CityBeat | November 29, 2023

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NOVEMBER 29-DECEMBER 12, 2023

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NEWS

The Cincinnati Socialists organization rallied against federal funding for the Israeli Defense Forces outside Main Street's John Weld Peck Federal Building on Nov. 16.

P H OTO : M A D E L I N E F E N I N G

Cincinnati Socialists Call Out Rep. Greg Landsman for Censure of Rep. Rashida Tlaib Rep. Greg Landsman told CityBeat it’s his job to “stand up to the more extreme folks.”

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he Cincinnati Socialists organization is calling out Rep. Greg Landsman’s stance on Israel.

The group rallied outside Main Street’s John Weld Peck Federal Building on Nov. 16, calling on the federal government to halt funding for Israeli Defense Forces.

When Will Cincinnati Start to See Rail Sale Money?

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e now have an idea when Cincinnati may start to see money flow in from the sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway (CSR).

Voters passed Issue 22 on Nov. 7, which approved the sale of the CSR to Norfolk Southern for $1.6 billion. The money will exist in a trust that the CSR board will manage, and part of that includes selecting a financial advisor to properly invest the lump sum so the city can live off the interest.

The board convened on Nov. 14 to discuss the process of selecting that advisor, which is off to a delayed start.

Assistant Cincinnati City Manager

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“We’re here to protest U.S. tax dollars going to fund the indiscriminate killing of civilians in Gaza,” said Tino (last name not provided) with Cincinnati Socialists.

Protesters rallied with signs saying “CEASEFIRE” and chanting, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!”

Billy Weber told the board during the meeting that a “mix-up” in the city’s procurement office caused two firms to miss the October application deadline. As a result, the board extended the deadline to Nov. 30 so those two firms can submit a bid. Sixteen other firms that already threw their hat in the ring will be allowed to edit their bids if desired during the extension.

The extension means the board will now select a money manager on Jan. 8 during the next scheduled board meeting.

Board President Paul Muething said the sale should be finalized on March 15, and that money from the sale would begin to flow to the city soon after. Norfolk Southern will still pay a prorated lease amount for January, February and March.

The city estimates it would see an annual return on the investment ranging from $50 million to $70 million, almost three times what the city earns from leasing the railroad to Norfolk

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The latter statement is what prompted U.S. House members to formally censure Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), including southwest Ohio Rep. Greg Landsman. Tlaib is the only House member of Palestinian descent, and Landsman is Jewish.

“It is claimed by those who censured

Tlaib that the phrase ‘from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free’ is ‘widely recognized as a genocidal call to violence to destroy the state of Israel and its people.’ This lie deliberately obscures the colonial character of the Israeli state,” Tino said.

Landsman told CityBeat it’s his job to “stand up to the more extreme folks.”

“It’s really important for us to speak out against dangerous rhetoric, especially when we know it will lead to violence. Whether a Republican or Democrat does it, it’s wrong, and the country needs more folks who are willing to stand up to the more extreme folks, on the far right and the far left, so we are fully focused on actually solving problems and getting things done.

That’s me. It’s always been me, and it always will be,” Landsman said.

“I also really do hope and pray that folks rethink their desire to annihilate Israel, and appreciate that a free Palestine with real self-determination is what most Israelis, Americans and Jews want.

We also want an end to the war, not a ceasefire, but an end to the war. Hamas must go, and the world should be all in to free Gaza and the West Bank from terror and corruption and finally give the Palestinian people a legitimate governing authority that will pursue peace and a nation,” Landsman continued.

Tino told CityBeat that Cincinnati Socialists’ pro-Palestinian stance is not rooted in extremism. “Our line on this is ceasefire, liberation, return,” Tino said.

“This is resistance to colonial occupation, this is not rooted in any sort of antisemitism or any sort of religious conflict.”

The Cincinnati Southern Railway board convened on Nov. 14 to discuss the process of selecting a financial advisor, which is off to a delayed start.

PHOTO: MADELINE FENING

Southern now. Legally, earnings from the sale could only be spent on maintaining existing city facilities like

roads, rec centers and fire stations, which city leaders say is crucial given the city’s $300 million deficit.

The Port Partners With Realtist Association to Make Homeownership for Cincinnatians More Accessible

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incinnati leaders announced a historic partnership Thursday that aims to make homeownership more accessible to many in the community, particularly for Cincinnati’s Black and brown residents.

As it stands, Black homeownership in Cincinnati proper is at about 25%, while in Hamilton County, it hovers between 33-34% — a 40% gap from white homeownership in Greater Cincinnati, which is about 74%, according to a recent report from Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Greater Cincinnati (HOME). But a new partnership between The Port and the Greater Cincinnati Realtist Association (GCRA) is hoping to change that.

In 2021, The Port announced it bought a portfolio of 194 local rentals from an out-of-town institutional investor, Los Angeles-based Raineth Housing. This launched The Port’s CARE (Creating Affordable Real Estate) Homes initiative, with the goal of converting these single-family homes in neighborhoods like Price Hill, North College Hill, Evanston and others into affordable homeownership opportunities.

“Our goal of our CARE portfolio is to make high-quality improvements to single-family homes and make them available to homebuyers,” Laura Brunner, president and CEO of The Port, said at a press conference outside 1734 Wyoming Ave. in West Price Hill, one of the CARE homes, Thursday. “Sometimes, that means we take a loss, especially when properties are relatively small … We take on that risk because to The Port, the eventual sale of this home isn’t just about new upgrades that a family gets to enjoy. While that’s part of it, we’re improving the quality of life in neighborhoods also, and we’re creating a pathway toward generational wealth, one of the primary benefits of owning a home.”

To help sell those homes, The Port is teaming up with the GCRA, known as the Realtists, the local chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), a real estate professional trade organization committed to providing democracy in housing.

GCRA President Darrick Dansby said the Realtists have been working extremely hard to increase Black homeownership in Greater Cincinnati through workshops and collaborations with local organizations like the Community Action Agency, the Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority and Cincinnati Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney’s office. But there was

still a piece missing: inventory.

“We have the realtors, lenders, inspectors; we’ve got a title company,” Dansby said at the press conference.

“The missing component of this whole formula that we don’t have is inventory. We’ve got the people to help people buy houses; we’ve got the lenders who are preapproving these houses, but we don’t have the product to show prospective home buyers. This [partnership] is a way to help find a solution to that problem.”

Dansby added that home inventory in the area is so low, there’s only a onemonth supply. In a traditional market, there would be up to three months’ worth of inventory.

“So having this inventory that is specifically dedicated to starter homeowners and homeowners who have the opportunity to buy a home based on their income, we believe that these products will help us increase that Black homeownership,” Dansby said.

Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece called the partnership “historic.”

“The county, the Realtists, the Port Authority [coming together] — I don’t

3444 Fernside Place in Evanston is one of The Port's CARE Homes currently for sale.

PHOTO: COLDWELL BANKER

think they have anything like this in the country,” Reece said at the press conference. “This is historic. This is a national model. … This is what happens when you get [Hamilton] County, the Port, the Realtists, the African-American community working together.”

Brunner says the partnership also builds on The Port’s message that

homeownership is an achievable possibility for all. “[The Realtists] aren’t just realtors; they’re educators, deeply immersed in the real estate market of Cincinnati and will be instrumental as we continue to work to positively transform homeownership rates in our community,” she said.

Eight of the 194 CARE Homes have already hit the market, with three already under contract, says Dansby.

The sale prices of the homes are at or below market in all neighborhoods, with listings stipulating the home must be owner-occupied (for at least five years, according to this listing for The Port home 3444 Fernside Place in Evanston) and the homes won’t be sold to investors.

“For the high quality of the renovations that we’re making, this significantly reduces the barrier to entry in the housing market, and we need everyone to know about it,” said Brunner.

To learn more about homeownership opportunities through The Port, email housing@cincinnatiport.org.

Award-Winning UC Medical Student Shot, Killed on Western Hills Viaduct

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he Cincinnati Police Department is searching for the person responsible for the death of a 26-year-old University of Cincinnati doctoral student who was shot on Nov. 9.

CPD said officers were dispatched to the Western Hills Viaduct around 6:20 a.m. for reports of an “auto accident and a person shot.” The responding officers found Aaditya Adlakha, 26, suffering from a gunshot wound inside his car. He was transported to UC Medical Center where he died from his injuries on Nov. 11.

His death is being investigated as a homicide, according to a Nov. 13 report from the Hamilton County coroner.

A “transformative” researcher According to UC, Adlakha was born in India and received his bachelor’s degree in zoology in 2018 from the University of Delhi in New Delhi before earning his master’s degree in

physiology from All India Institute of Medical Sciences in 2020. He was a fourth-year Ph.D. candidate in UC’s Molecular and Development Biology graduate program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital when he died. He was also the Graduate Student Government president for UC’s Health Sciences department.

UC said Adlakha worked in the lab of Michael Jankowski in the anesthesiology department in the division of pain management at Cincinnati Children’s.

“He was much-loved, exceedingly kind and humorous, intelligent and sharp, whose research was described as novel and transformative,” reads a Nov. 13 news release from UC Medical College. “The focus of his work was to better understand neuroimmune communication and how neuroimmune interactions might contribute to pain and the inflammatory landscape in ulcerative colitis. He expected to complete his doctorate in 2025.”

Adlakha received an award and stipend from the medical college in 2022

for his research on the immunomodulatory role of nociceptive neurons in ulcerative colitis.

Grief services for students and staff The release, which was sent to the medical college’s students, faculty and staff, lists support options for those grieving.

“Grief has no timeline. We need to care for ourselves and each other as we mourn the loss of Aaditya and remember him as a friend, student and colleague,” the release reads.

Students can access grief counseling services by contacting the university’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) department at 513-556-0648.

Faculty and staff who would like counseling and support are asked to contact the university’s Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) at 800-227-6007.

CPD is asking anyone with information related to the incident to call Crime Stoppers at (513) 352-3040.

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Cincinnati Zoo Announces Death of 3-Year-Old Bonobo

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The Cincinnati Zoo is mourning the loss of a young ape, Amali the bonobo.

he Cincinnati Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its young bonobos, an endangered ape species.

“We are devastated to share that 3-year-old bonobo Amali passed away,” the zoo wrote on Facebook.

According to the zoo, Amali died after a week of receiving supportive care for respiratory syncytial virus, commonly known as RSV. The infection of the lungs and respiratory tract is common for human children, but the zoo said bonobos are especially susceptible to secondary infections from RSV. “The Jungle Trails team is prioritizing supportive care for the rest of the symptomatic members of the troop,” the zoo said. “We see signs of recovery and remain hopeful that the infection has mostly run its course.”

Amali was born on July 23, 2020. She is the daughter of Kesi and Vernon. She was the 11th bonobo to be born at The Cincinnati Zoo. One of Amali’s keepers described her as “small but mighty” in the Facebook

post announcing her death.

“People say the best things come in small packages, and after working with Amali I’m here to tell you…they’re right,” the post reads. “Amali was small but mighty. She had a huge personality. [...] The entire bonobo troop adored her; from our large adult males to her half-brother Bo, everyone was a playmate but made sure to be gentle and tender with her.”

The zoo said each member of the tight-knit bonobo troop was given the chance to say goodbye to Amali.

“The Jungle Trails team allowed every member of the troop to say a final goodbye and start the grieving process after this unexpected loss. It’s hard for everyone, and while her keepers and troop continue to grieve the loss, we’re comforted by the idea that she is reunited with her father Vernon,” the zoo said.

“We ask you to join us in celebrating her life by sharing your favorite moments or stories of Amali, and continue to be a champion for bonobo conservation in her honor.”

P H O T O : M I C H E L L E P E T E R S V I A T H E C I N C I N N AT I Z O O

Northern Kentucky Skate Shop Petitions to Keep Lights on at Florence Skate Park

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Florence skate shop is shedding light on a dim situation in Northern Kentucky.

Skating against the elements Alex Evans, owner of Grateful Skate Shop in Florence, started a petition to turn the lights on at the Florence Skate Park, commonly known as “Flopa.” He said the lights are much needed now that the sun goes down around 5:30 p.m.

“If you’re really a skateboarder you don’t just stop with the season,” Evans told CityBeat. “I know people who skate in freezing temperatures.”

With Cincinnati still waiting for its first official skate park, Flopa has become a major asset to the broader skating community.

“I see someone I know every time I go,” Evans said. “Without the lights being on, it’s not being used to its full potential.”

Evans’ “Turn on the Florence

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The "Turn on the Florence Skatepark Lights" petition has racked up 619 signatures as of press time.

P H OTO : T E R R E L L ST E WA RT

Skatepark Lights” petition has racked up 619 signatures as of press time. The goal is to collect 1,000 signatures to show city leaders there’s broad support for turning on lights that are already there. Evans pointed to the success of an Indiana skate park, saying more skating time is actually better for the community.

“In Lawrenceburg across the river, they keep the lights on,” he said. “I talked to the community director over there and he said they haven’t had any problems — it’s actually kept kids off the streets.”

Safety is another reason Evans said

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skaters need more light.

“It’s not very safe, the skating isn’t going to stop once the sun goes down,” Evans said. “I thought the whole idea for building a skate park is keeping people off others’ property.”

The city of Florence did not respond to CityBeat’s request for comment on the petition by press time.

A light at the end of the tunnel in Cincinnati While Florence fights to keep the lights on, the Cincinnati skating community

may soon have a dedicated park to call their own.

Cincinnati city leaders approved a plan on Oct. 25 to apply for a $500,000 grant to build a skate park in Camp Washington.

The grant, which comes from the Land and Water Conservation Fund via the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, requires the city to pitch in $250,000 if the grant is approved.

In addition to fundraising, the city would need to pull funds from the city’s Outdoor Facilities Renovation Budget to make up to a 50% match.

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Holiday Guide 25 Greater Cincinnati

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS you won’t want to miss B Y K AT H E R I N E B A R R I E R & C I T Y B E AT S TA F F

Break out the holly and tinsel: The holiday season is upon us, Cincinnati.

And whether you’re more of a “bah humbug” or “deck the halls” kind of person, there are a lot of fun holiday traditions in Cincinnati happening throughout December you won’t want to miss out on.

From taking a few spins on the ice downtown or oohing and ahhing at colorful light displays to donning a bright red Santa suit and getting sloppy drunk (for a good cause), here are 25 ways to make merry this time of year.

Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden 3400 Vine St., Avondale

Take a walk on the wild side: At the Festival of Lights, guests can enjoy over 4 million LED lights, a light show on Swan Lake, costumed characters, visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus, train rides on the North Polar Express, a blacklight puppet show, an immersive “Under the Sea” area and more. There will also be five Fiona fairies hidden throughout Fairyland for visitors to find, as well as plenty of delicious holiday treats like hot chocolate, roasted nuts and s’mores.

Open nightly, except for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, through Jan. 7.

Ice Skating at Fountain Square

520 Vine St., Downtown Nothing says winter or the holiday season in Cincinnati quite like ice skating at Fountain Square. Lace up your skates for a spin on the ice, or you can buckle up and take a bumper car out on the ice — UC Health Ice Rink being the only rink in the Tri-State to offer this fun opportunity. The skating rink is open to everyone of all

ages, but children 4 and under must be accompanied by an adult on the ice. You can also warm up at the WGU Ohio Warming Tent or at the concession stand, where you can stop by for a quick snack or warm drink. The stand also has beer, wine and select spirits for sale.

Rink open daily until Feb. 19.

Holiday Junction at the Cincinnati Museum Center 1301 Western Ave., West End All aboard! At almost 80 years old, Holiday Junction is a beloved tradition that’s been handed down from generation to generation, with Greater Cincinnati families gathering to watch the toy-sized candycolored circus trains, sleek sleeper cars and coal-laden hopper cars (for those on the naughty list) zip around scenery of snow banks and crowded streets. Highlights of Holiday Junction include a 1904 electric toy train from the Cincinnati-based Carlisle & Finch Company, who made the first such electric toy train in 1896, along with a pre-World War II Lionel layout and a ‘60s Lionel Super O layout that show the evolution of toy trains and prefabricated landscapes. You’ll also be able WinterFest at Kings Island P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY K I N G S I S L A N D

to spot Thomas the Tank Engine as he and his friends chug around the mountains of Sodor.

Holiday Junction runs Thursday-Monday through Jan. 8.

Visit the Shillito’s Elves at the Foundry

505 Vine St., Downtown The famous Shillito’s Elves will be on display at the Foundry near Fountain Square again this year. The decades-old elves moved to that location for the first time in 2022, a callback to their first appearance in the storefront window of Cincinnati department store Shillito’s in the ‘50s. The mechanized figures depict various Christmas scenes, like the elves building toys in Santa’s workshop and sorting Santa’s mail. The same six elves will be on display: The Mail Sorter; Little Woodshop; Pete the Painter; Lazzie Bear and Gift Wrap; and Elves at home, including Ralph the Piano Player, Ned the Newspaper Reader and the four-stack of Bunkbed Elves dreaming of their toy deadline.

You can catch the elves’ animated antics Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 24-Jan. 2.

WinterFest at Kings Island 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason Kings Island’s WinterFest is merrier and brighter than ever, with over 7 million LED lights; 11 winter wonderlands, including the North Pole Outpost, Charlie Brown’s Christmastown and Tinsel Town; 10 different live holiday shows, like the nightly tree-lighting ceremony on International Street or the Winter Wonderland Parade; festive activities such as cookie decorating with

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Mrs. Claus or ice skating; and the Eiffel Tower dressed up like a gigantic Christmas tree. The park also has more than 20 rides open, including its two newest, Sol Spin and Cargo Loco, and its most popular roller coasters, Mystic Timbers and Flight of Fear.

Open select nights Nov. 24-Dec. 31.

The Annual Holiday Show at Krohn Conservatory 1501 Eden Park Drive, Walnut Hills The conservatory will be “filled with a warm glow as illuminated stars shine over colorful poinsettias, lush tropical foliage and holiday trees” for its annual holiday show, themed “Golden Days of Yule” this year. The centerpiece model train display features locomotives zipping through botanical recreations of local landmarks, utilizing materials like wood and moss to make mini versions of the spectacular originals.

Open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Jan. 7; Check the conservatory’s calendar as the show may close early some days.

Mt. Adams Reindog Parade and OTR RailDog Parade Reindog kicks off at 946 Pavilion St., Mt. Adamso RailDog kicks off at Queen City Radio, 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine

Cincinnati SantaCon P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY 3 C D C

lights throughout the aquarium, as well as the return of the magic bubbles, which carry everyone’s Christmas wishes to Santa, in Shark Ray Bay Theater. When a bubble pops, that means a Christmas wish has come true. Kids can also color their own magic bubble to make sure their most important wishes make it directly to jolly ole St. Nick, who will be reading them daily before his final dive on Christmas Eve. Open daily Nov. 24-Dec. 24.

For more than two decades, pups decorated in their holiday best have taken to the streets of Mt. Adams for an annual costumed Reindog Parade. And in Over-theRhine, there will also be a costumed puppy parade that will take dogs and their owners from Queen City Radio to Washington Park and back for some holiday cheer.

The Mt. Adams Reindog Parade is Saturday, Dec. 9 with registration from 12:30-1:45 p.m. and the parade kicking off at 2 p.m. The OTR RailDog Parade is Saturday, Dec. 16 starting at 3(ish) p.m.

Let It Glow at Rockwern Academy Cincinnati SantaCon Downtown, Mt. Adams and Covington It’s about to get sloppy. Hundreds of humans dressed in Santa outfits will be taking over Downtown, Overthe-Rhine, Newport and Covington in a holiday pub crawl. There will be singing and drinking; proceeds benefit The Cure Starts Now, a nonprofit focused on cancer research.

SantaCon is happening Saturday, Dec. 9 from noon to midnight.

Holiday show at Krohn Conservatory P H O T O : C AT I E V I OX

Nutcracker. The enchanted dreamland comes to life once again thanks to Tchaikovsky’s treasured score and the brilliant Cincinnati Ballet company. It’s a traditional way to get into the spirit with the whole family.

The Nutcracker is on stage from Dec. 14-24.

Nights of Lights at Coney Island

A Christmas Carol at Playhouse in the Park

962 Mt. Adams Circle, Mt. Adams 2023 is a special year for Playhouse in the Park as it debuts a new adaptation of A Christmas Carol on its brand new main stage. Since 1991, Cincinnati audiences have enjoyed Howard Dalin’s interpretation of Charles Dickens’ beloved holiday novella, but this year, the play will be seen through the lens of the Playhouse’s producing artistic director, Blake Robison.

And for those who worry the play won’t have the same magic as the years before, Robison reassures them, telling CityBeat, “All the great stories deserve to be readdressed. I understand anyone who might wonder or worry about that. Part of my job is to reassure people that it’s still the same story. We are still treating it in a traditional way.”

A Christmas Carol will be on stage from Nov. 24-Dec. 30.

Cincinnati Ballet’s The Nutcracker at Music Hall

1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati Ballet presents a true holiday classic: The

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6201 Kellogg Ave., Anderson Township Nights of Lights is a drive-thru display featuring a two-and-a-half-mile track with more than 2 million colorful lights set up in dazzling and festive scenes.

The lights are also synced to rocking holiday music, featuring all the classics. Scenes include tunnels of lights, larger-than-life Christmas trees, glowing snowflakes, dancing candy canes and more. There are also new light features and music this year, say organizers.

Nights of Lights is open nightly beginning at dusk through Dec. 31.

Scuba Santa’s Winter Wonderland at Newport Aquarium 1 Levee Way, Newport Scuba Santa’s Water Wonderland is a festive adventure that starts in the Surrounded by Sharks tank where Santa swims with three rare shark rays, Denver the loggerhead sea turtle and other fishy friends. And just because he’s underwater doesn’t mean your kids can’t tell Santa what they want for Christmas; his special magic allows him to hear even as he dives.

Visitors can also enjoy holiday music and colorful

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8401 Montgomery Road, Kenwood This drive-through Hanukkah display celebrates the festival of lights with glowing inflatables, handmade decor and more. There will be a special community night on Dec. 14 for Rockwern families and alumni, which will also feature an attempt to build the world’s tallest LEGO menorah.

Open Dec. 9-14 from 6-8 p.m.

Holidays on the Farm at Parky’s Farm

10073 Daly Road, Springfield Township Head down to the farm to make some magical memories together. Holidays on the Farm is Great Parks’ annual outdoor, wintertime event. This year, expect more lights, Santa’s reindeer, a merry beer garden, food trucks and entertainment. And for the first time ever, guests will also be able to take part in the winter sport of curling. The festive Christmas Tree Garden Trail and the Wonder of the Woodlot Trail are decked out in thousands of twinkling LED lights and illuminated displays, and kids can take pony and wagon rides for a real rustic holiday experience. And when the chill in the air has you seeking warmth, you can snuggle up together around the open firepits while enjoying music from the Dickens Carolers, or head over to Santaland to visit the Jolly Old Elf himself.

Holidays on the Farm will be open from 5-9 p.m. on Fridays-Sundays Nov.24-Dec. 17 and 5-9 p.m. on Dec. 21-23 and Dec. 26-31.

Pyramid Hill Lights at Pyramid Sculpture Park & Museum

1763 Hamilton Cleves Road, Hamilton Holiday revelers looking for a unique tradition filled

days, Family Fun Wednesdays where kids 12 and under can dine for free with the purchase of a slide ticket and half-price featured wine and bourbon every Thursday to toast the season. And when the Bengals play at home, the market will open three hours early.

You can also rent a private, heated igloo, which can fit up to 14 people and each booking comes with $300 in bonus gift cards good for food and drinks.

Open Wednesdays through Sundays Nov. 22-Dec. 31 (except Christmas Day), including a special surprise the week of Christmas and a New Year’s Eve Party.

Deck the Y’alls Lightfest at Thomas More Stadium 7950 Freedom Way, Florence The Florence Y’alls popular holiday lights festival is back at Thomas More Stadium, which has transformed into a dazzling winter wonderland, full of twinkling lights and holiday cheer. Two million lights are choreographed to music, including a 50-foot animated tree, and guests can immerse themselves in the show as they walk onto the field and through themed areas.

Deck the Y’alls Lightfest also features interactive experiences, like Santa’s Workshop where kids can meet the Man in the Red Suit in person, plus a skating rink during the day and plenty of photo ops. Local choirs, bands and entertainers perform live, and there’s a variety of food and drinks available for purchase.

Open daily (except Mondays, Nov. 27 and Dec. 4) Nov. 24-Jan. 1.

PNC Festival of Lights at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

with art and nature need look no further than the annual Pyramid Hill Lights show in Hamilton. Visitors drive along a two-mile route through the park, which features a glowing display of over 1 million lights. The show is designed to be enjoyed by every generation: Kids can stay engaged throughout the show with an interactive bingo game while parents enjoy the classical music soundtrack curated by WGUC and grandparents can take in all the holiday magic in a comfortable and inclusive way. Featured artists this year include The Bombshells of Cincinnati, Abby Palen, members of the Ross High School Art Club, and Inspiration Studios.

Pyramid Hill Lights is open Tuesday through Thursday from 6-9 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 6-10 p.m. through Dec. 31.

Holiday Pops at Music Hall

1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine John Morris Russell conducts the Cincinnati Pops, with additional appearances by the May Festival Youth Chorus, QKidz Dance Team and local high school ensembles, in a program of winter and holiday hits.

Holiday Pops runs Dec. 8-10.

Lebanon Horse -Drawn Carriage Parade & Festival

Downtown Lebanon The annual parade and festival features two (!) processions of horse-drawn carriages, plus a whimsical festival featuring live entertainment, craft vendors, holiday activities and plenty of food in Lebanon’s quaint downtown. It’s like the setting of a Hallmark movie.

The parade takes place Saturday, Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. and again at 7 p.m.

Downtown Dazzle at Fountain Square

520 Vine St., Downtown The ice rink and giant tree on Fountain Square will be complemented by Downtown Dazzle, which features Santa rappelling from a nearby skyscraper and a fireworks show to close out the night.

Downtown Dazzle runs from 6-10 p.m. on Saturdays Nov. 25-Dec. 17.

Holidays at the Taft Museum of Art

Shillito’s Elves P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY 3 C D C

Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company 1195 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presents another season of “high-octane jollity and frivolity.” NSFW or true Santa believers, it’s a light-hearted spoof of classic Christmas tales like It’s a Wonderful Life and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer that promises an evening of Santa-style belly laughs.

Every Christmas Story Ever Told will be on stage from Dec. 7-30.

Light in the Forest at Cincinnati Nature Center 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford Wander the woods in this celestial-themed light display set up along the Cincinnati Nature Center’s trails.

Guests can also enjoy live music, a decorated historic home, food trucks and holiday shopping.

Open select dates from Dec. 1-30 from 5:30-9 p.m.

Servatii Christkindlmarkt at Moerlein Lager House 115 Joe Nuohall Way, The Banks Holiday magic with some European flair returns to The Banks with the Servatii Christkindlmarkt. The free market brings all kinds of holiday cheer with it, including a four-lane innertube ice slide, themed character

316 Pike St., Downtown The Taft offers two holiday displays this year. The Duncanson Foyer will feature a tree that explores the meaning of living in a community. The tree will feature handmade ornaments from students at Frederick Douglass Elementary School, each of which is a self-portrait of the first-graders who created them. Students were asked to think about how they wanted to represent themselves.

“Some of the self-portraits are imaginary and symbolic, while others include things that are important to the students, such as accessories or clothes,” per the museum. The Taft will also display silver tea and coffee services and holiday decor in the dining room, authentic to the home’s 19th-century heyday.

On display through Jan. 7.

Christmas Glow at Land of Illusion

8762 Thomas Road, Middletown A haunted horror town during Halloween and a family-friendly splash zone during the summer, Land of Illusion transforms into a drive-through holiday light display each winter. Christmas Glow offers more than 3.8 million lights, a petting zoo and a Christmas village with a 45-foot-tall tree.

Open nightly from 6-10 p.m. Nov. 22-Dec. 30. Closed Nov. 27-29 and Christmas Day; park will be drive-thruonly from Dec. 26-30.

Winter Nights & River Lights on the Purple People Bridge Access from Newport on the Levee (1 Levee Way, New Newo port) or Sawyer Point (705 E. Pete Rose Way, The Banks) The Purple People Bridge’s annual holiday display features thousands of Christmas lights and holiday decorations spread across the bridge for everyone to enjoy. There will also be a Christmas Wish Tree that will help “provide gifts for individuals in need such as troubled teens, disabled individuals, and disadvantaged seniors,” per a previous event description.

Open nightly through Jan. 7.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Austin Butler as Benny in 20th Century Studios’ The Bikeriders.

P H O T O : C O U R T E S Y O F 2 0 T H C E N T U RY S T U D I O S . © 2 0 2 3 2 0 T H C E N T U R Y S T U D I O S . A L L R I G H T S R E S E RV E D.

The Future of Film

Why Cincinnati deserves its own annual film festival

BY ST E V E N RO S E N

W

e’re getting used to seeing movies at least partially filmed in Cincinnati open up with strong Oscars buzz. This goes back at least to Rain Man, which debuted in December of 1988 and went on to win four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Dustin Hoffman and Best Director for Barry Levinson.

This year, such an Oscars buzz film was set to be The Bikeriders, a drama about motorcycle gangs based on the photographs and interviews of Danny Lyon, one of this country’s greatest living photographers. Partially shot here, it had been set to open Dec. 1 but was put on hold because of the prolonged strike by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA). But that strike was settled on Nov. 9, so distributor Disney may yet get Bikeriders into theaters before the end of 2023 to qualify for this year’s Oscars. (It had not been done by this story’s deadline).

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From 1963-1967, Lyon followed members of the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club; he published his work in 1968. (It has recently been republished). The film, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival, has won early accolades and praise — especially for actor Austin Butler (of Elvis fame) as biker Benny. It is directed and written by Jeff Nichols.

Thinking about the buzz and excitement accompanying this film — similar to that which awaited such other prestigious Cincinnati-shot films as 2000’s Traffic, 2011’s Ides of March, 2015’s Carol and Miles Ahead, and 2019’s Dark Waters — made me realize that these would make a pretty terrific line-up for a Cincinnati on Film Festival. And there would still be so many more choices for future installments.

This could be an annual festival that features movies that, in some way, have a Cincinnati angle — they

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could have been shot here, set here, feature directors and/or actors from here or have some combination of the above. Such a fest also could include documentaries.

And I’ve got a great movie-star guest for opening night — Aftab Pureval. Well before he entered politics and became Cincinnati’s mayor, he appeared as a high school student in Blue Car, a 2002 drama/comingof-age film shot in Dayton. It’s a small role, but it’s notable because it comes right at the start — he mocks a girl (Agnes Bruckner) reading her poetry to his class and, as a result, gets scolded by the teacher (David Strathairn). It would be interesting to hear Pureval explain to an audience how he got into acting, and why he gave it up for politics. The film, sensitively directed and written by Karen Moncrieff, centers on the relationship between Bruckner’s and Strathairn’s characters — how they form a bond

based on her poetry and how her trust is ultimately betrayed.

While such a fest would primarily have a retrospective focus, there will always be new films with strong Cincinnati connections. Greater Cincinnati has been punching above its weight as a filmmaking location, thanks to the efforts of the nonprofit Film Cincinnati to land projects.

Including documentaries would allow presentation, for instance, of Married to Comics, a brand new film from director John Kinhart about husband and wife Justin Green and Carol Tyler, the innovative creators of graphic novels and comics/comix who were key members of Cincinnati’s arts scene until Green died in 2022. (They had moved here from Sacramento in the late ‘90s). Many consider him the creator of adult-oriented, autobiographical comics for his 1972 Binky Brown Meets the Holy Virgin Mary.

Tyler’s 2015 A Soldier’s Heart: The

Carol Tyler and Justin Green, the subjects of documentary Married to Comics.

P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY J O H N K I N H A R T

Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father: A Daughter’s Memoir is, too, highly regarded.

Now, here are a few other movies that have some type of Cincinnati connection.

Cincinnati for a weekend to grieve and process the murder of a fourth.

In a positive review, The New York Times complimented Harris on being “unabashedly influenced by John Cassavetes’ Husbands.”

• Homebodies (1974): Director cowriter Larry Yust went to the West End to film this darkly perverse horrorcomedy about elderly tenants forced to leave their long-time homes due to urban renewal. In an effort to stay put, they start gruesomely killing all those trying to get them to leave.

• Anomalisa (2015): The downright visionary screenwriter and director Charles Kaufman chose Cincinnati for the setting of his film about a man suffering from Fregoli delusion, in which he perceives everyone he meets as looking the same. One exception is a woman he meets in his Cincinnati hotel — and they have sex. The movie is in stop-motion animation and was the first R-rated animated film nominated for an Oscar.

• Harper Valley PTA (1978): Phil Borack was an important figure in the Cincinnati movie world — he started Tri-State Theatre Service, a booking agency, in 1971 and still had a relationship with it when he died in 2020.

Along the way, he produced a few movies, starting with this adaptation of the hit 1968 song by Jeannie C. Riley that called out small-town hypocrisy.

Starring Barbara Eden of I Dream of Jeannie TV fame, this was a surprise national hit that was well-received as a comedy. Borack later co-produced the documentary The Yogis of Tibet.

• The American Sector (2020): This doc travels the U.S. to look at where and why Berlin Wall panels wound up where they are. A highlight is a visit to Cincinnati’s National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, where longtime local activist Carl Westmoreland (now deceased) speaks eloquently about what the local panel means to him. It might surprise you.

• Redlegs (2012): A Cincinnatian, Brandon Harris directed and co-wrote this film about three young men in

• The Fits (2015) A mysterious and touching film written and directed

by Anna Rose Holmer, casts the West End’s Q-Kidz dance troupe and local actor Royalty Hightower as dancers stricken with mysterious seizures. One hopes Hightower and Holmes both go on to Hollywood greatness — they deserve it after this.

• Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017): Maybe the best Cincinnati-filmed movie of the past 10 years and also one with many recognizable Cincinnati settings, this is a very tough watch in its quietly methodical telling of a contemporary family driven to — and beyond — despair by a mysterious young man with a grudge. Greek director/co-writer Yorgos Lanthimos based it on a Greek myth. With Colin Farrell and Nicole Kidman.

Obviously, there are many others that could be in a Cincinnati on Film Festival — if you have suggestions, let CityBeat know.

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ARTS & CULTURE

F

John Waters’ Christmas Show Finds the Humor in the ‘Non-Binary Disaster’ of the Holiday Season

BY B R E N T ST RO U D

ilmmaker John Waters has remained one of the most unique, bold and singular cultural voices for more than 50 years.

His underground beginnings with infamous films like Pink Flamingos and a handful of other cult, boundarypushing movies shocked audiences and poked fun at both societal norms and extremes. He and his troupe of friends that made up the cast and crew, the Dreamlanders, found wider acceptance starting in the ‘80s when they began working within the Hollywood system on films like 1988’s Hairspray, 1990’s Cry-Baby, 2004’s A Dirty Shame and Waters’ recently optioned 2022 novel, Liarmouth, which he’s set to direct.

Waters is in demand as ever, finding ever growing cultural recognition and acclaim. He even gave a now-famous commencement speech known as “Make Trouble” to the Rhode Island School of Design class of 2015, and, in addition to Pink Flamingos and Hairspray being added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2021 and 2022, respectively, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in September. Also, the Academy Museum is currently hosting an exhibit of his filmwork that runs through August of 2024 with a companion book.

Both are named after writer Willaim S. Burroughs’ given designation, “John Waters: Pope of Trash.”

Waters spends several weeks a year touring a freshly written show for his annual Christmas show and, like his seven books of nonfiction, the shows cover everything that currently or eternally amuses Waters, with his singular wit. The shows are followed by a Q&A to greet his adoring audience.

For this year’s edition of the annual Christmas show, Waters tells CityBeat, “I’m gonna cover all the extremes of Christmas for people that love it or hate it. For fashion, for politics, for controversy, for sex, anything that happens at Christmas because no one can escape Christmas, no matter what religion, race, creed, anything you are, you can’t escape Christmas. It’s a non-binary disaster.”

Waters has used comedy over the course of his career, lampooning trends and taste, like when he poked fun at the exploitation of true crime in Serial Mom (1994) or satirized the absurdities of the art world and celebrity in Pecker (1998).

“Comedy walks the edge,” Waters said. “If you think about it, in the very beginning, Lenny Bruce went to prison in 1961 for saying ‘cocksucker’ on stage in San Francisco. Now if you said that

word, people would say ‘so, what’s the matter with that?’ So, words change and words are humorous and all jokes are political. So, everything you say that’s funny, in a way, is political, because if you can make someone laugh, they’ll listen to you and you can change their opinion.”

Waters often references rock and roll in his films, another boundary-pushing medium and he never seems too far from that world. It may be a key to his naturally rebellious instincts. “The first song that you buy that your parents hate, is the beginning of the soundtrack of your life,” Waters said. I ask about a mutual love, Little Richard. Waters’ mustache is a giveaway but he took part in the documentary about the rock and roll legend released last year, I Am Everything.

“Little Richard broke so many taboos that you didn’t even realize it because he was like an alien that landed on another planet,” Waters said.

“I remember my grandmother hearing him singing. I remember that Specialty record (Richard’s record label) and I put that 45 on, him screaming ‘Lucille.’ My grandmother’s china shook.”

The conversation moves to punk and he seems to light up at the mention.

“Well, punk is my people. I mean, believe me, I feel the most comfortable in a punk world. I’m gay but the first time I walked into a gay bar, I thought, ‘oh, I ain’t this.’

It was too square.” Adding, “The punk world always was so accepting to me because it’s such a radical look and I feel that we’re not included enough in the new diversity and I talk about that in my Christmas show.”

Though between travels he splits his time at homes in Provincetown and San Francisco, he’s famously remained in his hometown of Baltimore. “When I go back to Baltimore, I have many, many old friends and I don’t trust people that don’t have old friends and none of my friends are in show business so I don’t have to talk about that all the time. How could I be a writer about normal life if I only know people in showbusiness?”

I mention Baltimore and Cincinnati seem comparable and Waters responds, “I can imagine.” Adding, in comparison, “You have Doris Day and Steven Spielberg, they couldn’t be more mainstream. People that are known in Baltimore for the arts are David Simon for The Wire and Barry Levinson who makes movies about tin men and anti-semitism — and I make movies about serial mom killers. We don’t make things like Doris Day and Steven Spielberg, things that almost everyone

John Waters P H OTO : G R EG G O R M A N

loves. Which, I love Doris Day and Steven Spielberg too but I’m still amazed that the people that are famous from Baltimore are all these people who are not in the mainstream, in a way, or they write about subjects that are not.”

Waters seems to share a commonality with fellow creative figures Fran Lebowitz, Paul Reubens and Patti Smith.

All four had somewhat recent rises in mainstream popularity and all four represent artists coming from a more distinct, rebellious and often subversive place while being accepted by the mainstream without compromise.

“Well, I met them all,” Waters said of his fellow creative figures. “I think we all have a sense of humor. Now, Paul’s no longer with us. I did speak at his funeral, virtually. I think that we all make fun of the rules that we live by, that people think they have escaped their parent’s rules, but in today’s world, the outsider’s rules are often more strict than our parents had. That’s new. And I think maybe all the people you named are against self-righteousness. That is

the worst sin to me, no matter what your politics are. Maybe we wore them down, they couldn’t get rid of us.”

On being referred to as an artist, Waters says, “Whenever I meet somebody and they say they’re an artist, I always think, (Waters adopts a mock critical tone) ‘I’ll be the judge of that, not you.’ So, I think it’s very flattering when someone calls you an artist…I would say, if someone asks, ‘are you an artist?’ I would say, ‘that would be your opinion, not mine.’

R. Crumb’s recent Cincinnati visit is mentioned, along with some local sightseeing tips. “Well, maybe I’ll drop in, if I get a moment. On tours I get there, do a show, go to sleep to leave at 4 in the morning. Sometimes I just see the audience, that’s it. My audience, they dress well, they look good so I’m happy to see them.”

John Waters performs his show, “A John Waters Christmas,” at the Ludlow Garage at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 14.

Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.

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CULTURE

18 Places in Greater Cincinnati to Get Your Christmas Trees

BY C I T Y B E AT STA F F

I

t’s beginning to look (okay, maybe just feel) a lot like Christmas. And that means it’s time to start looking for a tree to decorate.

Keep scrolling to see 18 places where you can get your tree this year, whether you want to cut it yourself, pick up a pre-cut tree or get a live tree that you can plant once the holidays are over.

Findlay Market 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine Your purchase of a Christmas tree, wreath or garland will go toward supporting market vendors, sustainability efforts, community-building initiatives and more at Findlay Market. The trees will be sold at the Elm Street Esplanade by Jane’s, and you will receive an ornament from Lucca with every tree purchase.

Trees will be sold from Nov. 24 to Dec. 17.

Market hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Findlay Market sells Christmas trees, garlands and wreaths during the holiday season.

White Oak Gardens

P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

3579 Blue Rock Road, White Oak Skip Home Depot and head to White Oak Gardens for fresh trees, wreaths, garlands and other fresh-cut greens.

Store hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m Sunday.

Whitetail Acres Christmas Tree Farm 8001 Old Blue Creek Road, Brookville, Indiana Whitetail Acres is offering pre-cut Fraser fir and B&B trees at their garden center only this year. They will also have free hot chocolate, hot cider and popcorn and a special chance to interact with a live reindeer. Reindeer encounters cost $25 per person; free for children under 2. Book at whitetailacrestreefarm.com/ christmas. You’ll be able to feed and pet the reindeer in their barnyard and learn about where they’re from and how they fly, plus enjoy free refreshments and a bonfire. Whitetail also offers wreath decorating and a gift shop.

Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays until Dec. 23. Reindeer encounters are offered until Dec. 31.

Rossmann’s Christmas Tree Farm 7917 State Route 132, Blanchester Cut your own tree at this Blanchester

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Guests can pick up their Christmas trees and eat Italian chili at Corsi Tree Farm.

P H O T O : FA C E B O O K . C O M / C O R S I T R E E FA R M

farm. Rossman’s will only be open the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving this year. They have lots of great trees, but a limited inventory of very tall ones.

Cash or check only; no credit cards.

Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 24 and 25.

Shaker Tract Tree Farm 8626 New Haven Road, Harrison Located near the Shaker Trace Trail and the 1800s Whitewater Shaker Village, Shaker Tract offers guests a chance to cut down their own trees. They provide the hand-saw, sled and ground mat for your adventure. Or they can cut down a

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tree for you if you pick it out — they even have a professional forester on hand to help with your selection. The website says warm beverages and cookies will be provided in the gift shop, which sells Shaker-inspired goods, including handmade wood items.

Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, Nov. 24-26 and Saturdays and Sundays from Dec. 2-17.

Big Tree Plantation 2544 S. Waynesville Road, Morrow Big Tree Plantation offers three types of tree-buying experiences: cut your own,

select a pre-harvested one or get a living tree to plant after the holidays. Located near a nine-acre lake, Big Tree says you can take a wagon ride to the tree fields and then enjoy a cup of free hot cocoa while the team bundles your selection and attaches it to your car. They also provide the saw. Stop by the gift barn for wreaths, decor, a kids’ shop and tree stands, plus check out their full-sized nativity scene. Visit Winter Wonderland on select dates to make a craft, decorate a cookie and visit Santa and some animals ($7 children; free for adults). Good, leashed dogs are welcome.

Now through Dec. 20. Check online for specific times for tree cutting, the tree barn, the gift barn, cafe and Winter Wonderland with Santa.

Telford Tannenbaums at Alive & Well 3410 Telford St., Clifton Clifton cocktail bar Alive & Well’s new pop-up stand, Telford Tannenbaums, pairs the magic of picking out a Christmas tree with the trappings of a holiday party. The stand will have wreaths, holiday decorations and trees, including Fraser and balsam firs, for purchase.

And not only can you shop for your tree, but Alive & Well will also be launching a seasonal line of holiday cocktails to enjoy while you do so. They’ll also have complimentary hot cocoa and cookies,

Reservations are required to find your dream Christmas tree at Spring Valley Tree Farm.

New trees are added everyday at Tom Mitts Christmas Trees.

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P H O T O : FA C E B O O K . C O M / T O M M I T T S C H R I S T M A S T R E E S

as well as live music throughout the event. And if you live in the neighborhood and walk to the event, Telford Tannenbaums will provide you with a wagon or sled to transport your tree home.

Telford Tannenbaums runs FridaySunday, Nov. 24-26 from 10 a.m.-8 p.m. each day.

Nana and Pap’s Christmas Tree Farm 93 State Route 133, Felicity All trees are $75, tax included. They also sell homemade wreaths, candles, ornaments and other fun, crafty goods. Free hot cocoa and cookies will be available, and you can enjoy their Nativity scene with real animals.

Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 24 and Nov. 25; 1-5 p.m. Nov. 26 and December hours will be set upon tree availability.

Tom Mitts Christmas Trees 625 Monmouth St., Newport The current owner of Tom Mitts Christmas Trees took over the enterprise in summer 2017, after Tom Mitts passed away unexpectedly after heart surgery.

David, who now runs the tree lot, has been working at Mitts’ since he was 8 years old. Trees start at $42.95 and are priced by size, type and grade. Most range from 3 to 9 feet tall, but they also have a limited supply of 10-plus feet tall. New trees are added every day and they’ll provide a fresh cut on the trunk, trim the boughs, net it, drill the base (to be set in a stand) and help secure it to your vehicle.

Open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.

Bartels Farm 4427 Cotton Run Road, Hamilton This family-owned Christmas tree farm lets you cut your own tree. Their 124-acre farm has 10 acres of trees to choose from, offering everything from Eastern White Pine and Canaan Fir to Fraser Fir and Colorado Blue Spruce.

This year, Bartels is open by appointment only on weekends from Nov. 24-Dec. 10.

Bartels Farm is hosting their 2023 Christmas tree operation by appointment this year; book times at bartelsfarm2022.as.me.

Corsi Tree Farm 1651 Bolender Road, Hamersville In operation since 1955, this 100-acre family-friendly farm offers Norway Spruce, Colorado Blue Spruce, White Pine, Scotch Pine and Canaan Fir, all for $85. Cut your own tree starting the day after Thanksgiving and stop by the Broken Stone Lodge for hot cocoa, ornaments, live music, Italian chili and a free petting zoo. Please note they no longer carry balled or burlapped trees.

Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday from Nov. 24-Dec. 23.

John T Nieman Nursery 3215 Hamilton New London Road, Hamilton This fourth-generation family-run nursery grows more than 60,000 trees on its 125-acre farm. Head to the tree fields to find your favorite Norway Spruce, White Pine or Canaan Fir, or grab a pre-cut or balled and burlapped live tree to plant after the holidays. All

trees are individually priced, and some are up to 20 feet tall. The farm will help you cut the tree, haul it, shake it and tie it to your car. They also sell special tree stands they can attach right there.

Head to their special Christmas Barn for free hot chocolate and cookies and to shop for wreaths, swags, pine roping and ornaments. You can even view an antique John Deere tractor display. The tree fields close at dark, but they have lights over their other pre-cut selections for evening shoppers. Cash or check only.

Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday until Dec. 23.

Berninger Christmas Trees and Wreaths 1220 Stubbs Mill Road, Lebanon In operation since 1955, this farm offers cut-your-own trees, pre-cut trees, free popcorn and hot chocolate.

They’ll shake and wrap the tree for you, and drill the trunk to accommodate a tree stand upon request. They recommend bringing your own hand-saw, and dogs are welcome.

Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 24-26 and Dec. 1-3, weather permitting.

Bezold Pines 12751 Fisher Road, Alexandria, Kentucky Bezold Pines offers you a chance to choose and cut your own tree or buy a pre-cut or balled tree. They also offer wreaths.

Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday starting Nov. 24.

Burger Farm and Garden Center 7849 Main Street, Newtown Burger Farm has a selection of Fraser Firs in sizes from 3 feet tall to 12 feet. The garden center also offers delivery and after-Christmas pickup.

Store hours 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Koch Christmas Trees 6232 Hamilton-Scipio Road, Okeana Pick your tree from the Koch family’s collection, including blue spruce, canaan fir, scotch pine, douglas fir and many more. A reservation is required to purchase a tree.

Open select weekends after Thanksgiving.

View dates and times on the Koch Christmas Trees website.

Station Road Farm & Landscaping 6749 Station Road, West Chester Christmas trees and greenery will be available at Station Road Farm and Landscaping starting the day after Thanksgiving.

Fresh, decorative wreaths will also be available.

Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. starting Nov. 24.

Spring Valley Tree Farm 2462 Cook Road, Spring Valley Canaan firs and a variety of spruce trees will be available at Spring Valley Tree Farm this season. The farm will have a dedicated “Spruce Day” on Dec. 16 for sales of Norway, white, and Colorado spruce trees exclusively. Reservations are required.

Open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 24-26, Dec. 2-3 and Dec. 16.

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FOOD & DRINK

Jose Salazar, proprietor of Mita’s, Goose & Elder, Salazar Restaurant and other Cincinnati dining establishments.

P H O T O : G I N A W E AT H E R S BY

Made With Love

Cincinnati chefs share the holiday dishes they love and how to ace your own holiday feast.

BY L E Y L A S H O KO O H E

F

rom now through the end of the year, any number of culinary delights related to the many winter holidays will grace dinner tables across the world. Sure, there are the classics like Thanksgiving (and Christmas) turkey and green bean casserole.

But what makes something a holiday food? Can you eat it at other times of the year? Would it be a holiday without it? What are new traditions waiting to become popular?

“I definitely love this time of year, because not only is it very food focused, but it’s like, essentially, all-hands-ondeck food focused, and that’s pretty rare nowadays,” said Kayla Robison, most recently head chef at Arnold’s Bar and Grill. “The days of the family coming together and making food from scratch isn’t very common anymore. So it’s kind of nice that we kind of come together and these are the moments where all the family recipes from generations on come out and everybody kind of pitches in and it really is like the true meaning of breaking bread.”

Robison has plenty of professional experience with the holiday season — and not just at Thanksgiving and Christmas time. Prior to the pandemic, for over 30 years, Arnold’s served a Thanksgiving feast every Thursday.

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“I worked there for two years before the pandemic. That means I made the turkey 52 times a year,” said Robison. “I have kind of gone on to perfect, having made it so many times, my craft.”

In addition to Thanksgiving Thursdays, also in the years before the pandemic, Arnold’s would host what Robison calls a misfit Thanksgiving.

The doors would open, with the regular fixings provided, and the only requirement for attendees was to bring a side to share with everyone else.

“I think quickly Thanksgiving grew to be my favorite holiday because of that,” said Robison.

Chef Jose Salazar echoes that sentiment.

“Thanksgiving has always been really important to me,” he said. “For one, it’s the night that my wife and I met. It’s always just been kind of our holiday. I also love it because it’s centered around food. How can I not love it as a chef?”

Salazar’s three restaurants — Mita’s, Salazar and Goose & Elder — are all closed on “the big holidays,” as he calls them: Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day. The day before Thanksgiving, all staff members prepare a dish to share at a “family meal” (industry speak for the

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restaurant staff meal consumed before serving guests) Friendsgiving.

“We want everybody to enjoy those holidays,” said Salazar. “We don’t want them to have to work when everybody else is partying.”

Many of the traditional dishes served at Thanksgiving also make an appearance a month later on Christmas Day, including turkey. Robison’s advice for the perfect juicy turkey? It’s all in the way you brine. You can do dry or wet, and a lot of people do wet. She prefers dry.

“I just take straight-up flaky salt and I will rub the turkey inside and out, under the skin, every little bit - the thing looks like it’s got crazy dandruff,” said Robison. “I wrap it with Saran wrap really tightly, no more than two days. I rinse it thoroughly, pat it dry, and then I slather it in mayo. Mayo is the secret ingredient for all things browning. It’s got sugars and fat from the oil and egg yolk. All of those things help the Maillard effect where it really caramelizes and browns those proteins and it just makes this beautiful browning.”

Salazar personally is turkey-ed out by the time Christmas rolls around.

“I do ham on Christmas usually, or I’ll do a beef roast of some sort, like a little prime rib or something like that,”

said Salazar. “The ham is my favorite.

And I always make fried rice, too. I grew up in New York and if you have nowhere to go on Christmas Day, foolproof, a Chinese restaurant is going to be open. So I’ve leaned into that and I’ve been doing a lot of Chinese foods as an homage to the Chinese takeouts of my childhood.”

Robison has Jewish heritage and also partakes in Chinese food on Christmas Day. “We really blend the holidays,” she said. “Family-wise, my family recipes are definitely on my Jewish side, so like my great-grandma’s recipes [like her] sweet noodle kugel on Hanukkah. And as each generation goes, somebody’s tweaking something. Those are fun for me to bust out during Hanukkah or Yom Kippur or Rosh Hashanah, those kinds of holidays.”

Chef Candice Holloway of Soul Secrets has some dishes that are exclusive to certain holidays, too.

“When I think of holiday food, I think of cornbread dressing,” said Holloway.

“We only make it for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.”

The recipe, like all the others at Soul Secrets, was passed down to Holloway from her grandmother and is only offered on the menu during the holiday

Kayla Robison, most recently head chef at Arnold’s Bar and Grill.

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season. The handing-down of recipes is more than just an instruction for cooking; it’s a portal to connection.

“It definitely brings back the nostalgia of the family gathering around the table,” said Holloway. “Food brings people closer together; it shows the love, and because we cooked together as a family, it brings back memories of everybody being in one place and one space and just sharing the love between each other.”

Soul Secrets has a dine-in option and has also offered catering for holiday meals for the past five years, which means Holloway often finds that her family’s food is on another family’s table.

“We received an overwhelming response to our holiday orders, that we were like, ‘Wow, this many people aren’t cooking?’” said Holloway.

“Last year we closed for Thanksgiving because we got so many orders for people that were wanting to share our family recipes. It’s special to me because these are recipes my grandmother taught me to make. It just warms my heart that people are sharing her recipes at their kitchen table during Thanksgiving dinner.”

In fact, Soul Secrets has been so inundated with orders, Holloway has already closed holiday ordering for Thanksgiving and, this year, is taking off for Christmas and New Year’s Eve and Day. But if you’re in need of a traditional holiday food option on New Year’s Eve, you can swing by Kiki in College Hill.

“We’ve been doing the toshikoshi soba every year,” said chef and Kiki

owner Hideki Harada. “We sell the noodle soup, the broth and the noodles.

It’s really simple, and we price it so everybody can really enjoy it. That’s just something we’ve been doing since we opened — the year-end soba. That’s something people have been coming in for on New Year’s Eve.” As Harada explains it, in the Japanese tradition, on New Year’s Eve, you want to cut the year out, or end the year, by eating soba noodles. The noodle represents the whole year, but as buckwheat noodles break easily, it’s symbolic of ending the year.

“You just have to make sure you eat that before the bell rings at midnight,” said Harada.

The biggest piece of advice from Cincinnati chefs to make your holiday meals a hit? Prep, prep, prep.

“Truly prep your stuff ahead of time so that you are not stressing and doing it all in one day,” Robison said. “A lot of things can be what we call in the industry ‘parcooked,’ meaning, partially cooked. A lot of things at restaurants are cooked half or three-fourths of the way and then finished to order, meaning they finish the last bit of it. It’s mise en place. It really just comes down to it.

That’s how we set ourselves up to feed 300 people on a Friday night.”

“I think a lot of people don’t necessarily know how much they can do in advance, and you can do a lot,” Salazar echoed. “It’ll cause you less stress the day of, and you can do more assembling and reheating than cooking-cooking.

That’s what we do in restaurants. We joke that all the work really happens before service.”

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EATS

Greater Cincinnati Comfort-Food Restaurants Better Than Dinner With Your Dysfunctional Family

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Soul Secrets serves up family-inspired soul food.

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menu shows entrees that, in a lot of the South, would just be called good ol’ home cooking, like fried chicken, shrimp and grits, fried whiting and catfish. On the side, there’s macaroni and cheese, collard greens, sweet potatoes and cornbread — the kinds of dishes prepared for the family and that you’d hope for when someone offers to “fix you a plate.”

uring the holiday season, you might be spending a lot of time and dinners with your family — and depending on how you feel about your family, this may or may not be a source of annoyance or, you know, dread.

While CityBeat can’t help you with familial problems, we can point you toward some Greater Cincinnati restaurants that will make you feel at home with their warm hospitality and delicious comfort food. Whether you’re looking for hearty, literal meat-andpotato dishes, Southern favorites fried with love and served with all the fixins or just a fueling breakfast made by someone with no intention of guilttripping you into hosting Christmas this year, you’ll find it here in Cincinnati. And hopefully you’ll be able to enjoy your meal without awkward silences, political ramblings or someone crying into their mashed potatoes.

Rich’s Proper Food & Drink

Soul Secrets

Greyhound Tavern

1434 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine This OTR spot doesn’t just offer soul food – their recipes tell the story of owner Candice Holloway’s family.

“Our recipes – that’s what we bring to the table. They’re historic, they’re traditional, they are original, they’re from scratch, they are made with love,” Holloway told CityBeat. A look at the

2500 Dixie Highway, Ft. Mitchell The Greyhound Tavern has offered down-home comfort food to Northern Kentuckians since the 1920s. The atmosphere is pleasantly country-fied, with wood paneling, vinyl tablecloths and multiple fireplaces, and the menu reflects that, too. The tavern is known for its herbed secret-recipe fried chicken

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701 Madison Ave., Covington This bar and restaurant operates out of the more than 100-year-old building formerly occupied by Rich’s Gruen Watches, a high-end jewelry store. The bar’s menu includes wine, beer, cocktails and spirits, with a special emphasis placed on bourbon. The kitchen provides food with a twist on Southern fare with Creole and Kentucky influences to warm your stomach and soul.

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and Kentucky classics like the Hot Brown. In 2021, Microsoft News named Greyhound Tavern as Kentucky’s most legendary restaurant.

Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey 9039 US-42, Suite H, Union This restaurant is inspired by the trappings of the American frontier and California’s 19th-century gold rush.

It’s also helmed by chef Christian Gill, who has appeared on several cooking competition shows. At Boomtown, the true delight comes plated. The signature biscuit isn’t a run-of-the-mill, thousand-layer, flaked baked good: It’s a buttery, soft disk with a close crumb and a browned, lightly bubbled top that no breakfast chain can compete with. Order the Gold Shoes to get this delightful biscuit topped with delicious sawmill, peppercorn, mushroom, Creole or goetta gravy.

Tousey House Tavern 5963 N. Jefferson St., #9596, Burlington Tousey House has all the Southern comforts you crave, offering a large menu featuring brunch, lunch and dinner items. A few popular dishes include the fried green tomatoes, chicken and waffles and Southern eggs benedict. The restaurant also offers bourbon flights.

It’s located inside of a historic building that dates back to 1822.

Stephen’s Old Village Restaurant 3323 Harrison Ave., Cheviot This tiny neighborhood diner has served quality fare on the West Side since the ‘70s. Featuring homemade food and great hospitality that never goes out of style, Stephen’s Old Village Restaurant is best known for its large-portion meals and even larger menu, with diner staples like burgers, clubs, gyros and double deckers, as well as comfort food like fried chicken, pork chops and roast beef. It also serves breakfast favorites all day long.

Blue Jay Restaurant 4154 Hamilton Ave., Northside This homey Northside diner has been owned and operated by the Petropoulos family since 1967. Stepping inside is almost like stepping back in time with the row of cozy booths, wood paneling on the walls and the dining counter.

The menu features classic breakfast and lunch dishes that come in generous portions, as well as Cincinnati-style chili in a bowl, on coneys or as ways. The restaurant was also featured in the 2017 movie The Killing of a Sacred Deer starring Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell.

Head to LouVino for Southern-inspired cuisine and wine.

Warm yourself with the great bourbon selection at Rich’s Proper Food and Drink.

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Golden Lamb 27 S. Broadway St., Lebanon Timeless comfort food: The oldest restaurant in Ohio, the Golden Lamb has been a community gathering spot since it was opened in 1803. In its nearly 220-year history as a restaurant and hotel, the Golden Lamb has played host to 12 U.S. presidents and other famous figures. From its historic dining menu, you can order the Golden Lamb roast turkey dinner or a braised lamb shank, among other items, or opt for the more modern burgers and sandwiches. The attached Black Horse Tavern is more casual and serves the same menu as well as specialty cocktails.

LouVino Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey offers some of the tastiest biscuits you’ll ever eat.

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Libby’s Southern Comfort

deSha’s American Tavern

35 W. Eighth St., Covington This Covington eatery pays tribute to Southern classics like fried chicken and half-shell oysters served alongside a variety of bourbon drinks and other local favorites. The atmosphere is hip but with cozy touches to make you feel at home. Brunch is served on Sundays and offers up Southern breakfast favorites like chicken and waffles and their take on a Kentucky Brown. Order anything with a side of home fries and a mimosa for an added dose of comfort.

11320 Montgomery Road, S ymmes Township Since opening in 1990, deSha’s mission has been to provide diners a comfortable, down-home place to get a good meal and drink. The restaurant’s interior is rustic chic, resembling a cozy hunting lodge with a roaring fireplace and lofted, beamed ceiling, while the menu features a selection of tavern fare ranging from fish and chips to filet mignon, as well as Southern-inspired dishes like jambalaya, pot roast and a Kentucky Hot Brown.

1142 Main St., Over-the-Rhine This Over-the-Rhine restaurant and wine bar offers Southern-style cuisine and wines curated from around the world. LouVino’s menu features a selection of comfort-food go-tos like fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits and chicken and waffles. The menu also has a selection of gluten-free and vegetarian dishes, and for brunch, you can get a Southern favorite with a Cincinnati twist: Biscuits & Goetta Gravy.

Eli’s BBQ 133 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine; 3313 Riverside Drive, Columbia Tusculum Eli’s BBQ is well known for hickorysmoked barbecue and signature

barbecue sauce. While the inside of the original East End location is definitely considered tiny, there is plenty of outdoor seating and Southern hospitality.

The no-frills affair specializes in meats, pulled and smoked and served in a red plastic basket.

State Line Restaurant 55 US-50, Greendale This little roadside diner appears to be frozen in time in the best way possible.

State Line Restaurant is classic Americana with its blue and white subway tile, cherry-red chairs and stools at the counter and a menu featuring items like The Hungry Man (eggs, choice of breakfast meat, hash browns or home fries and the choice between a small serving of biscuits and gravy or two pancakes and toast with homemade jam) and The Stateliner (homemade goetta on a grilled hoagy bun and topped with two over-hard eggs, two slices of bacon, American cheese and house-made gravy — you can also make it spicy by opting for their Cajun-style goetta and pepper jack). For lunch, State Line serves up homestyle dishes like Beef Liver & Onions, Meatloaf and the Icelandic Cod Fish Log, along with burgers and sandwiches, including hoagies and double-deckers.

Big Jays Place 930 Hempstead Drive, Finneytown Big Jays Place in Finneytown offers

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The no-frills environment at Eli’s BBQ offers a delicious respite from your family.

Blue Jay Restaurant serves up breakfast staples.

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a menu bursting with flavor from its Caribbean comfort food dishes, like the Soul Food Plate, featuring jerk chicken, macaroni and cheese, collard greens and cilantro rice, or the half-pound Jerk Burrito, which comes with a choice of shrimp, jerk chicken or salmon. But what Big Jays is best known for is its oxtail, which Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives host Guy Fieri got to try on his recent visit there, saying, “If you don’t like oxtail, then come on down here to the oxtail conversion program.”

The Schoolhouse Restaurant 8031 Glendale Milford Road, Camp Dennison Built in the 1860s, this former Hamilton County schoolhouse was bought and saved from demolition by Donald and Phyllis Miller, who turned it into the Schoolhouse Restaurant. Keeping the schoolhouse theme, the restaurant features windows, yellow oak floors and blackboards, on which the menu is written, from the late 1800s. The menu features American comfort food like fried chicken, mashed potatoes, smoked ham, country-fried steak and homemade meatloaf. The Schoolhouse was recently featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, whipping up some of their sides – country-style green beans and cornbread – and fried chicken for host Guy Fieri, as well as their famous Peanut Butter Pie for dessert.

Purple Poulet 846 York St., Newport Purple Poulet brands itself as a Southern bourbon bistro — emphasis on the bourbon; it’s got over 500 bourbons and ryes to try and always looking to add to its collection. The eatery is also wellknown for its Southern fried chicken, offering five different ways to try it, including the Fried Chicken and Waffle

and “Claim to Fame” fried chicken dinner. But this isn’t just a fried chicken joint; the Chef Z’s Southern Supper portion of the menu offers up a number of Southern comfort-food dishes, including Z’s Uptown Hot Brown (turkey, ham, bacon, Mornay and fried green tomato on a biscuit), Cola BBQ Ribs and Cornmeal Fried Catfish.

Diane’s 1951 Anderson Ferry Road, Green Township A quintessential mom-and-pop restaurant, Diane’s has been in the East family for nearly forty years. Even if you’re trying to ditch your family, this West Side restaurant will ensure you feel like a part of theirs, nourishing its guests with hearty meals like their Homestyle Pot Roast, Homemade Meatloaf and Country Fried Steak, all served with mashed potatoes, gravy, your choice of vegetable, a tossed salad and roll. For some lighter comfort food, you can also opt for one of their sandwiches, like the chicken salad or their grilled cheese, the Golden Cheese Dream, which comes with a choice of American, cheddar, Swiss or mozzarella cheese or bacon or tomato and is served with fresh fruit.

Hyde’s Restaurant 130 S. Erie Blvd., Hamilton This mom-and-pop diner in Hamilton serves up diner staples alongside soul-fueling homestyle dishes like fried chicken, roast beef and chopped steak.

But what Hyde’s is really known for are its homemade pies. From classic apple to a creamy butterscotch, Hyde’s bakes its pies on-site daily for an added touch of down-home comfort.

Lake Nina Restaurant 7200 Pippin Road, North College Hill Lake Nina Restaurant & Tavern is

located next to an actual lake and has been offering seafood-focused homestyle cooking to Cincinnatians for about 60 years. Famous for their fried fish log, they also offer a variety of other nonseafood options like fried chicken, frog legs, burgers and double-deckers.

Ron’s Roost 3853 Race Road, Green Township This family-owned restaurant has been serving up delicious fried chicken and sides on Cincinnati’s West Side since 1960. They’re still putting out tons of chicken each week – about 10,000 pieces a week, according to their website – but their menu has expanded to include something for everyone: salads, seafood, burgers, barbecue and country-style dishes like meatloaf and turkey with dressing.

Rasheedah’s Cafe 5922 Hamilton Ave., College Hill Rasheedah’s Cafe is located in an unassuming brick building in the heart of College Hill, but don’t let the modest exterior fool you; the cafe is full of heart, soul and delicious food. Rasheedah Majid first opened her self-named cafe in 1993 to address the need for halal dishes in Cincinnati. Now, the spot offers comfort food and halal meats like their salmon croquettes, fried fish and rib eyes for dinner and Philly cheese steaks and chili dogs for lunch.

Millie’s Place 5923 Madison Road, Madisonville Millie’s Place has been a staple soulfood eatery in Cincinnati since opening in 1993. The classic after-church restaurant serves up fried chicken, fried fish, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, collard greens and other Southern favorites. For dessert, don’t pass on the peach cobbler or lemon cake.

Poochie’s Place 1375 Ohio Pike, Amelia This beloved diner whips up hearty breakfast and lunch dishes with a lot of flavor and little pretension. Fuel up for the day ahead with one of its threeegg omelettes or a carb-laden plate of waffles, pancakes or thick French toast; or try a platter of a sloppy joe or a fried bologna or meatloaf sandwich, all served with fresh, hand-cut fries for lunch.

Divine Appetite Cafe 8982 Cincinnati Columbus Road, West Chester There are not many places in Cincinnati where you can go and get authentic African cuisine and comfort food, which is exactly what Divine Appetite Cafe excels at. The cozy, no-frills West Chester restaurant features traditional dishes like Waakye — African stewed tomato sauce, chicken, fish and a hardboiled egg — and Banku, cornmeal dumplings served with okra sauce which includes fish, blue crab and beef. It also carries a homestyle menu with American-style dishes like fried chicken and smothered pork chops.

Side dishes cross cultures with items ranging from french fries and mac & cheese to roti (Caribbean flatbread) and fried plantains.

Proud Rooster 345 Ludlow Ave., Clifton Opened for more than half a century, Proud Rooster is a greasy spoon staple in Clifton’s Gaslight District. The cozy diner serves up all the classics like eggs served with your favorite breakfast meat, country-style breakfasts like biscuits and gravy and omelettes made with fresh, whipped ranch eggs and a side of toast.

For lunch, try one of their tasty hoagies, sandwich boards or burgers.

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Erika Wennerstrom of Heartless Bastards P H O T O : A B BY G I L L A R D I , F L I C K R

Home Again Ohio native Erika Wennerstrom of the Heartless Bastards returns home to perform at the Woodward Theater.

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ne of the city’s best exports is coming back for a homecoming visit at the Woodward Theater on Dec. 9.

Heartless Bastards, originally from Cincinnati before a move to Austin, Texas, in 2007, have put out a string of critically praised records, gone on to play many music festivals and toured the world sharing stages with acts like The Black Keys, Bob Seger and Jason Isbell.

Media attention has earned them appearances on two episodes of the revered music TV show Austin City Limits, as well as multiple performances on late night talk shows like The Late Show with David Letterman.

Their back to basics and dynamic, driving power, rich lyrics, soulful vocal delivery and musical style touching on a tapestry of the history of rock and roll has earned and sustained their place among the most sought after groups of their time.

The band formed in Cincinnati when songwriter, guitarist and singer Erika Wennerstrom moved to town over 20 years ago from north Dayton and worked as a bartender at Northside Tavern and Clifton bar Arlin’s. The band performed at both places in the early days of their career.

“I always loved playing both of the bars I worked,” Wennerstrom told CityBeat of the time. “I just felt like I had a real nice relationship with the customers that came in there and a lot of people were so supportive of the band.”

The Heartless Bastards’ early demos were recorded at former Cincinnati studio Ultrasuede, where Wennerstom pieced together musicians to back her on recordings before forming a core band. “I always liked the idea of a band but I do kind of assemble the songs myself before I have musicians on it,” Wennerstrom said. “But I also feel, even as a solo artist, when you have great musicians on something, you’re usually not writing every single aspect of it, so you don’t really do it alone.”

One of those musicians was Wennnerstom’s longtime former partner and bassist for the band’s first few years, Mike Lamping. Lamping was a staple of the Cincinnati music community over the years before his untimely passing in October of 2021 at the age of 46.

“Mike was a big part of the beginning of this group and somebody that I cared a lot about and this group and I wouldn’t be where I am today and we wouldn’t be having this show at the Woodward if it weren’t for a lot of the work that we did years ago that Mike was a part of. So, I feel like I owe so much of that… and just, I’m really sad that he’s not in this world. He was a really good human being,” Wennerstrom said.

The band were signed to Fat Possum Records in 2004 after The Black Keys’ Patrick Carney gave the label the band’s demo. Their debut album, Stairs and Elevators, was released in 2005 followed

by All This Time in 2006. Wennerstrom

and a changing crew over the years followed with a handful of well received releases met with growing acclaim.

The first charting record, The Mountain (2009) brought Wennerstrom and the band to another level only to be followed by the even more successful Arrow in 2012 and more career defining festival dates, high profile tours, TV appearances and the release of Restless Ones in 2015.

Wennerstrom put out Sweet Unknown, a proper solo record, in 2018 that features an all-star cast, including members of My Morning Jacket and Okkervil River, followed by an accompanying tour opening for alt-country legend Lucinda Williams.

She excitedly recalls a serendipitous connection to early Cincinnati beginnings while recording the album.

“There was a tape machine at Ultrasuede that I recorded my first demo on and when I was recording my solo album in Lockhart, Texas, in 2017, I don’t know how it came up, but maybe I mentioned Ultrasuede Studios or I saw something that said it on the tape machine and it turned out that Danny Reisch, that recorded my solo album, bought the same tape machine from Ultrasuede and I happened to record my solo album on the exact same tape machine that I did my demos… What are the odds, right, that I would end up randomly in a studio in Texas and have the exact same tape machine? It’s such a weird coincidence.”

Heartless Bastards’ latest release, 2021’s A Beautiful Life presents a continuation of the dynamic sound of their previous work with even more elaborate production and expansive influences.

Wennerstrom explains “influences on it are all over the place,” from space rock to French pop to Brazilian music.

Opening track “Revolution” features Wennerstrom summing up the absurdities of modern life and delivering lines like a modern day version of Bob Dylan’s “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”:“Constantly being advertised, your life commercialized and disguised/As happiness in pills and potions, fancy threads and cars in motion/Hypnotized by gilded lies to line the pockets of so few/While hungry politicians feed bullshit to the masses/ To ensure their statuses and further divide the classes.” The title track is a gliding, ethereal meditation on defiant positivity that evokes the image of the album’s cover of flowing waves of color.

She’s been gone for some time, but Cincinnati still holds meaning for Wennerstrom. “It’s a big part of my life. I lived in Cincinnati for 10 years, I started the band there. I’ve been in Austin for 16 years now. That was just a big part of my life. It was the first 10 years of my adulthood and my life shaping and forming. It has a really big piece of my life and my heart. I have a lot of great friends there.”

Wennerstrom adds that the band still maintains Cincinnati musical connections. “Currently in the band, Beth Harris has been singing with me for years from (local bands) The Hiders and The Perfect Children. Doug McDiarmid, he’s been in Why? for years and some other projects.”

For her plans outside of performing while visiting Cincinnati, Wennerstom tells CityBeat, “I love that Bridges place (Bridges Nepali Cuisine) in Northside.

It wasn’t there when I lived there but once I tried it… I just love it. Camp Washington Chili is my favorite Cincinnati chili.” She also mentions Lemon Grass, her “favorite Thai place in town” and for record shopping, “I love going to Shake It.” The band appeared at one of the Guided By Voices 40th anniversary celebration shows in Dayton alongside Built To Spill and Guided By Voices themselves, an early influence on Wennerstrom, back in September, but this will be their first performance in the city since a tour stop in spring of 2022 with the Flaming Lips.

“I think we’re really set, really tight now,” she says. “We’re just really fired up, so I think that we’ll put on a great show.”

Heartless Bastards perform at Woodward Theater on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m.

Info: woodwardtheater.com.

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SOUND ADVICE

Lukas Nelson P H O T O : D E N N I S M A C K AY- F I S H E R

LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL

Ashley McBryde P H OTO : B E N J I C H I L D E RS, W I K I M E D I A C O M M O N S

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Dec. 2 • Bogart’s One of the most acclaimed bands today, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real make a local appearance on their current headlining tour that has taken them all over the country, from the Ryman to the Ritz, and now to Cincinnati on Dec. 2 at Bogart’s.

The band formed in Los Angeles where Lukas Nelson moved for college and met POTR multi-instrumentalist/ backing vocalist Logan Metz and later, drummer Anthony LoGerfo. Lukas Nelson soon dropped out to pursue music and Promise of the Real was formed in 2008 with the addition of percussionist Tato Melgar and bassist Merlyn Kelly, soon replaced by Corey McCormick.

Led by Lukas Nelson, the group released Sticks and Stones in July of this year and have been headlining legendary venues in support of the album.

The record is their eighth collection of soulful Americana-tinged rock and roll and, as always, has Lukas Nelson’s unique touch of classic country that is literally akin to his legendary dad, Willie Nelson’s singular style.

As a writer and performer Lukas Nelson seems to work effortlessly in the

vein of what came before and tastefully in touch with his dad’s legacy while building on the roots of American popular music, in his own way.

Lukas Nelson was a member of his dad’s longtime backing band, The Family, for several years and still occasionally makes appearances when his schedule allows.

POTR frequently backs another music legend, Neil Young, and has served as his touring band in addition to putting out four releases with Young — two studio albums and two live recordings. In recent years, Lukas Nelson’s brother Micah (Particle Kid) often performs with the band while backing Young.

Lukas Nelson co-wrote many of the songs and served as co-producer for the soundtrack of the award winning 2018 film, A Star is Born. The band also played the backing band in the film and Lukas Nelson even served as inspiration for Bradley Cooper’s character.

Most recently, both Lukas and Micah were on hand for their dad’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in their familiar roles in The Family band alongside an all-star lineup.

Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real perform at Bogart’s on Dec. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Info: bogarts.com. (Brent Stroud)

ASHLEY MCBRYDE Dec. 2 • Andrew J Brady Music Center Singer, songwriter and country music star Ashley McBryde continues to grow and exhibit success in many ways.

McBryde began her career by independently releasing a self-titled album in 2006 and then Elsebound in 2011.

McBryde did not sign with a record label until 2017, leading to her official debut album with a label, Girl Going Nowhere, in 2018. Soon after it was noticeable how fast McBryde’s fame had grown. This album won Best Country Album at the Grammys, and she won New Artist of the Year at the 2019 Country Music Awards.

Album after album, McBryde’s discography has continued to do nothing but expand since 2020. After her concert dates were canceled due to the pandemic, she released a live EP titled Never Will: Live from a Distance.

She returned to touring in 2021, and soon released her next album Ashley McBryde Presents: Lindeville in 2022.

Her latest album, in which she is now touring, The Devil I Know, was released on Sept. 8 of this year. On tour, she

Ormont told American Music Supply. “We also like to get down and dirty with our funk jams.” They bring their good vibes and high energy to every show, from Red Rocks to Madison Square Garden. “We play every show like it’s the last show we’re going to play,” Ormont said. Yes, life is short, so we might as well jam through it.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong perform at Madison Theater on Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. Info: madisontheater.com. (Garin Pirnia)

ACTION BRONSON

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong P H O T O : V I N C E E VA N S

Action Bronson P H O T O : I N S TA G R A M . C O M / B A M B A M B A K L AVA

is sure to perform hit songs from her recent album such as “Lights On In The Kitchen” and “The Devil I Know.”

Ashley McBryde performs at the Andrew J Brady Music Center on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. Info: bradymusiccenter.com.

(Hayley Garr)

PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG Dec. 9 • Madison Theater In 1950, behaviorist B.F. Skinner trained pigeons to peck at ping pongs, proving anything is possible. Years later, in 2009, a group of college students at the University of Maryland formed a band around the

experiment. For some reason a lot of these bands hail from the East Coast, including Phish and Goose. (What’s in the water there?) Six full-length and self-released albums later, the psychedelic funk quartet have jammed around the world with their fans, who call themselves The Flock. In April 2022, they released their sixth album, Perspective. The pandemic inspired the record.

“The album title speaks to the perspective of the pandemic as well as our growth over the years,” lead singer and guitarist Greg Ormont said in a press release. “During this turbulent time, everyone in the world has been forced to look in the mirror and ask what’s truly important. If there’s

anything we’ve all gained from this, it’s perspective, and a recurring theme from our band is to not waste time.”

Recently, they released their ebullient new single “Alright Tonight.” They’re known to play two hundred shows a year, and this year they’re wrapping up with a stop in Covington with fellow jam band Houseplant, who hail from Louisville. Next year, Pigeons have even more dates in store.

Annually, they put on Domefest, which takes place in Thornville, Ohio, at Legend Valley. At this year’s fest, they played five sets.

“We like to bring the party and show people a diverse time that is positive and fun, and everyone leaves a happier person,”

Dec. 13 • Madison Theater Action Bronson is a rapper, storyteller, food connoisseur, basketball fanatic and journeyman — this much is clear while listening to his music.

Somewhere between avante-garde and true to hip-hop’s roots, Bronson’s approach to the genre is just as innovative as it is fun.

He strolls atop beats that pull elements from jazz and blues featuring instrumental arrangements that call for a listener’s attention to grasp each subtle detail, but his raps are too amusing to tune out.

A few things are clear when listening to his lyrics: he loves his life, he references his cultural interests often and cleverly, and his delivery is fueled by nothing short of bravado — always.

His bars reflect a certain lived experience, one where taste for all things deluxe is treasured and routine appears to be shrugged off. A lot of his bars warrant a double take, sometimes because of lyrical prowess that deserves admiration, but perhaps more often because of his frequent lewd and offhand utterances.

Another staple of Bronson’s wordplay is his vivid storytelling. He doesn’t hesitate to give the lowdowns on his indulgences in lavish cuisine, leisurely excursions or salacious encounters. For better or for worse, the zany life descriptions he has to offer are enticing coming from an agent of a genre that champions authenticity.

His respect for hip-hop’s bedrock is shown also through his command of boom bap, an East Coast style — an unsurprising quality of his music given that he hails from Queens, New York. In fact, he often draws comparisons to Wu-Tang Clan’s Ghostface Killah for their similar accent and delivery.

Much of the jazz and rock influences in his music are infused through boom bap structures. Intricate drum patterns, groovy momentum swings and confidently ambling flows are twisted into a sound that reflects years of genre meshing and evolution.

Action Bronson is performing at Madison Theater on Dec. 13 at 8 p.m. Info: madisontheater.com. (Killian Baarlaer)

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THE INN CROWD CROSSWORD

BY B R EN DA N E M M E T T Q U I G L E Y W W W. B R E N DA N E M M E T TQ U I G L E Y.C O M

Across

33. “Dune” co-composer Brian

62. Business school subj.

12. Good and mad

1. Coin with a torch on its face

34. Washday unit

63. Country Western singer Jackson

15. Rorschach image

5. “Like that’ll happen!”

35. Try a secondary tactic with little choice

64. Antidrug cop: var.

20. Catch, in a way

65. Wearing shoes

21. Lens settings

66. Bowed

27. Alleviated

9. Aswan and Hoover, e.g.

39. “Scream” star Campbell

13. Ancient

40. Is for some?

14. Climatic opener?

29. Actor Sarsgaard

41. “Help!”

15. Under attack

42. “Look what ___!”

16. Catch 17. Pell-___ (hastily)

43. Do or die or hit or miss

18. Magna cum ___

45. Come up short in the clutch

19. 1977 Eagles hit

49. Immigrant’s class: Abbr.

22. Southpaw’s stat

50. Org. that approves medications

23. Pilot’s affirmative

51. Botanist Gray

24. Calif. time zone

53. “Toy Story” dinosaur

25. Zoom requirement, for short

54. Criticize formally

26. Battle of the ___

58. Peppa Pig’s proboscis

28. Roaster’s rod

59. Service station job

30. Data document

60. Georgetown athlete

31. Cleopatra’s snake

61. Toss from the game

44. Panda’s favorite plant 46. Bird on a baseball cap

9. Precious

47. Nairobi native

10. Capital of Paraguay

48. Not destroyed or lost

11. Research space where an app is developed, perhaps

50. Boba ___ (“Star Wars” bounty hunter) 52. Dish out dough

55. Slimy substance 56. “That hurts!”

57. “Moby Dick” captain LAST PUZZLE’S ANSWERS:

$ 0 , * 2 6 $ 0 ) 0 3 5 2 * 2 < $ / , 3 5 ( 7 2 5 7 * 5 ( ( & ( 5 ( 6 , 6 7 $ 1 7 1 2 6 + 7 $ 6 . 6 + ( 0 6 $ % & 6 = ( 6 7 * 5 $ 3 ( + $ 1 * ( 5 , & ( 2 $ 5 & + , / $ * ( 5 * 5 2 . 3 2 7 % , ' $ 9 ( $ 1 , + ( $ 9 ( = ( 1 ( 1 7 * 5 ( $ 7 ' , * * ( 5 6 / 2 ( : , 1 * / $ 0 $ 6 2 7 , 6 ' , 6 & * 5 , 3 3 ( ' $ 1 $ / < 6 7 6 ( 9 , / 5 ( ( / , 1 % $ 7 7 % + / ( ( .

0 , 6 ( 5 <

39. Big name in TV ratings

8. Manila resident

38. Train that makes all stops

37. Sweet toppings

7. “___ all work out”

36. Villain

6. Casual gym wear

35. 1985 Arnold Schwarzenegger film

5. Transmission repair chain

32. Newspaper that was black and white and Red all over?

4. Borderline?

1. Long Morse code bits 3. Butcher’s cleaving tool

30. Split second

2. Don’t think about

Down

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