Wenstrup: Police Need Monitoring Program
One local blog has heard rumors that Dr. Brad Wenstrup, the GOP mayoral candidate, is backing away from remarks he made about the Cincinnati Police Department while on the campaign trail. Instead, Wenstrup or his surrogates are allegedly blaming the blog for inaccurate reporting.—- In case the rumors are true, The Cincinnati Beacon — which…
Funk Master Flexes Creative Muscle
Hard-touring bassist/frontman Freekbass (leader of the band with the same name) has somehow found some time in his busy road schedule — which recently included a string of west coast dates — to work on a few side-projects. Freekbass and Tobotius is his duo project with local producer/turntablist Tobe Donahue, a member of esteemed turntable…
Music: Eldar
Jazz pianist Eldar gives the word “fast track” a whole new meaning. Born in the former Soviet Union, he spent the first half of his youth living in Kyrgyzstan before his family moved to the U.S. when he was 10. Now based in New York City, the youthful, gifted pianist ultimately scored a recording contract…
Art: In Three Days at the Art Academy
“I would send you a bouquet of newly-sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” So said Nora Ephron by way of Tom Hanks in her screenplay for the seminal romantic comedy You’ve Got Mail. Early autumn always recalls this line and thoughts of school starting. And nowhere in town is all the anticipation…
Art: The Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati
One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s last residential commissions was the John E. Christian House in West Lafayette, Ind., completed 50 years ago during the year of Wright’s death. Called Samara, it was a mature example of his Usonian homes, combining art, nature and architecture. The Architectural Foundation of Cincinnati is hosting an exhibition of photographs,…
Music: Buckethead
Since picking up the guitar at age 12, Brian Patrick Carroll has been voted one of the 20 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time (GuitarOne), one of the Top 25 Weirdest Guitarists (Guitar World) and among the Top 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time (ask anyone). If you don’t recognize the name, it’s because he…
Music: Iran
Disambiguation is fun. Type “Iran” into Wikipedia and a road to reliable and unreliable sources opens. But nowhere does it say that a band took up the name in 2000. No link. No pop culture reference. The Brooklyn Noise Pop band needs attention for several — and not because it deserves a beefy Wikipedia entry.…
Music: The Baseball Project
Cincinnati Reds history will be made when the Baseball Project — Steve Wynn, Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck and Linda Pitmon — makes its first appearance here at the Southgate House on Saturday night. No, these venerable, veteran Alternative Rock musicians — better known for their work solo (Wynn) and with such bands as Minus 5…
You, You’re Awesome (Profile)
We laugh, stepping carefully, heading into the dark basement of Northside hangout The Comet. Scattered red lights glow, hanging from the low ceiling. Ghostly “after-dance-party” feel. The smell of booze seeps from the floor and walls. We walk across a slanted, shady floor. The air, hot and stale, like a young band’s practice space. Our…
Week 2 – Anne Franklin
You were under a lot of pressure this afternoon. What advice would you give other athletes who want to keep cool in extreme sports such as Bengals Football Bolo Toss? Positive Attitude Is there anyone who you would like to thank who may have played a small role in your victory tonight? Pete Lanphier -…
New Works (Review)
Critic's Pick Dance is never better than when paired with live music. Starting its season, Cincinnati Ballet’s New Works opening-night Thursday marked the sole performance featuring live musical accompaniment from popular local artists for three of five local choreographers’ works (plus one cool Italian native). Right off the bat, West Chester native and former Cincinnati…
Events: U.S.S. Nightmare
Nothing signals the arrival of fall in Cincinnati quite like the docking of the U.S.S. Nightmare, the 75-year-old “haunted” steamboat, on Riverboat Row. Legend has it that the boat, actually named the William S. Mitchell, dredged up an ancient Indian burial ground on its maiden voyage, which resulted in the death of numerous crew members…
Events: Tibet Fest
If the Dalai Lama were feeling homesick and wanted to get out of India for a weekend getaway, chances are he’d feel pretty cozy at the Clifton Arts and Cultural Center on Saturday and Sunday. The Gaden Samdrupling Monastery is bringing a little piece of Tibet to Cincinnati in celebration of Tibet Fest 2009. Enjoy…
Lit: John Porcellino
King-Cat became a constant in John Porcellino’s life long ago. Since 1989, he’s used the minimalist indie comic series to document the peculiar details of everyday life. On his way to major alt-comic affair Small Press Expo for the debut of Map of My Life, a King-Cat anthology that collects strips from 1996 to 2002,…
Events: The Nina and The Pinta Docking
For a limited time, less than two weeks, Columbus’ replica ships, The Nina and The Pinta, will be on the shores of Covington where the B&B riverboats dock. These two ships, from a time before combustion, together span 150 feet in deck length and move around with sails that would cover a house, but that’s…
Music: Tim Easton
Tim Easton’s Ohio roots form the very heart of Porcupine, his latest solo Rock album. The Akron resident attended OSU in the mid-’90s, formed his first band, toured Europe, honed his craft while street-busking, then returned to Columbus and joined The Haynes Boys. The Boys’ Garage-tinged Americana attracted serious attention before Easton recorded his 1998…
Events: Steps for Pets
Dogs and cats don’t know how to use birth control, so it’s our job as humans to make sure those horny fur balls don’t wander the streets impregnating each other, otherwise we have to figure out a way to control the pet population, and euthanizing puppies and kitties is sad. So what can you do,…
Why the American Media Sanitize War Coverage
During the 1976 persecution of Larry Flynt for violating our hypocritical sense of decency, the pornographer mailed 400,000 brochures to Hamilton County residents. The 12-page flyer asked, “What Is Obscene?” His answer: war. The gory color images of civilian and combat casualties made his point. I don’t know how many people he persuaded, but similar…
Events: Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
When Cincinnati’s founders dreamt of this city’s future, they probably didn’t think that Cincinnatians would celebrate their German heritage by eating deep-fried sauerkraut balls, dancing like fools and drinking mass amounts of beer in the streets of downtown. But in case you’ve been locked in a bomb shelter since 1976, that’s what we do. Cincinnati’s…
Muse, Hugh Cornwell, Gordon Gano & The Ryans, The Dynamites and Charles Walker
The death of Patrick Swayze and the cartoonishly rude antics of Kanye West at the MTV awards will dominate the news for days to come and are likely to overwhelm any attention that might have been rightly paid to the passing last Friday of poet/author/Punk frontman Jim Carroll. The New York street hustler documented his…
Lit: Joe Posnanski
I once asked Bill Maher during an interview what he knew about Cincinnati. “Nothing,” he said. “Nothing?” I replied. “Well, I loved the Big Red Machine.” Yes, for many Cincinnati remains best known as the city that spawned one of the greatest baseball teams the world has ever seen. And now, more than three decades…
Classical: Lang Lang with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra
When the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra opens a season for the 115th time, they don’t go halfway. This Thursday, the CSO launches the 2009-10 season with an extraordinary one-night-only performance by world renowned pianist Lang Lang. If Classical music can claim anyone akin to a Rock star, LL could most certainly be its Cool J. Perhaps…
Comedy: Robert Schimmel
With all he’s been through in his personal life, one wonders how comedian Robert Schimmel has kept his sense of humor. He lost a son to cancer and was later diagnosed with the disease himself. In between, he suffered a heart attack. But it’s his sense of humor and positive attitude that Schimmel attributes to…
Retooling the Machine
I once asked Bill Maher during an interview what he knew about Cincinnati. “Nothing,” he said. “Nothing?” I replied. “Well, I loved the Big Red Machine.” Yes, for many Cincinnati remains best known as the city that spawned one of the greatest baseball teams the world has ever seen. And now, more than three decades…
Foxy Shazam Moves Up the Record Deal Ladder
There is a pretty good chance you haven’t seen the members of Cincinnati’s powder-keg Freak Punk Soul Pop maniacs Foxy Shazam around town lately. That’s because the piano-driven band appears to tour more than stay home these days, ever since the release of its cult-favorite classic, Introducing Foxy, on the indie label Ferret Records back…
The Lion in Winter (Review)
Imagine the result if Noel Coward had written King Lear. Imagine the savagery that families reserve for their most bitter internecine battles but verbalized in the lilting, wit-lit language of drawing-room comedy. That’s the effect of The Lion in Winter, the James Goldman script that stumbled on Broadway in 1966 but has since become a…
Charging the Mound
Cincinnati Reds history will be made when The Baseball Project (Steve Wynn, Scott McCaughey, Peter Buck and Linda Pitmon) makes its first appearance at the Southgate House on Saturday night. No, these venerable, veteran Alternative Rock musicians — better known for their work solo (Wynn) and with such bands as Minus 5, R.E.M., Young Fresh…
Berding Loses Party’s Endorsement
It's finally over and done with. After years of criticism by his opponents and at least one similar attempt two years ago, the Cincinnati Democratic Committee voted this morning to un-endorse City Councilman Jeff Berding. CityBeat first mentioned the current effort in early July.—- By an almost 3-to-1 margin, precinct executives voted to rescind Berding's…
Mood Returns at Full Blast
Tomorrow (Saturday) at Sliverton’s Play by Play, pioneering Cincinnati Hip Hop trio Mood returns to the local stage after a lengthy hiatus while each member worked on different projects and solo albums. The group were one of a select few local Hip Hop acts to score a big-time record contract, releasing music on wide-reaching indie…
CityBeat Podcast 25: Flight 93 National Memorial
This week we present a recorded visit to the Flight 93 National Memorial in rural Pennsylvania. —- If you like what you hear, please support our podcast by subscribing to our podcast in iTunes or via our RSS feed. Also, please tell your friends and share this link on Facebook and MySpace.
MPMF.09 Bands H-O
Halo Stereo (Nashville) Progressive/Alternative Halo Stereo is the face and sound of contemporary Progressive music, combining classic influences with every facet of modernity — technological advances, emotional detachment, bug-eyed wonder, misty-eyed nostalgia. Without drifting into meandering half-hour excursions up their own asses, Halo Stereo makes exciting and concise songs that quiver with Indie Rock energy…
Music: Cincinnati Pops: A John Williams Spectacular
Despite the recent tragic loss of the Cinncinnati Pops' Maestro and founder Erich Kunzel, the Pops opens its season on time with "A John Williams Spectacular." The concert open this monumental tribute with the music of E.T., Indiana Jones, Saving Private Ryan and more. The second half is dedicated to the phenomenal force known as…
MPMF.09 Bands W-Z
Wake The Bear (Cincinnati) Alternative Rock When Scott Cunningham found himself alone after the dissolution of Promenade, he decided he liked the solitude and channeled his creativity into a one-man project he christened Wake the Bear. In studio, he's an octopus, especially on his latest solo epic Player Piano (inspired by Kurt Vonnegut's debut novel),…
Week 1 – Linda Klingenbeck
You were under a lot of pressure tonight. What advice would you give other athlete who want to keep cool in extreme sports such as Bengals Football Bolo Toss? Drink Bud Light. Is there anyone who you would like to thank who may have played a small role in your victory tonight? The awesome staff…
Tim Easton with Billy Catfish Orchestra
It didn’t take Tim Easton excessive deliberation to realize what he wanted to do next musically. Upon finishing his previous album, 2006’s contemplative and largely acoustic Ammunition, Easton was ready for healthy doses of electricity and volume. “I knew that I wanted to make a Rock & Roll record, most definitely, right off the bat,”…
Sleuth (Review)
With a zippy production of Anthony Shaffer’s 1970 thriller Sleuth, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park has launched a year-long 50th anniversary celebration. In 1959 some visionaries cleared groundskeeping gear out of a disused Shelterhouse on an Eden Park hilltop and the adventure began. Now, after nearly 500 productions, eight artistic managements, three or four renovation…
MPMF.09 Bands Th-V
The Ambassadors(Brooklyn, N.Y.) Indie Rock/PopThis foursome slips some light electronic flavoring into its interesting Indie Pop stew, which features watery guitar lines and dynamic songwriting that ranges from passionate and low-key to intense and in-your-face.Dig: Phoenix and Tahiti 80 jamming and occasionally wandering into some stabbing, urgent Rock.Below Zero LoungeFriday, Sep 25, 10:30 The Atriums…
Iran with Fruit Bats and Kevin Barker
Disambiguation is fun. Type “Iran” into Wikipedia, and a road to reliable and unreliable sources opens. But nowhere does it say that a band took up the name in 2000. No link. No pop culture reference. The Brooklyn Noise Pop band needs attention for several … and not because it deserves a beefy Wikipedia entry.…
MPMF.09 Bands P-Tg
Pale Hollow (Cleveland) Folk/Roots/Rock This quartet's music has an Americana base, but there is too much going on in Pale Hollow's delicate songs that limiting descriptions to one word can only end up coming up short. The band has been understandably compared with Nick Drake, The Verve, The Kinks, Neil Young and Oasis, but even…
Buckethead with Wolff and Kan-Dee
Since picking up the guitar at age 12, Brian Patrick Carroll has been voted one of the 20 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time (GuitarOne), one of the Top 25 Weirdest Guitarists (Guitar World) and among the Top 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time (ask anyone). If you don’t recognize the name, it’s because he…
Danko Jones, Amy Millan, Os Mutantes and Yo La Tengo
This is always a strange time of year for me. Summer’s over, for all intents and purposes, my daughter is back in school, the pool’s closed and my schedule begins to return to some semblance of normalcy. We’re just a couple of weeks away from MidPoint, which is always cause for excitement and anticipation, but…
D.I.Y. Samurai: Back to School
Back-to-schooltime is always bittersweet. Lazy summer days give way to lectures and tests. All-night drinking binges are replaced by all-night textbook read-a-thons. However, there is always a glimmer of hope in the form of back-to-school shopping. Why purchasing binders and fresh pens in the month of September excites me remains a mystery. It’s fun to…
Ill Poetic Takes on IsWhat?!
Multifaceted Hip Hop artist Ill Poetic’s creative mix skills have been on display again recently. Just a week ago, he released the above remix of genre-bending Hip Hop jazzers IsWhat?!'s “Fanta,” the first release from the group’s forthcoming Big Appetite album, which comes out in Europe a little later this year and in the States…
Reform Supporters Protest Local Grocery
A coalition of 40 tri-state churches is joining forces with a local labor union to stage a protest today at the Whole Foods Market in Norwood. The AMOS Project and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 75 will meet at 6 p.m. at the Whole Foods store. Their action is part of a…
Music: Over the Rhine
Like fine wine, local legends Over the Rhine have gotten better with age. From their first show at Sudsy Malone’s (about 20 folks showed up to see it) to their various record deals (I.R.S. and Virgin/Backporch) and back to their DIY roots (which has given them some of their biggest successes yet), OtR is marking…
Over the Rhine
Like fine wine, local legends Over the Rhine have gotten better with age. From their first show at Sudsy Malone’s (about 20 folks showed up to see it) to their various record deals (I.R.S. and Virgin/Backporch) and back to their DIY roots (which has given them some of their biggest successes yet), OtR is marking…
FOP, CODE Accept Deal
A plan proposed by a Cincinnati City Council majority to avoid job layoffs in exchange for concessions has been approved by two out of three labor unions. The two unions — the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) and Cincinnati Organized and Dedicated Employees (CODE) — have accepted the deal. Members of a third union, the…
New Leaders at Taft Museum, Art Academy
Taft Museum of Art has named its new director/CEO to replace Eric Lee, who left in the spring to head the Kimbal Art Museum in Fort Worth. She is Deborah Emont Scott, recently chief curator at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City and before that the museum's Sanders Sosland curator of 20th Century.…
Events: Old West Festival
Back when Manifest Destiny was a fact and snake oil on the elbow would get rid of joint pain in your shooting arm better than sarsaparilla, Wyatt Earp spent his time trying to get people the hell out of Dodge. But for the next five weekends (through Oct. 11), families can make a day of…
Having Talent and Being Competitive
One of the things I like about Facebook is finding old friends I’ve been out of contact with. One of those friends is Donita. We went to elementary and high school together, and we both lived in East Enterprise, Ind. Donita still does. She sent me a Facebook message saying she’s been trying to find…
MPMF.09 Bands A-G
Abiyah(Cincinnati) Soul/Hip Hop/ElectronicaA talented poetess, arranger, producer and vocalist, Abiyah has been a Cincinnati favorite for the past several years, thanks in large part to her entertaining live show, which often features a variety of collaborators from a variety of genres, a testament to her unique, diverse style. For her MidPoint show, Abiyah will be…
All About Steve (Review)
Sandra Bullock’s summer confirms the acceleration of the downward slide she’s on, and there would appear to be nothing to hinder her journey to even greater depths. The Proposal, a weirdly calibrated romantic comedy, at least featured Ryan Reynolds in support, but All About Steve leaves her essentially in the lurch because this is a…
Art: Future No Future at Aisle Gallery
When I visited Evan Commander’s exhibition Future No Future at Aisle Gallery, one of its directors, Bill Renschler, commented that it might be one of their most conceptual shows yet. That may easily be true. With clear invocations of artists Chris Burden and John Baldessari, the West Coast style of Conceptual Art that continues to…
Art: Supernova Terra Firma at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Artist Don Lambert, who wants his work to reach a wide public, is a perfect choice as the inaugural winner of the Cincinnati Art Museum’s new 4th Floor Award. Don Lambert: Supernova Terra Firma, the first 4th Floor Award exhibition, has just opened in the museum’s Vance-Waddell gallery and remains up through Nov. 29. This…
Events: Covington Oktoberfest
For 31 years, more than 150,000 people have gathered during the weekend after Labor Day in Covington’s historic MainStrasse Village to celebrate the Tristate’s rich German heritage, making merry with authentic German food, lively entertainment and a huge variety of arts-and-crafters. Crowned as one of the “Top 10 2009 Fall Festivals” by the Kentucky Tourism…
Harvey’s: A Victory for Original Music
We don’t often write about clubs here in Spill It, partly because the majority of bars offering live music exclusively hire cover bands and partly because, well, if we write about one, we gotta write about ‘em all. But when a venue comes along and pledges dedication to the local original music scene, I’m a…
Noce’s Pizzeria (Review)
A slice of authentic New York pizza is hard to come by in a city like Cincinnati. Surely there is no lack of pizzerias that claim to offer a “New York style” pizza, but there is rarely agreement as to which place is the real deal. If you’ve had a true New York slice, you…
New Twist on An Ancient Tradition
Valley Temple in Wyoming is a small synagogue just off Springfield Pike. In fact, it’s so small that you’d probably drive right by it if you weren’t looking for it. But this small Reform Jewish congregation has a pretty big idea for getting people reconnected with their Judaism for the High Holy Days. Rosh Hashanah,…
Events: Second Sunday on Main
For the past five summers the Over-the Rhine Chamber of Commerce has held the successful Second Sunday on Main event. Taking place on Main between 12th and Liberty streets, this eclectic neighborhood gala brings music, food, shopping and art to one of Cincinnati's most historic districts. New features this year include The Christian Moerlein Beer…
Homeless and Hurt Downtown
Dear Maija, I’m homeless, but I’ve been working really hard on trying to get my life back together. (I used to play a trumpet outside of sporting events because people really like that sort of thing but some kids stole it one night after the Reds lost.) Lately I’ve been writing a lot, but I…
9 (Review)
Once upon a time, if you saw a short film, you saw the work of someone who wanted to make a short film. Nowadays, that ain’t necessarily so. In 2006, Shane Acker’s 10-minute computer-animated 9 was nominated for a Best Animated Short Oscar — but by that point Tim Burton was already working with Acker…
Sept. 2-8: Worst Week Ever!
WEDNESDAY SEPT. 2Sometimes it’s difficult for white men to really understand how hard it is to break through a glass ceiling (can’t you just smash it with a broomstick and try not to get cut when you climb up?). One organization that has proven over centuries that it won’t tolerate its womens speaking out or…
MPMF.09 Thursday
DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI Fountain Square Kickoff Happy Hour5th and Vine Streets • FREE 5–7:00 pm TThe Young Republic and Shanya Zaid & the Catch Arnold’s Bar & Grill210 E 8th Street, (513) 421-6234Wristband or $5 at the door 11:00 pm Spookfloaters10:00 pm The Lighthouse & the Whaler9:00 pm The Greens8:00 pm Stick Figure Drawings Blue Wisp…
Events: Beer Festival
Supporting local products is always commendable, but when beer is involved, it's easy! Show your appreciation for both this weekend with the Tri-state's finest brewers and distributors. Guests can purchase 10-ticket packs for $10 and try either a 3-ounce sample (one ticket) or a full 12-ounce pour (four tickets) of each brew. Beer aficionados will…
It Takes a Village…
Current times call for convergence: of collaborations, of community, especially local community. For the first time, Cincinnati Ballet’s annual repertory showcase New Works focuses on homegrown talent to provide fresh choreography and music. We’re encouraged to buy local, so why not tap in-town talent? Four of the five works on the bill come from local…
Welcome to Music Town, USA
Dear MidPoint Performer, Welcome to Cincinnati, the city I’ve enjoyed living, working and making music in for the past 20 years. I hope your experience is a great one. And I hope you don’t leave. Really. Take a good hard look around while you’re here. The rent is cheap, the architecture and geography are stimulating…
Gamer (Review)
In his latest violent actioner, Gerard Butler will remind viewers of Russell Crowe. During the course of this coarse techno-thriller, I couldn’t help wondering if the brooding Butler would ever become an acquired taste like Crowe and finally leapfrog or fight his way out of the 300/Gladiator exercises to awards-caliber fare (think A Beautiful Mind…
Dance: Cincinnati Ballet’s New Works
For the first time, Cincinnati Ballet’s annual repertory showcase New Works focuses on homegrown talent to provide fresh choreography and music. Four of the five works on the bill come from local choreographers and are set to local music. An opening night fundraiser performance brings bonuses: musical acts Jake Speed & The Freddies, Over the…
Cincinnati Art Museum’s Upcoming Shows and Other Events
Last week, Cincinnati Art Museum Director Aaron Betsky and Patricia Hynes, deputy director of institutional development, met CityBeat at the museum to talk about the upcoming season and other subjects. Since we’ve already published the museum’s Fall schedule, I’m going to use this column to bring up some of the other information they shared with…
MPMF.09 Saturday
DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI Fountain Square Kickoff Happy Hour5th and Vine Streets • FREE 7–11:00 pm The Trouble with Boys and more Arnold’s Bar & Grill210 E 8th Street, (513) 421-6234Wristband or $5 at the door 12:00 am William F. Gibbs11:00 pm Lens Lounge10:00 pm Brett Rosenberg9:00 pm Nathan Xander8:00 pm Karl Walters Jr. Trio Blue Wisp…
Scare Tactics Bomb Locally, Win Nationally
In an unfortunately all too rare case of political courage and discipline, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and a City Council majority ignored negative headlines and stuck to their guns last week in a budget showdown with the police union. With the city facing a $28 million deficit this year due to lower than expected tax…
Paper Heart (Review)
Comic musician (or musical comedienne) Charlyne Yi teams up with director Nicholas Jasenovec to explore the concept of love — what it is, what it means, how do you know it when it sneaks up on you in the parking lot of Biggs as you touch the germy handle of the grocery cart. You get…
Onstage: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
You have just one more weekend to catch this very funny musical based on a very funny film. I know this might not sound all that original, but Dirty Rotten Scoundrels was a 1988 movie with a cult following, and the musical transforms it into a downright hilarious piece of theater — good enough, in…
Mayor Mallory, Ryan Widmer and Carmen Electra
[WINNER] MAYOR MARK MALLORY: Despite fear-mongering by his opponents, Mallory hung tough in negotiations with the police union and won a major victory. The mayor asked the union for concessions to help avoid a $28 million deficit or face 138 layoffs in the Police Department. The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) initially refused, hoping a…
Lite Brite Still Glowing
Blue that you missed last year’s Lite Brite Film Test, which typically took over the Southgate House for a weekend five years running? Who can forget John Waters' one-man show at last year's Lite Brite? Well, never fear: The always-crafty visual extravaganza is back, this time in conjunction with the three-day MidPoint Music Festival. This…
Where the Harvest Is
This month offers plenty of opportunities to ring in fall the good old-fashioned Pagan way by feasting on the harvest and communing with friends and neighbors. First off, Imago, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit that supports sustainable living, is offering farm shares for a mere $160 — 10 weeks of fresh, organic veggies that includes a commitment…
Events: ChamberPalooza
The Chamber Music Network takes over the Cincinnati Art Museum for its annual celebration of chamber music, Chamberpalooza. The event will feature free chamber music sampler concerts — ranging from Classical to Jazz to Choral — special activities for children, a musical instrument “petting” zoo and drawings to win assorted chamber music tickets, CDs and…
Calling All Volunteers
Volunteers are the face, muscle and might that propel the MidPoint Music Festival forward each year. Participating as a volunteer is a great way to get behind the scenes at MidPoint, meet new people, discover new music, score a new T-shirt and enjoy a diverse experience while nurturing your Cincinnati pride. New things are planned…
Death Penalty Isn’t a Winner
Offhand, what would you say Ohio has in common with the state of Texas? A propensity to execute its prisoners, that’s what. In his recently released book No Winners Here Tonight, Columbus-based Associated Press reporter Andrew Welsh-Huggins says that in 1958 four states accounted for half the 48 U.S. executions (Ohio, Texas, California, Georgia), and…
Grand Re-opening Weekend
Though I’m a West-side boy myself, I never stepped foot in the hallowed halls of Price Hill Rock club The Blue Note. I now have a reason to go, even though it closed last year and, after a temporary change of ownership, closed again. Starting this week, the club is back as Harvey’s. The new…
Comedy: JR Brow
Some comics are encouraged by friends to try stand-up, others by co-workers. For Austin’s JR Brow, it was both, with an extra nudge from the late, great Bill Hicks. It was the late ’80s and Brow was designing T-shirts. A sales rep (Hicks’ brother) met with Brow and invited him to Bill’s show. Brow and…
Comedy: Demetri Martin
This floppy-haired comedian and star of both his own Comedy Central show, Important Things With Demetri Martin, and the new Ang Lee film, Taking Woodstock, brings his live stand-up act to the Cintas Center on Xavier University’s campus. His brand of clean, comedic musings often leads to observations like, “The easiest time to add insult…
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Review)
No swindle here: a professional cast, a polished design, an 11-player orchestra, a hot show just a few seasons removed from Broadway, a reasonable ticket price — all in comfortably posh surroundings at Covington’s Carnegie Center. For a musical about con artists, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is surprisingly on the level. Still, we’re not completely taken…
Onstage: Sleuth
It’s no mystery that Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park is one of America’s most successful regional theaters. (If you need proof, just check out the two Tony Awards on display in the lobby.) But mysteries have been popular offerings over the years, most particularly Anthony Shaffer’s Sleuth, which was a big draw when the Playhouse…
Ticket to Ride
MidPoint offers 270 acts on 23 stages in three districts (downtown, Over-the-Rhine and Newport) over three nights — with so much to see and hear, why waste time standing in line to pay cover charges at each club? Festival-goers in the know pony up for a three-day wristband and guarantee themselves smooth sailing. The three-day…
Amateur Curation
Artist Don Lambert, who wants his work to reach a wide public, is a perfect choice as the inaugural winner of the Cincinnati Art Museum’s new 4th Floor Award. Don Lambert: Supernova Terra Firma, the first 4th Floor Award exhibition, has just opened in the museum’s Vance-Waddell gallery and remains up through Nov. 29. “This…
MPMF.09 Friday
DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI Fountain Square Kickoff Happy Hour Fifth and Vine Streets • FREE 7-11 pm The Hotcakes and more Arnold’s Bar & Grill210 E. Eighth St., 513-421-6234Wristband or $7 at the door 12 m The Kentucky Struts11 pm The Jack Fords10 pm John Eichleay9 pm Carley Tanchon8 pm Proud Simon Blue Wisp Jazz ClubAll Night…
