Oct 3-10, 2018
A Wide-Open Archive: FotoFocus explores the myriad ways visual collections inspire artists, build communities and shape memories
Missed Karamo Brown’s visit to NKY? We’ve Compiled His Life Advice For You
Karamo Brown — of Netflix’s Queer Eye — blessed Greater Cincinnati this week with a visit. The "culture expert" of the Fab Five, he spoke about his own truths, gave uplifting life advice to audience members and, basically gave the entire crowd a therapy sesh. For the uninformed (c’mon the series just won an Emmy), the…
WATCH: Cincinnati Rockers Electric Citizen Are Ready to Rumble in the New “Hide It In the Night” Music Video
Heavy Cincinnati rockers Electric Citizen are playing in Seattle tonight (Oct. 10), then continuing their tour with Hard Rock titans Monster Magnet as it winds through California, then throughout the south before wrapping up with dates in New York and Boston. Yesterday through the site Dangerous Minds, Electric Citizen premiered a new music video that…
Busken Bakery and Frisch’s Big Boy Face Off in Cincinnati’s Pumpkin Pie Wars
Over the past few years, a pumpkin pie rivalry between Cincinnati's Frisch's Big Boy and Busken Bakery has caught the attention of pie lovers across the city. It began in 2012, when Frisch's placed a billboard advertising their seasonal pumpkin pie above Busken's flagship Hyde Park store on Madison Road. The advertisement read, "Hello, Pumpkin."…
Cincinnati to Transit Activists: Get Permits for Your Bus Benches
Earlier this year, a group of transit advocates called the Better Bus Coalition began doing what the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority hadn't: placing self-constructed benches at local bus stops that did not have them. The benches, often painted bright blue and built from sturdy wood planks, began popping up in Northside, Clifton, Price Hill,…
38 Recommended Greater Cincinnati Concerts for the Week Ahead (Oct. 10-16)
WEDNESDAY 10 BOGART’S – The Devil Wears Prada with Fit for a King and ‘68. 8 p.m. Rock. $19.50. THE COMET – Reighnbeau, DEHD and Sarn Helen. 10 p.m. Experimental. MADISON THEATER – Hippo Campus and The Districts. 8 p.m. Alt/Indie Rock. $20, $22 day of show. MUSIC HALL – The Glenn Miller Orchestra. 7…
Lessons from Cleveland’s recent FRONT Triennial and Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Infinity Mirrors’ Exhibit
Two things can really ignite a city’s Contemporary art scene: a major museum retrospective by a superstar living artist and a citywide exhibit, possibly a biennial or triennial, of recent major work from international artists. These send a message to the world about a city’s arts ambitions. When you have both those types of art…
Getting to Know Cincinnati’s 2018 FotoFocus Biennial
Nathaniel M. Stein, curator of Life: Gillian Wearing at the Cincinnati Art Museum, can’t cover up his enthusiasm over the debut of “Wearing, Gillian,” a five-minute film from the British artist who’s known for taking on the appearance of other people in her self-portrait photographs. “Everything in her career has been gathered together and explodes,”…
WATCH: Cincinnati Indie Band The Ophelias Release Entrancing Music Video for “Moon Like Sour Candy”
This summer, sublime Cincinnati Indie Pop foursome The Ophelias saw their latest album, Almost, released via respected independent label Joyful Noise. Yesterday, the group debuted a new music video for the album track “Moon Like Sour Candy.” The video was released in advance of The Ophelias’ tour dates next month with WHY? and Lala Lala.…
Early Voting Begins Today in Ohio
Voters in Ohio looking to weigh in on the Nov. 6 general election (if you're eligible to vote, this should be you) get their first chance today. Polls in Ohio are open from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Polls will also open from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturdays starting Oct. 27. All voting sites will…
Find Out if Music Hall is Truly Haunted this Weekend During the Cincinnati Pops ‘Haunted Hall’ Performance
Music Hall is rumored to be one of the most haunted buildings in America. Between the stories of ghosts being seen in the elevator to strange noises being heard by employees, there are plenty of spooky stories to tell here this Halloween season. And the Cincinnati Pops is getting in on the action with Haunted…
The Ohio Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville is Worth a Road Trip — Even if You Don’t Like Fermented Cabbage
Nothing says fun like fermentation! The 49th-annual Ohio Sauerkraut Festival in Waynesville features more than 460 craft vendors from over 25 states and a whole lot of cabbage. Started in 1970, the first fest served 528 pounds of sauerkraut to about 1,500 guests. Today, guests — of which there are approximately 350,000 — eat more…
Watch Tim Burton’s ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ in This Historic Covington Cemetery
The biggest debate of modern history: Is Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas meant to be viewed in December or October? This local event is taking a stand. Catch the stop-motion classic that inspired a league of mid-2000s emo kids before Halloween has arrived. To add to the ambiance and spooky vibes, this screening will take…
Clifton’s Esquire Theatre Screens David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet’ as Part of the ‘Essential Viewing Series’
Blue Velvet has been blowing the minds of art students since 1986. But deservedly so. Starring young Kyle MacLachlan as college student Jeffrey Beaumont, Blue Velvet acts as a thesis to the rest of David Lynch’s catalog — work that explores the blinking neon fractures of America’s suburbs, damn fine coffee and smoke-laced absurdism. Clean-cut…
Tom+Chee Debuts Pumpkin Pie Donut Sandwich for October
The math is simple but the flavor is… autumnal. Tom+Chee, everyone's favorite local Shark Tank-featured grilled cheese chain, is debuting a specialty donut sandwich this fall for a limited time. The pumpkin pie donut features two grilled upside-down glazed donuts smushing a layer of pumpkin-pie-flavored filling with a bit of graham cracker for some crunch…
FC Cincinnati Unveils Preliminary Concept for West End Soccer Stadium
FC Cincinnati ownership on Oct. 5 approved preliminary designs for the team's $200 million West End stadium drawn up by Meis Architects and local design firm Elevar. The renderings show a facility that is a little under 120 feet tall (about the height of a 10-or-11-story building) on its west side with capacity for between…
Here’s the Latest on the Partnership Between West End Community Group and the Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority
With a colorful line of empty but recently-stabilized row houses as a backdrop, the Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority and West End community organization Seven Hills Neighborhood Houses formally kicked off a partnership that will seek to marshal energy released from a coming FC Cincinnati stadium into equitable development in the predominantly low-income neighborhood. During the…
Grab your Kilt and Steel Your Stomach for Some Haggis-Eating at This Weekend’s Cincinnati Celtic Festival
October equals kilt weather (usually), so don your best Celtic duds and head to Summit Park in Blue Ash for the annual Cincinnati Celtic Festival. This weekend-long celebration, presented by the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick Foundation, features live Irish music all weekend — including a handful of pipes and drum bands — plus food,…
The Cincinnati Cyclones Kicks Off the Season this Weekend with $1 Beer and Hot Dogs
The Cincinnati Cyclones kick of the 2018-19 hockey season by facing off on the ice against the Fort Wayne Komets. And while hockey is exciting — Ice! Sticks! Pucks! Fights! — the $1 hotdog and beer deals on opening night are also exciting. Get several beers and several dogs while watching these dudes duke it…
Downtown Cincinnati’s Wizard Pub Crawl Invites All Hogwarts Houses to Drink and Dress Up
Accio beer! Whether you’re a muggle, wizard or Ron Weasley, break out your wand and get ready to drink your way through downtown and OTR. Tickets include a wand and wand box, Hogwarts house certificate, a costume competition, house-colored wristband for sorting, special photo ops, themed drinks and potions at each location and more. Crawl…
Scope Out Hip Urban Spaces During the Downtown Tour of Living — Whether You’re in the Market for a New Apartment (or Feel Like Pretending to Be)
After a hiatus, the Downtown Tour of Living is returning in October to show off some of the many apartments and condos in the booming central city. Presented by Downtown Cincinnati Inc. and Switch Collection, it will offer a self-guided, walkable tour of the brand-new Crane Factory Flats, formerly the Cincinnati Board of Elections headquarters,…
Chelsea Clinton Stops By Cincinnati’s Joseph-Beth Booksellers to Promote Her New Children’s Book
Chelsea Clinton is visiting Joseph-Beth Booksellers to promote her new children’s book, Start Now! You Can Make a Difference. The new book, according to the bookseller, offers information on problems both large and small. “Chelsea Clinton breaks down the concepts of health, hunger, climate change, endangered species and bullying so that readers can understand the…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Caroline Rose with Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Bogart’s (Oct. 12)
Long Island, N.Y. native Caroline Rose started writing songs at age 14. By 24, two years after graduating from college with an architecture degree, she had dropped two Americana-leaning albums — one (2012’s American Religious) on her own via Kickstarter backing, and one (2014’s I Will Not Be Afraid) for little-known Little Hi! Records. Four…
Recommended Greater Cincinnati Concerts: Great Lake Swimmers at Southgate House Revival (Oct. 11)
Over the past decade and a half, Canadian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Tony Dekker has quietly — in every sense of the word — become one of the major figures in the Indie/Folk Rock realm, as a solo artist and with his breathtakingly beautiful band, Great Lake Swimmers. Beginning with GLS’ self-titled debut in 2003, Dekker has crafted…
Cincinnati-via-Brooklyn Indie Record Label Old Flame Records Celebrates 10 Years
Old Flame Records might not have the name recognition that independent labels like Sub Pop and 4AD can claim, but if you’re a seasoned Indie Rock consumer, the Cincinnati label’s prolific body of releases has likely crept into your vinyl collection or rotation of playlists more often than you think. Celebrating the imprint’s 10th anniversary…
Ohio Legends Devo Join Def Leppard, John Prine, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks and Todd Rundgren As First-Time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
Northern Ohio music pioneers Devo are among the first-time nominees on the long list for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, joining Def Leppard, John Prine, Roxy Music, Stevie Nicks and Todd Rundgren. Janet Jackson, Kraftwerk, LL Cool J, MC5, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, The Cure, Rufus & Chaka Khan and…
Legendary Musicians James Taylor and Bonnie Raitt Coming to Cincinnati in February
Two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame artists will be appearing together in Cincinnati this winter. Singer/songwriter James Taylor (with his "all-star band") and singer/guitarist Bonnie Raitt are slated to perform at U.S. Bank Arena on February 5. Tickets ($70-$104) go on sale Friday, Oct. 19 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.com. The Cincinnati date is the…
The Raconteurs, Featuring Former Cincy Musicians Patrick Keeler and Jack Lawrence, To Release New Music Soon
The 10th anniversary of Consolers of the Lonely, the second album by the Jack White/Brendan Benson-fronted Rock band The Raconteurs, is being celebrated with a reissue through White's Third Man Records on "copper foil metallic vinyl." Part of the label's "Vault" subscription package, the reissue is making news for its inclusion of two brand new…
The Rise and Fall of Tall Stacks: How Did Cincinnati Lose its Signature Celebration?
So, whatever happened to Tall Stacks? You likely remember this grand triennial gathering of steamboats on the city’s Public Landing, first born 30 years ago this week, in October 1988. A gorgeous observance, the festival — initially hosted as part of Cincinnati’s bicentennial — eventually evolved over two decades into the world’s largest convocation of…
Public Allies is Celebrating its 20th Anniversary of Producing Diverse, Unique Cincinnati Leaders
When Nikita Anderson first joined Public Allies Cincinnati, she was looking for a job. With four children to support — and unemployed at the time — she was searching for opportunities. Then she met two ‘allies’ serving with the Urban League (an organization that promotes economic empowerment and self-sufficiency through a variety of programming) in…
Our Favorite Cincinnati Stops to Find the Best Shawarma Sandwich
As we are in the middle of Cincinnati Taco Week (through Oct. 14; see details here), let’s talk tacos — and shawarma. There’s a connection; we swear. Tacos are predominantly considered Latin American cuisine, but after a bit of research, it can be postulated that we’re only shaving off the surface of the food’s history.…
Minimum Gauge: Taylor Swift Makes Political Statement, Internet Loses Collective Mind
HOT: Swift EndorsementsPop superstar Taylor Swift has always shied away from making overt political statements, but in an Oct. 7 Instagram post, Swift endorsed Tennessee Democratic candidates Phil Bredesen (running for Senate) and Jim Cooper (for House of Representatives) and people were, as they say, shook. She also had some words for Bredesen’s opponent, Marsha…
Neil Armstrong’s Legacy Up for Auction
Collectors can vie for a piece of astronaut Neil Armstrong’s personal collection for the first time, starting on Oct. 12, so ready your wallets: this could be a high-speed ride. For those who need a brush-up on grade-school history lessons: Armstrong, a naval aviator and test pilot who served as Apollo 11’s spacecraft commander, was…
We Chatted with ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Winner Aquaria Before the Upcoming Werq the World Tour Stop at Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center
Aquaria should have an Emmy Award. This past summer, the 22-year-old New York City-based drag queen won the 10th season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, which recently snagged five Emmys, including Outstanding Reality-Competition Program for the first time (take that, The Voice). So it only makes sense that Aquaria would walk away with a crown and a…
Trump to Visit Greater Cincinnati Friday; More News
Hello all. I’ve returned unscathed (and slightly sunburned) from my two-week vacation out into the wilds of far-west Texas. It was a blast hiking hills even bigger than Cincinnati’s unencumbered by the wet blanket of humidity that haunts the Miami Valley. But now I’m back — a little reluctantly — to bring you this news…
Robert Redford’s Last Ride in Cincinnati-filmed ‘Old Man and the Gun’
I’ve been trying to recall the first time I saw Robert Redford onscreen —not via cable reruns or on VHS, but in theaters, his herculean presence on the big screen. (It is strange to think it might have been as late as 1984’s The Natural or Out of Africa a year later.) But I’ve realized…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: The Essex Green with Carriers at Woodward Theater (Oct. 10)
It’s been a dozen years since a new Essex Green album graced the Earth, which is a loss for anyone who loves ’60s-inspired Psych Pop with boy/girl vocals and literate lyrics. What have the formerly-Brooklyn-headquartered trio —singer/multi-instrumentalist Sasha Bell, singer/guitarist Jeff Baron and guitarist Christopher Ziter — been doing in the interim? Bell had a…
Get a Glimpse of Cincinnati’s Jewish Past at the Skirball Museum’s Upcoming Exhibit
Local photographer J. Miles Wolf has created images that bind the Cincinnati cityscapes of past and present together. In Jewish Cincinnati: A Photographic History, he turns his lens to places of worship once used by the Jewish community that are now extinct. But the images also function as collages, bending back the veil of time.…
Columbus Day Is Now Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Cincinnati. Here’s How the City is Celebrating.
Cincinnati celebrates its first Indigenous Peoples’ Day after Cincinnati City Council voted last Wednesday to replace Columbus Day with the holiday commemorating the first inhabitants of our region. Council considered changing the day twice in the past two years, but declined to do so until last week’s 6-0 vote. Council members Amy Murray and David…
New Kids on the Block, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Salt-N-Pepa and Naughty by Nature to Bring ’80s Nostalgia to Cincinnati
Five giants of ’80s music are embarking on a 52-date North American tour next year and it all starts on May 2 in Cincinnati. New Kids on the Block, Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Salt-N-Pepa and Naughty by Nature will kick off their MixTape Tour at U.S. Bank Arena. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. this…
Pulitzer-Prize Winning Play Works Up a ‘Sweat’ on Midwest Tour
Lynn Nottage entertained Cincinnati audiences in 2005 when Ensemble Theatre produced her heartfelt drama Intimate Apparel, a moving tale about an African-American seamstress who creates imaginative lingerie for her clients. More recently an operatic adaptation of her play was workshopped by Cincinnati Opera with Nottage in attendance. She won a Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Trivium with Avatar and Light the Torch at Bogart’s (Oct. 8)
In the early 2000’s, the Heavy Metal music scene was awash in a sea of up-and-coming bands that came to be lumped under the “Metalcore” banner. As per usual, a great deal of these bands disappeared just as quickly as they arose but a few were able to distinguish themselves in new, exciting ways and…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Dreamers with Morgxn and Weathers at 20th Century Theatrer (Oct. 8)
Dreamers is among the new breed of Pop Rock bands that follow in the footsteps of ’90s forebearers like Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday, but bring a contemporary melodic edge to the table. The New York-based trio — guitarist/vocalist Nick Wold, bassist Marc Nelson and drummer Jacob Lee Wick — has made a…
This Weekend’s Rhythm Brew Fest is a Veritable Cincinnati-Music-Palooza
This weekend’s three-day Rhythm Brew Art and Music Festival at Wooden Cask Brewing Company (629 York St., Newport, Ky., woodencask.com) is a great way to kick off autumn with a broad sampling of some of Greater Cincinnati’s finest music makers (including CityBeat cover stars The Tillers and Moonbeau), plus some regional/national touring acts, like the…
Calling All Photographers and Lens-Creatives: Sunday’s Cincy Hub Meet Up is an Artsy Networking Opportunity
CMiller Photography is hosting a Cincy Hub Meet Up on Sunday to create a collaborative space for lens-based-art professionals. The event will go from noon-5 p.m. at Studio 821, located at 821 York St. in Newport. The meet up is meant to attract of variety of professionals — models looking to enhance their portfolios, stylists…
WATCH: Ohio Orchestral Indie Folk Artist Cole Vargas Premieres “Something Bitter” Music Video
Today (Oct. 5), the debut album from exceptional Columbus, Ohio-based singer/songwriter Cole Vargas is being released via Northern Kentucky's SofaBurn Records (home to recent albums from Cincy talent like The TIllers and Lung). Below check out the premiere of Vargas' music video for the self-titled LP track "Something Bitter." The album was produced by Ohio…
Stuff to Do This Weekend in Cincinnati: Oct. 5-7
FRIDAY 05 EVENT: Wellness Your Way Festival A new wave of wellness is taking over the Duke Energy Convention Center. With three days covering everything fitness- and wellness-related, the festival aims to be everything your inner wellness warrior needs. With an emphasis on the “your way,” this festival is meant to inspire guests to seek out…
Acclaimed Americana Artist Gillian Welch Likes to Hear the Natural “Air” on Records, So She Started Pressing Vinyl Herself
With the bracing resurgence of vinyl records this decade, more indie artists are delving into music’s retro golden age with a DIY ethos. The digital virus hasn’t quite infected everyone. Befitting her austere, Folk aesthetic and hardcore passion for analog, Gillian Welch is not only releasing new records these days — she is also actually…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Erika Wennerstrom at Ludlow Garage (Oct. 6)
Though she moved her critically acclaimed Rock band Heartless Bastards from Cincinnati to Austin, Texas years ago, Erika Wennerstrom has continued to bring her music projects back to the Queen City on a regular basis. That has included tour dates in support of her fantastic debut solo album, Sweet Unknown, which was released this spring…
Music, Art and Fun Take Over Ludlow Avenue This Weekend for CliftonFest 2018
It’s CliftonFest time once again. The free, annual arts fest takes over the Ludlow Avenue business district this Friday and Saturday for another great weekend of art, music and other fun. Enjoy the spirit of the neighborhood with live art drawings on the sidewalk, light installations (designed and placed by DAAP students), performances from local…
Happy October. Here are 23 Fall-ish and Halloween Events to Satisfy Your Inner Witch or Warlock
Some stuff to do when you’re bored or want to freak yourself out. As always, check the weekly issue of CityBeat for more suggested things to do. Check here for a list of local haunted houses and here for a list of on-farm festivals and pick-your-own-pumpkin destinations. Haunted Brewery Tour — Take this haunted brewery…
15 Haunted Houses and Spooky Cincinnati Attractions to Make Your Skin Crawl this Halloween
Haunted houses and creepy tours to make your hair stand on end (or entertain your kids). Brimstone Haunt — Home to two separate attractions, guests can opt to venture through Brimstone Kingdom haunted hayride or the Forgotten Forest (or both). The Kingdom was a prosperous place until it was laid bare by the curse of Brimstone…
LISTEN: “Beams” by Strawberry Tapes, the New Project from Andy Gabbard of SW Ohio Rockers Buffalo Killers
CityBeat is proud to present the premiere of “Beams,” a new song from Strawberry Tapes, the latest project from Andy Gabbard, a prolific solo singer/songwriter and also a cornerstone member of SW Ohio Rock & Roll greats Buffalo Killers. “Beams” is featured on the forthcoming cassette Strawberry Tapes Vol. 1, which is being released on…
Cincinnati-Adjacent Farms and Pick-Your-Own-Pumpkin Patches to Stock Up on Fall Fun
Pick your own pumpkins, get lost in a corn maze, drink fresh apple cider and take a wagon ride at these family-friendly area farms. Blooms and Berries Farm Market — Fall on the farm runs daily through Oct. 31. Events include a themed seven-acre corn maze, cow train rides, fresh apple cider, pumpkin patch hayrides, a…
A Soul Food Restaurant in the West End Navigates Relocating for FC Cincinnati’s Stadium
Starting at about quarter before 1 pm, the cars line up on West 15th Street and the customers wait outside the West End carryout Just Cookin' for tender, crumbly cornbread toasted dark brown around the edges, fall-off-the-bone ribs dripping sauce, crispy fried chicken and mountains of orange mac and cheese. This day, however, Monica Williams…
R.I.P. Cincinnati Jazz Icon John Von Ohlen (1941-2018)
On Wednesday (Oct. 3), Cincinnati music lost a legend. Jazz drummer/bandleader John Von Ohlen died after battling various medical issues over the past few years. He was 77. Von Ohlen was born in Indianapolis, but his role as the figurehead of the Blue Wisp Big Band — which he co-founded in 1979 (the first show…
Cincinnati is One of Only Six Stops on Jeff Tweedy of Wilco’s Book Tour for Forthcoming Memoir
On Nov. 13, Jeff Tweedy, the guiding force behind beloved Rock band Wilco, is releasing his first book, Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc.'This morning, a brief six-date book tour was announced and Cincinnati is one of the stops, joining seemingly more logical cities like…
Cincinnati’s FotoFocus Biennial 2018 Uses Lens-Based Art to Explore the Theme of ‘Open Archive’
The 2018 FotoFocus Biennial theme of “Open Archive” speaks to the desire to organize and make sense of a growing visual catalog, but artistic director Kevin Moore appreciates some fluidity, too. “In photography, I always like subjects that are a little bit messy,” he says. “I like a subject that kind of wants to fall…
‘The Devil We Know’ Spotlights Local Attorney’s Fight in Landmark DuPont case
When Cincinnati lawyer Rob Bilott first received a call from a cattle farmer in Parkersburg, West Virginia, he almost didn’t pay attention. The farmer, Wilbur Tennant, told him chemical company DuPont had purchased land adjacent to his property to use as a non-hazardous landfill for its local factory, but something wasn’t right: the stream the…
MTV Premieres Cincinnati Pop Rock Trio PUBLIC’s Music Video for Catchy Single “One That I Want”
Cincy AltPop trio PUBLIC made its first music video and this morning it was premiered in a pretty major way. The clip for the band's recent single, "One That I Want," debuted this morning (Oct. 3) on MTV's rebooted TRL program, then was aired at 9 a.m. on sister network MTV Live. According to posts on…
