FRIDAY ART: AFTER THE MOMENT: REFLECTIONS ON ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE OPENING CELEBRATION As the Contemporary Arts Center prepares to open After the Moment: Reflections on Robert Mapplethorpe this Friday, the show — especially the opening itself — is taking on a much more historical dimension than first planned. The primary thrust of the show remains: Seven regional curators have each chosen five new works by local artists that reflect how Mapplethorpe’s The Perfect Moment influences today’s artistic landscape. When the CAC presented that show in 1990, law-enforcement officials infamously and unsuccessfully prosecuted it on obscenity charges. But one new and key element will be a 7 p.m. Friday lecture, for CAC members only, by photographer Andres Serrano. His 1987 “Piss Christ,” an eerily beautiful color image of a plastic crucifix inside a glass of urine, was as much a part of the era’s “culture wars” as anything in Mapplethorpe’s The Perfect Moment. After the Moment: Reflections on Robert Mapplethorpe opens at the Contemporary Arts Center Friday and runs through March 13. More info: contemporaryartscenter.org.
ART: STEW-TOPIA AT THE 21C MUSEUM HOTEL Justin Hoover and Chris Treggiari, the artists behind the ongoing project War Gastronomy — “a dual-industrial tricycle system that unfolds into a pop-up food cart and cultural archive of personal stories of relocation, dislocation and overcoming struggle” — present Stew-topia, another community food- and story-sharing event at 21c Museum Hotel in conjunction with their participation in Wave Pool Gallery’s current exhibition, Holding Ground. Hoover and Treggiari will perform in Gano Alley (directly adjacent to 21c) on Friday and will hold a discussion of their work inside the Museum Hotel on Sunday. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday; 4 p.m. Sunday. Free. 609 Walnut St., Downtown, facebook.com/wavepoolgallery.
EVENT: CINCINNATI CHEESE FESTIVAL Get ready to get cheesy. Imbibe unlimited samples of more than 300 cheeses from international artisan producers at the Cincinnati Cheese Festival, which takes over the Christian Moerlein Brewing Co. on Friday. Things heat up during the Grilled Cheese Meltdown, when local eateries like C’est Cheese, Taste of Belgium and CRAVE compete to whip up the most imaginative (and tasty) grilled-cheese sandwich — fest-goers vote for their favorites. General admission includes two drink tickets, and local band Blue Caboose performs Americana and Bluegrass music throughout the evening. 6-11 p.m. Friday. $40. 1621 Moore St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnaticheesefestival.com.
ONSTAGE: MEGAN HILTY: ROSEMARY CLOONEY’S SONGBOOK Broadway songstress and vocal diva Megan Hilty (you may know her from her turn as Glinda in Wicked or from the TV-series Smash) takes the stage to perform Tristate sweetheart Rosemary Clooney’s classic songs, including “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “April in Paris,” “Tenderly” and more, in a moving tribute with accompaniment from the Cincinnati Pops. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday. $20-$110. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org.
MUSIC: ASS PONYS One of the more renowned Cincinnati bands of the past few decades, Ass Ponys, reunites this weekend for a pair of shows at Woodward Theater (1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, woodwardtheater.com). Tickets for the 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday shows are available through cincyticket.com for $25 (or $40 for both nights). The band will be playing songs from throughout its career, with 35-40 rehearsed tunes to choose from each night (the set lists will differ). These are the first Ass Ponys shows in more than a decade. Read more about the band, including an interview with frontman Chuck Cleaver, in this week’s Spill It. Ass Ponys perform Friday and Saturday at Woodward Theater. More info/tickets: woodwardtheater.com.
MUSIC: EVERCLEAR Wanna feel old? Everclear is currently celebrating the 20th anniversary of its breakout album, Sparkle and Fade. The album gave us the depressingly optimistic single “Santa Monica” and seemed to perfectly sum up the feelings of a generation at the time. Like Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or Soundgarden’s “Black Hole Sun,” “Santa Monica” never seems to go away and remains the defining song for Everclear, despite other successful singles. Read more about the band in this week’s Sound Advice. Everclear plays Friday with Hydra Melody at Bogart’s. More info/tickets: bogarts.com.
SPORTS: PUCKS AND PINOT If you’re a fan of hockey and wine, head to the Cincinnati Cyclones game against the Adirondack Thunder early on Friday for a pre-game wine tasting featuring Hanover Winery. Taste eight favorite local wines and sample a selection of hors d’oeuvres. There will be music provided by local Folk/Americana band Young Heirlooms, and event tickets include a commemorative wine glass and a discounted game ticket. 6 p.m. Friday. $35. U.S. Bank Arena, 100 Broadway St., Downtown, cycloneshockey.com.
MUSIC: BLUES & BOOGIE PIANO SUMMIT One of the region’s most unique musical events, the Blues & Boogie Piano Summit, is not just a “Blues festival,” it’s also a two-day concert that spotlights a specific sub-genre of Blues — Boogie Woogie. The vintage and uniquely American artform still maintains an international audience of die-hard fans, as local Ambassador of Boogie Ricky Nye’s frequent trips to Europe prove. Nye hosts the 16th-annual event this weekend and once again brings in some international talent for the showcase. Joining Nye (and the house band featuring Chris Douglas, Paul Ellis and Brian Hogg) this year are French players Fabrice Eulry and Philippe LeJeune, as well as Hungary’s Balázs Dániel. 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $20-$30. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport, Ky., southgatehouse.com.
SATURDAY
EVENT: HOLIDAY BEER EXTRAVAGANZA Every Cincinnatian knows that the Christian Moerlein Lager House is one of the premier spots to down a cold one. But this Saturday Christian Moerlein is taking things to festive levels of fun with its Holiday Beer Extravaganza. The extravaganza will boast more than 20 different selections of imported and craft beers — just what you need to jump-start your holiday cheer. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Free. Moerlein Lager House, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, moerleinlagerhouse.com.
EVENT: NORTHSIDE RECORD FAIR The third-annual Northside Record Fair returns to North Presbyterian Church for an afternoon of musical digging and discovery. Vendors from across the region will be bringing thousands of rare records covering all audio ground from Jazz and Punk to Prog and Country. Search more than 40 tables of LPs, 45s, cassettes, posters, CDs, T-shirts and other memorabilia as The Queen City Imperial Soundsystem spins deep Reggae, Dub and Dancehall cuts. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. $5; $10 early-bird (10 a.m. entry). 4222 Hamilton Ave., Northside, facebook.com/northsiderecordfair.
EVENT: HOLLER FESTIVAL Nearly 5 million barrels of bourbon are aging in the Bluegrass State, and you get to enjoy the best of them at the first-ever Holler Festival. Join Kentucky breweries and distilleries as they showcase their signature craft beers and whiskeys. Learn the secrets of the trade, sample drinks and heavy appetizers, grab your special-edition glass and hang out with the best bourbon producers in Kentucky. Participating breweries and distilleries include Ei8ht Ball, Copper & Kings American Brandy, Blue Stallion Brewing, Old Pogue Distillery and The Gentleman Distillery. All proceeds benefit Renaissance Covington. 6-10 p.m. $50. New Riff Distilling, 24 Distillery Way, Newport, Ky., hollerfestival.com.
EVENT: PUMPKIN CHUCK If you find yourself in Stanbery Park this Saturday and notice trebuchets slinging pumpkins through the air, do not be alarmed. The annual Mount Washington Community Council’s Pumpkin Chuck features live local music, food and drink vendors and, of course, the high-velocity launching of massive pumpkins with medieval military equipment. Noon-5 p.m. Saturday. Free. Stanbery Park, 2221 Oxford Ave., Mount Washington, mwcc.org.
LITERARY: MIKE LUPICA Longtime New York Daily News sports columnist and ESPN commentator Mike Lupica began writing novels in the mid-1980s and hasn’t stopped since, dropping works of fiction — from mysteries to stories for younger audiences — every few years. Just in time for the new NBA season, Lupica’s latest novel, Fast Break, centers on a gifted basketball player who is sent across town to live with affluent foster parents following his mother’s death. Per Kirkus Review’s recent take on Fast Break: “Nothing groundbreaking here, but Lupica delivers solid action and character growth.” Lupica reads from and discusses Fast Break at Joseph-Beth. 7 p.m. Saturday. Free. 2692 Madison Road, Rookwood Pavilion, Norwood, josephbeth.com.
ONSTAGE: SLEUTH Mystery fans have a tasty treat in store for them at The Carnegie in Covington with this 1970 award-winning play by Anthony Shaffer. It’s a two-man show about a renowned mystery writer who loves to play games, but when he discovers that his wife is about to leave him for another man, he maps out a scheme that aims at dire consequences for his romantic rival. Matters soon get out of hand, resulting in as much humor as drama as the complicated story unfolds. Be prepared for twists and turns that will keep you guessing. That’s the fun of it, after all. Through Nov. 22. $18-$25. The Carnegie, 1028 Scott St., Covington, Ky., thecarnegie.com.
SUNDAY COMEDY: LISA LANDRY
Recently divorced, life goes on for comedian Lisa Landry. “Best thing I’ve ever done,” she says before correcting herself. “It wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever done. I should have shot him in the head. My mistake was I paid a lawyer instead of a judge.” That experience has been the source of some material of course, as has her breakup with booze. “We just broke up, tequila and I. We had a parting of ways. I told her, ‘I love you girl, but this is not healthy.’” While at Go Bananas, Landry will be recording promos for her as-yet-untitled CD, due for release this winter. Thursday-Sunday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com.
ATTRACTIONS: ICE RINK AT FOUNTAIN SQUARE
Temperatures may be in the 70s this week, but that doesn’t mean you can’t channel some early holiday spirit. Fountain Square’s Ice Rink is officially open, offering daily skating and special events (like frozen-turkey bowling Nov. 24) all the way through February. Rent a pair of skates on-site and spend the day in the heart of downtown. Open daily. $6 admission; $4 skate rental. Fifth and Vine streets, Downtown, myfountainsquare.com.
ATTRACTIONS: THE ART OF THE BRICK
Millions of LEGO bricks are taking over the Cincinnati Museum Center. Anticipated exhibit The Art of the Brick features more than 100 artworks created by contemporary artist Nathan Sawaya using nothing other than LEGOs. Explore life-size human figures, a 20-foot-long T-Rex skeleton and replicated famous paintings, including “Starry Night” and “Girl with a Pearl Earring,” plus familiar sculptures like “The Thinker” and the Sphinx. Sawaya has also created a Cincinnati-themed piece that will be revealed when the exhibit debuts. Create your own LEGO masterpieces in the interactive Brickopolis, and don’t miss special themed days revolving around Star Wars, dinosaurs, superheroes and more. Through May 1. $19.50 adults; $12.50 children 12 and under. Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, 513-287-7000, cincymuseum.org.
This article appears in Nov 4-10, 2015.
