Sep 19-26, 2018
A Film Festival Evolution: LADD’s ReelAbilities Film Fest transforms and expands into the Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival
Women in Film’s ‘Road to Resources’ Wants to Help Your Project Become Reality
Pitching a potential film is one thing. Finding funding and resources to execute the vision is another. That’s the bare bones concept of the upcoming “Roads to Resources” event, which will connect filmmakers to funders to back their aspirations. Hosted by Women in Film Cincinnati — a nonprofit that seeks to help women in the…
LISTEN: Cincinnati Folk Group Jake Speed and the Freddies Encapsulate Fraught U.S. Political Climate on “Take a Knee”
For the past couple of decades, Cincinnati’s Jake Speed has carried on the American Folk tradition, not only in his rootsy musical base (shaped and performed with his band The Freddies), but also in lyrical musings that never shy away from addressing current "hot-button" social and political concerns in the spirit of Folk icon Woody…
Recommended Greater Cincinnati Concerts for Sept. 26-Oct. 2
WEDNESDAY 26 20TH CENTURY THEATER–Tom Paxton & The DonJuans. 8 p.m. Folk. $25-$30 THE LISTING LOON–Chaquis Maliq. 9 p.m. Soul/Acoustic. MEMORIAL HALL–Randy Bachman: Every Song Tells a Story. 8 p.m. Rock/Storytelling. $40-$65 MOTR PUB–The Rad Trads. 10 p.m. Jazz/Rock/Soul. Free. THURSDAY 27 FOUNTAIN SQUARE–Salsa on the Square with Tropicoso. 7 p.m. Latin/Salsa/Dance. Free. THE GREENWICH–Now…
Meet Valentine Umansky: CAC’s Newly-Welcomed Curatorial Fellow
The Contemporary Arts Center announced yesterday that a new curator is coming on board as a fellow, with a focus on lens-based artists. Enter: Valentine Umansky. Her stint will last three years and is funded by FotoFocus — a biennial art event that stretches over 90 projects at museums and galleries across Greater Cincinnati, Northern…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Liz Phair and Speedy Ortiz at 20th Century Theater (Oct. 2)
A lot has changed since Liz Phair’s trailblazing debut, Exile in Guyville, surfaced in 1993. That year, Bill Clinton swept into office as our youngest President since JFK. Kurt Cobain and Nirvana dropped its final studio album, In Utero. CityBeat was a year away from publishing its first issue. (For those who might have forgotten,…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Frankie and the Witch Fingers at MOTR Pub (Sept. 30)
Frankie and the Witch Fingers is the sound of a garage full of guitars, effects pedals, surfboards and thrift-store Beatles and Velvet Underground album covers stapled to the walls. The Los Angeles quartet shudders and shakes with the visceral impact of an impromptu jam session between The Hives and White Fence, with Mitch Easter conducting,…
Former Barenaked Lady Steven Page Comes to Newport in October
Steven Page, former co-frontperson for the hit-making Canadian group Barenaked Ladies, is scheduled to perform at the Southgate House Revival in Newport, Ky. on Oct. 14. Tickets are $22 in advance or $25 at the door. Click here for details. In 2009, Page left the long-running band he co-founded. Barenaked Ladies have continued without him…
This Weekend’s Newport Oktoberfest Sets Itself Apart with a Log-Sawing Competition and Stick-Horse Race
Greater Cincinnati has had Oktoberfest celebrations all month long, and now the festivities are crossing the river into Northern Kentucky. Pretend you’re in Munich as you stroll from tent-to-tent. Sponsored by Christian Moerlein, there will be traditional German bier tents and food including: Superbrats Bavarian sausage Bacon-wrapped goetta bites Big goetta sandwiches Goetta sliders Currywurst…
Lebanon’s 36th-Annual Country Applefest is a Quaint Celebration of All Things Apple
Whether you pronounce it ‘carmel’ or ‘caramel,’ get ready to get some of the delightful sugary stuff stuck in your teeth. Lebanon's Country Applefest is a fall festival celebration of all things apple: candy apples, cider, fritters, pies and more. Relish in the apple extravaganza and shop arts and crafts like pottery, jewelry and handmade,…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Modest Mouse at Taft Theatre (Sept. 28)
Isaac Brock’s voice contains multitudes. Modest Mouse’s longtime frontperson — and only constant member over the band’s 26-year history — emits an anxious yelp that is at once world-weary and childlike, evoking a cross between Kurt Cobain and Daniel Johnston. That voice first broke into wider consciousness via 1997’s The Lonesome Crowded West, an album…
Hamilton’s 16th-Annual Pyramid Hill Art Fair Brings Arts Vendors into the Sculpture Park
Bring your kid. Bring your dog. Bring that void you have been feeling in your Instagram account. Bring it all to Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum for the 16th-annual Pyramid Hill Art Fair. With more than 70 juried arts and crafts vendors present for the two-day event, booths will be set up alongside the…
Full Schedule of Screenings for the 2018 Over-The-Rhine International Film Festival
This week sees the debut of the Over-The-Rhine International Film Festival, which begins Wednesday, Sept. 26 and is presented by nonprofit Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled. Read all about the festival in last week's cover-story feature about the OTRIFF, and also find some picks for what to see at the fest, which runs through…
Upcoming Fall-Themed Events at Cincinnati Breweries
Fall is in session, and that means autumn flavors are back and breweries are ready to celebrate the season with themed events and other fall fun. Here are some upcoming brewery events to add to your calendar. On Sept. 27, 3 Points Urban Brewery brings back Drag Bingo, hosted by RuPaul’s Drag Race’s contestant and local…
Local Breweries Get Spooky This Autumn with Seasonal Releases and Themed Events
Fall is in session, and that means autumn flavors are back, including MadTree’s Pilgrim, Blood Orange PsycHOPathy and the Great PumpCan (on draft). Braxton also just released a collaboration with Graeter’s: a pumpkin pie ale with flavors from the shop’s pumpkin pie ice cream. On Sept. 28, Brink Brewing will release their Oktoberfest beer, Brinktoberfest.…
Greater Cincinnati Fans of Ohio Duo Twenty One Pilots To Revel In New-Album Anticipation This Week at Bogart’s
A week from this Friday, on Oct. 5, fans of Columbus, Ohio AltRock duo Twenty One Pilots will finally be able to wrap their ears around the band’s wildly anticipated new album, Trench. A large chunk of the regional fanbase of Ohio’s biggest musical export in years will be reveling in their ecstatic collective anticipation…
WATCH: California Surfer Bros Provide the Best Defense Yet for E-Scooters
Are you mad as hell that Cincinnati hasn’t wholeheartedly embraced the sudden infiltration of e-scooters, even daring to fine riders who cruise along on downtown sidewalks? Are you ready to do something about it? Then you may want to consider flying in e-scooter champions Chad Kroeger and JT Parr to help make your case that…
Cincinnati Singer Tyshawn Colquitt Joins Jennifer Hudson’s Team on ‘The Voice’
On last night’s premiere of The Voice, Cincinnati singer Tyshawn Colquitt advanced after wowing the TV show’s celebrity coaches with a version of Sam Smith’s “Like I Can.” Coaches Jennifer Hudson and Blake Shelton both wanted Colquitt for their teams. Fellow coaches Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine advised Colquitt to join Team Jennifer, which he…
Cheviot’s Brews on the Block Rings in the End of Summer with Craft Beer and Local Music
Brews on the Block is Cheviot’s end-of-summer block party featuring live music, draft beers from local breweries and food trucks. For two nights, check out eats and alcohol from vendors including: LaRosa’s Maury’s Tiny Cove Avocados Mexican West Side Brewing Henke Winery Fifty West Grainworks Fretboard Brink Brewing Co. Heidelberg Distributing Urban Artifact Local bands,…
The Inaugural Cincinnati Moon Festival Celebrates the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival at Fountain Square
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month on the Chinese lunar calendar, and always on a full moon. During this time, it’s believed that the moon is at its brightest and roundest. Its origins can be traced back to ancient China, when they would give thanks to the…
This New Scavenger-Style Book Club Takes Readers on the Hunt
Book clubs are having a moment. Oprah certainly popularized the concept of a group of individuals reading and discussing a book together. But at the risk of sounding trite, Under Cover Books isn’t your typical book club. Members never physically meet to discuss the books they’ve read — and, since Under Cover also bills itself…
Growth, Diversity for Cincy Improv Fest
Cincinnati’s improvisational comedy scene has flourished in the past few years. Just look to the Improv Festival of Cincinnati as a powerful indicator of this boom. This year, it boasts 60 percent more performances than it hosted in 2017. But the festival’s growth can also be counted toward its initiatives to bring in performers from…
Akropolis Reed Quintet: Quirky Classical at Memorial Hall
The Akropolis Reed Quintet formed in 2009 at the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance. A unique ensemble of five students, each played a different reed instrument and loved the sounds they created together. “We felt an immediate connection with each other,” says clarinetist Kari Landry. “And the music we played was…
Comedian David Koechner from ‘Anchorman’ and ‘The Office’ Brings His Stand-Up Set to the Funny Bone
You know David Koechner from, well, tons of things. He’s most recognized as Todd Packer, Michael Scott’s best friend on The Office, and as Champ Kind from The Anchorman films. Early in his career, though he had steady work, he sought a bit of work stability. “I didn’t ever want to be without a job,…
The Jazz of ‘Cowboy Bebop’ Lands in Cincy with a Local Concert
Aiesha Little, a self-professed blerd (black nerd), discovered the grittily nuanced splendor of Cowboy Bebop — one of most richly textured Japanese anime series — on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim as a graduate student at Xavier University in 2001. She was struck by a combination of elements: The series’ stylized look, its unique Jazz-drenched soundtrack…
Already a Christian music superstar, Lauren Daigle’s new album has gotten the attention of the entire music industry
One thing Lauren Daigle has learned about performing live is that it’s OK to relax a bit and go with the flow onstage. “I was just talking to a friend about how in the very beginning you get caught up in trying to get it right,” Daigle says, looking back on when she first began…
REVIEW: A Legend Is Born in ‘Blaze’
The life of Country musician Blaze Foley is explored in the new Ethan Hawke-directed biopic Blaze. Everything about Foley — portrayed by Ben Dickey — was oversized and unwieldy, yet unnervingly engaging. He was a bear of a man, yet watching him cradle and pick away at a guitar made the calming focus music had…
REVIEW: Emma Thompson Wields the Weight of Power In ‘The Children Act’
The Children Act, based on Ian McEwan’s novel of the same name, thrives in the movement of restraint. It’s felt almost exclusively — in the chip-chop of stiff shoes in echo-y, stuffy courthouse rooms; sterilized white-walled hospital rooms; in the mention of a sexless marriage; and as this film’s subject, Fiona Maye, hovers her fingers…
Rüya Coffee Brings a Turkish Coffeehouse Experience to Findlay Market
Tucked away in a small corner of Findlay Market, three young women gather around a low table, sitting on floor cushions or kneeling. They’ve already finished their coffee. Two empty cups sit upside down on matching saucers, and the small group chats while waiting for the coffee grounds — which have settled at the bottom…
LISTEN: Cincinnati Native ClockworkDJ Pays Tribute to Mac Miller on Shade 45’s ‘Sway in the Morning’
Mac Miller collaborator and tour DJ ClockworkDJ was recently on Sway in the Morning, the morning show on Sirius XM’s Shade 45 Hip Hop channel, to celebrate the life of his late friend in music. In the Soundcloud description of the session, the Cincinnati native writes: “Finally got a chance to Honor my Brother Mac…
Cincinnati Artists Make Hip Hop For the Littlest Heads on Creative New Children’s Album and Book Project, ‘The Corner’
Several years ago, Cincinnati multimedia artist Vernard Fields asked his friend and fellow rapper Adam Hayden (better known in Cincy Hip Hop circles as MC Till) if he’d like to make a children’s album with him. Hayden was interested, but the project was forgotten until 2012, when he was working with first graders as a…
Patton Oswalt, One of the Funniest Humans on the Planet, is Coming to Cincinnati
Patton Oswalt, the award-winning stand-up comedian (who has also had an impressive film and television career), is coming to the Taft Theatre this coming spring. Oswalt has performed in nearby by cities like Columbus, Ohio and Louisville, Ky. over the past few years, but on April 27 he will finally be appearing in Cincinnati. Tickets…
Cincinnati’s Brink Brewing Co. Wins Big at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival
Ohio breweries fared extremely well at the 2018 Great American Beer Festival in Denver this week, including a couple from Cincinnati. Cincinnati’s Brink Brewing Co. had an especially good showing. When the medals were doled out, Brink was the recipient of gold and silver medals for their beers, while also being named the top Very…
Former Know Theatre Production ‘Hundred Days’ Is Releasing an Album
An original cast recording of the critically-acclaimed new musical Hundred Days was released today on all streaming and digital formats. The release coincides with the quirky musical's first performance at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse. Cincinnati theater fans might be familiar with Hundred Days. In 2015, CityBeat gave it a Critic’s Pick during its stint at…
Minimum Gauge: The Music Modernization Act is Closer to Becoming Law, Giving Creators More Fairness, Royalties
HOT: Music Modernization Act Headed Into Law On Sept. 18, U.S. senators uncharacteristically all agreed on something and unanimously passed the “Orrin G. Hatch Music Modernization Act,” which updates the royalties system for songwriters and offers a more fair pay-out in for creators in the streaming era. The OGHMMA (they just had to put Hatch’s…
Cincinnati’s Walk the Moon Joins Fellow AltPop Artist Morgxn For a “Home” Makeover
Nashville-bred/L.A.-based AltPop artist Morgxn has released his collaboration with Cincinnati hitmakers Walk the Moon (or at least with singer Nicholas Petricca, though the full band is credited). “Home” is a re-recording of Morgxn’s biggest single, which was first released in 2017 and then included on his album Vital from earlier this year. So why re-record…
This Fest is Rolling Out All the Punches to Honor Hometown Hero Ezzard Charles
Ezzard Charles, aka “The Cincinnati Cobra,” is an undeniable local legend. Just take a quick stroll or drive by Republic Street in Over-the-Rhine for proof. A mural — backdropped in vibrant red and stamp-like cobras — depicts the former heavyweight champion. There’s also a road with his namesake, a stretch between Music Hall and Union…
Ohio Elections Commission Will Probe Pureval Campaign Finance Questions
The Ohio Elections Commission voted 6-1 on Sept. 20 to take a closer look at the campaign finance practices of Democrat Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval, who is running a tight race to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District. At the center of the inquiry is whether Pureval…
Cincinnati Alternative Pop Group Marjorie Lee and The Lovers Releases New Album, ‘Ohio’
Cincinnati singer/songwriter Marjorie Lee and her band The Lovers just released their new album, Ohio, and tonight (Sept. 21) the band will play a free release-party show at MOTR Pub in its honor. The show starts at 10 p.m. with guests Krystal Peterson & the Queen City Band. The Lovers — featuring Lee on vocals…
A Proposed HUD Rent Increase Could Have Cincinnati Residents Paying More, Even as Public Housing Struggles
Felicia Henderson sits counting out her finances at a table in the salmon-pink community room of The San Marco, a graceful Romanesque building whose chimneys and spired turret loom over tony East Walnut Hills. Eleven years ago, Henderson says she underwent surgery to repair a condition that critically damaged blood vessels in her brain. Afterward,…
Newly Opened Hyde Park Milk Bar Serves Bubble Tea, Cereal and Rolled Ice Cream
Behold: Milk Bar, aka a three-in-one stop where patrons can sip on bubble tea, feel aesthetic with a bowl of Thai-rolled ice cream or get nostalgic via a classic-made-gourmet bowl of cereal. “We keep it real over here,” Kevin Chen says with a laugh, referencing the newly opened Milk Bar storefront in Hyde Park. Alongside…
First Browns Win Since 2016 Drowns Northern Ohio in Bud Light
The good news: free beer! The bad news: it’s Bud Light. That was the scenario in Northern Ohio last night, after Ohio’s other pro football team came from behind to beat the New York Jets, marking the team’s first win in 635 Days. Long-suffering Browns fans got a good storyline to go with the 21-17…
Punk Meets the Trek-father: Henry Rollins and William Shatner, Both in Cincinnati This Week, Just Released a Christmas Duet
Punk legend Henry Rollins is performing in Cincinnati tonight, doing his “Traveling Slideshow” presentation. Saturday, Star Trek icon William Shatner will be in the Queen City for a screening of the movie Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. (CityBeat talked to both this week; see the Rollins story here and the Shatner preview piece…
Cincinnati Trailed Cleveland In Economic Growth Last Year
The Cincinnati Metropolitan area landed right in the middle of Ohio's three largest metros when it comes to economic growth last year, a new study by the Federal Bureau of Economic Analysis reveals. Fueled primarily by growth in natural resource-related industries and professional services (think accounting and administrative jobs), the Cleveland metro's economy grew by…
City of Cincinnati Will Pay $150,000 for Private Legal Representation in Text Message Suit
After two Cincinnati City Council votes yesterday, the city of Cincinnati will pay $75,000 for private legal representation to defend five city council members in a lawsuit over text messages, and another $75,000 for private attorneys representing the city itself. The lawsuit brought by conservative activist Mark Miller in Hamilton County Common Please Court accuses…
A List of All the Food You Can Get and Beer You Can Drink at This Weekend’s Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
These pretzels making you thirsty? You want German bier? Oktoberfest has both — there will be more than nine fest tents and biergartens serving more than 100 different beers. Here's a current list of the food and beer that will be available at this weekend's Oktoberfest Zinzinnati: 5-11 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday; 11…
Xavier University’s Jazz Series is Bringing Back Master Bassist Christian McBride and More Jazzy Goodness
Last April, Xavier University’s Jazz Series welcomed one of contemporary Jazz’s greatest musicians, bassist/composer/arranger Christian McBride, to the campus’ Gallagher Student Center Theater for a dazzling trio show. McBride is coming back to Cincinnati on Saturday, Oct. 27 to kick off the series’ 2018-2019 season. Last year, McBride performed with his trio Tip City. This…
Ohio and Kentucky Voter Registration Deadline is Oct. 9: See If You’re Registered or Apply Now
On Nov. 6, Ohioans will vote on some key issues and races, including governor (Mike DeWine or Richard Cordray?), Congressional representatives, school levies and whether or not to amend the state constitution to reduce penalties for drug-related crimes, among many other things. Click here to see the full list of what will be on the…
OTR Gets Parking Permits, Core Neighborhoods Shed Parking Space Requirements
Cincinnati City Council Sept. 19 approved big changes to downtown parking policies, some of which have been in the works for years. Council passed a parking permit plan for bustling Over-the-Rhine and removed requirements that developers build parking facilities or spaces when they develop in downtown, OTR, Pendleton and parts of Mount Auburn and the…
Beloved Cincinnati Music Venue Top Cats Reopens with New- and Old-School Local Hip Hop Greats
The energized music scene centralized around the Short Vine district near the University of Cincinnati from the early ’90s through the early ’00s was fostered by its live-music clubs. There was the big neighborhood veteran Bogart’s hosting larger shows. Across the street was the dingy but vibrant Sudsy Malone’s, which developed a reputation for showcasing…
Hamilton County Board of Elections Probes Pureval Campaign Check Redactions; More News
Hello all! There is an insane amount of news happening today. Let’s get right into our midweek news roundup. Cincinnati City Council will vote today on two parking-related pieces of legislation: a residential parking permit plan in Over-the-Rhine costing $60 a year (with a lower-cost $25 a year option for residents of subsidized housing) and…
Meet the 2018 Finalists for ArtWorks’ ‘Shark Tank’-Like Competition for Greater Cincinnati Entrepreneurs
ArtWorks just announced this morning their list of finalists for the “Big Pitch” contest, a night where eight creatives will deliver 5-minute pitches in front of a live audience and five judges (audience votes count, too). The winner takes home the top prize of $15,000. Think of it as a homegrown twist of ABC’s Shark…
Recommended Greater Cincinnati Concerts for Sept. 19-25
WEDNESDAY 19 MADISON THEATER – Matt and Kim with Michael Christmas. 8 p.m. AltPop. $25. MOTR PUB – Givers with Naughty Place. 10 p.m. Indie/Art Rock. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) – Mom Jeans., Just Friends, Shortly and Mover Shaker. 7 p.m. Rock/Pop/Various. $13, $15 day of show. THURSDAY 20 LUDLOW GARAGE – The High…
Fire Up the Night at Coney Island Pits Three Countries Against Each Other for Fireworks Supremecy
Three countries come to Coney Island on Saturday to compete for pyrotechnic supremacy at Fire Up the Night, an annual fireworks competition. Teams from Germany, France and Mexico will go head to head starting at 8:30 p.m. with three separate fireworks displays to see who will be voted the best. Rozzi’s Famous Fireworks will light…
Though Cincinnati Rapper Lamb$ is Pursuing His Passion from L.A., He Hasn’t Forgotten About His Hometown
Lamb$ stands in the back corner of The Mockbee’s makeshift greenroom while a flurry of people flow in and out of the room. He’s wearing a giant diamond-filled chain with “Insomniac Lamb$” written out in all-caps. Nearly everyone in the greenroom falls under the “Insomniac” umbrella. It’s late August and the West End venue is…
Break Out the Lederhosen: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati Transforms Downtown Cincinnati into Germany This Weekend
These pretzels making you thirsty? You want German bier? Oktoberfest has both — there will be more than nine fest tents and biergartens serving more than 100 different beers. Plus, you can catch a gaggle of dachshunds dressed as hot dogs participating in the Running of Weiners to kick things off at 11 a.m. Friday.…
‘The Adventures of Pete & Pete’ Stars Danny Tamberelli and Michael C. Maronna Come to Taft’s Ale House
If Endless Mike; Artie, the strongest man in the world; or the name Petunia mean anything to you — or you want to know where Mr. Tastee goes in winter — there’s a chance you’re a fan of 1990s Nickelodeon show The Adventures of Pete & Pete. This upended and surreal indie suburban sitcom followed Pete (Michael…
What To Do This Week in Cincinnati: Sept. 19-25
WEDNESDAY 19 DANCE: The Cincinnati Ballet’s Kaplan New Works Series features several world premieres. Read a review and get show and ticket details here. MUSIC: Matt and Kim bring exuberant AltPop to the Madison Theater. Read Sound Advice here. ONSTAGE: Mary’s Monster Know Theatre’s current season is themed “Fear Itself” and a lot of that action is…
Recommended Cincinnati Concerts: Lord Huron at Bogart’s (Sept. 22)
Ben Schneider has only been recording as his musical alter ego Lord Huron for the past six years, but his history goes back to his teenage years when he was developing his songwriting voice in Okemos, Mich., a suburb of Lansing (and the home of The Verve Pipe, by the way). Summer vacations on his…
LADD’s New Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival Has Roots in its Previous ReelAbilities Film Festival
The new Over-the-Rhine International Film Festival debuting next week is quite a change from the old ReelAbilities Film Festival. Or is it? Since 2013, the nonprofit Living Arrangements for the Developmentally Disabled (LADD) organization has presented three local installments of the ReelAbilities Film Festival, the largest North American event dedicated to showing films that promote…
