Events: Full Spectrum Cinema/Best of the Cincinnati Film Festival
What do two underground Iranian secular bands, a love triangle between a mom, her new boyfriend and her Hip Hop dancing daughter and the local Cincinnati film community have in common? You might think not much, but on Saturday Full Spectrum Cinema is bringing them all together into a day of visual festivities. Featuring the…
Music: Guided By Voices
Six years ago, Robert Pollard decided that the time had finally come to hang his Guided By Voices jersey in the rafters but, of course, not because he was in a retiring frame of mind. The Dayton Pop mastermind merely felt that the GBV brand had run its course and that it was time for…
Music: Kylesa with High on Fire and Torche
When Laura Pleasants was part of Kylesa’s 2001 formation, she was a college student who participated in the burgeoning Metal project largely for kicks. “I was like, ‘I want to do this now while I can before I got stuck in a job or a family where I won’t be able to just leave for…
Events: Baring It for Breast Cancer
Got boobs? Then get ready to shake what your mama gave ya because Cin City Burlesque has organized a weekend dedicated to supporting the ta-tas, literally. Get a free chance to expose your pride by attending the Baring It for Breast Cancer Bra Auction at 7 p.m. Friday. Feast your eyes on ornamented bras created…
Art: The $50 Museum
Thunder-Sky Inc., the local gallery dedicated to the late, great outsider artist Raymond Thunder-Sky and doing all sorts of innovative programming to redefine and challenge notions of what “outsider art” could or should be, is holding a fundraising event called “The $50 Museum” from 6-9 p.m. Friday. Seventeen artists, both Thunder-Sky-affiliated and supporters in the…
Onstage: Meet the Artistic Directors
The Acclaim Awards, which recently incorporated CityBeat’s Cincinnati Entertainment Awards for theater, are presenting a great opportunity for an overview of the season ahead in a program this weekend. Turn up at Joseph-Beth Booksellers (at Rookwood Pavilion, 2692 Madison Road, Norwood) at 4 p.m. Sunday and you can hear from Ed Stern (Cincinnati Playhouse), D.…
Of Montreal: False Priest
Kevin Barnes might not be on a par with Neil Young or David Bowie, but he’s no slouch in the reinvention department. Over the past decade and a half, Barnes and of Montreal, his rotating cast of musical provocateurs, have evolved from the conceptually edgy Baroque Pop brilliance of their early work with the Elephant…
Onstage: Your Negro Tour Guide at ETC
Kathy Wilson doesn’t pull punches. She doesn’t waste her time being nice or sugar-coating her opinions. She will tell you exactly how she feels, in all of its curse-laden glory. Perhaps it's because this writer, University of Cincinnati adjunct professor and former CityBeat columnist has no time to be tactful. But far more likely it’s…
Swans: My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
Among all the bands that delve deeply into dark, erotic Rock, Swans stands alone. Under the perpetual and gravely brilliant leadership of Michael Gira, Swans has set a singular course that pays no attention to musical or cultural trends to make its point. Gira’s musical output has evolved over the past three decades (counting a…
Events: Northern Kentucky Wine Festival
To bring out your inner wino Saturday, all you’ll need is $10 and a designated driver. Northern Kentucky is hosting its fifth annual Wine Festival from 3-10 p.m. Not only will you be able to sample Kentucky’s finest, but with admission comes a souvenir wine glass and four sample tickets. And if you just can't…
Literary: Emerging Fiction Writers Festival
The University of Cincinnati’s Department of English and Comparative Literature continues its celebration of the written word with the annual Emerging Fiction Writers Festival Wednesday-Friday at various places across UC's campus. As its moniker might suggest, the festival has previously featured on-the-cusp authors like Sam Lipsyte (whose most recent novel, The Ask, is yet another…
Dance: Third Friday Movement and Music Jam
Seems like the modern dance scene has always been a strong (if sometimes underground) and steady force in Cincinnati. A new facet in its ongoing evolution has recently opened up for creative types to express themselves. And thanks to the co-sponsorship of MamLuft & Co. Dance and longtime modern dance presenter Contemporary Dance Theater, it…
Art: Tony Luensman and Paul Coors at Aisle Gallery
Two artists’ projects are currently on view at Aisle Gallery: Tony Luensman’s Lift and Paul Coors’ The Squeakquel. As his title suggests, Luensman’s framed works, photographic print and sculptural installations deal with transcendence, but are complicated with elusive formal aspects of the work and symbols for problems with access. Works behind glass recall Gary Hume’s…
Music: JuiceheaD with The Misfits
Should you ever feel like wasting a few hours researching an infinite list of obscure musicians, MySpace is the place to go. The Web site is jammed with so many bands in so many different genres that distinguishing yourself can be difficult. JuiceheaD, however, is one of the fortunate sorts who struck gold via MySpace.…
Attractions: Haunted Halloween Trail
The Haunted Halloween Trail returns this year courtesy of Kenton County Parks & Recreation. Follow the lit jack-o-lanterns to the trail’s beginning and run like hell until you reach the shocking conclusion. Expect mild scares that are suitable for young kids. A hayride takes you back to your car from the end. Snappy Tomato Pizza…
Events: RetroFittings Fashion Show
Obsessed with Project Runway and their challenges that have aspiring designers using garbage or grocery store finds to create ball gowns and swimsuits? Well, the fashion design kids from UC’s DAAP program were put to this test for the eighth annual RetroFittings Fashion Show. Students were given $10 to spend at a St. Vincent de…
Comedy: Todd Glass
“Even after 25 years in the business, I’m like ‘What do I do? What’s my voice?’ ” says comedian Todd Glass. “After George Carlin died, I paid even more attention. It changes.” Glass realized that he doesn’t have to pigeonhole himself. “It’s a little bit of everything. When I watched Carlin I asked, ‘Am I…
Onstage: The Night of the Iguana at New Edgecliff
Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana has attracted actors since its debut in 1961 when its cast included Bette Davis; a film version starred Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr. New Edgecliff Theatre, which has had great luck for two previous seasons reviving classic works, has launched its 13th season with this play,…
Josh Kelley with Miranda Lambert in Dayton
Miranda Lambert took the stage with her pink guitars Saturday night to a packed house at Dayton's Nutter Center on her CMT Revolution Tour with her latest single “Only Prettier.” She continued to entertain the audience with her contagious energy through 20 more hits throughout the evening. Don’t let her pretty smile fool you, because…
Life As We Know It (Review)
Perpetually squabbling single godparents (Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel) must step up to raise their godchild after an accident claims the lives of their best friends. Holly (Heigl) is a no-nonsense caterer eager to find the kind of love she believes exists in the marriage and family of her friends, while Eric (Duhamel) is a…
Brian Joiner’s Creative Life
One Saturday night a couple of years ago, my husband and I were at home watching a movie when the phone rang. Wondering who might be calling us at such an unusual time, I picked up the phone. “Hi, Tammy? It’s Brian,” said the deep voice on the line. “I was just going through my…
My Soul to Take (Review)
Wes Craven (Scream, A Nightmare on Elm Street) returns as both writer and director to take us on another thrilling and horrific journey. The Riverton Ripper, an unstable family man informally diagnosed with multiple soul disorder, wreaks havoc, killing his wife and several others on a spree that leaves a community traumatized for years, thinking…
Case 39 (Review)
Renee Zellweger stars as a social worker investigating an abusive family with the intention of saving the young daughter (Jodelle Ferland), but slowly comes to realize that she is the one in danger as she continues digging into the situation. Unsettling questions abound that feed into the current frenzy for occult elements in the horror…
Skin Tight (Review)
Critic's Pick Gary Henderson’s Skin Tight is as much a piece of lyrical poetry as it is a play. It’s also likely to be the most physical performance — wonderfully staged and choreographed by director Drew Fracher — you’ll see onstage in this Cincinnati theater season. Know Theatre’s 2010-11 season opener is brief — about…
Buried (Review)
Director Rodrigo Cortes and actor Ryan Reynolds team up to lock us in a box with Reynolds’ kidnapped contractor in Iraq as he attempts to figure a way out before he uses up all of his available oxygen. It's difficult to figure out the bigger risk here. Is it stepping into a Middle Eastern war…
Peeking Inside the Department of ‘Corections’
My favorite reading includes corrections. I call it “reading” because broadcasters rarely admit error. Everyone errs. Some admit it and correct their errors. Graphs, maps and percentages figure prominently in corrections, but names of people and places most often seem to trip us up. Get a name wrong, and it becomes journalism history if not…
Friday Movie Roundup: Bounty of Options
p { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } After months of sparse and, more importantly, mediocre (if not abysmal) movie options, recent weeks have give us a bounty of worthwhile offerings in a variety of genres — from art-house fare like Catfish, Jack Goes Boating, Lebanon and A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop to multiplex stuff…
TEDxCincy Draws 1,000 Passionate Locals
More than 1,000 slick-dressed professionals, ranging from ambitious youngsters to seasoned gurus, gathered at the Aronoff Center for the Arts yesterday for the sold-out TEDxCincy conference. TED (Technology, Entertainment and Design) is a nonprofit set of conferences held in the spirit of ideas worth spreading. TEDx is an offshoot of TED created in 2009 to…
The Night of the Iguana (Review)
Tennessee Williams’ The Night of the Iguana has attracted actors since its debut in 1961 when its cast included Bette Davis; a film version starred Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr. New Edgecliff Theatre, which has done well in two previous seasons reviving classic works, has launched its 13th season with this play, sometimes…
JuiceheaD with The Misfits
Should you ever feel like wasting a few hours researching an infinite list of obscure musicians, MySpace is the place to go. The Web site is jammed with so many bands in so many different genres that distinguishing yourself can be difficult. JuiceheaD, however, is one of the fortunate sorts who struck gold via MySpace.…
Of Montreal, Swans, Margot & the Nuclear So and So’s, Bishop Morocco and Selene Vigil-Wilk
Kevin Barnes might not be on a par with Neil Young or David Bowie, but he’s no slouch in the reinvention department. Over the past decade and a half, Barnes and of Montreal, his rotating cast of musical provocateurs, have evolved from the conceptually edgy Baroque Pop brilliance of their early work with the Elephant…
Kylesa with High on Fire and Torche
When Laura Pleasants was part of Kylesa’s 2001 formation, she was a college student who participated in the burgeoning Metal project largely for kicks. “I was like, ‘I want to do this now while I can before I got stuck in a job or a family where I won’t be able to just leave for…
Guided By Voices
Six years ago, Robert Pollard decided that the time had finally come to hang his Guided By Voices jersey in the rafters, but of course not because he was in a retiring frame of mind. The Dayton Pop mastermind merely felt that the GBV brand had run its course and that it was time for…
Stage Door: Bleed a Little (and Save)
I'm a regular blood donor, so I'm pleased to tell you that you can help out Hoxworth Blood Center and help yourself a little, too, thanks to Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. Starting next week, the company will do its part for Halloween when it presents Giles Davies in a creepy production of Dracula (Oct. 15 -…
Dem Chairman Wants Court Records
Amid rumors that the FBI is investigating the Republican-controlled Hamilton County Courthouse, the local Democratic Party chairman Tuesday made a public records request to Clerk of Courts Patricia Clancy seeking all documents pertaining to uncollected bail bonds. Sources at the courthouse have said up to $4 million in forfeited bail bonds that should've gone into…
Deters, Leis Injected into State Race
In the increasingly odd race for Ohio auditor, two local Republicans are making headlines around the state. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters sent a nasty letter to the Tea Party's auditor candidate while County Sheriff Simon Leis Jr. defended the Democratic candidate from a GOP attack.—- Although the race hasn't received much attention in Greater…
It’s Kind of a Funny Story (Review)
Zack Galifianakis, he of the bushy beard and obtuse style, can be found on television (Dog Bites Man, Bored to Death and Reno 911!), the stand-up circuit (Zack Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion) and, of course, feature films (The Hangover, Dinner for Schmucks). He has certainly taken up residence in our cultural consciousness. This…
Never Let Me Go (Review)
Author and screenwriter Alex Garland (The Beach, 28 Days Later) knows how to create tension and an almost existential sense of dread from nothing more than the thoughts inside one’s head. So a film collaboration with director Mark Romanek (One Hour Photo) based on an acclaimed novel by Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day)…
Secretariat (Review)
Slip on your rose-colored glasses and get ready for a hokey sentimental bit of pablum about a horse that might be the greatest athlete of all time. Disney has cornered the market on inspiration sports-themed stories (Glory Road, The Rookie), but rarely have the movies been infused with such astonishingly awful religious overtones. Twice during…
Limor Gets Top SPJ Spot
First she was elected president of the group's Greater Cincinnati chapter, and now WCPO-TV reporter Hagit Limor has been named president of the Society of Professional Journalists' national organization. Limor, best-known for heading Channel 9's “I-Team” reports, was inducted to her new post Tuesday, on the final night of the organization's annual convention. This year…
Wave Goodbye
Local instrumental rockers The Flux Capacitors host a bittersweet EP release party this Friday at the Southgate House. The show — with guests Enlou, Weakness and The Sleeping Sea — is to be the band’s last, following the relocation of bassist Sean Victory to Chicago. The six-track Human Error finds The FCs going out on…
Showing Off Cincinnati’s Roadfood Scene (Part 1)
I had a chance to be the proud stage mama of Cincinnati dining recently. Since I love showing off the wonderful, unique aspects of our local cuisine, I jumped at the opportunity to spend the morning driving and dining with Michael Stern who, with Jane Stern, explores America’s regional food and comments for The Splendid…
It’s Not a Misprint: Vote for COAST Leader
C'mon, Dusty, you can do better than that. Watching Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes squirm and contort the reasoning about his double-dipping plans during the past week has been supremely entertaining to anyone who's followed his political career closely. A former radio disc jockey, Rhodes has always had a flair for showmanship. Local reporters know…
Silent Night, Anti-Semitism and Just Plain Racist?
[HOT] Cagey Christmas? Those prankster Brits are scheming to “fix” the No. 1 UK single at Christmastime once again. (Last year, an online campaign allowed Rage Against the Machine’s 1992 track “Killing in the Name” to beat out a reality/talent show winner’s favored single for the top slot.) And while rallying around RATM might seem…
Common Cause and Greg Hartmann
[WINNER] COMMON CAUSE: Common Cause Ohio is urging its members and other people concerned about the influence of Big Money on elections to call Congress and ask that they support passage of the Fair Elections Now Act. If approved, the act — known as Senate Bill 752 and House Resolution 1826 — would would allow…
Newport: The Sin City Years (Review)
Back in the 1980s when I was working at the Jockey Club, Newport was in a cultural and financial tailspin. Bereft of its status as a wide open mecca of entertainment and vice, yet still burdened with the sex industry, Newport looked like it was going down for the last count. Newport has since come…
Blue Licks Battlefield Park
Key At-A-Glance Information Length: 3.1 milesConfiguration: LoopsDifficulty: Easy-moderateScenery: Woods, prairie, historic sites, and riveExposure: Shaded and full sunTraffic: Light-moderateTrail Surface: Soil, gravel, and exposed stoneHiking Time: 3 hoursDriving Distance: 2 hours south of CincinnatiSeason: Year-roundAccess: Sunrise-sunsetMaps: USGS Cowan; Blue Licks Battlefield State Resort Park mapWheelchair Accessible: NoFacilities: Restrooms and drinking water at the lodge and…
Sept. 29-Oct. 5: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY SEPT. 29 Just one day after winning the NL Central Division for the first time in 15 years, Reds manager Dusty Baker set about doing the many things managers do to prepare for postseason play — determining a pitching rotation, deciding final roster spots and clearing Bronson Arroyo's schedule of all Creed tribute shows.…
Not Short on Vision
Uptown Cincinnati is like a funky band of neighborhoods – Avondale, Clifton, Clifton Heights, Corryville, Fairview, Mount Auburn and University Heights – and in the right spots you'll see vibrancy, potential and even a little charm. But like in so many areas of the urban core, other parts are run down, prone to violence and…
Brandon Flowers: Flamingo
The solo album has always been a tricky proposition. Even members of hugely popular bands have found middling sales and less than glowing reviews down the solo path; just ask Mick Jagger and Keith Richards or Kiss or Joe Perry. There are exceptions — power couple Gavin Rossdale and Gwen Stefani have found equal or…
Not Underground Any More
What started as a fundraising idea has turned into a full-fledged company that's taking Cincinnati and Newport by storm … or at least on a tour. Seven years ago Jerry Gels II — along with his father Jerome Gels, sister Laura Gels and friend Dave Kohake — founded the Newport Gangster Tour. Mac Cooley and…
The Main Attraction
Cincinnati’s Main Street, as do most Main Streets in other towns, stretches right through the heart of the city. Most people cross it to go to baseball games or cross under it on the highway. Head north, and you’ll pass by the old Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company building on Fourth, the Ohio Bookstore and…
Factory Square Project Weathers Recession
After five years of wondering what all the fuss was about, Northside residents have noticed something different at the old American Can factory the past few weeks: The buzz of construction. The factory — the site of the long-proposed Factory Square project that would convert the vacant 80-year-old building into 110 loft apartments and about…
Ohio Wineries Flourishing
A cool breeze gently blows through rows of leafy green grape vines beside Ed and Beth McDonald’s home. Soft pastel tablecloths ripple across wooden picnic tables adorned simply with silver lanterns. The relaxing sound of water lapping in a pond completes the idyllic atmosphere. Welcome to Hanover Winery in Hanover Township near Oxford. About 45…
Butterbee’s American Grille (Review)
Looking for a casual, clean and comfy place to cheer the Reds on during the playoffs or to gather with your Fantasy Football friends during a weekend nail-biter? With so many sports bars in the Greater Cincinnati area, it can be tough to find one that combines both the perfect atmosphere for relaxing and a…
Reviving the Legacy of an Ohio-Born Painter
One of the stranger artworks on display at Contemporary Art Center’s current Where Do We Go From Here: Selections From La Coleccion Jumex is a urinal. It is seemingly ready to use, planted right out in the open on a gallery wall surrounded by other objects. If not for the fact that on close inspection…
Catfish (Review)
Co-directors Ariel Schulman and Henry Joost make a fascinating-by-design docudrama about a Facebook romance between a Manhattan photographer named Nev and Megan, a 17-year-old girl Nev meets through her mother Angela after being sent paintings made by Megan's talented 8-year-old sister Abby. Nev is a twentysomething charmer whose captivating photo of a dancer appeared in…
Jukebox the Ghost: Everything Under the Sun
Jukebox the Ghost is under the sway of so many influences, they probably shouldn’t be allowed to drive. And another thing … what’s with the Philadelphia trio absolutely jacking its sophomore album, Everything Under the Sun, all the way out of the ballpark? This is the sort of album a band works toward for a…
Marty Weldishofer [Marty’s Hops and Vines]
Marty Weldishofer and his wife, Kate, are approaching the one-year anniversary of the opening of their wine and beer shop Marty’s Hops and Vines (6110 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, 513-681-4222). They have over 200 domestic and imported selections in their wine department, a big selection of craft beers and a nice gift shop. They’re not…
A Case of the Condos
For anyone trying to sell their house these days, “slow” might even sound optimistic when describing the real estate market. But what about those high-end condos that loom over the river or sit perched on a hillside. They can’t be selling … or can they? Oddly enough, luxury condos seem to be the exception when…
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark: History of Modern
In 1996, Andy McLuskey, who at that point was the sole member of OMD, had an unfortunate epiphany. He was in a record shop in Liverpool and came across an Erasure CD. “Do I really need another Erasure CD?” he thought. Then it hit him. “I wonder if people are saying that about OMD?” With…
Shinji Turner-Yamamoto (Reviews)
Critic's Pick When Shinji Turner-Yamamoto arrived in Cincinnati, he discovered the ideal place for his current installation, “Hanging Garden.” During a visit to gallerist Mary Baskett’s home, he spotted a photograph of a decaying church interior. Baskett explained it was Holy Cross Church, which had been deconsecrated in the 1970s but still stands at the…
Hip Hop (Un)Scene: Greatest Hits
I’ve officially written 12 columns for CityBeat, which technically amounts to a year (although it’s now been more than a year). Hey, it’s a free paper, so who’s counting? What I want to do is write a quick recap of what the first year’s worth of advice has amounted to. Awesome how I can just…
