Greg Dulli Solo-Tours Ahead of New Afghan Whigs LP
Hamilton, Ohio native Greg Dulli, frontman for Cincinnati-spawned AltRock greats The Afghan Whigs, recently announced a worldwide solo tour that will hit churches, a synagogue and small theaters in 31 cities in 11 countries across the world. The show, dubbed “An Evening with Greg Dulli” and featuring a “stripped-down band” running through songs from throughout…
Wayne Storm
L ike a modern-day Dorothy, Daniel Wayne left his home and traveled to remote locales to chase his heart’s desire, only to find that his greatest opportunities and potential for next-level success were right where he started. On his journey, Wayne was known by many alternate nicknames, some snarkily derogatory, some humorously appropriate, but now…
‘Clockwork’ Petition Auctioned
HOT: ‘Clockwork’ Petition Auctioned It appears silly, useless petitions didn’t start with the Internet. A letter from 1968 petitioning the makers of a film version of Anthony Burgess’ book A Clockwork Orange to hire The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger for the lead role will go up for auction at the end of the month. The…
Morning News and Stuff
Hey all. Let’s talk about news real quick. A Fairfield Police officer stationed at Fairfield High School was suspended for three days without pay after he accidentally shocked a student with a Taser last month, The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. An investigation into the incident found that the officer wasn’t acting with any malice toward the…
Morning News and Stuff
Hello all. I hope your weekend was good. I spent part of my Saturday volunteering at the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative’s annual Youth Summit at Xavier University. The summit involved a number of sessions on topics youth in Cincinnati said they wanted to know more about. Hundreds of young folks crammed into sessions about goal setting,…
Local Vent Haven Ventriloquism Museum Is Subject of New Avant-Garde Play in Chicago
Vent Haven — Fort Mitchell’s ventriloquism museum that is the only one in the world devoted to the subject — continues to be of interest to the art world at large. Photographers Laurie Simmons and Matthew Rolston have both previously done series based on its collection of dummies, and Simmons even used them in a…
Stage Door: A Dying Salesman, Barbra Streisand and a Prince in Search of Meaning
There are almost too many good shows for you to enjoy this weekend, but depending on what you like, you’ll probably find it somewhere. Cincy Shakes production of Death of a Salesman doesn’t open until tonight, but all sings point to a strong production, headlined by one of our region’s best actors, Bruce Cromer, as…
Morning News and Stuff
Morning all! Here’s a quick rundown of the news today. Let’s talk about the latest in the ongoing debate over Issue 22, Mayor John Cranley’s proposed charter amendment to fund changes to the city’s parks via a 1 mill property tax levy. Yesterday, Parks Director Wille Carden said figures estimating the cost of 16 proposed…
Your Weekend To Do List (10/16-10/18)
FRIDAYEVENT: LADYFEST CINCINNATIThe first Ladyfest Cincinnati festival (featured in CityBeat’s cover story last week) begins Thursday and runs through Saturday in various venues (mostly in Northside), showcasing women in activism as well as a vareity of artists. There will be workshops, visual art exhibitions, film screenings and poetry readings throughout Ladyfest, as well as lots…
Bored Nevermore
ARTAntique Halloween Travel back in time while viewing the Taft’s Antique Halloween exhibit, a one-room display of objects from 1900 to the 1950s. Items range from party invitations and games to candy and cups. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday through Nov. 1. $10 adults; $5 kids 6-17; free kids 5 and under;…
Not-So-Frightening Farms
Bountiful farms in and around the Cincinnati area offer up less-intense Halloween thrills for the entire family to enjoy. Pick-your-own pumpkin patches, fresh produce and desserts, droves of farm animals and giant corn mazes — acres and acres of them — are only some of the activities that await kids and adults alike at these autumn…
Buyer and Cellar (Review)
Critic's Pick Here’s a good sign: I read Jonathan Tolins’ Buyer and Cellar before seeing its regional premiere at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati on Wednesday. It’s an amusing script and knowing things ahead of time does not trouble me, even if it takes some of the surprise out of the experience. But the performance by Nick…
Morning News and Stuff
Hey all! I’m still struggling out of a food coma after attending last night’s Iron Fork event, but copious amounts of black coffee help me persevere. Anyway, let’s talk about news really quick. I told you yesterday about the controversy swirling around a $200,000 contribution the Cincinnati Parks Board made to a group supporting Issue…
Delmore Brothers Honored at Herzog
In the fall of 1946, sibling Country (or “Hillbilly,” as it was dubbed) singing duo The Delmore Brothers came to downtown Cincinnati to record a session at E. T. Herzog’s studios (where famed sides by Hank Williams, Patti Page, Ernest Tubbs, Flatt and Scruggs and numerous other legends also recorded) on Race Street. Beginning their…
Dojo Gelato Expands into Northside
Since 2009, Dojo Gelato has exclusively operated out of just 220 square feet of space in a corner of Findlay Market’s market house. But come spring of 2016, they will have expanded their production into a second, 1,000-square-foot building in Northside. Owner Michael Christner studied classic gelato making in New York City and attended Penn…
Forno Osteria Bar (Review)
F orno Osteria + Bar is exactly what the East Side needs. The chain restaurants around the Rookwood shopping centers and the mostly ethnic spots clustering near Hyde Park Square are fine as far as they go, but Forno represents something more elevated. One of the city’s First Families of Food — the Pietosos of…
Hey, Mr. Knickerbocker
When we last saw New York’s Knickerbocker Hospital, it was in a state of shambles. The institution’s first chief of surgery killed himself after an unsuccessful operation, and his replacement, mad-genius Dr. Thackery, had turned to a deadly diet of cocaine and opium to meet the job’s demands. Outside the hospital, Dr. Edwards was left…
Higher Stakes Needed on ‘Bridge of Spies’
Back in the summer of 1996, De La Soul’s fourth album, Stakes is High, dropped and Hip Hop seemed to skip a beat. The group broke off from their long-time producing partner Prince Paul, forging its own path with assistance from a few guest producers. The real issue — front and center on the album…
Cincinnati Art Museum Springs into Fall
Usually, when one says a work of art is “alive,” it’s a figure of speech — the expression typically acknowledges a natural connection between artist and observer. But next weekend, the Cincinnati Art Museum will be giving a new meaning to the phrase “living art.” More than 60 florists will be contributing to Art In…
Acclaimed Author Anthony Marra Discusses New Collection of Interlocking Short Stories
Anthony Marra’s masterful 2013 debut novel, A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, rightly garnered high praise from across the literary landscape for its graceful prose and its affecting ability to find humanity amid harrowing circumstances. The novel’s interweaving narrative, largely told through the lives of everyday Chechens, is set during the Chechen War of 2004, with…
Fathers, Sons and Theatrical Honesty
Some plays become classics because they last across time — Shakespeare’s plays are still produced after 400 years. That’s what’s usually onstage at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, but they also dig into more recent “classics,” qualified by elemental stories that burn fiercely. Such is the case with Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman. It earned…
Twenty Years of the Aronoff
As the Aronoff Center for the Arts marks its 20th anniversary on Oct. 21, it’s generally known as the place to be for major performances by Broadway touring shows, lectures, comedians, musical acts and more. But back in the early 1990s, it was a controversial project. In 1993, in fact, a debate raged about whether…
Art: Holding Ground at Wave Pool
Wave Pool’s Holding Ground pays homage to communities beyond the periphery, exploring themes of resilience, desertion and buoyancy of spirit. Participating artists in this group show include New Yorker Pablo Helguera, San Franciscans Chris Treggiari and Justin Hoover, Parisian Esther Shalev-Gerz and Cincinnati-based photographer Natalie Jenkins. The exhibit includes an exploration of traditional Shaker choreography,…
Event: Cincinnati Food Truck Association Food Festival
Instead of settling for whatever food truck happens to be parked near you, why not take your pick from the best Cincinnati has to offer at the second-annual Cincinnati Food Truck Association Food Festival? Waffle masters, chili experts, burger bosses and pizza geniuses will roll on down to the heart of OTR, lining Washington Park…
Halloween: Fall-O-Ween
Coney Island is getting creepy for its family-friendly Fall-O-Ween Festival. In addition to the park’s 24 classic rides, the fest features pumpkin painting, magic shows, barnyard animals and a light show choreographed to Halloween music. Use a giant slingshot to smash a pumpkin against a target or opt to take the kids to make their…
Halloween: Covington is Haunted
Everyone who makes his or her way through charming Covington probably notices the ultra-modern Ascent, quaint MainStrasse Village and the beautiful Riverside Historic District. But most people may not know about the town’s spooky secrets. With guides from American Legacy Tours, the Covington is Haunted Tour reveals the sites and stories of the city’s ghastliest…
Event: Bark Out Against Battering
The YWCA of Greater Cincinnati is teaming up with the SPCA to raise awareness about the connection between pet abuse and domestic violence. According to the YWCA, many women report staying in abusive relationships because they fear for the safety of their pets. The organization hopes to remove this concern by providing protective shelter for…
Event: Northern Kentucky Wine Festival
The eighth-annual Northern Kentucky Wine Festival showcases the best wines of the bluegrass state. More than 15 wineries from around the region will be stationed along the Sixth Street Promenade in MainStrasse, while area restaurants provide food to complement wine tastings. A $10 admission provides a souvenir glass and tickets for four wine tastings; additional…
Music: Ubahn Music Festival
Cincinnati’s underground music festival returns: Ubahn, the two-day EDM and Hip Hop fest, takes over the Metro Transit Center underneath Second Street downtown with three stages of DJs and live music. The lineup includes Buggs Tha Rocka, A$AP Ferg, Keys N Krates, Trademark Aaron, DJ Apryl Reign, DJ Drowsy and more. On Saturday, the Heroes…
Music: Huntertones
Horn-driven instrumental Fusion ensemble Huntertones — who masterfully and progressively mix a wide range of Rock, Soul, Jazz and Funk influences — formed in Columbus, Ohio in 2010 and currently call Brooklyn, N.Y. home. The band also has a Cincinnati connection — trombonist/composer Chris Ott attended the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music for grad…
Event: Retrofittings
Marvel at the latest fashion creations at RetroFittings: Fantasies, Fables and Fairy Tales. This annual fashion show is a partnership between the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the University of Cincinnati’s Design, Architecture, Art and Planning fashion program. More than 70 DAAP students create original runway-worthy designs from pieces found in St. Vincent…
Comedy: Al Jackson
Al Jackson went from being a middle school teacher to stand-up comedian rather quickly — after doing a few open mics, he decided comedy audiences were actually less judgmental than seventh graders. He has enjoyed the career move, and show business has been good to him. He currently hosts a show on Children’s British Broadcasting…
Event: Ladyfest Cincinnati
The first Ladyfest Cincinnati festival (featured in CityBeat’s cover story last week) begins Thursday and runs through Saturday in various venues (mostly in Northside), showcasing women in activism as well as a vareity of artists. There will be workshops, visual art exhibitions, film screenings and poetry readings throughout Ladyfest, as well as lots of music…
Onstage: Buyer and Cellar
Did you know that Barbra Streisand has a personal shopping mall filled with memorabilia in the basement of her lavish Malibu estate? It’s true — she’s even published a coffee-table book about it. That’s what inspired this very funny one-man show. An out-of-work actor is hired to be the shopkeeper, and he gets to hang…
Halloween: Antique Halloween
Travel back in time this October at the Taft Museum of Art. Current exhibit Antique Halloween is a one-room display of spooky antiques ranging in date from the 1900s to 1950s. The items, obtained by local collectors, include decorations, toys and games, candy cups and more. A ghostly ambiance is created by candle shades and…
Event: Iron Fork
CityBeat hosts its annual Iron Fork event — like Iron Chef, but with local chefs. This year’s four participants — Dan Stoltz of The Mercer, Brad Bernstein of Red Feather, Gary Davis of Jack Binion’s Steakhouse and Becca Kinney of La Poste — will battle in a head-to-head competition, preparing and plating dishes utilizing a “mystery” ingredient. The…
Morning News and Stuff
Good morning all. Here’s the news today. And no, I didn’t watch the Democratic presidential primary debate last night, the same way I didn’t watch the Republican one the night it aired. I get paid to think, read and write about politics from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or later) Monday through Friday. The last…
Spoonful of Cinema: 99 Homes
Andrew Garfield, the actor most famous for his portrayal of Peter Parker/Spider-Man in the not-so-amazing The Amazing Spider-Man franchise, has a lot going for him. He first came onto the scene when he brought Eduardo Saverin to life and put a tasteful pulse of humanity into David Fincher’s sublimely cold-blooded The Social Network back in…
Houses of Horror
Once upon a midnight dreary, haunted houses, ghoulish creatures and harrowing tales descended upon the Queen City, giving Cincinnatians plenty of eerie activities to keep them screaming throughout the season. Whether you’re looking for thrills, chills or something a little more family-friendly, this preview has you covered, including an intensity guide to help you find…
Spectacle and Storytelling: ‘Pippin’ at the Aronoff
Critic's Pick Broadway composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz is drawn to storytelling. His first show, Godspell, took parables from the New Testament and enlivened them with happy, emotional melodies. His biggest hit, Wicked, translated the familiar Wizard of Oz story by L. Frank Baum into a prequel, behind-the-scenes look at Elphaba, the Wicked Witch who’s…
Pomegranates Offer One More Album, Two More Shows
After a tumultuous period that included personnel change, a career lull, an identity shift and finally an unexpected and unfortunate dissolution, the members of Pomegranates clearly thought their time had come and gone. But now, in a story twist that is equally unexpected and exultantly hailed by even the most casual fan, the Cincinnati band…
A New Perfect Moment
F or two days this month — Oct. 23 and 24 — Cincinnati will celebrate the glory of Robert Mapplethorpe’s art and life. Mapplethorpe + 25, a symposium sponsored by FotoFocus and the Contemporary Arts Center, will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the landmark traveling retrospective of the photographer’s work, The Perfect Moment, coming to…
Investigators: Tamir Rice Police Shooting ‘Reasonable’
Two investigators hired by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office separately found the Nov. 22 Cleveland Police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice “reasonable,” according to the prosecutor. The investigations by Colorado prosecutor S. Lamar Sims and retired FBI agent Kimberly A. Crawford found that Cleveland Police Officer Timothy Loehmann acted reasonably when he shot Rice seconds…
Debate Heats Up on Parks Charter Amendment
A proposal by Mayor John Cranley to amend Cincinnati’s charter in order to raise funds for the city’s parks has created a good deal of controversy ahead of the Nov. 3 election, where voters will decide whether or not to adopt it. Supporters of Issue 22, which would raise property taxes by about $35 for…
Fighting Fear
I n the early morning hours of Oct. 2, two teenagers approached a woman near the corner of Chase and Virginia avenues in Northside and assaulted her. Police records show that after strangling her and beating her with a rock, they raped her, stabbed her and took her cellphone and other belongings. But before they…
On My Cane
I now walk on a cane full-time, and my new dependence on it has made the world — my world — a very small, level place. A long time ago, when I should have been long past crawling and holding onto furniture, I was still half-crawling and holding onto furniture to walk around our Hamilton…
Worst Week Ever! Oct. 14-20
American Educators Subtly Use Weather as Device to Advance their Work-From-Home Agenda People who work from home have it made — no sharing kitchens and bathrooms with a bunch of mouth-breathers who surprise you by simply dressing themselves and making it into the office each morning. School employees recently got wind of this awesome phenomenon…
Music: Meg Myers
The old creative adage that great art results from great pain is no mere cliché. One look at Meg Myers’ hardscrabble childhood — a gypsy existence that included stops in Tennessee, Ohio and Florida and situations that forced her into an unnaturally early adulthood — and it’s hardly a stretch to hear Myers’ therapeutic use…
Sound Advice: Meg Myers with Jarryd James
The old creative adage that great art results from great pain is no mere cliché. One look at Meg Myers’ hardscrabble childhood — a gypsy existence that included stops in Tennessee, Ohio and Florida and situations that forced her into an unnaturally early adulthood — and it’s hardly a stretch to hear Myers’ therapeutic use…
Music: Vacationer
Vacationer emits a slinky World Music groove that blends elements of Tropicalia, Pop and Trip Hop with atmospheric Ambient music shades, giving the band a moodily bouncy sound that suggests Colorado altrockers The Samples collaborating with Morcheeba while Brian Eno obliquely strategizes their next studio maneuver. Its unique brand of island music is self-described as…
Sound Advice: Vacationer with Great Good Fine Ok
Vacationer emits a slinky World Music groove that blends elements of Tropicalia, Pop and Trip Hop with atmospheric Ambient music shades, giving the band a moodily bouncy sound that suggests Colorado altrockers The Samples collaborating with Morcheeba while Brian Eno obliquely strategizes their next studio maneuver. Its unique brand of island music is self-described as…
Music: Maiden Radio
Maiden Radio is a collaboration between Julia Purcell, Cheyenne Mize and Joan Shelley that began in 2009 as a means for the three accomplished Louisville, Ky. musicians to explore the old-time Folk and Appalachian sound they all loved. Local fans may be familiar with some of the members’ individual efforts. Mize’s solo work has been…
Sound Advice: Maiden Radio with Daniel Martin Moore
Maiden Radio is a collaboration between Julia Purcell, Cheyenne Mize and Joan Shelley that began in 2009 as a means for the three accomplished Louisville, Ky. musicians to explore the old-time Folk and Appalachian sound they all loved. Local fans may be familiar with some of the members’ individual efforts. Mize’s solo work has been…
Music: Joey Bada$$
It’s one thing to call yourself a badass; it’s quite another to back that shit up. And it takes some serious stones to adopt the word as your surname and then switch out the “ss” with dollar signs. Joey Bada$$ has plenty of cred to back up that level of bravado. Born in East Flatbush,…
Sound Advice: Joey Bada$$ with Nyck Caution, Denzel Curry and Bishop Nehru
It’s one thing to call yourself a badass; it’s quite another to back that shit up. And it takes some serious stones to adopt the word as your surname and then switch out the “ss” with dollar signs. Joey Bada$$ has plenty of cred to back up that level of bravado. Born in East Flatbush,…
Ubahn, Ladyfest Keep the Music Festival Vibes Alive
It’s starting to feel like early fall is the new summer when it comes to music festivals in Cincinnati. This week we have two unique and infinitely cool fests from which to choose. • The Hip Hop/Electronic Ubahn fest, which had a massively successful debut in 2013, returns for its second year this weekend, running…
Puck It All
I n A Midsummer Night’s Dream, William Shakespeare based the character of Robin Goodbody on the mythical English sprite Puck. The Bard’s description of Goodbody in the play — he calls Puck “that merry wanderer of the night” — is an indication that he shares many qualities with the mischievous elf. Springboro, Ohio native Austin…
Rock Hall’s Next Class
HOT: Rock Hall’s Next Class If you even glance at social media, you know the 2016 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees have been announced, because every music fan posted their opinion — “If (fill in the blank) isn’t in the Hall, the whole thing’s a sham!” Die-hard fans of Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep…
