The Camaraderie and Draw of Hopelessness
Twelve years ago a dear friend of ours took a badly neglected baby boy away from his crack head mother and made him her own. That boy, David (name changed to protect his anonymity), is now a strong, quiet, menacingly handsome teenager who adores his “Mom” and grudgingly appreciates our fellowship, but is increasingly attracted…
Ping Pong Party Plaza
Saturday Ian and I played Nintendo Wii for about 8 hours straight. No joke. I was just warming up my arm for ping pong that night. To get our game faces on we all decided to have a pizza party to fill our tummies to the brim with prime protein and pure ping pong nutrition!…
Concert Review: Girl Talk at Bogart’s
Let’s forget, for a second, about all of the talk surrounding Gregg Gillis, a.k.a. Girl Talk (a.k.a. this week's CityBeat cover star). Certainly in an era of Internet piracy and intensely important discussions of fair use doctrine, Gillis is at the forefront of pushing boundaries, both musically and legally. And Gillis also sticks out like…
Lit: David Baldacci
The Mercantile Library continues its cultivation of interesting literature with the 21st annual Niehoff Lecture delivered by David Baldacci. Best known for his 1996 debut novel Absolute Power (which Clint Eastwood made into a movie starring himself and Gene Hackman), the Virginia-bred author has published an astonishing 16 books in the dozen years since his…
Music: Dub Trio
In an era of ridiculous band names that often not only don’t fit the band but lead you in an entirely different direction, if any (Ben Folds Five, Manchester Orchestra, Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head), here’s to Dub Trio, an instrumental band of ace session players, for telling it like it is. The three-piece indeed specializes…
Music: Oh My God
Oh My God’s triumphant appearance at the MidPoint Music Festival six weeks ago was more than merely a great gig by a renowned Chicago band with a fervent Queen City following. It was a celebration of survival, the first Cincinnati show by the keyboards/bass/drums trio since their near fatal van collision in 2007 (ironically on…
Music: Cheryl Renee and Them Bones
Keyboardist/vocalist Cheryl Renee’s live shows are high-energy evenings of bawdy, brassy Blues, and she has teamed up with Cincinnati mainstays, Them Bones, to give us a taste of her performing prowess on a recently released live CD of classic Blues covers. Cheryl Renee’s musical travels over the decades have taken her from Cincinnati, to a…
Music: Wolf Parade
The Indie Pop quintet, Wolf Parade, was formed three weeks before their first performance when frontman, Spencer Krug, was offered a gig playing with fellow Canadian band, The Arcade Fire. Krug and guitarist Dan Boeckner soon began writing songs and working on arrangements. But they didn’t exactly have a working band at that point. “I…
Music: Mayday Parade
It’s been demonstrated time and again that the Warped Tour provides great exposure for Modern Rock bands that get to play on the tour. My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy and the All-American Rejects are among the bands whose stints on Warped served as a springboard to major success. It turns out that even groups…
Comedy: Jimmy Pardo
It’s an election year, but comedian Jimmy Pardo never seemed to get into it. “I donated money to Obama’s camp so I could get a free bumper sticker for my car,” he says. “That’s about as political as I’ve gotten.” Though he did a few jokes on the subject, his heart just wasn’t in it.…
Events: The Comet’s 13th Anniversary
Over the past 13 years, the Comet has become synonymous with good music (live or from the oft-noted jukebox) and really good burritos. Celebrate the bar's "unlucky" anniversary with an evening of live music by Me or the Moon and The Pomegranates as well as an art show next door at NVision featuring light boxes…
Music: Turnbull ACs CD Release Party
The Turnbull ACs have been called a lot of things, and they think every one of them is pretty funny. As the quartet prepares for a practice on the eve of a studio session at WOXY.com, frontman Dan Mecher and drummer Brian Penick laugh as they recount the mangled pronunciations that have been inflicted on…
Sports: The Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a pretty badass football team. It’s too bad they play in the tough NFC East, where a 5-4 record is good for a last place tie. But when the regular season is all said and done, it will most likely be the Dallas Cowboys who don’t make the playoffs (they stink…
Events: Secret ArtWorks
On Friday, the third annual Secret ArtWorks fund-raiser for the nonprofit ArtWorks organization, which connects students and emerging artists with opportunities to practice their craft, will occur from 6-9 p.m. in the ballroom of downtown's Westin Hotel. Admission is $125, which includes the selection of one 5-by-7-inch work created by a secret, unidentified artist as…
Art: Botanica Noveau and Monet’s Garden at Giverny in Black and White at Iris Bookcafe
Throughout the autumn, the walls of the new Iris BookCafé (1331 Main St., Over-the-Rhine), have been graced with black-and-white photographs by William Messer and Marc B. Suda. Selections from Suda’s Botanica Noveau series are assertive and austere in the midst of the elegance and quirkiness that is the café. The larger set of works by…
Art: Matthew Shelton at NVision
The wonderful light boxes of Matthew Shelton are on display at Northside’s NVISION (4577 Hamilton Ave.) beginning with an opening reception from 6-10 p.m. Friday featuring music by DJMCMLXXIII. Shelton’s technique for making light boxes evolved from a method that involves first incorporating photographs, then poking countless holes into mirror board. The effect is similar…
Onstage: I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
Perhaps you’ve had your fill of holiday shows, but you want an entertaining night of theater this week to relax during the holidays? I recommend the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Shelterhouse production of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. The title pretty well says it all: It’s about romantic relationships — and the…
Music: The Features
It’s been a momentous four years since the postmodern New Wave blurt of The Features’ major label debut EP, 2004’s The Beginning, and their first semi-full length album, Exhibit A. The band parted ways with Island, released a Christmas 7-inch and the Contrast EP and lost keyboardist Parrish Yaw. In the interim, the Features have…
Onstage: The Wizard of Oz
Did you know that The Wizard of Oz was popular long before the 1939 film starring Judy Garland? L. Frank Baum’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published in 1900 (and it was followed by a whole series of stories about the Land of Oz), and it didn’t take long for Dorothy’s story…
Music: The Sword
Musically described as Heavy Metal, Doom Metal or Drone, The Sword lacks the corny gloss of most mainstream Metal throwbacks. Instead, the band might best be described as the soundtrack to the most awesome game of Dungeons and Dragons ever played. Through saturated drones, drum circle rhythms and muscled-up guitar riffs, lead singer John D.…
Art: Ryan McGinness: Aesthetic Comfort at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Ryan McGinness’ exhibition of new paintings, Aesthetic Comfort, creates an optical second reality in the Vance-Waddell Gallery at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Lights are turned off; heavy, dark curtains hang in the doorway; black lights shine onto the wood panels and bring everything painted there to life. It’s a little disconcerting, looking into a painting…
Review: The Myth of Multitasking
This book attracted me from the title alone – The Myth of Multitasking is something I’ve observed over and over again in my own life. In fact, I’m observing it right now – I can write better and faster if I shut down all distractions: my email program, my web browser, my instant messaging programs,…
Equal Marriage
No, this isn’t an effort to get men to scrub toilets, women to wash cars or any other such stereotypical complaint about equality in a marriage. It’s about busting up another stereotype – that only heterosexuals can live in a long-term, committed relationship.—- “A protest in favor of equal marriage will occur at Cincinnati's City…
Get Yer CEA Tickets
And now for a few public service announcements: If you're a nominee for the 2008 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards and you haven't claimed your tickets yet for the Nov. 23 shindig, you're just about out of time. Please contact Stacy immediately at cea@citybeat.com or 513-665-4700 ext. 100. Nominees are entitled to half-price tickets ($10 and no…
I’m Buying A Lottery Ticket (or Going to a Parade)
A while back, a wrote a bit about my experience with "musical ESP." Has it happened to you? You think of a random song, something you haven't heard in years or that would be unlikely to just pop up on the radio, and suddenly it materializes on your radio dial or TV? The experience happens…
Brian Kelly Tried To Ruin My Night
I spent part of Saturday night lying in my front yard, refusing to come inside the apartment until I found a cat to chase. I was supposed to spend the evening celebrating a big important Bearcat football win, but because of ill-advised strategy and an impressive comeback by West Virginia, my celebratory evening turned into…
The Met in a Movie Theater
On Saturday afternoon, I attended my first "Met Opera: Live in HD" transmission at the Regal Cinema in Deerfield Township — John Adams' Doctor Atomic. —- I'd been told the Regal was less crowded than the Showcase in Springdale, which often sells out, and it was — only 50 people attended, counting my wife and…
The Magically Reappearing Boyfriend
Over the past six months I have gone on several dates. Sometimes there would be a few dates and, more often, just one. Regardless, I would give out my cell phone number because I don't have a home phone anymore. The guys would save my number in their phone, even if the relationship had no…
CEAs: Performers Annouced, Tickets on Sale
Voting has ended for the 2008 Cincinnati Entertainment Awards. Winners in 16 publicly chosen categories and three Critical Achievement categories will be announced at the 12th annual CEAs Nov. 23 at the historic Emery Theater in Over-the-Rhine. This year's CEAs will also celebrate the 65th anniversary of King Records, starting with an opening performance by…
All About Blogging
Well, maybe not everything, but it’s difficult to fit the various aspects of starting and maintaining an online journal in a mere 20 minutes.—- Hostess Maryanne Zeleznik, a local radio gem, was gracious enough to include me as a guest on the Nov. 6 edition of Impact Cincinnati on WVXU (91.7 FM) to discuss the…
Monday Wellness Roundup
Health Issues* Walmart Watch: Lead face paint for kids sold at Walmart, the bottomless pit of shocking corporate behavior.* NKY.com: Common knowledge confirmed—there's a genetic predisposition to lung cancer. But it's smoking that's still the top cause.* Gyminee: Social networking, accountability and support for your fitness plan.—-Rehab for your Wallet* The Simple Dollar: Readers offer…
A Taste of LuPone at Below Zero
Cabaret is a musical form most people connect with New York City, but we have our own local outlet here in Cincinnati: Every Sunday evening at Below Zero Lounge (1122 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine) you'll find cabaret tunes with great local performers around 8 p.m. This weekend it's Sherry McCamley offering a benefit for Caracole, a…
Boehner’s Boner
Our own guy from West Chester, House Minority Whip John Boehner, is criticizing the selection of Rahm Emanuel to be President-elect Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff. Boehner says Emanuel, currently a Democratic congressman from Illinois, is the wrong choice from a president who promised to return civility to politics.—- In a written statement…
Music: The David Liebman Group
There are no longer many contemporaries of Miles Davis and John Coltrane around today, and even fewer are still actively composing and performing. David Liebman, 62, is one of those few. What truly sets him apart, though, is not only his illustrious background but the fact that he continues to explore new musical territory and…
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Review)
Critic's Pick The desire for love is a fundamental urge, but perhaps as basic is the drive to remake the object of your affection. That’s the funny and poignant premise of Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts’ off-Broadway musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Cincinnati Playhouse staged it successfully in 2000; it’s back for…
Pesticides, Fertilizer, Old Batteries, Used Motor Oil
This is the kind of junk people store in the garage, the basement or under sinks because they don’t know what to do with it. Most often they get dumped into the trash if they’re disposed of at all. It is possible to safely discard of this kind of hazardous waster, but it takes a…
Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Ceremony Update
The lineup of performers for this year's Cincinnati Entertainment Awards music program has been confirmed. Opening the show will be Bootsy Collins, who is heading up a band of King vets (including his brother, Catfish) to pay tribute to the late, great James Brown (it will be so cool to see Bootsy actually playing bass…
Some Things You Can Do With Old Cell Phones
A friend of mine was about to chuck her old cell phone in the trash, without a second thought. When I suggested that she might be able to do something else with it, she just shrugged and said, “What use is an old junk cell phone?” While she didn’t throw it away right then, I’m…
Baseball Players Feel Obama’s Socialist Squeeze
Not everyone is the type of person who throws pennies in the garbage rather than collecting them in a coffee can, rolling them into groups of 50, bundling them in a plastic bag and taking them to the bank to collect the $5 bounty. Luckily for professional athletes, sports agents aren't this type of person.…
Politics: The Movie of the Year
Has there been a movie this year that even comes close to generating the drama and suspense that marked the 2008 presidential campaign? —- From the highly contentious battle royale between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination to the surprise (and scary-funny) choice of Sarah Palin as John McCain’s Republican running mate,…
By the Numbers: A Look at McCain’s Loss
Looking at just how devastating the Republican defeat was in Tuesday's presidential election, it's interesting to see how low Sen. John McCain's percentage of victory was in several reliably red western and southwestern states. —- He carried Texas 56-44 percent, Montana 50-47 percent and even his home state of Arizona by just 54-45 percent. Meanwhile,…
Music: Katie Reider Benefit
A benefit for the family of locally-bred singer/songwriter Katie Reider takes place Saturday at Dirty Jack's in Elmwood Place. The event — also serving as a celebration of Katie's life and music — starts at 8 p.m. and is hosted by Debra Randall, the show's organizer and a WAIF radio personality (she hosts the show…
Art: Andy Warhol at the Wexner Center
Having seen the big Andy Warhol Retrospective show in Los Angeles in 2002, I had thought I was Warholed out. I had seen plenty of his invigorating, breakthrough pop art of the early 1960s — turning both the banality (consumer-product packaging) and horror (electric chairs, Kennedy assassination photos) of Mad Men-era modern life into edgy…
Movies: Soul Men
Bernie Mac’s last film before his untimely death is a let-it-rip, irreverent comedy invested with the comedian’s trademark brand of earthy humor. Floyd Henderson (Bernie Mac) and Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) haven’t spoken since their days singing together as a duo ended 20 years ago after the departure of their R&B group’s leader John…
Laid Off As Folk
Now that the economy has been kicking it snow sled style, I have been laid off from my wonderful job at a major Cincinnati corporation that makes jet engines. No, not Kroger! Silly! Now I find my days are free to do whatever I want! What do I choose to do you ask? Start a club…
Election Night Observation
Hanging out at the Board of Elections with the campaign volunteers, TV anchors who have nothing new to say for hours on end because results are slow to come in (again!) and the infrequent candidate who drifts in between parties is just plain boring. There’s nothing to write about because the time between when the…
Turning A Page in History
It wasn’t a dream. After eight years of a misguided, reckless foreign policy and the abuse of presidential power, not only are Americans about to get rid of President Bush but they voted for their hopes instead of their fears and elected the nation’s first African-American president.—- Given the ballot-counting problems of the last two…
Smiling Faces Sometimes
Smiling Faces Sometimes Buddakhan restaurant is still a bit of a secret downtown, but word is getting out (“Reflecting Over Crab Rangoon and Smiles,” issue of Oct. 15). Happy hour should mean smiles all around, especially for those who are serving you. I can relate to bartenders who feel like it’s their job to serve…
Once on This Island (Review)
The joyously exuberant 1990 musical Once on This Island is receiving a joyously exuberant production by Northern Kentucky University (NKU). There’s enough enthusiasm to spill beyond the confines of NKU’s intimate Stauss Theatre, the university’s blackbox studio. The production lacks some discipline, but this is a thoroughly entertaining rendition of Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s…
Wrapping up Loose Election Threads
By the time this issue of CityBeat is published, the long and hard-fought presidential election will finally be over. Here are a couple of items to ponder as you’re either celebrating or crying in your beer. (By the way, find CityBeat's coverage of the election results and Election Night reactions here.) First, United Dairy Farmers…
Soul Men (Review)
Bernie Mac’s last film before his untimely death is a let-it-rip, irreverent comedy invested with the comedian’s trademark brand of earthy humor. Floyd Henderson (Bernie Mac) and Louis Hinds (Samuel L. Jackson) haven’t spoken since their days singing together as a duo ended 20 years ago after the departure of their R&B group’s leader John…
Bushwhacked
There is a moment in Oliver Stone’s W. — a film about a pathetic president and a mediocre man — when George W. Bush actually commits an act of heroism. Choking on a pretzel while watching a football game, the president fearlessly hurls himself about the room and into the furniture, trying to dislodge the…
New CD from StarDevils, Lauren Houston
A benefit for the family of locally-bred singer/songwriter Katie Reider takes place Saturday at Dirty Jack’s in Elmwood Place. The event — also serving as a celebration of Katie’s life and music — starts at 8 p.m. and is hosted by Debra Randall, the show’s organizer and a WAIF radio personality (she hosts the show…
The Invisible One
Remember Billy Crystal’s classic line from When Harry Met Sally? He said, “What I’m saying is — and this is not a come-on in any way, shape or form — is that men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.” For a while, I thought this was true.…
Senses Fail with Dance Gavin Dance and others
When Senses Fail roared out of New Jersey five years ago, the quintet couldn’t drink in the bars where they were booked to play. The group’s 18-year-old vocalist James “Buddy” Nielsen had posted a band recruitment ad on the Web in 2002, attracting 15-year-old drummer Dan Trapp and his two guitar pals Garrett Zablocki and…
Bucket List: The Soundtrack
When Tom Moon, author of the new 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die, makes a personal appearance, as he does 7 p.m. Nov. 12 at Joseph-Beth Booksellers, he expects people to come to argue. “It’s most fun when people come loaded for bear — ‘Why isn’t Billy Joel on your list!’ ” he says,…
Fun With Samples or Illegal Art
Just hours before his new album is released to the Internet, Gregg Gillis is at home in the gritty Pittsburgh suburb of Wilkinsburg: a two-room apartment crammed with the detritus of his life on the road as internationally acclaimed mash-up artist Girl Talk. A worn couch dominates the living room alongside a heap of brightly…
Sam Bush With Tanner Hill
When Sam Bush was a fiddle-playing teenager, he had the opportunity to meet Bluegrass legend Bill Monroe. When young Bush tried to display his blossoming mandolin skills to Monroe, the icon’s advice was succinct: “Stick to the fiddle.” Good thing Bush didn’t take that comment to heart or he might not have gone on to…
On the MARCC
It turns out a courtroom isn’t the only place where one can find civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein and Cincinnati Police Chief Thomas Streicher Jr. together. Both men spoke Oct. 27 at the 40th anniversary celebration for the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati (MARCC). “It’s only MARCC that can say, ‘We’re going to throw…
The Clouds Are After Me (Review)
At first glance Brooklyn-based artist Kambui Olujimi’s solo show at Meyers Gallery at the University of Cincinnati, The Clouds Are After Me, seems sparse. Loose-leaf pages hang from the white walls in likely formations. They become both more interesting and more disappointing when you look a little closer. The “clouds” that follow the artist are…
Mixed Messages on the Issues
City voters sent a mixed message on the two ballot issues before them, both placed on the ballot by a group of local activists and political organizations. Issue 8, the referendum on proportional representation, was turned down by 53.6-46.4 percent, meaning that voters won’t be able to rank their preferences in order of one through…
Underdogs Get Some Respect
The endorsed candidates of the two major political parties for the Hamilton County Commission won election Tuesday night, but the unendorsed challengers could also claim victories of a sort. Democratic incumbent Todd Portune and Republican Greg Hartmann — endorsed candidates who received money and volunteer help from their respective parties — easily won in their…
Nye on 10 Years
Ricky Nye’s musical pedigree is well known by now. An Elder grad with a Berklee School of Music education, Nye (then under his given name, Rick Nieheisel) returned home for a six-year stint behind the keyboards for one of Cincinnati’s most renowned Rock bands, The Raisins. When they dissolved in 1985, Nye worked with local…
Yes, We Did
Results/reactions on the presidential race here. Results/reactions on Ohio District 1 and 2 congressional races here. Results/reactions on Hamilton County Commission races here. Results/reactions on city and state ballot issues here. Photos from throughout Election Day and Election Night here. Video interviews on Election Day here. Change is in the air across the United States,…
UC Football in the Hunt for a Big East Crown and BCS Bid
Another wonder of college football announces itself in the middle of town as the lords of Nippert Stadium enter November playing for their highest stakes ever. A real conference championship race has arrived. We’ve seen a good many college conference championships in Cincinnati, but most conference championships aren’t what they used to be. The ones…
A Portable Family, a Moveable Feast
Every year my family and I eat Thanksgiving dinner at Paparazzi, an Italian restaurant in Boston. And every year I long for the antique drop leaf table that stretched across our old farmhouse dining room where we had Thanksgiving dinner during my first 30 years — in a cozy room with old lady wallpaper, not…
Gordo’s Pub & Grill (Review)
Critic's Pick I'm a lover of things that can’t be put in a box and escape all attempts to define them. This has included people, art, literature, cities and a variety of spiritual and political movements, but it hasn’t included bars — at least not until I went to Gordo’s Pub & Grill. Smack in…
The Next Chapter
Today is the dawn of a new day, the beginning of a new age, the start of something big. And, as always, when new doors open others close. Of course I’m referring to the start of CityBeat’s 15th year of publishing. This issue of CityBeat in print is Volume 15, Issue 1, a momentous turning…
‘One People’
At 5:30 a.m. on Election Day, 75 people were waiting in line to cast ballots at Integrity Hall in Bond Hill. By 6:30 a.m., when the polls opened, 180 people were waiting, and the flow of traffic was steady all day long at the site where precincts 7C and 7F set up shop for the…
Split Decision in Congressional Races
Ohio might have turned Democratic blue Tuesday night, but Hamilton County and the southwestern part of the state sent mixed signals about whether it embraced the tides of change. U.S. Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-Miami Township) claimed victory in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District early Wednesday morning, even though some of the ballots in Hamilton County hadn’t…
Another Seven Days of Melting Ice and Jelly Bean Votes
WEDNESDAY OCT. 29U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester) used an appearance at an Oxford bar and grill today to demonstrate his foul mouth and also a distaste for Barack Obama’s voting record. According to The Miami Student, a university paper that helps train future members of the liberal media, Boehner told an audience:…
China Design Now (Review)
Critic's Pick Many Westerners received their introduction to modern China during the 2008 Olympic games. Television viewers witnessed the results of an architectural explosion in Beijing, and innovative structures like the Bird’s Nest and the Water Cube became instant cultural icons. China Design Now, on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) through Jan. 11,…
Politics from the Inside Out
Wow. Has this been some kind of ride. As I write this I sit in the back seat of Steve Driehaus’ car at the Delhi Township Senior Center. It’s Election Day morning, and since July I’ve been working on his campaign full-time as communications director. Right now — but hopefully by time you read this…
Barack Obama’s American Rhapsody
And oldie but goodie from some PROJECTMILL members: —-
It Was a Good Day
Yes, it was (and is) a good day. What song (if any) did you listen to when President Elect Obama's victory was announced last night? McCainites and Obamaheads, alike. —- I fell asleep at midnight, but, thanks to some suggestions on the Facebook page of my pal, former Cincy musician Dave Purcell (Pike 27), I…
