One-Sided Speculative Political Pandering
The year 2012 bears the burden of apocalyptic Mayan calendar predictions and a curious onscreen fascination with speculative science fiction dramas — from Sound of My Voice to Looper — but, apparently seeking to top things off, writer Dinesh D’Souza teams up with John Sullivan to speculate about the true intentions of President Barack Obama…
‘Asylum’ Plays On Viewers’ Every Fear
Last year’s FX breakout American Horror Story surprised audiences while weaving sexy and scary storylines into one addicting series. A broken family moved into a true haunted house (unbeknownst to them), and each week we encountered a new murder that occurred in the home. Jessica Lange shined as the mysterious neighbor, Constance, and recently walked…
Edible Glow-in-the-Dark Technology Eludes Us (For Now)
We can put a man on the moon (R.I.P. Neil Armstrong). Thanks to McDonald’s, we can have “ribs” without the annoyance of rib bones. And if we get really thirsty we can buy half-gallon tubs of Coca-Cola at the nearest KFC or 7-Eleven. (For now!) Yet here we sit at the breakfast table, in the…
Far East Flavors
M alaysia is located so far from here most of my friends couldn’t point it out on a map. But lucky for us, Ohio just welcomed its first Malaysian restaurant right outside Cincinnati. In the belly of an old municipal building in Mason is the new restaurant Straits of Malacca. Driving to the exotic feast…
L.A. Style Meets Substance in Herb Ritts Exhibit
I approach Herb Ritts: L.A. Style at the Cincinnati Art Museum (CAM) from what I assume is the front. The understated entrance off the Great Hall makes sense given the fashion photographer’s minimalist approach and preference for black-and-white. The cream exterior and the crisp sans-serif font on a black “awning” evoke a boutique. “Windows” of…
Laurel Nakadate Eagerly Awaits Upcoming FotoFocus Lecture
I haven’t seen artist Laurel Nakadate’s 2009 film Stay the Same Never Change, but some of the write-ups I found on the Internet did not initially make me believe I had missed much. Shot at the Kansas City homes of actors she located via social media and casting calls, the scripted film offers — according…
Lights, Camera, Live-Action
N o one in the Esquire Theatre auditorium seemed to mind when Bombs Away! Comedy announced it was having technical difficulties during a special presentation of cult classic Mommie Dearest on Oct. 5. Comedian Mike Cody stood in front of the blank silver screen and delivered an impromptu pre-show stand up routine, and laughter crushed…
Lit: Books by the Banks
A one-day smorgasbord for book lovers of every stripe, Books by the Banks again takes over the Duke Energy Convention Center, featuring more than 100 local, regional and national authors who work in a variety of genres and styles. The daylong event includes a pavilion where readers can meet and purchase books by their favorite…
Event: Queen City is Haunted
The wise guys who brought the Newport Gangster Tours to our city bring on the thrills and chills with the Queen City is Haunted Walking Tour. Expect wild and wooly tales of murder, deception and mayhem that lie buried just below the surface of our Midwestern metropolis. Tour highlights include the spirits of Music Hall,…
Music: Keller Williams
If nothing else, Keller Williams is one of the most versatile and virtuosic musicians around. This guy can play just about anything (piano, guitar, bass, theremin, synthesizer and percussion). But what makes his music more impressive is his penchant for phase looping a wide array of different instruments during his live performances, allowing him to…
Comedy: Pauly Shore
In 2012, not too many folks greet Pauly Shore with a “what’s up bu-ddy?” There are a few, though. “Mostly drunken frat guys. They all yell ‘Bio-Dome!’ And I think, ‘I need to go back and watch that.’ ” While he’s proud of his past and the cult standing of films like Bio-Dome, the original…
Event: Celebrating Our Beloved Community: Fundraiser for OTR Community Housing
With all of the current redevelopment in Over-the-Rhine, it’s easy to forget about the efforts of organizations like Over-the-Rhine Community Housing (OTRCH) which has been working in the area for decades. Founded in 1988, OTRCH has been renovating historic buildings to create affordable housing in an effort to promote the area as an inclusive community…
Event: Sugar Rush
Welcome to a world of candy and sweets. Your dentist might not love this, but you will. CityBeat and Her Cincinnati pair up for Sugar Rush, the saccharine soiree perfect for reminiscing (with your mouth) about those trick-or-treating days when it was cool to stuff your face with candy. Sample local sweeteries’ cupcakes, ice cream,…
Onstage: Blue Man Group
When most people get the blues, they end up feeling glum. I predict that everyone who gets the blues this week or next — in the form of the Blue Man Group — will leave the Aronoff Center in downtown Cincinnati with a smile on his or her face. In fact, publicity for this first-time…
Supreme Court Rejects Husted’s Early Voting Appeal
The U.S. Supreme Court says it will not take up Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted's early voting appeal. With the decision, Ohio must allow all voters to vote on the weekend and Monday before Election Day — a right previously reserved for military personnel and their families. The news comes just a week after…
The Afghan Whigs Are My Co-Pilots
The music of one of Cincinnati’s all-time greatest musical exports, The Afghan Whigs, hit me at precisely the right time. As a child, the music of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who tattooed itself on to my DNA, while my high school years found me becoming obsessed with College Rock, Punk, Hip Hop…
Finding the FotoFocus Art that Transcends Categories
After the second full week of FotoFocus, I’ve begun to realize that there are way more shows and events out there than one person can get to. (Or, if you do get to them all, to remember what you’ve seen.) It’s also clear that you can begin to roughly pair into categories the kinds of…
Morning News and Stuff
In-person early voting is underway in Ohio. Find your nearest polling booth here. State Rep. Alicia Reece, a Democrat, is not happy with what she sees as another attempt at voter suppression. Reece claims a new billboard, which reads “Voter Fraud is a Felony,” is meant to intimidate voters — particularly voters in low-income and…
State Rep Decries Voter Fraud Billboards
A Cincinnati-area state representative is decrying billboards throughout Ohio whose aim, she says, is voter intimidation. Democratic Rep. Alicia Reece held a news conference Monday morning in front of a billboard that read, “Voter Fraud is a Felony!” The billboards were paid for “by a private family foundation,” but Reece claims in a news release…
Mike Watt
Let’s begin with a quote from the man himself, relayed via his appropriately spare website dubbed the “Mike Watt’s hoot page”: “People, I wanna bring my third opera hyphenated-man around the u.s. again cuz there's some towns I missed last time. fuck, we're a big land and of course I'm gonna still miss some towns…
Coheed and Cambria
Many bands have become comic books — I’m looking at you, KISS — but few comic books become bands. Vocalist/guitarist Claudio Sanchez had written a series of graphic novels titled The Bag.On.Line Adventures, which were renamed The Amory Wars; Sanchez had also co-founded the band Beautiful Loser with guitarist Travis Stever, which ultimately morphed into…
Carbon Leaf
It’s been 20 years since five friends at Virginia’s Randolph-Macon College began practicing in a campus auditorium with an aim toward finding the musical Venn diagram center of Folk, Indie Rock, Celtic and Alt Country. The quintet dubbed their collective Carbon Leaf, started their own label, Constant Ivy Music, and embarked on a dozen-year run…
Brown, Mandel Clash in Feisty Debate
In the first of three debates for Ohio’s seat in the U.S. Senate, Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger Josh Mandel agreed on little and clashed on a lot. Each candidate mostly focused on the opposing candidate's record, but the debate today did move to substantial differences in policy at some points. The debate…
Rating the Reds’ Up-to-Bat Music
Besides baseball, there are two things that I associate with GABP and the Reds — beer and music. Well, maybe there are three. Losing in the playoffs has seemingly snuck itself in there in the last week or so. Whatever, I don’t want to talk about it. Ever since I was a kid, my favorite…
WATCH: Legendary Ralph Stanley’s Emery Session
One of the more soulful venues at this year's MidPoint Music Festival was the gorgeous Emery Theatre, which is in the process of being brought back to life thanks to the efforts of "The Requiem Project" (the group that has been doing the heavy lifting to get the theater fully back in commission). But perhaps…
Morning News and Stuff
In-person early voting is underway in Ohio. Find your nearest polling booth here. The first of three debates for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat is today. Incumbent Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican challenger Josh Mandel will meet for the first time to prove who has the better vision for the state. Democrats have repeatedly criticized Mandel…
Environmentalists Adding Green Luster to Bob Taft’s Dull Image
When Bob Taft left the governor’s office in 2007, he was seen as little more than a pompous bumbler. His two terms ended with a conviction on a misdemeanor ethics crime for failing to report free golf outings. He was the epitome of a country club Republican, a patrician who played but didn’t pay, a…
Mrs. Mannerly (Review)
Critic's Pick I admit it: going in, I expected Ensemble Theatre Company’s current production of Jeffrey Hatcher’s play Mrs. Mannerly to be about silverware — or worse. The production boasts an excellent line-up with veteran Cincinnati performer Dale Hodges in the lead and the Cincinnati Playhouse in Park former artistic director Ed Stern directing. Still,…
Cincinnati No. 10 out of 12 Similar Cities
A new report has some sobering notes for Cincinnatians. Overall, the city ranked No. 10 out of 12 similar cities in the report’s rankings, with the city doing well in housing opportunities and job growth but not so well in other categories. The No. 10 spot is the same rank Cincinnati held in the 2010…
Q&A with Social Distortion’s Jonny Wickersham
Formed in 1978, Classic Punk band Social Distortion reached the height of its fame in the late ’80s and early ’90s. The band has seven studio albums beginning with its iconic Mommy’s Little Monster. Although there has been over a dozen ex-Social D members, the group — known as a touring juggernaut (sometimes at the…
Stage Door: Too Many Options
You have no excuse for complaining that there's not enough theater in the days ahead. In fact, you'll have a hard time fitting it all in. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati's regional premiere of Mrs. Mannerly opened a few days ago: It's a comedy about growing up in small-town Ohio under the watchful (perhaps oppressive) eye of…
Morning News and Stuff
In-person early voting is underway in Ohio. Find your nearest polling booth here. The vice presidential debate between Democratic Vice President Joe Biden and Republican U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan took place last night. The general consensus among pundits is the debate was a draw, with perhaps Biden edging out ahead. Regardless of who won, political…
Seelbach Touts Obama’s LGBT Record, Urges Early Voting
On National Coming Out Day, Cincinnati’s only openly gay city councilman told CityBeat that equality for America’s Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgendered people would take a hit under a President Mitt Romney. “On day one (of his presidency) he (Romney) could hurt gay families by reinstating Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and hurt security for our…
CityBeat’s Vice Presidential Debate Drinking Game
Debates are… well, debates. They can be enlightening and informative, or they can be boring. Think back to the last time you heard someone say, "boy golly, that was an exciting debate!" Yeah. We didn't think so.But don't worry, your friends at CityBeat are going to get you out of this jam. The only thing…
City, CPS Win $40,000 Grant
The mayor, Cincinnati Public Schools (CPS) and The Strive Partnership announced today a new joint initiative that won a $40,000 grant. The grant, which is funded by Target through the Cities of Service and Service Nation, will help tutors teach kids how to read by the third grade. Mayor Mark Mallory made the announcement in…
R.I.P. Skandal Da Ruckus Man
EDITOR’S NOTE: Marcus Mitchell, aka local Hip Hop artist and inspiration Skandal Da Ruckus Man, passed away this week after a battle with leukemia. In tribute, here is an interview with Marcus from March 2005, written by CityBeat contributor Mildred C. Fallen, from our archives. Check next week’s issue of CityBeat for more remembrances of…
Morning News and Stuff
In-person early voting is underway in Ohio. Find your nearest polling booth here. The vice presidential debate is tonight. The debate will be between Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan. After the last debate, some pundits are saying Biden needs to win this one to slow down the Romney-Ryan momentum. But keep in…
Ohio Supports Same-Sex Marriage
For the first time, a Washington Post poll shows 52 percent of Ohioans support same-sex marriage, and only 37 percent say it should be illegal. With a margin of error of 4.5 points, it’s possible the September poll could be too optimistic, but the poll shows a sharp contrast to 2004, when 62 percent of…
Nuns Hop on Bus to Tour Ohio
A group of Catholic nuns kicked off a 1,000-mile, six-day tour across Ohio on Wednesday, during which they plan on telling voters to elect candidates who will do the most for the state’s poor. “In democracy, the role of government is to represent all of us and show us how we work together,” said Sister…
Music Tonight: Bill Frisell, Jeff Coffin and More
There is a staggering amount of high-quality live music events tonight in Greater Cincinnati, especially for a Wednesday. Here are a few of the best. • Though Jazz is the music saxophonist Jeff Coffin is most closely identified, his experience and passion extends well beyond the genre. Coffin’s and his Mu’tet make dynamic, progressive sounds,…
FOTOFOCUS 2012
As the name implies, FOTOFOCUS was created with the intention of focusing Cincinnati's attention on photography as an expansive, growing and dynamic form of artwork. It's developed into something greater than that, though — an extended festival engaging amateur and professional art-lovers alike in dialogue with hopes of increasing public appreciation for contemporary art and…
I Just Can’t Get Enough
Even the most plugged-in, pop culture-obsessed Facebook addicts miss out on Internet crazes every once in a while; thus, Koren performer Psy’s viral music video for “Gangnam Style” somehow escaped me. I’d seen the term mentioned on blogs and even watched a (ridiculously high quality) wedding video based on confusing sensation before I was able…
Casino Tax Not Enough
A new analysis suggests that tax revenue from Ohio’s new casinos will not be enough to make up for state spending cuts to cities and counties. The findings of the Oct. 1 analysis, by left-leaning Policy Matters Ohio, apply even to casinos and big cities that get extra casino tax revenue. They still lose twice…
Seven Psychopaths
Writer-director Martin McDonagh follows up In Bruges with another tale of comic killers and he’s aided and abetted by his onscreen partner-in-crime Colin Farrell. In Seven Psychopaths, Farrell plays a struggling screenwriter who stumbles into a criminal plot to earn money by kidnapping dogs for large ransoms. Things go awry when the writer’s bumbling crew…
Sinister
More found footage to creep us out. This time, a true-crime writer (Ethan Hawke) and his family move into a new home with a deep dark history that unspools in the home movies languishing in the attic. It would seem that, by now, anytime someone finds film canisters or stacks of old VHS tapes, the…
Here Comes The Boom
Kevin James and the Happy Madison (Adam Sandler) production team take a humorous and more broadly mainstream stab at Warrior, except they bypass all of the useless drama about brothers battling in the finale. Here Comes the Boom sets its sights, instead, on a burned-out former teacher of the year (James) who opens his big…
Atlas Shrugged: Part 2
The independently produced feature film conclusion of this adaptation of Ayn Rand’s opus from television directing veteran John Putch (Cougar Town), who takes over for Paul Johansson, has Samantha Mathis stepping into the role of Dagny Taggart, the heroine who uncovers the answer to the global energy crisis and must do all she can to…
Decadent Destinations
California might be the heart of American wine country today, but in 1859 Ohio was the nation’s leading commercial producer of vino. With more than 3,000 acres of grapes growing along the Ohio River and an epicenter here in Cincinnati, we pretty much dominated the 19th century wine scene, so much so that poet Henry…
‘The Walking Dead’ Returns to Fast-Paced, Frightening Roots
Something about fall makes people want to scare one another and be scared — it’s an aspect of childhood many of us never outgrow, like how Halloween transforms from a candy-’n-kids holiday to a booze-drenched fashion show for adults. Blending violence and gore with drama and heart, The Walking Dead (9 p.m. Sundays, AMC) is…
A Better Brew
For a strapping lad like me, beer is the alcohol of choice with my meal. As for wine, well, I’ve never had much of a nose for it, typically only imbibing the beverage in Europe, where it’s omnipresent. There are several types of beer my palate gravitates toward: hoppy IPAs; piney lagers; or especially dark,…
Cooking Powers, Activate!
Gourmet Betty’s In-home Cooking Classes Learn Betty Hakes’ foodie secrets to take your culinary skills to the next level with these in-home cooking classes — perfect for showers, holiday parties or just a girls’ night in. Each guest receives a menu, recipes and instructions to recreate the meal at home. betty@gourmetbetty.com / 513-309-5506 / gourmetbetty.com…
Morning News and Stuff
In-person early voting is underway in Ohio. Find your nearest polling booth here. More than 1.1 million Ohioans have requested absentee ballots. Secretary of State Jon Husted appealed an early voting ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. The ruling by the appeals court said all Ohioans must be allowed to vote on the three…
Searching for The Heart and Soul, So Long Ignored
In what should be an iconic image, we see Sixto Diaz Rodriguez, a Folk singer who recorded his first single “I’ll Slip Away” back in 1967, strolling along with his guitar case strapped across his back. His long dark hair billows in halo-like fashion around his head; his eyes hidden behind dark shades. The image…
The Science of Food + Alcohol Pairings
Some years ago, fast food giant Burger King came up with the idea that pairing soft drinks with burgers would enhance their customers’ dining experience. Suggestion stickers were posted on the soda dispensers with examples of taste combinations, such as Coca Cola with a Whopper, Diet Coke with salads, Sprite with a chicken sandwich and…
Reds End Decade of Sports Futility in Cincinnati
Losantiville is Loserville no more. With the Reds’ Game 1 victory in the National League Division Series in San Francisco, Cincinnati’s long drought of postseason failure came to an end. The 5-2 victory over the Giants came exactly 17 years to the day after the last time Cincinnati could call itself a playoff winner —…
Auditor Criticizes Education Department for Poor Oversight
The state auditor Oct. 4 criticized both the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and a handful of school districts in an interim report. The report, which will be finalized in the coming months as the investigation is completed, gave some early findings for the ongoing investigation into attendance scrubbing, the practice of “removing students from…
Husted to Appeal Early Vote Ruling to Supreme Court
Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has appealed to the nation’s highest court a ruling that expands in-person voting during the three days prior to Election Day. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals Oct. 5 sided with President Barack Obama’s campaign and Democrats, ruling that voting during the weekend and Monday before Election Day must…
Jesse Jackson Rails Against Voter Suppression in Cincinnati
Speaking to about 60 people at the Rockdale Baptist Church in Avondale, the Rev. Jesse Jackson talked about the many “schemes” used to disenfranchise voters while encouraging Cincinnatians to register to vote and take advantage of Ohio’s early voting days. “Dealing in this state, for example, you think so much about the painful days in…
Relish: The Food + Drink Issue
Come with us on a journey through Cincinnati’s food and drink scene, interactively enjoying all the larder and libations the Queen City has to offer. Kentucky may have a bourbon trail, but we have an urban wine trail that is equally as boozy and equally as trailey. Follow our guide and drink your way from…
Cincinnati vs. The World 10.10.2012
The nurse who was the famous receiver of the lip-locking depicted in the iconic 1945 “Kissing Sailor” photo from Times Square symbolically marking the end of WWII attests she was actually manhandled against her will by the sailor, who was a complete stranger; by modern standards, that’s an instance of sexual assault that’s been glorified.…
Autumn Wines
If you’re like me and hate standing in the wine aisle feeling lost, then this is a clip and save column for you. You’re going to want this one bookmarked on your phone when you head out to shop for fall wines. It can be tough to know where to start when you’re wine shopping,…
Ohio’s Auto Recovery Highlights Republican Failure
When President Barack Obama said America’s auto industry is “roaring back” during the Oct. 3 presidential debate, Mitt Romney was quiet. Romney, who had a strong debate performance according to most political pundits, seemed content with avoiding the subject. Taking a look back at the results of Obama’s $85 billion bailout of the auto industry,…
Southgate Revival Opening: Take Two
On Oct. 5, just hours before the much-anticipated grand opening of the Southgate House Revival — the new club from former longtime owners/operators of the Southgate House (now called Thompson House) — social media began to buzz with word that the venue would not be ready to open as planned. At around 4:20 p.m., a…
Prison Privatization Blues
A s tate audit of the private prison sold by Gov. John Kasich last year found the prison is only meeting 66.7 percent of the state’s standards. The report, released last week, found a total of 47 violations in a northeastern Ohio prison owned by Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), which the state government sold…
All’s Well That Eat(s) Well
Cooking for Martha Stewart has got to be a little like sharing your film project with Woody Allen, right? Imagine knowing that’s going to happen, and keeping it a secret from everyone — even the actors in the project. Sounds almost surreal. And surreal is the word Cincinnati chef and caterer Renee Schuler of Eat…
The Price of Independence
Originally, I planned on a question as the title for this installment of the column — Can I Afford to Be Independent? — and I would like to acknowledge that the idea has been rocking and rolling around in my head for some time now. This is not just my response to the first presidential…
Junot Diaz’s Yunior Finds Hope Amidst Heartache
Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Junot Diaz is on the phone with me from Los Angeles, where he’s beginning a book tour to mark the release of his second collection of short stories, This Is How You Lose Her, some 16 years in the making. Just as in his first collection of short stories, Drown, this book…
The God and the Machine
The god in Manifest Gallery’s Deus Ex Machina does not arise from the traditional machine (that crane elevating a Greek actor of ancient times to meet a plot need for divine intervention), but instead from our handy modern device, the camera. And what sort of godly image emerges when a camera is looking for one?…
The Thrill of the Familiar
More often than not, I try to introduce CityBeat readers to new plays and writers. We see quite a few such shows locally thanks to Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (ETC), the Cincinnati Playhouse and Know Theatre. In fact, looking at American Theatre’s list of 2012-2013’s “Top 10” most-produced plays, six have already been presented locally. The…
Worst Week Ever!: Oct. 3-9
WEDNESDAY OCT. 3 Election season is upon us. Many people have questions about voting, and some of them aren’t about debating if it is worth your time to cast a vote. As many WWE! readers can attest, you never know when law enforcement is going to tie your hands behind your back and arrest you.…
Shoot (For) The Stars
Tyler Shields’ Klout Score is probably through the roof. “I can take a photo, post it online within five minutes, and watch it go around the world,” he says. “In a matter of an hour, a million people have seen it. Within two hours, 10 million people have seen it.” Although he is prone to…
Booze-Hounding for Dollars
As long as I can remember watching television, I remember beer ads. The Clydesdale horsies for Budweiser are the earliest memories. In my pre-teen/early teen years, Miller Lite’s “Tastes Great, Less Filling” commercials were always good for a chuckle. Then I started drinking beer and discovered that the main draw of Miller Lite was, for…
My So-Called Cool Parade
Jeff Roberson is no longer “the most hated man in Folk,” as he was dubbed by former WNKU program director Dan Reed, since he hasn’t really done anything lately to reinforce the characterization. In fact, since Summer’s Here, the former Len’s Lounge frontman’s 2008 sophomore solo effort, he’s been preoccupied with matters decidedly unrelated to…
Bully Pulpit
I was a ripe, sitting target for a bully when I entered the fourth grade at Heritage Hill Elementary School in Springdale: I was a shy 9-year-old; my single mother was settling her three kids after abruptly leaving our father and bouncing about in a station wagon; my two older brothers were preoccupied by their…
