Diamonn Gurr
You've seen the flyers, stickers and T-shirts. Maybe you even peeped the video previews online. Now it's finally time for avant-garde Pop artist and rumored influence of Lady Gaga, Diamonn Gurr, to make her big premiere. The would-be starlet has been in hiding for some time, performing only at exclusive house parties after being essentially…
Onstage: CSO Presents Beethoven’s Emperor
The name of this famous concerto refers not to Napoleon (Beethoven hated him) but was branded this way by English-speaking publishers to add a regal air to the music. Of course, this master’s work needs no embellishment. Heroic and tragic, Beethoven’s fifth and final piano concerto is conducted by Thomas Dausgaard with Barry Douglas on…
Comedy: Marc Maron
What’s comedian Marc Maron talking about on stage these days? “Everything,” he says. “I’m doing a lot of stuff about relationships, divorce, drugs. The same conversations I have had over the years, topic-wise, though completely new. Older and wiser, less angry.” Fans of the old Late Night With Conan O’Brien are no doubt familiar with…
Art: The Expressive Figure at Sandra Small Gallery
The Sandra Small Gallery examines the figure in modern art with a collection of works by nine artists. Jim Wainscott builds the nude figure in more than a hundred layers of acrylic paint, submerged between glazes of clear polymer medium. His brush strokes appear suspended in gelatin. The paintings almost have the appearance of a…
Music: Dustin Wong
Ponytail (the band, not the hair choice) could make Darth Vader smile. The Baltimore-based Art Rock quartet's live shows are a caffeinated rush of monstrous drumming, intricate guitar trashing and the surreal yelps and squeals of an animated frontwoman so youthful in appearance and stature that she could pass for a middle-school kid. Here's what…
Unnecessary Farce (Review)
Although I’ve not encountered any other kind, Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith is, well, an unnecessary farce. No one needs to see a crop of oddballs sprinting about a stage (frequently sans pants) opening one door, slamming another, lobbing double-entendres out to the house before the curtain finally extinguishes the frenzy. The Covedale Center…
Saw 3D (Review)
The traps might come alive, as the Lionsgate studio buzz trumpets in regards to the latest (and supposedly last) installment of the Halloween franchise built around everyone’s favorite moralistic serial manipulator, Jigsaw (Tobin Bell), but he is still dead, even though he continues to play twisted games (now in glorious 3-D) with a host of…
Dance: Bill Young/Colleen Thomas & Dancers
One of many aspects I love most about modern dance is its capacity to connect people beyond boundaries of language, culture and other differences. And it moves people. New York City-based Bill Young/Colleen Thomas & Dancers walk the talk, internationally speaking. Known for overseas exchanges, in recent years the company has featured dancers from Greece,…
The Rocky Horror Show (Review)
Midway through The Rocky Horror Show, the title character — a muscle-bound, golden-haired love child manufactured in a lab — says, “I feel that all is not well here. … I have a feeling of foreboding.” Rocky is assessing his situation with the sweetly naive Janet, not critiquing the production in which they're performing at…
Rethinking Suburbia
Deciding to build sustainable, Earth-friendly communities because it’s the right thing to do ethically is flawed. Instead, we need to build more compact, greener communities because we won’t be able to get around otherwise. America is becoming fatter and older, and the sprawl is too burdensome for our sagging flesh. That biting point was made…
Onstage: The Rocky Horror Show at NKU
Midway through The Rocky Horror Show, the title character — a muscle-bound, golden-haired love child manufactured in a lab — says, “I feel that all is not well here … I have a feeling of foreboding.” Rocky is assessing his situation with the sweetly nave Janet, not critiquing the production in which they are performing…
Dustin Wong
Ponytail (the band, not the hair choice) could make Darth Vader smile. The Baltimore-based Art Rock quartet's live shows are a caffeinated rush of monstrous drumming, intricate guitar trashing and the surreal yelps and squeals of an animated frontwoman so youthful in appearance and stature that she could pass for a middle-school kid. Here's what…
Music: The Posies
One of Rock’s more enduring friendships — long-lasting as well as often long-distance — began in the early 1980s, when 12-year-old Jon Auer met 13-year-old Ken Stringfellow at a music store in Bellingham, Wash. That friendship is still going strong — their celebrated Pop/Rock band The Posies comes to Southgate House Sunday in support of…
Events: SugioCon 2010
In the words of Paris Hilton, “Konichiwa, Bitches!” This weekend the Drawbridge Inn and Convention Center is inviting all Shoujos and Shounens to three days of pure cosplay at this year’s SugioCon. Cincinnati’s premier anime convention is packed with even more activities and events than last year. Workshops will be offered to those who want…
Onstage: Community Theater
As if our theater scene was not already full to the brim, we also have a bounty of excellent and venerable community theaters in Greater Cincinnati that amplify the number of onstage offerings. This week two of them — frequently considered to be among the best in town — are opening productions. Beechmont Players, in…
Music: The Books
For nearly 10 years, the duo of Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong, known collectively as The Books, has pursued a singular and almost unclassifiable musical direction. Combining Brian Eno’s Ambient sound, found-sound elements and warped Indie Rock sensibilities — with touches of Frank Zappa’s avant-garde ethic and Negativland’s cut-and-paste songcraft thrown in for color…
Blues & Boogie Piano Summit
Ricky Nye, the local master of the Blues style known as Boogie Woogie, again hosts the Blues & Boogie Piano Summit at the Southgate House on Saturday. The unique event (now in its 12th year) has featured Boogie Woogie specialists from around the world, and this year is no different: The U.K.’s Julian Phillips, Belgium’s…
Events: Diamonn Gurr Debut
You've seen the flyers, stickers and T-shirts. Maybe you even peeped the video previews online. Now it's finally time for avant-garde Pop artist and rumored influence of Lady Gaga, Diamonn Gurr, to make her big premiere. The would-be starlet has been in hiding for some time, performing only at exclusive house parties after being essentially…
Banner Pilot with The Dopamines, Mixtapes and others
Whether it’s the Arctic winter temperatures and the resultant hibernation into creative mode or there’s just something extra in all of their 10,000 lakes, clearly Minneapolis has an interesting, diverse and pervasive music scene. From the city’s Punk division comes Banner Pilot, a quartet of almost psychopathically busy musicians who started off as Rivethead in…
Music: Good Old War with Joshua Radin
For some time now, Indie Rock players within a broad genre range have explored the acoustic Folk side project to somehow prove their diversity, depth and authenticity. Good Old War doesn’t really fit that construct; guitarist/vocalist Keith Goodwin and drummer/vocalist Tim Arnold decided against revisiting their Prog/Pop direction when their previous group Days Away collapsed.…
Events: Fair Trade Market
In this age and time, slavery might seem like a terrible part of our country’s history but it's something that is finally behind us. However, slavery and human trafficking still take place everyday in some parts of the world. The Fair Trade Market at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center is an outlet for residents…
Onstage: Unnecessary Farce at Covedale
Although I’ve not encountered any other kind, Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith is, well, an unnecessary farce. No one needs to see a crop of oddballs sprinting about a stage (frequently sans pants) opening one door, slamming another, lobbing double-entendres out to the house before the curtain finally extinguishes the frenzy. The Covedale Center…
Good Old War with Joshua Radin
For some time now, Indie Rock players within a broad genre range have explored the acoustic Folk side project to somehow prove their diversity, depth and authenticity. Good Old War doesn’t really fit that construct; guitarist/vocalist Keith Goodwin and drummer/vocalist Tim Arnold decided against revisiting their Prog/Pop direction when their previous group Days Away collapsed.…
David Wilcox
This past April, North Carolina-based Folk/Pop singer/songwriter David Wilcox came to Cincinnati to record a unique “live album” at The Monastery, the recording/performance facilities run by local producer/guitarist/singer/songwriter Ric Hordinski. Wilcox ran through a set of new songs over two-nights, essentially allowing fans to witness the recording of an all-new album (crowd noise is relatively…
Music: Banner Pilot with The Dopamines
Whether it’s the Arctic winter temperatures and the resultant hibernation into creative mode or there’s just something extra in all of their 10,000 lakes, clearly Minneapolis has an interesting, diverse and pervasive music scene. From the city’s Punk division comes Banner Pilot, a quartet of almost psychopathically busy musicians who started off as Rivethead in…
Onstage: Richard Leech: Life Is a Song
The latest entry into the land of musical crossover is tenor Richard Leech, forsaking the opera stage to take on the American Songbook. Leech debuts his new show Rick Leech: Life Is a Song Friday in the Cincinnati Netherland Plaza’s exquisite Art Deco Pavilion Ballroom. Backed by a Jazz quintet, Leech offers a program of…
The Hiders CD Release Party
Fantastic local Indie/Roots/Rock crew The Hiders celebrate the release of their new album, Four Letter Town, with a free two-set show Saturday at the new MOTR Pub on Main Street in Over-the-Rhine. The album follows 2008’s acclaimed Penny Harvest Field and is the first to feature newest members Kevin Carlisle and Glen May. Listen to…
Art: Beverly Erschell at Architecture Foundation
Beverly Erschell’s paintings of Cincinnati, currently enlivening the Architectural Foundation’s new downtown quarters at 811 Race St. (in the old ArtWorks space), catch the city in Jazz riffs of color and form. Erschell, based in Kentucky, usually sees downtown from across the river and that’s the way she often paints it. She leaves the river…
Events: Milk Money Release Party
Remember, remember, the fifth of November — or just do what any normal person does and save the date into your phone’s calendar. Just don’t miss the release of the newest edition of Milk Money. The publication, which focuses on the publication of (usually) unknown writers of prose and poetry, is releasing Volume Eight: When…
Comedy: Doug Stanhope
“Hello,” says a voice on the other end of the phone. “Is this Doug?” I ask. “As far as you know,” he replies. “Sometimes I have other people do my interviews if I think the reporter doesn’t recognize my voice. But this is me.” It’s a plausible premise, as Stanhope sounds gregarious on the line.…
Art: SAVED at Art Academy of Cincinnati
Deb Brod, Kate Kern and Migiwa Orimo divide up the Art Academy of Cincinnati’s Pearlman Gallery (1212 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine) for its current exhibition SAVED. Kern’s “1000 Eyes” is an oversized work of pieced-together card-catalog cards with black and white transfers of transfixed stares and vintage eyewear that hangs beside her large card catalog, which…
Channel 9 and Rep. Jean Schmidt
[WINNER] WCPO-TV: Kudos to Channel 9, which performed a valuable public service this election season by sponsoring and airing debates featuring candidates in several noteworthy races. Better still, WCPO didn't bury the debates in the wee hours of the morning. Most ran around 7 p.m. and then were kept available for replay on the station's…
Books Smart
For nearly 10 years, the duo of Nick Zammuto and Paul de Jong, known collectively as The Books, has pursued a singular and almost unclassifiable musical direction. Combining Brian Eno’s Ambient sound, found-sound elements and warped Indie Rock sensibilities — with touches of Frank Zappa’s avant-garde ethic and Negativland’s cut-and-paste songcraft thrown in for color…
County Race Gets Animated
With new computer software programs available to create animated videos, this election cycle has seen several entertaining segments hit the Internet. Perhaps the best known video is one that shows an animated person trying to use reason with a co-worker who is a Tea Partier.—- But the video of most interest to Greater Cincinnati readers…
Sanity Prevails on Fountain Square
CityBeat would like to thank everyone who joined us Saturday afternoon on Fountain Square for the broadcast of Comedy Central's Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. We had no idea how many of you would venture down to the Square for a healthy dose of hot food, cold beverages and comedy from Jon Stewart and…
The Sundresses: Sundresses Off
It’s difficult for me to retain any semblance of journalistic objectivity when it comes to The Sundresses. My first exposure to their special brand of madness was at my first South By Southwest in 2004, which happened to be the band’s first SXSW, as well, and only their eighth or ninth out of town gig…
Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz
Since his debut album a decade ago, Sufjan Stevens has defined his career by trying to become everything to no one in particular. Very few artists in the modern age have been able to do whatever they want to do creatively, rarely if ever making the same album twice and seemingly abandoning one audience for…
Onstage: Rock of Ages at Aronoff Center
Hey, party people, get on down to the Aronoff Center, where you can get down with some totally rad tunes. I can’t comment on the touring production of Rock of Ages as a theatrical piece because it comes much closer to being a Rock concert: blasting from two decades back and outfitted with leather, sequins,…
Onstage: concert:nova
concert:nova, the innovative chamber ensemble, presents a two-part festival of Baroque music and contemporary visions of the Baroque style at 7 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday at the Cincinnati Art Museum. Musicians from the CSO and CCM are featured in the program that includes Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 2 and 3, works by Handel, Vivaldi, Albinoni…
The Sundresses, Sufjan Stevens, Shelby Lynne and Jimmy Eat World
As previously stated, the weekly release sheets get pretty lean this time of year, so I’ll be taking the opportunity to dig through the stacks in the bunker that rise like poorly built Roman columns to nearly the ceiling in order to shed some light on the numerous titles I didn’t have time to expound…
The Power Behind Chabot’s Throne
Don't let the innocuous name fool you. The Campaign for Working Families has nothing to do with making life better for overworked or cash-strapped middle-class families. Instead, the political action committee (PAC) is concerned with electing "pro-family, pro-life and pro-free enterprise" candidates to federal and state offices. Founded in 1996 by evangelical Christian and wannabe…
Friday Movie Roundup: The Dilemma of Sam Rockwell
Why can't Sam Rockwell find a movie that fully takes advantage of his singular talents? Long one of our most expressive, instinctual and interesting actors, the 42-year-old Rockwell has added spice as a supporting player in a string of high-profile studios movies (Iron Man 2, Everybody's Fine, Frost/Nixon, Matchstick Men, Charlie's Angels and The Green…
Rock of Ages (Review)
Critic's Pick Hey, party people, get on down to the Aronoff Center, where you can get down with some totally rad tunes. I can’t comment on the touring production of Rock of Ages as a theatrical piece because it comes much closer to being a Rock concert: blasting from two decades back and outfitted with…
Conviction (Review)
Yet another inspiring true story, this time about Betty Anne Waters (Hilary Swank) who earns her GED, a four-year college diploma and eventually a law degree in order to prove the innocence of her wild-child brother Kenny (Sam Rockwell), who is serving a life sentence for a murder that he didn’t commit. The system was…
Is This the Real Life, or Is This Just Fantasy?
Paranormal Activity 2 raked in a cool $41.5 million its opening weekend, making it the top grossing horror film debut in cinema history. The number is impressive for a sequel to a low-budget supernatural chiller, albeit one that came out of nowhere to become a runaway hit itself. It’s not hard to see why. The…
Stone (Review)
Robert De Niro and Edward Norton have one previous team-up under their belt, The Score, which wanted to be a thrillingly gripping caper but ended up being a crime because it criminally misused these two performers. So, like the hard-nosed wiseguys they are, De Niro and Norton try it again — and, of course, it's…
Gay Rights Group Hosts Film
With the recent rash of suicides by gay youth who were harrassed, Equality Cincinnati is sponsoring a screening of the documentary, Bullied: A Student, A School and a Case That Made History, at the Esquire Theatre. After the film, a panel discussion will be held.—- The film examines the case of Jamie Nabozny, who as…
County Democrats and Board of Realtors
[LOSER] BOARD OF REALTORS: The Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors, under the guidance of Republican-elected official Mark Quarry, recently gave a $10,000 donation to Chris Monzel, the GOP candidate for the Hamilton County Commission. That strikes us as odd because it means the Realtors must embrace Monzel’s anti-transit, anti-gay and anti-urbanist policies — positions that…
Taste This: Meatless Meat
The stigma attached to vegetarians has lessened over the decades. When I was in high school, “vegetarian” was just code for “pretentious Smiths fan.” These days, major chain restaurants and supermarkets actually cater to the non-carnivores of society. It’s hard to fault the reasonings behind people’s choice to become a veggie (or a vegan, the…
Eternal Flame
Exiled from Main Street XXXIII: for T.K. I wasn’t supposed to be kissing my stepsister. No, it was supposed to be one of her friends, The Twins. Which one I wasn’t sure, but, no matter, she chickened out and my stepsister suggested herself as a replacement. Thus, we lay in the basement making out, my…
Cloud Cult Canvases the Indie World
It's not entirely rare for musicians to have unusual onstage accompaniments. Rob Zombie, for one, surrounds himself with spooky, kitschy ornaments. During Candy Claws' set at MidPoint, a small tiger totem stood by the drumkit. Avail brings along Beau Beau, a guy whose official capacity is “Cheerleader.” Cloud Cult has an interesting addition of their…
Hedges Dabbles in ‘Alchemy’
This week, Joe Hedges, frontman for July for Kings, will be celebrating the release of his new solo album, Alchemy, with a unique release show. Friday’s event is a multimedia extravaganza timed to downtown’s “Final Friday” art gallery walk and taking place at the St. Theresa Textile Trove space (1329 Main St., Over-the-Rhine). Along with…
Pete Yorn: Pete Yorn
To define Pete Yorn’s career to date as unconventional would be a ridiculous exercise in understatement. The Syracuse grad moved to L.A. in the late ’90s, made a name for himself at Cafe Largo, signed a deal with Columbia and wound up scoring the Farrelly brothers’ film Me, Myself and Irene before his first album,…
Commission Race a Study in Contrasts
If Republican Chris Monzel defeats Democrat Jim Tarbell next week for the open seat on the Hamilton County Commission, it will be a victory filled with great ironies. Most indicators currently give Monzel the edge, which means the GOP would regain control of the three-member commission. Commissioner David Pepper, a Democrat, isn't seeking reelection, opting…
And That’s the Truth
I occasionally write about concepts that theaters might consider to give us a broader array of performances. Know Theatre recently established an umbrella concept, the Jackson Street Market, that’s beginning to produce results. With a goal of building and retaining the local artist community, the Market seeks to help local “artistic entrepreneurs” to leverage Know…
Oct. 20-26: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY OCT. 20 U.S. District Judge Karl F. Forester today issued an order allowing the Bureau of Prisons to review and reject inmate Jonathan Lee Riches' legal mail. While incarcerated at a Lexington federal prison, Riches has filed more than 5,000 lawsuits and taken to calling himself "Lawsuit Zeus." The Bureau of Prisons feels that this is…
You Can’t Take It With You (Review)
Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman’s You Can’t Take It With You from 1937 could be termed an old chestnut; it’s also a classic comedy, certainly the forbearer of many of today’s TV sitcoms, replete with zany stock characters and contrived, hilarious strings of events that pile up the laughs. It’s often produced by high…
Curiouser and Curiouser
[Find all the media, union and PAC picks in the "Who's Endorsing Whom" charts here.] The 2010 elections will be remembered mostly for the Tea Party movement, both nationally and locally, though the exact meaning of the movement is yet to be determined. If Republicans are successful in co-opting Tea Partiers' anti-government anger and gain…
Evil Dead: The Musical (Review)
Critic's Pick Guess this genre. Five attractive college students take off to a remote cabin in the woods, dead set on a five-day sex-and-booze bender. Said cabin is abandoned, spooky and also happens to be the last known location of the Book of the Dead, a breezy beach read bound with human skin and inked…
Words’ Worth
Ann Hamilton’s current exhibition reading at Carl Solway Gallery uses prints, sculptural objects and video to represent reading as a creative rather than a passive act. This exhibition is not one of the multimedia installations for which Hamilton is internationally famous, but nonetheless features some of the artist’s recurring themes and her penchant for discovering…
The Walkman, Tea Party and Hilter
[HOT] Taped Out When music formats die, it’s not just the pieces of music that are rendered useless — the equipment electronics companies built and sold to listen to the music also went the way of the Victrola. If you have a stash of 8-tracks from the 1970s or MiniDiscs from the ’90s, you’re shit…
Beating Boehner
Justin Coussoule isn't afraid of competition. That's a good thing, considering that he's running this November to remove U.S. House Minority Leader John Boehner from the Congressional seat he's held for the past 20 years. This is Coussole's first run for political office of any kind. He says he's getting used to explaining why he…
Music: Joe Hedges Album Release Party
This week Joe Hedges, frontman for July for Kings, celebrates the release of his new solo album, Alchemy, with a unique release show. Friday’s event is a multimedia extravaganza timed to the Final Friday Gallery Walk in Over-the-Rhine and taking place at the old St. Theresa Textile Trove space at 1329 Main St. Along with…
Dinsmore Homestead Hike
Key At-A-Glance Information Length: 1.83 milesConfiguration: Loop with out-and-backDifficulty: Moderate, but plan for a rugged hike due to the possibility of fallen treesScenery: Dinsmore Homestead, log cabin, cemetery, forest, and ravinesExposure: Mostly shadedTraffic: LightTrail Surface: Soil and exposed rocks and rootsHiking Time: 2 hoursDriving Distance: 40 minutes south of CincinnatiSeason: Year-roundAccess: Sunrise-sunsetMaps: USGS LawrenceburgWheelchair Accessible:…
Walking on A.I.R.
As it stands now, there is barely any free time in the schedule of violist Nokuthula Ngwenyama. The married mother of two is a world-class instrumentalist and teacher with a constantly full slate of concert appearances and recording sessions, and the juggling necessary to balance it all could be considered just another of her many…
Shaan Indian (Review)
Critic’s Pick If I'm to be stuck anywhere awaiting tardy dining guests, I could ask for no better place than an Indian restaurant with a David Sedaris book. I was the only one in the Shaan dining room, save a steady stream of carryout customers. I had a pile of complimentary papardumm (fried, crisp, lentil…
