfast in order to lose weight or wearing a vintage Dodgers jersey in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, and expecting to receive a compliment (“What’s Ebbets Field? Is it over by the Whole Foods?”). A new poll has found that Fox News is kind…
Northern Kentucky’s Sudden Venue Shakeup
The club scene in Northern Kentucky, in terms of venues that have become a haven for local, original artists and nationally/internationally known touring acts, is in the midst of a seismic shift that has emerged suddenly, over the span of just the past few months. The day after popular Covington club The Mad Hatter hosted…
Last Summer by Eleanor Friedberger
Eleanor Friedberger has accomplished plenty with brother Matthew in their well-regarded Indie Pop collective, The Fiery Furnaces. With Matthew occupied with his series of solo releases, Eleanor decided to test the waters with her own contribution, the patently wonderful and gently quirky Last Summer. As a debut, Last Summer distills and expands the sonic elements…
Ceremonials by Florence and the Machine
The success of Florence and the Machine’s debut, 2009’s Lungs, left Florence Welch with little free time to work on its sophomore album, which she planned on making darker, heavier and denser. Ceremonials is the divine result of that proposed blueprint. Welch sings and writes with the power and elegance of any number of brilliant…
Lulu by Lou Reed and Metallica
Attempting to critique Lulu, the new Lou Reed/Metallica collaboration, is a little like taste testing a vodka-flavored breakfast cereal; comparing it to either vodka or breakfast cereal is unbalanced because the combination is so mismatched. Both artists come from extreme backgrounds — Reed as an avant-garde sonic artist, Metallica as Thrash Metal welders — and…
Crazy Clown Time by David Lynch
In his films, paintings, photographs and drawings, David Lynch is an unrepentant surrealist, a fascinating and compelling storyteller who explores both the horrors and banalities that exist on the fringes of culture. As a result, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that the self-taught “non-musician” brings a similar vision to his first album of music,…
Tommy Gets His Ya-Ya’s Out
S herman, set the Wayback Machine to 1983. We’re visiting Bogart’s in Cincinnati, Ohio, where young publicity manager Brian Baker is witnessing the second area appearance of R.E.M., which he’s vigorously advertised for a net result of just over 300 attendees. Local Art Pop provocateurs Junta have just finished, and the stage is taken by…
It Ain’t Where I’ve Been — It’s Where I’m About to Go
“Prove them wrong.” That’s what my old boss, Max, used to tell me when all the negativity and “no”s out in the field would get me down. “What do you want most in life?” he’d say, squinting at me through his tiny, expensive glasses. “Success — to be successful,” I’d half-whisper. “What the fuck, Shokoohe…
Politicians on Both Sides Defy Will of the People
T here is a relatively simple way to ascertain how neither Republicans nor Democrats no longer represent the will of average voters and show how out of touch the political class is with most people. The litmus test comes down to three major issues: the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling…
Shining a Light
I n an age of blogs, tweets, hacks and piles of beans spilled by WikiLeaks, the notion of media censorship might seem dated. But the rundown of stories Project Censored calls attention to this year serves as a reminder that mainstream media outlets favoring the superficial over the substantive don’t give us all the information…
The Natural
T he Descendants, Alexander Payne’s long-anticipated return to the filmmaking scene, is another slanted, deadpan comedy about the ways in which a relatively ordinary man’s life can go terribly off course (see Payne’s previously troubled male protagonists in Election, About Schmidt and Sideways). George Clooney is Matt King, a workaholic lawyer and land baron in…
Sexism in the Soda Aisle
You’ve likely seen the TV commercials for the latest product by provocative soda brand Dr Pepper, Dr. Pepper Ten, and either flipped the channel instantly or watched in disbelief as a major advertising campaign appears very obviously to be stating that this soft drink is for men only. It is not subtly suggested with scenes…
Local 127 (Review)
L ocal foodies, step down from your window ledges and rest assured that while Local 127 has moved, it has not abandoned its commitment to a farm-to-table philosophy. In fact, Chef Steve Geddes said that the move into the space once occupied by JeanRo Bistro was partly designed to make the “table” a better match…
Museum Seeks a Comeback
Beginning Sunday with a 4-6 p.m. reception, the Skirball Museum (3101 Clifton Ave., Clifton, www.huc.edu/museums/) is opening a new exhibition: Jewish-related fine-crafts objects, such as driedels, mezuzahs and shofars, made of Venetian glass by Michael Gore, an Illinois artist. The work, which is for sale, is elegant in shape and very attractive. But it…
Meet the Penguins
W hen we were kids, my sister collected penguins. Plush penguins, ceramic penguins, penguins wearing knit hats and scarves, penguins ice skating and more. Now even the most hardcore penguin enthusiasts can indulge their obsession with the Newport Aquarium’s Penguin Encounters — a behind-the-scenes visit with African Blackfooted penguins. Nearly 50,000 people have already met…
Southgate House to Shut Down Jan. 1 (UPDATED)
One of the most notable music venues in the region, Newport's historic Southgate House, has announced it will close its doors for good after a Dec. 31 show headlined by locally-based/internationally-acclaimed Punk band The Dopamines. A press release sent out Monday night (and a posting on the club's web site) announced that "after more than…
‘Patsy Cline’ Still Award-Worthy
Let's give credit where credit is due. The League of Cincinnati Theatres award process moved quickly (if incompletely) on recognizing the Cincinnati Playhouse production of Always … Patsy Cline, which opened just a week ago today. The judging panel singled out costume designer Gordon DeVinney for his work. A panel member commented, “If you look…
