Sep 27 – Oct 4, 2017
Right Side of History: New book reconsiders the legacy of Cincinnati-born activist Jerry Rubin
Sound Advice: Andrew W.K. (Oct. 8)
Andrew W.K. hasn’t released an album since 2009, but don’t think the man born as Andrew Wilkes-Krier has been in hibernation the least eight years: The Michigan native went on a speaking tour dubbed “The Power of Partying,” launched his own political party called the Party Party, gave the keynote speech at a My Little…
What a Week! Sept. 27-Oct. 3
WEDNESDAY SEPT. 27 Father of Playboy and cultural icon Hugh Hefner died of natural causes in his infamous mansion at age 91 Wednesday. Friends and fans alike shared memories of Hef and his magazine, which as we all know is read primarily for “the articles.” In fact, Playboy shifted its focus more toward editorial content…
A Visionary Director’s ‘Blade Runner 2049’
In Blade Runner 2049, director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival) takes audiences back to Ridley Scott’s noirish version of the future as presented in the 1982 classic Blade Runner, adapted from Philip K. Dick’s novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?. That first film, set in Los Angeles in 2019, was laden with dark angst. Replicants —…
Fifty Shades of Pfefferman
At the risk of glorifying lazy internet-speak, Transparent (Season 4 on Amazon) brings ALL THE FEELS. From the first notes of its whimsical title sequence to the often-abrupt closing credits, each episode of this dramedy is an emotional rollercoaster. And after each 30-minute ride, you’ll want to run right back in line to enjoy another.…
The Carnegie Adds Season-Long Shows
The Carnegie’s exhibitions director, Matt Distel, passes a papier-mâché video game case on the floor of the main gallery and imagines what visitors must be saying about him and the notion of opening the 2017-18 season with four shows and what seems like a cast of thousands. “Distel has really lost control of his space!…
Ask John Cleese
The premise is simple for the John Cleese and the Holy Grail live show at the Taft Theatre on Sunday: “They show the movie, then I go up onstage, normally with a local radio host, and he or she asks a few questions,” Cleese says. “Then we open it up to the audience and we…
FotoFocus Symposium on Photography, Feminism
FotoFocus, the nonprofit organization that promotes deep appreciation of photography, has a free all-day symposium at Memorial Hall on Saturday called Second Century: Photography, Feminism, Politics. In describing the event, Kevin Moore — the group’s artistic director and curator — said via email that the current “intensely politicized moment goes beyond feminism; it’s a lingering…
‘New’ Music Hall Is Ready for Its Close-up
When Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s music director Louis Langrée raises his baton at 8 p.m. on Friday, Music Hall will officially be back in business. At a cost of $143 million, the renovation of the historic, 139-year-old building is one of the region’s largest such projects — and the work has been completed on schedule. Your…
Cranley’s State of the City: Drink Beer, Volunteer
Mayor John Cranley had a message for Cincinnatians at his State of the City address yesterday: drink beer and volunteer. Beyond those exhortations, the mayor’s election-year address at Memorial Hall hit many of the standard notes, rarely straying from its celebratory tone to get into the weeds on policy or offer big new initiatives. Striding…
Sound Advice: Mike Gordon (Oct. 4)
It’s not even remotely surprising that Mike Gordon has over a half dozen distinct project bands and collaborations on his résumé, not including his 30-year gig as bassist for Phish and his ever-expanding solo pursuits. An accomplished multi-instrumentalist — bass, guitar, banjo and piano — Gordon is also a restless and curious creative soul with…
Sound Advice: The Growlers (Oct. 4)
The Growlers have spent the last 11 years perfecting their unique Indie Rock hybrid, which has been described as “Beach Goth” — a swirling, slinky style that touches on elements of Pop, Surf, Dance, Psychedelia, Country and Garage Rock. The band’s five albums, three EPs and three singles have a syncopated, squiggly edge, sounding like…
Trinity Pain
On her first two albums, Lilly Hiatt displayed her natural musical gifts for rootsy melody and lyricism, the result of a lifetime’s exposure to the craft through her hyper-talented father, Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter John Hiatt. Her sophomore album, 2015’s Royal Blue, touched on her myriad influences — Grunge, 1970s singer/songwriter fare, Britpop, ’80s Synth Pop and…
Reforming Again
It’s been 15 years since the city of Cincinnati, its police department and racial justice advocates entered into an unprecedented agreement to reform law enforcement practices. After a decade and a half, those groups are exploring how to update the nationally lauded, but perhaps unfinished, Collaborative Agreement. City officials are optimistic about the refresh. Cincinnati…
Morning News: Cranley, Simpson spar again over Children’s, transit; Alms fight heads to court
Good morning all. Here’s some quick news for you today. Mayor John Cranley and Councilwoman Yvette Simpson last night squared off in their first televised mayoral debate, which was hosted by WKRC. If you’ve been paying attention to the race over the last few months, the tense battle between the two was probably familiar to…
Kentucky Democrats grooming fresh faces for office
Fifteen years ago, Northern Kentucky had a Democratic Congressman, a Democratic governor that all three counties supported and Democrats in four of its nine state House seats. Looking at the political landscape today, that might as well have been 150 years ago. A Republican, Thomas Massie, serves the region in the U.S. House of Representatives.…
Morning News: where are Cranley, Simpson getting their campaign cash?; city drops ball on federal funds for bike path
Good morning all. There’s a lot of news out in the world today. Let's proceed. Need an update on campaign fundraising by Cincinnati’s mayoral candidates? Check out how each one is faring as election day approaches. Mayor John Cranley leads big, raking in more than $1 million to challenger Councilwoman Yvette Simpson’s $350,000 since last…
Your Weekend To Do List (Sept. 29-Oct.1)
FRIDAY 29 EVENT: GREATER CINCINNATI RESTAURANT WEEK Be a culinary tourist in your own city with CityBeat’s Greater Cincinnati Restaurant Week. We’ve gathered together a plethora of participating restaurants — from BrewRiver GastroPub and Somm Wine Bar to Trio Bistro, Metropole and many more — to present curated prix-fixe menus for $35 or less. Menus are…
Stage Door: Stock Up on Shakespeare, Start a Fire, See One Actor Play Nine People
Several month-long Shakespeare productions wind up this weekend, but there are several more that you might not have seen. At the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Shakespeare in Love, the witty backstage play imagining the Bard with writer’s block, closes on Saturday, as does Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s inaugural production at its new Over-the-Rhine facility, with a…
Enriched by Mr. Joy’s Community
Blake Robison, artistic director at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, is a fan of playwright and actor Daniel Beaty. In the fall of 2012, Robison picked Through the Night by the Dayton, Ohio native as the season-opening production on the Playhouse’s Shelterhouse stage. Beaty was onstage portraying six distinctly different men. That’s his modus operandi for…
On Screen: ‘Woodshock’
With the release of Woodshock, the first-time writing and directing team of Kate and Laura Mulleavy (sisters and designers behind the high-end fashion brand Rodarte) would seem to be following in the footsteps of Tom Ford, the legendary American fashion designer who has also trained his eye on motion pictures, crafting A Single Man and Nocturnal Animals, two films…
Morning News: New plan could boost funds for affordable housing; white supremacist may come to UC campus
Good morning, Cincy. Let’s get through all this news so we can get to the weekend. First, a little bit of catch-up since I was out yesterday and didn’t get a chance to write the normal news roundup. Cincinnati City Council Wednesday voted to move forward with a plan by Mayor John Cranley, Council members…
What a Week! Sept. 20-26
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 20 RompHims are so last summer. The latest fashion must-have for fall is the Dadbag. It’s a fanny pack — and if that fact alone is not sexy enough for you right there, it’s designed to look like a belly peeking out from your shirt. Achieve the Dad bod look with this crazy…
If These Walls Could Talk
Hotels are such curious spaces. Luxury lodging aside, the standard motel is designed so each room looks identical. You’ve got your too-firm or too-lumpy bed (Goldilocks need not apply), a tiny bathroom with the sink on the outside, an outdated TV and bland decor — and that’s the same in almost any city. But the…
An On-Court ‘Battle’ in the Culture Wars
In Battle of the Sexes, directors Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris (Little Miss Sunshine) present the true story of the highly promoted 1973 exhibition match between the top women’s tennis player, Billie Jean King (Emma Stone), and a former men’s champion, Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell), who had become a gambling addict far more attracted to showmanship…
Where the Wild Things Are
In 1917, pioneering ecologist E. Lucy Braun, who fought to preserve natural areas in Ohio and protect unique geological sites like the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, led the charge to establish the Cincinnati Wild Flower Preservation Society. Dedicated to conserving native wild plant life, early Wild Flower Preservation Society members promoted “Enjoy — Not…
Universal Connections in ‘Kinship’
Ana England: Kinship, which opened Sept. 8 at the Cincinnati Art Museum, makes the natural world again feel like a friend rather than the adversary it can seem after hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria ripped up familiar landscapes. We tend to take comfort in repetition whenever there is chaos and, over and over, England uncovers…
With the full-band spark of ‘In Spades,’ The Afghan Whigs catch fire once again
In talking with Greg Dulli, songwriter, frontman and founding member of Cincinnati-spawned Modern Rock icons The Afghan Whigs, it’s clear that with the new album In Spades, fans are hearing a true representation of today’s version of the band. They’re also seeing a different Dulli than the one they encountered in the 1990s, when the intensity of…
A Philosophical Food Pairing
Rhinegeist is combining French tradition with modern inspiration to add a new restaurant to its repertoire in Over-the-Rhine. Slated to open in October, Sartre will be housed in a former bottling room from the historic building’s days as a Christian Moerlein plant, with an additional food kiosk in the taproom. Named after French philosopher and…
Hops and Halloween
Prepare to spend the fall tipsy. The advent of autumn not only means Oktoberfest/pumpkin/spooky-themed beers but also early Halloween celebrations geared toward humans and animals. East End brewery Streetside celebrates its first anniversary on Saturday with the release of Demogorgon, a bourbon-barrel-aged stout. Like the Stranger Things monster it’s named after, it is a beast at 13.1 percent ABV. The brewery…
Sound Advice: Gogol Bordello (Sept. 29)
When Eugene Hütz takes a righteously indignant stance regarding the rights of immigrants and refugees, he doesn’t do so from the arm’s-length comfort of a cushy liberal arts education. Hütz understands firsthand the plight of innocent people fleeing a home they love under the threat of a power unwilling to negotiate peace or coexistence: He…
Sound Advice: Wye Oak (Oct. 3)
What’s up with Baltimore? The largest city in the state of Maryland has given us some of the most adventurous musical acts of the last decade, from Animal Collective and Dan Deacon to Beach House and Mannequin Pussy — artists that have little in common sonically besides their need to push creative boundaries. Add dreamy…
Right Side of History
If you’ve been watching The Vietnam War, Ken Burns’ and Lynn Novick’s epic new documentary series on PBS, you realize that not only did the U.S. lose that war at the time, but it has — we have — been fighting ever since with the social and cultural divisions it caused. Doomed from the start, the U.S. involvement…
