CityBeat | June 13, 2018

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CINCINNATI’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY | JUNE 13–19, 2018 | FREE

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WHAT A WEEK! BY T.C. B R I T TO N

Masked Woman Claims Lotto Prize

I’ve never won the lottery, but I can imagine all the randos that would crawl out of the woodwork if I did, trying to get a slice of the pie: second and third cousins, that roommate who left after one semester in college, my CityBeat editor (just kidding!). Because when you strike gold, you start getting a lot more popular, and not in a fun CW comedy type of way. That’s why I respect Ms. N. Gray, a Jamaican lotto winner who claimed her check while wearing a winking emoji mask to hide her identity. Power move! It’s a condition of the Caribbean’s Super Lotto’s license to hold a press conference and reveal winners’ first initials and last names, but Gray came prepared to keep all other personal details a secret as she accepted her check for $180,900,000 in Jamaican Dollars (about $1.4 million USD). Unlike my miserly Scrooge McDuck ass, Gray didn’t go incognito in order to hoard all the cash for herself — she told reporters that after she pays off her debts and takes a cruise, she plans to spend her winnings on a sick relative and local charities.

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SATC Turns 20

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Sex and the City first premiered 20 years ago on June 6, 1998, inspiring fashion, frank depictions of sex, sugary cocktail trends and basic yearbook quotes for years to come. And while Kim Cattrall, aka Samantha, has publicly put the kibosh on the possibility of the gang reuniting for a third film installment, fans celebrated the anniversary in fabulous form this week. Cynthia Nixon, who starred as Miranda and is now running for governor of New York, unveiled some SATC-themed campaign merch that I’m tempted to buy despite not being a New York voter. (How can I resist an “I’m a Miranda and I’m voting for Cynthia” tote?) If you really need to get your SATC fix, follow @everyoutfitonsatc on instagram, which not only obviously pays tribute to Carrie and Co.’s fashion highs and lows, but also critically examines the series, poking fun at its missteps (peep their “woke Charlotte” posts for some real lols). Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni, the women behind the account, not only designed Nixon’s Miranda merch but also threw a birthday bash for the series and its fans in Hollywood. The show’s creators Michael Patrick King and Jenny Bicks shared behind-the-scenes details and Charlotte herself stopped by, dressed in the Prada lipstick skirt her character wore in Season 3. With the style and pop culture of the Roaring 2000s regaining popularity all over again, it’s safe to say Sex and the City will endure for another 20 years.

Miss America Makeover

The 2019 Miss America Competition will air this September, and changes are underway for the long-standing beauty pageant. Getting an injection of Girl Power, the organization is doing away with the swimsuit competition, and instead of the evening gown portion, contestants will be encouraged to show off their personal style in whatever makes them feel confident. The changes come as the Miss America Organization is now under majority women leadership. Some took to social media to lament the change, begging Miss America to keep the beauty in beauty pageants as they worried about the liberalization of the contest. Excellent use of emoji and thumbs up “We are not going PHOTO: T WIT TER.COM/SVLGRP to judge you on your outward appearance,” said former Fox News anchor and “We are all sacred and we all belong, so let’s Miss America 1989 Gretchen Carlson, the just bake a cake for everyone who wants a organization’s chairwoman. “Hisssssss,” cake,” he said, sounding a lot like Cryreplied the angered, beer-bellied masses. ing Girl Who Doesn’t Even Go Here from We’ll always have Victoria’s Secret! Mean Girls. And speaking of, the musical adaptation of Tina Fey’s seminal comedy Tony Talk got snubbed big-time, despite garnering 12 Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban hosted nominations. The American Theatre Wing the 72nd annual Tony Awards Sunday, and The Broadway League essentially celebrating Broadway’s finest. The night handed out candy grams to everyone from featured more than a dozen performances SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway and major wins for musical The Band’s Musical to Three Tall Women and then said, Visit (10 awards) and play Harry Potter and “And none for Mean Girls.” the Cursed Child (six). On a more serious note, drama students And if you thought you could tell a room from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High full of inspired theater kids to keep politics School in Parkland, Fla., performed an out of it, think again, honey. Robert De emotional rendition of “Seasons of Love” Niro kept censors on their toes as he went from Rent and their drama teacher Melody on an anti-Trump tirade before introducHerzfeld — who hid alongside 60 students ing Bruce Springsteen (who performed a in the school’s drama room when a student spoken-wordy excerpt from his Springsteen opened fire in the building in February — on Broadway show, which was honored accepted a special award for excellence in with a special Tony Award). “Fuck Trump,” education. De Niro said. So who was the biggest winner of the Meanwhile, Andrew Garfield, who won night? Once on This Island star Sparky the Best Lead Actor in a Play for his role in the goat, who walked the red carpet — in a tux Angels in America revival, made reference no less! A true G.O.A.T. to the recent Supreme Court cake decision (which sided with the uptight Colorado baker, BTW) in his acceptance speech.

Contact T.C. Britton: letters@citybeat.com

This Week in Questionable Decisions… 1. Starbucks hiked up the prices of drip coffee by 10-20 cents across the country. 2. Brendan Fraser said the Hollywood Foreign Press Association tried to convince him that his groping complaint was actually a misunderstood joke. 3. Speaking of bad jokes, Jared Leto’s joke of a Joker will get his own movie. 4. After decades of limiting families to one child, China is now begging its citizens to have babies, thanks in part to a projection that 24 percent of the population will be age 65 or older by 2040. 5. Speaking of babies, tattoo and makeup artist Kat Von D last week celebrated her wedding with musician Leafar Seyer, but she made news this week for her comments on her unborn baby. See, while Kat is cool with tattoo needles, she doesn’t want a single vaccine needle touching her kid. 6. Eminem faced criticism after using realistic gunshot sounds during his set at Bonnaroo, scaring the shit out of some concert-goers. 7. Star Wars: The Last Jedi star Kelly Marie Tran is still getting so much racist, sexist hate from internet trolls she’s had to delete her social media. 8. A poster of a lockdown song in a kindergarten classroom went viral this week. The lyrics, set to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” detail the steps to try to keep safe during an active shooter or similar situation. 9. Net neutrality officially ended Monday, when the FCC’s rollback of the Obama-era rules took effect. RIP. 10. IHOP to become IHOb? That’s what the International House of Pancakes teased all week, without revealing what the “b” stood for. Could it be bacon? Breakfast? Bullshit marketing? Turns out it’s burgers. 11. Vince Vaughn presumably has enough money to call an Uber anywhere, any time, and yet he still drove drunk and got arrested for DUI in California.


©2018 Yellowstone® Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 46.5% Alc/Vol (93 proof), Limestone Branch Distillery, Lebanon, KY.

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tickets on sale now!

From May 1, 2018 to August 31, 2018, Limestone Branch Distillery will donate $1 to the National Parks Conservation Association in Washington D.C. for each bottle of Yellowstone Select sold, up to $30,000.

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NEWS

Cincinnati’s Coming Tax Abatement Debate An agreement between Cincinnati’s Board of Education and the city around tax abatements for developers will expire next year. Some critics say it’s time to change it. BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

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ext year, the city of Cincinnati could change up the way it does property tax abatements on development deals as a 20-year-old agreement between the city and Cincinnati Public Schools expires. But before that happens, the city, the CPS Board of Education and others will need to wrestle with a number of complicated questions. The current agreement between the city and the district, struck in 1999, expires at the end of 2019. Some have criticized that framework, which allows the city to deeply abate property taxes on new development and renovations, as being too generous to developers. But some in city administration say those deals are partly responsible for the resurgence in economic development in Cincinnati. A committee of Cincinnati City Council members — P.G. Sittenfeld, Greg Landsman, Chris Seelbach and Wendell Young — met last week with the CPS Board to open discussions on a new deal. “There are literally millions and millions and millions of dollars at stake, both in continued investment toward the revitalization of our city and for our schools,” Sittenfeld said at the beginning of that meeting, calling it a “whopper” of a topic. Under the current deal, the city pays CPS $5 million a year up to $100 million to offset tax abatements given to developers to incentivize new projects in the city — a deal reached in 1995 as part of the development of Cincinnati’s two riverfront stadiums, which are tax abated. CPS can use that money only on capital projects. Some of those developers are also required to provide payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTS) on roughly 25 percent of the valuation of their project — though housing that costs under $330,000 a unit

Cincinnati Public Schools Board PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

is exempted from that. In return for those payments, the city can offer 15-year or 30-year property tax abatements on up to 100 percent of the value of improvements or new construction. Without the deal, the city’s options are more limited: tax abatements at less than 50 percent for up to 15 years, as well as limitations on tax increment financing districts — where tax money is diverted into an account that helps pay for improvements to the area around a property — and payroll tax abatements. Not everyone likes the current arrangement. Cincinnati Federation of Teachers President Julie Sellers fired off a letter to Sittenfeld last week saying the union is asking for changes. “Tax abatements may be a useful tool to encourage development in blighted neighborhoods, or during an economic downtown,” Sellers wrote. “But the city’s ongoing grant of lengthy abatements in thriving neighborhoods shortchanges our schools and local services.” CFT says that even with the $5 million annual payment from the city to the district, CPS is losing about $8.4 million a year on tax abatements. Further, about 20 percent of residential tax abatements end up in Hyde Park and Mount Lookout, two of the city’s wealthiest neighborhoods.

Sellers and others say the city needs to change that. The union would like the city to pay the district enough to make up for those abatements, stop abatements in high-income neighborhoods and cut back on the value and duration of many abatements. Some residents agree. “Our approach in the past has just been, just give developers everything they want,” Hyde Park resident Sue Mangen, part of activist group the Cincinnati Educational Justice Coalition, said at the meeting. “Maybe there was a reason for that 20 years ago. We’re not complaining about the positives. But we do need to reevaluate our priorities. If our development over the past 20 years has been so successful, why do we have such a high poverty rate? There’s a disconnect there. I have a tax abatement on my Hyde Park house. I don’t need that. Why are people getting tax abatements who don’t need them?” But city officials say that the abatements have helped lift Cincinnati out of a period when investment was scarce and residents were leaving. And they continue to help the city compete with peers like Cleveland, St. Louis, Nashville, Columbus, Indianapolis, Charlotte and Pittsburgh and immediate neighbors from Blue Ash to Covington. “Unquestionably, we can say this

agreement is still every day spurring development, growth and generating jobs,” interim Community and Economic Development Department Director Phil Denning said. Though the agreement hasn’t changed much in the past 19 years, Denning says the department has gotten somewhat more conservative about how it structures abatements. “We’re becoming as a department more aggressive about how we underwrite these deals,” he says. Denning pulled out several examples of abatement deals that spurred projects which eventually contributed to CPS. There are the Machine Flats, a historic building in Camp Washington converted into apartments. Over the last eight years, Denning says, the district received $170,000 in payments instead of the $50,000 it would have received had the building not been renovated. Another example, downtown’s Residence Inn, had a base value for the district of $330,000. After an abated redevelopment, the school board receives $1.1 million instead. But when pressed, Denning said he didn’t have overall numbers for the return on investment for abatements. That’s been an issue in the past — media reports CONTINUES ON PAGE 11


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CITY DESK

Human Services Restored, But Others Cut: Mayor Unveils Budget Proposals BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

Mayor John Cranley June 6 released his suggestions for Cincinnati’s fiscal year 2019 budget, outlining about $1.6 million in adjustments to acting City Manager Patrick Duhaney’s operating budget suggestions and $5.25 million in tweaks to the capital side. Among the changes: restorations of proposed cuts to the city’s United Waymanaged human services fund, but no city money for a nonprofit that once received $1 million a year from the city under Cranley’s watch. “This budget reflects my values. It shows that fiscal responsibility and compassion are not mutually exclusive,” Cranley told reporters at a news conference in Pleasant Ridge. “It shows that we can run a city that serves its residents and makes the most of the resources they give us despite challenges.” Cranley’s suggestions for the operating budget restore the city manager’s cuts to human services funding, bringing spending back up to last year’s $3 million. The mayor’s budget would also give back funding cut from the African American Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Cincinnati Redevelopment Authority, REDI and other business groups and economic development groups — though tech-centered Cintrifuse and CincyTech are still on the chopping block with their funding zeroed out. Cranley would also add 15 new litter clean-up jobs for Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, among other additions. To make room for the extra spending in a budget wrangling with a $32 million city deficit, Cranley eliminated six vacant positions worth roughly $600,000. Those jobs included one in the city’s law office, positions in the community and economic development and finance departments and four administrative positions with the

Cincinnati to Get Two Medicinal Marijuana Dispensaries… Eventually Patients qualified to receive medicinal marijuana will likely have some local dispensaries from which to choose. But they may have to a wait a bit longer than expected. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy announced on June 4 the 56 businesses in 28 geographic areas around the state that will receive medicinal marijuana licenses, including two within Cincinnati city limits and another five in the Greater Cincinnati area.

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But on June 5, officials with the Ohio Department of Commerce warned that the

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BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

City Hall PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

police department. Cranley also zeroed out funding for The Center for Closing the Health Gap, the health and wellness nonprofit run by onetime Cranley ally and former Cincinnati mayor Dwight Tillery. Closing the Health Gap’s funding increased greatly under Cranley’s tenure, going from a $200,000 allocation the year before he took office to eventually getting $1 million a year from the city. But its funding has narrowed in recent years’ budgets, coinciding with controversy around its spending practices — and a major falling out between Cranley and Tillery. At the news conference, Cranley said the Health Gap shouldn’t get a special allocation in the budget and should apply through the process overseen by United Way, just like other groups do. Cranley also shuffled around priorities

in the capital budget, adding $2.5 million to renovate a historic Masonic lodge in East Price Hill, $850,000 to redevelop property in Pleasant Ridge, $500,000 each for Inwood Park in Mount Auburn and Queen City and Boudinot Recreation Area and $450,000 each to the city’s parks department and recreation commission. He paid for those additions by eliminating funding for CiTiRama and money for improving neighborhood business districts. He also suggested cuts to the city’s funding for bike programs from $350,000 to $200,000. Some of those moves could see opposition from Cincinnati City Council. Despite scrutiny into its spending practices from media and the city, the Health Gap still has support from community members and some on council. Council must approve a budget by June 30.

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

Over the past six years, the state of Ohio paid now-defunct online charter school the Electronic Classroom of Tomorrow more than $14 million from funds that could have otherwise gone to Cincinnati Public Schools, Ohio Department of Education data compiled by charter school critics shows. That money came from students in the CPS district — but much of it could have also gone to other online or brickand-mortar charters had it not gone to ECOT. Still, critics say, that’s money that was spent on a school that ultimately failed to live up to its promises. CPS reported that 60 ECOT students enrolled in the district in the week after the charter closed in January. Innovation Ohio, a left-leaning think tank that launched to oppose charter schools, compiled the data from the state. “This is another piece of the growing ECOT scandal that has effected taxpayers in every corner of the state,” a statement from the think tank reads. “The numbers show that all but six of Ohio’s 613 school districts lost state funding to ECOT.” ECOT closed in January after the state of Ohio ordered it to pay back $80 million in state funds related to a scandal over misreported attendance numbers. State officials say the school reported thousands of students were attending its online classes, but many seldom or never logged in to use the online school’s services. Prior to its closure, Ohio taxpayers had been paying $100 million a year CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

state’s medicinal marijuana program likely won’t be ready in time for its statutory Sept. 8 launch date.

clearing the way to issue certificates of operation that will allow growers to plant their crops.

After lawmakers passed a law legalizing medicinal marijuana in 2016, Ohio officials last November licensed 25 growers across the state to cultivate marijuana for medicinal use. None have begun planting crops yet, however, because they haven’t received the necessary state certifications to do so. And only one — Pure Ohio Wellness LLC — has received a required state inspection. That leaves little time to begin the planting, processing and packaging needed so that medicinal weed will be available at dispensaries by the deadline.

“We know that patients in Ohio circled that date on their calendars and we don’t take that lightly,” Mark Hamlin of the Ohio Department of Commerce said.

The state says that three smaller growers are set for inspections this month and that five larger growers and one additional small grower will be inspected in July,

CPS Lost $14 Million to Now-Defunct Online Charter, Department of Education Data Shows

Green RX LLC, registered at 8420 Vine St. and partially owned by Rev. Damon Lynch III, was granted one local license. Green RX wants to run a dispensary out of a former pharmacy in Hartwell. Care Med Associates LLC, registered at 5149 Kennedy Ave., is the other Cincinnati recipient.

Department of Commerce officials blame the delay on weather and construction setbacks. The delay also comes after a variety of controversies, scoring errors and legal challenges around the way the state awarded medicinal marijuana licenses.

Other nearby dispensaries awarded licenses:

Residents who have any of 21 medical conditions, including HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s, epilepsy and cancer, can register to buy medicinal marijuana as an edible, oil or concentrate for vaping via state-approved doctors.

• Pharmacann Ohio LLC in Columbia Township

• CannAscend Alternative LLC in Monroe • Therapeutic Healing Care LLC in Lebanon

• 127 OH LLC in Seven Mile • Debbie’s Dispensary Ohio 4 LLC in Hillsboro


FROM PAGE 10

to send 15,000 students to the school, which had no books, no classrooms and, according to state officials investigating its attendance records, little proof that it was providing educational opportunities required by the state. Overall, more than $591 million went to ECOT from local districts over the past six years, department of education data shows. In Ohio, charter schools are private nonprofit or for-profit schools funded with public money pulled from the public school districts where a charter schools’ students live. If a student in a district elects to go to a charter school over the public equivalent, the public school’s funding for that pupil is transferred to the charter. Generally, charters are held to lower educational standards that public schools. That’s because they are often taking lower-performing students from low-income backgrounds, supporters say. Critics, however, say that’s an unfair double standard. ECOT founder and Columbus businessman William Lager has been heavily involved in funding political campaigns, most of them Republican. In 2015, he gave $10,000 to the Ohio Republican Party, and in the past five years he has given more than $1 million to Republican lawmakers.

FROM PAGE 08

have shown the city doesn’t always have answers about the results of the more than $250 million in various tax deals, grants and other incentives it has given out over the past decade. Denning promised that data on the number and worth of abatements — as well as their payoffs for the city and district — would be available as the district and city work on a new agreement. Some on the school board questioned whether the same kinds of abatements needed in the late 1990s — when the city was still bleeding population and jobs — are needed in Cincinnati’s hot real estate market today. “There was a time when you couldn’t get a bank loan, and you had to borrow against your 401(k) to do a building,” said board member Ryan Messer, who has also renovated buildings in Over-the-Rhine. “But have you thought about changes to reflect how our city has changed?” Messer also noted the “symbiotic” relationship between schools and development — good schools often draw new residents into a community just as development can. There are, of course, other complications to consider. CPS also receives money from the state based on a complicated formula that could be tipped one way or another by an adjustment to tax revenues.

Council member David Mann wondered if there was proof that developers needed all the abatements provided to complete projects. And Councilman Greg Landsman wanted to know how much lowering the number and amount of abatements could save taxpayers. The city caps its property tax collections at $29 million, and the various property tax levies feeding into CPS are also limited. Denning said that the abatements spur developments that make the tax discounts worth it, but some council members and school board members were skeptical. “I appreciate the relevancy and necessity of many of these abatements,” Landsman said. “I do see the necessity of some of them. But if these levies and the city have to generate this amount of money every year and we’re abating certain property owners, that means that everyone else pays a little bit more. If you were to pull back on some of the abatements, that could mean real property tax relief for some property owners.”

“There are literally millions and millions and millions of dollars at stake, both in continued investment toward the revitalization of our city and for our schools.” It’s a complicated set of questions the city, district and others will need to wrestle with over the next year. Those supporting changes say it’s the perfect time for an adjustment to support CPS’ increasing enrollment — now at 30,000 students — and its 55 school facilities. “Cincinnati Public is a great district, but there are significant needs,” former Cincinnati City Council candidate Michelle Dillingham, an outspoken education activist, says. “Our students need all the support they can get. I don’t think anyone is suggesting getting rid of abatements. We’re asking for a more nuanced approach.”

A NATIONWIDE SALUTE TO THE AMERICAN ORIGINAL COMING HOME. FIRST BOTTLED BOURBON.

TM

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Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky, 43%-57.5% Alc. by Volume. Distilled & Bottled by Old Forester Distilling Co. at Louisville in Kentucky. OLD FORESTER is a registered trademark. ©2018 Brown-Forman Distillers. All rights reserved.

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BY S AMI S T E WART, L IZ Z Y SC HMIT T, MO RG AN ZUM BIEL , MAI JA ZUMMO AN D C IT Y B E AT S TAF F

T H ED R I N K I N G I S SU E

93 bars and boozy destinations for every vibe

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PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

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t’s 5 o’clock somewhere — that means it’s time for a drink. Whether you’re looking for a nightlife destination to mix and mingle or some place to spend happy hour before heading home to Netflix, there’s a bar for every vibe in Cincinnati. The Drinking Issue has divided up a smattering of these boozy destinations into different categories to help you pick where to raise your glass next. In the mood for a nice cabernet? There’s a wine bar for that. What about a place with a piña colada and beach volleyball? Sure! Just want to go where everybody knows your name? We have those kinds of bars, too. And if your favorite watering hole didn’t make the list, don’t worry — plenty of great bars didn’t — which is as good a reason as any to curse CityBeat while using our free publication as a coaster during your next night out. Cheers!

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DOG-FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS

HIP HANGOUTS

FOR ALL T Y PES OF COOL KIDS — AND ADULT S

FOR 10 /10 V ERY GOOD BOYS AND THEIR HUMANS

Braxton Brewing Co. Braxton Brewing Company prides itself on loving beer and innovation, but their real soft spot is for dogs. Employees dole out treats and lots of belly scratches for any pup that visits the taproom. Cross the river for the Revamp IPA, stay for the canine haven. It’s what all the cool dogs do. And if you’re looking for beer with more attitude, stop by Braxton Labs. While the original Braxton has the feeling of a Midwestern garage — a place that holds memories, nuts, bolts and beer — Braxton’s second “lab” location has opened the doors to innovation. Located in the Party Source, the lab features 40 taps dedicated to the brand’s most unique offerings, as well as brews from across the U.S. and around the world, plus an outdoor dog-friendly AstroTurf beirgarten. Braxton, 27 W. Seventh St., Covington; Braxton Labs, 95 Riviera Drive, Bellevue, braxtonbrewing.com. Hightail Mount Adams This hillside watering hole, inspired by mid-19th-century whaling clubs in New England, brings a warm welcome to everyone who walks in the door. With an enormous selection of bourbons and beer, this is a perfect place to whet your whistle. But maybe the best thing about Hightail is that they encourage all tails, especially during their Sunday Yappy Hour from 7-9 p.m., where you’ll receive special deals and your pup will receive some yummy treats. It’s a neighborly place where they not only know your name, they know your dog’s name, too. 941 Pavilion St., Mount Adams, hightailmtadams. com. Liberty’s Bar & Bottle Liberty’s offers the best of both the bar and the bottle with 20 rotating craft beers on tap and 15 wines available by the glass — including halfpours — along with 100 bottles of wine and 40 craft beers via retail. It’s Rosé Wednesday each week, with a flight of three rosés for $13 (add pimento cheese and Ritz crackers for $6). They also offer a mean $6 Liberty’s Mule cocktail (a NAME:

Longfellow A very chill addition to the OTR bar scene, Longfellow offers cozy, mushed-together seating, a large U-shaped bar and a super-positive attitude as transmitted by D.C./N.Y.C. transplant and owner Mike Stankovich. With a focus on flavor, the cocktails here are dangerously drinkable. While selections change frequently, mainstay bevvies include the Spruce Goose (barrel-aged gin, honey, lime, bitters and tonic) and Shiso Painkiller (navy rum, shiso, orange, coconut and nutmeg). The beer menu is as extensive as it is impressive, with selections from Oregon, Germany and Japan, and you won’t be bored by the bar snacks, either — food options range from late-night pierogies and caviar to liverwurst and cottage cheese. A fun pay-it-forward menu allows you to buy drinks for friends, strangers and crushes. A nice spot for singles, good looking people abound here, especially if you’re into Williamsburg, N.Y.-type hotties and off-duty bartenders. 1233 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, longfellowbar.com.

Longfellow PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Best Of Cincinnati staff pick), with housemade ginger beer. Dogs are welcome and you’ll frequently find one or two sleeping under their owners’ stools at the bar. 1427 Main St., Overthe-Rhine, searchable on Facebook. Southwest Porch at Washington Park When Southwest Airlines took over and rebranded the porch at Washington Park last year, this almost 3,000-square-foot space got a real upgrade. With a Southwest-inspired blue-and-white color scheme, the company added carnival-style string lights, patio chairs, a giant chess set, ping-pong tables and cornhole. Add those public party games to the selection of local beer from breweries like Taft’s Ale House, Rhinegeist, Fifty West and Christian Moerlein and you’ve got a space for happy-hour-goers, families and competitive gamers alike. The Washington Park dog park is within spitting distance of the porch. Owners can bring their drinks inside the

Molly Wellmann

Owner of Wellmann’s Brands — Japp’s Since 1879, Myrtle’s Punch House, Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar — mixologist and author

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FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE: At Myrtle’s, I like to make punches that are seasonal and have history — some of these recipes date back 500 years and I like to bring them back to life. It’s all kind of what I fancy at that minute; that’s why I like to change the menu up a lot. I like this drink we have on now called Admiral Russell’s Punch. It’s brandy and lemon and sherry and it’s so good. It dates back to the 1690s and there’s this story of how Admiral Russell stopped off in this town in Spain and decided to throw a humungo party and they didn’t have a vessel big enough to make punch for 600 people, so they ended up using the fountain in the courtyard of the governor’s house. They made this huge punch and the fountain was big enough that they got this cabin boy and put him in a little boat to serve all the people punch. I keep thinking how fun it would be if Mayor Cranley would let me do that on Fountain Square. FAVORITE PLACE TO DRINK AFTER WORK: I love Arnold’s — they have the best bourbon selection in downtown Cincinnati. There’s something about that bar, man. I love Arnold’s. I was also on the rooftop of The Phelps (recently) and had such a great time.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

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doggie play paradise, and dog-less humans can watch pups from the porch — or get right in the mix and pet stranger’s dogs while sipping rosé (like a cat café minus the cats, plus alcohol). 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org. Woodburn Brewery Founded by a lifelong Cincinnatian and an L.A. transplant, Woodburn promises the best of the West Side and the West Coast. Among its core beers are a Cedar IPA and a chocolate cherry stout. For summer sipping, try the hilariously named Garry Shandy, a German-style weisse beer with lemonade, or the Pineapple Smash beer cocktail with pineapple saison, Tito’s vodka, pineapple juice and citrus. Dogs are welcome to chill inside the taproom — they have a couple of regular booze hounds, including Myrtle the Brewery Dog — where they will receive many pets. 2800 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, woodburnbrewery.com.

Hi-Mark Named for Ohio River flooding, the Hi-Mark — from the groups that brought you cult favorites Eli’s BBQ and Pho Lang Thang — is a laid-back neighborhood hang with a rotating tap list of local, regional and “essential” (read: Budweiser, Guinness, etc.) beers, and interesting hi-balls, like the Horse’s Neck, made with bourbon, bitters and ginger ale. The food menu blends barbecue and Vietnamese, with options like Bo Kho chili topped with cheddar, scallions and Sriracha, or a pulled pork banh mi with Eli’s smoked pork, do chua, cucumber, barbecue sauce and cilantro. Vintage flair, an upstairs rumpus room and East End address make this a destination bar and roadhouse for people who know what’s good for them — aka a new Fretboard brew and an order of chili fries — or just have a super long wait down the street at Eli’s. 3229 Riverside Drive, East End, thehimark.com. CONTINUES ON PAGE 16


Stay. Sit. Savor.

4335 Glendale-Milford Rd. Cincinnati, OH 45242 (513) 794-1610 browndogcafe.com

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FROM PAGE 14

The Lackman Located in a turn-of-the-century building built by brewer Herman Lackman, it serves 14 beers on tap and more than 30 bottles and cans (microbrews, imports and domestics) in an environment decked out in leather banquettes, exposed brick and vintage-styled tile work. Try the barrel-aged Negroni, with Plymouth gin, Carpano Antica and Campari. Or something from the signature cocktail list, currently themed after favorite Cincinnati locales. The 13th and Vine boasts blanco tequila, simple syrup, grapefruit, lime, soda and fresh-cracked pepper; sweet with a kick, just like the Lackman’s location — a perfect place to congregate before or after dinner at one of OTR’s many eateries. 1237 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, lackmanbar.com. Low Spark Another one of 4EG’s creations, Low Spark offers a ’70s-style, square-shaped, theaterin-the-round bar, featuring an aquarium in the center and a slew of button-tufted orange leather bowling-alley-ish chairs. They have everything from $3 Bud to local beers on draft and a fine cocktail list, including a strong and refreshing Juniper Rays with gin, Campari, grapefruit and rosemary. The final Friday of the month is Vinyl Friday with resident DJ Matt Joy spinning favorite record selections. 15 W. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine, lowsparkbar. com.

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Mecca OTR Now you can hang out in a makeshift forest of ferns and philodendrons, drink craft beer in flashy cans and snap an insta pic by a number of neon signs — if you can find the place. With a courtyard main entrance tucked away down 15th Street (the streetside façade is actually a vintage Americana shop accessible from inside the bar), this destination feels very “in the know.” But the big-ass gravel patio, colorful street-art murals, panoply of rainbow lighting and plethora of communal seating make this a welcoming spot for those interested in no-frills drinking, L.A. vibes, vinyl tunes and corndogs. Every cinder block is covered in the works of local artists, including in the individually decorated bathroom stalls. The aesthetic is strong with this one, guys, and so are their make-it-mine San Pell Chunker cocktails, with a mini airplane bottle of booze inverted into a can of flavored sparkling water. 1429 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/meccaotr.

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Mixwells Northside Warning: Townies and tourists alike have been known to bust a move and seriously enjoy themselves at this establishment. Nestled along Hamilton Avenue’s eclectic assortment of dive bars and record stores sits Mixwells — Northside’s best and only dance club. It’s a neon-lit discotheque with rotating DJs and a let-loose, college-basement-party vibe where people be getting wasted, taking selfies in a makeshift photo booth and sweating it out to ’80s tunes. Check the schedule for upcoming themed dance nights, which range from Studio 54 to Darkotica Goth. 4169 Hamilton Ave., Northside, facebook.com/mixwellsBar.

Myrtle’s Punch House Non-beer drinkers, rejoice! Myrtle’s focuses on handcrafted punch sold by the bowl, glass or state-of-the-art draft system. The punch features fresh juice, syrup and in-house infusions. Shareable plates include vegan, vegetarian and carnivorous options. Holding down the corner in East Walnut Hills, right across from Woodburn Brewery, Myrtle’s makes for an easy group bar-hopping destination. There’s also half-price bottles of wine all day Sunday, trivia on Wednesday nights and Highly Improvable Comedy the second and fourth Thursday of the month in the downstairs Rathskeller, among other events. 2733 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, wellmannsbrands.com/myrtles. Overlook Lodge A rustic bar inspired by Stephen King’s The Shining, Overlook Lodge brings a bit of movie magic to life with its giant Overlook Hotelinspired fireplace and eerie backlit bar. Try the Writer’s Block cocktail (bourbon and appleberry sweet tea) or Redrum Returns (dark rum, strawberry clove purée, citrus, soda and cranberry bitters) to fit write in. Combine the themed atmosphere with live music on the weekends (including Acoustic Sundays) and housemade trail mix, and this Pleasant Ridge locale guarantees some much-needed play after a hard day’s work. 6083 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, thatshiningbar.com. The Pony OTR By the looks of it, you’d think The Pony has been around for decades with its honeycomb tile floors, low-hanging green bar lamps and a glowing neon sign luring you in for an Old Fashioned. Turns out the excellently comfortable dive-bar décor is the machination of hipsters, and we’re not at all mad about it. You can count on the Pony for weekly specials that’ll keep you galloping through the front door — Sunday cheap eats, Monday trivia nights, Taco Tuesday — not to mention a plentiful dose of classic bar food (chicken wings, chicken fingers and gravy fries), a nice selection of drafts and simple cocktails. It’s Main Street’s neighborhood bar where you’ll run into a nice cross section of OTR visitors and residents here for a drink, to escape from the nightlife chaos of Vine or to watch assorted sports on TV. 1346 Main St., Overthe-Rhine, searchable on Facebook. Sundry and Vice Sometimes all you need to cure a case of the doldrums is a stiff drink. Sundry and Vice doesn’t deny their ulterior motives when creating curative cocktails. Their apothecaryinspired drinks lend more textures, colors and flavors than a classic list of libations; meticulously crafted by be-aproned bartenders, they take a little longer to make than usual, but that’s only because they’re so good. And though they may not be backed by “science,” they’re known to cure a sour mood. Take the Truth or Dare — it’s a well-balanced gin drink with subtle notes of sesame, sweet plum, grapefruit bitters… and a fortune cookie garnish. Or sling back a BRO.T.R — an upscale Boilermaker with a Rhinegeist Truth and a shot of draft Old Fashioned. 18 W. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine, sundryandvice. com.

Arnold’s Bar and Grill PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

The Video Archive Named in honor of the video rental store where director Quentin Tarantino once worked, The Video Archive is a video store that doubles as a speakeasy, like a Blockbuster with a back-alley bar. Upon entering, you’d think you’ve arrived at an indie flick shop, until you discover the secret door — opened by selecting a specific VHS movie from the shelves — that leads you to the booze room. Come have a killer drink — like the $12 Royale With Cheese, made with yellow Chartreuse, lemon juice, simple syrup and Rhinegeist Truth — and argue with fellow movie buffs and assorted drunk people about which Tarantino film kicks the most ass. If you come on a Saturday this summer, catch a free film on the patio at 9 p.m. sharp (they’re screening Pulp Fiction on June 30). 965 E McMillan, Walnut Hills, gorillacinemapresents.com/archive.

PERECT PATIOS

SECRE T HIDE AWAYS AND PEOPLE-PLE A SING PART Y SPACES

Arnold’s Bar and Grill A friendly, diverse and historic gin joint, Arnold’s is the city’s oldest bar — in operation since the 1830s. The cheap (strong) drinks and almost daily live music — from Bluegrass and Americana to Jazz — complement the awesome interior courtyard, which used to be a stable and carriage house. They claim to have one of the best bourbon lists in Cincinnati with nearly 40 options on the menu. Whether you like it neat or on the rocks, there’s sure to be something great to sip on while eating your weight’s worth in signature Greek spaghetti (on the menu since the 1950s) or snapping a selfie in the bathtub that was once reputedly used for making bathtub gin. 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, arnoldsbarandgrill.com. The Blind Lemon Mount Adams’ favorite backyard bar since 1963. Walk down a set of stairs to find a secret, little hideaway. Inside, the cozy walls are lined

with eclectic paraphernalia. Outside, the relaxed garden patio is like a boho blend of Bourbon Street and Paris café life. With a promise to hear Blues, Rock or Jazz every night, it’s one of the most romantic drinking destinations in the city. 936 Hatch St., Mount Adams, theblindlemon.com. Dutch’s Dutch’s pony keg turned bar, bottle shop and artisanal larder is an East Side hang with an expansive kitchen, pantry and patio, complete with a fire pit and backyard bocce court. Pair one of 200 different available wines or craft on-tap beers with farmstead cheeses, natural meats or snacks like truffle popcorn. Thursday is Burger Night, with a special one-night-only gourmet topped burger available from 6 p.m. until they sell out. 3378 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, dutchs.squarespace.com. Fries Café At more than 90 years old, Fries is a laid-back dive-bar legend near the University of Cincinnati. Appealing to everyone from UC students taking a break from exams to Cliftonites and downtown professionals, the first floor features a draft bar with a focus on craft beer and a popular old-fashioned shuffleboard table. The lower level features two billiards tables and the top floor has more darts and billiards with access to the seasonal patio. The uncharacteristically large outdoor space (at least for Clifton) has a covered portion and deck, live music stage, cornhole sets and plenty of seating. 3247 Jefferson Ave., Clifton, friescafeclifton.com. Kaze OTR’s backyard izakaya, this Japanese gastropub is notorious for its excellent outdoor space and one of the best happy hours in the city. Starting at 4 p.m., grab $5 specialty cocktails and discounted sushi rolls, among other options, and enjoy them on the giant private patio, featuring string lights, colorful vertical planters and Acapulco lounge chairs. It even has its own outdoor bar, perfect for not moving CONTINUES ON PAGE 18


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PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

NAME:

Cody Monk

General Manager of The Anchor-OTR

TITLE:

I woke up one day and thought we should put squid ink in a cocktail — you can put it in pasta; it’s edible. It’s called Black Tot Day. It’s named after July 31 in 1970 when the British navy sailors stopped getting their daily stipend of rum. We actually use a navy rum in the cocktail called Pusser’s. We make a squid ink syrup with squid ink and sugar; that’s the sweet element of the cocktail. We also use lime juice because rum and lime always go together. I wanted a spice aspect, too, so we use a ginger syrup. It’s black but it’s an egg white cocktail so it’s kind of a light gray on top and the cocktail itself is jet black. It’s almost like a spiced daiquiri. It looks like a Guinness in a glass, but it drinks really bright.

FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE:

Bar & Bottle. At Longfellow, (I like) their Shiso Painkiller. It’s a great Tiki drink and it doesn’t taste like alcohol at all. It’s very fruity but refreshing. At Liberty’s, a High Life and a shot of well whiskey. FROM PAGE 16

too far when you want a refill of $4 house sake. 1400 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, kazeotr.com.

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FAVORITE PLACE TO DRINK AFTER WORK: Either Longfellow or Liberty’s

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MadTree 2.0 MadTree’s million-dollar makeover did not disappoint. The hugely expanded operation on Madison Road is bigger on all fronts, including its 10,000-square-foot beer garden. With 32 MadTree-exclusive taps, ambient lighting and an industrial brick façade leftover from the building’s factory days, there’s more than

a staple at Sundry and Vice — worked with Bee chefs to create a menu that brought “the farm to the cocktail world.” Standout cocktails include the Fig Dandy, a fig syrup, bourbon and dandelion tea concoction, and the Voodoo Lily, a carrot-orange coconut milk and rum cocktail with a kick of curry. Tapping into the latest trend in mixology, there’s also a smattering of nonalcoholic and low ABV cocktails that go beyond soda and virgin mixed drinks to accommodate everyone in your party. The Moonville stands out on the non-alcoholic list — coconut milk makes it creamy while pineapple and rose water add sweetness. Socials — carafes of drinks for sharing with friends old and new — are perfect when imbibed on the rooftop patio. 8 E. Fourth St., Downtown, asteronfourth.com.

16-Bit Bar+Arcade P H O T O : P AT T Y S A L A S

enough space to accommodate all the beerdrinking, cornhole-playing, dog-loving humans that hang at MadTree on the regular. Bonus: The expansion also included bigger bathrooms. 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, madtreebrewing. com. Mecklenburg Gardens At 150 years old, Mecklenburg Gardens is one of the city’s most historic eateries, and its vinecovered trellised biergarten is one of the best in the nation (an accolade awarded by Travel + Leisure magazine). Grab one of the German brews on draft, which come in several sizes, including a 1-liter glass boot. Wednesday night, the garden offers quarter flip specials: The bartender flips a coin and you call heads or tails while it’s in the air. If you guess right, you pay 25 cents for a half-liter beer. Check for specialty keg tappings happening each month. 302 E. University Ave., Corryville, mecklenburgs.com. Rosedale When Neons closed in 2016, people were devastated to lose “OTR’s backyard.” Then, 4EG — the entertainment group behind Lackman, Mount Adams Pavilion, Igby’s and more — announced they’d be taking over the space. After some upscale renovations, they reopened as Rosedale in January 2018. They’ve added industrial-farmhouse chandeliers, bold floral wallpaper (perfect for an Instagram photoshoot), leveled out the first floor and added lounge seating. It’s a little more classed up than comfy-old Neons but has retained the former’s focus on craft cocktails… and the giant, dogfriendly patio (now with brand new seating). Sip discount drinks from the monthly $3 menu then grab some grub and support your community at the MORTAR Mess Hall, where food entrepreneurs hone their skills in a professional setting. 208 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, rosedaleotr. com. Queen City Radio Head to the beer garden at Queen City Radio for a local pint, boozy slushies, wine and cocktails. The former auto body shop turned gigantic,

multi-level OTR hang features 14 rotating taps of local, regional and national beer, canned and bottled brews, a small cocktail program and adult-themed treats including alcohol-infused Popsicles. Garage doors create indoor/outdoor space, weather permitting, and the patio boasts not only a ton of seating, but also the on-site Queen City Whip food truck (which serves burgers, shakes and chili fries) and a new outdoor bar in a converted Airstream trailer. 222 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, qcrbar.com. Pearl’s Located in a historic building in the heart of Columbia Tusculum (Cincinnati’s oldest neighborhood), Pearl’s offers a rooftop bar and large outdoor patio for the warmer months and serves classic cocktails, draft beer and small bites. Named after the building’s last resident — Pearl — the entire establishment was designed to maintain a sense of authenticity and honor its former use as house. The bricks that came from the original chimney were used to create the freestanding fireplace on the 1,000-square-foot patio. The side paneling was refinished and reassembled; the wood floors, window frames and ceiling joists are all original; and even the building’s whitewashed exterior looks lived-in and antiqued. With string lights, ample seating and even a TV or two, the exterior patio is one of the most comfortable places in town to grab a glass of wine (with half-price bottles on Wednesday nights). 3520 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum, pearls-cincy.com.

LOW ABV MENUS

THE L ATEST TREND IN COCK TAIL S IS LESS ALCOHOL

Aster This social sippery is a casual cocktail space above the new downtown location of Sleepy Bee Café. Beverage director Giacomo Ciminello — known as much for his distinctive handlebar mustache as the boozy milkshakes he has made

Please This au currant culinary hideaway on Clay Street in Over-the-Rhine offers a constantly creative and frequently updated a la carte and four-course tasting menu for a low-key but high-art dinner. If you don’t want to commit to a meal and are just searching for snacks and a drink, the back bar offers both (and the full food menu until 10 p.m. every night). The 12-seater self-described “garden bar” has natural wines (sup, Pét-Nat?), local and European beers and trendy cocktails and spirits that utilize garden and farm flavors. The latest wave embraced by the bar team at Please is the low-proof cocktail trend. Try a Christina Pfeffer (drinks are named after Please friends and Kickstarter investors), with rosé, Aperol, grapefruit liqueur, lime and soda; or the Erika Leighton-Spradlin, with Dolin dry, banana liqueur, Velvet Falernum and pineapple tepache. 1405 Clay St., Over-the-Rhine, pleasecincinnati.com.

GAME BARS

DRINKING DESTINATIONS WITH AN INTER AC TI V E EDGE

16 Bit Bar+Arcade Calling all button smashers and pinball wizards: 16-Bit has more than 50 free arcade games and a tasty selection of celeb-inspired cocktails for you to slurp down as you relive your childhood nerdy nostalgia sans the quarters. If you want to drink like an adult while you act like a kid, try a cocktail like the Pam Anderson (coconut rum, peach vodka and juice) or new Sugar Rush (citrus vodka, curaçao and ginger beer, plus a Pixy Stick and a gummi peach ring), or pick from a hefty selection of craft brews and old standbys (aka PBR). Double down with a boozy slushie in one hand while you play Dragon’s Lair with the other — as long as you order something from the bar, you play for free. 1331 Walnut St., Overthe-Rhine, 16-bitbar.com/cincy. Arcade Legacy: Bar Edition The boozy version of the local Arcade Legacy chain blends pinball, retro arcade games and classic console play with alcohol and Avril-Bleh hot dogs (plus vegan options, massive nachos and sides). Monday Night Fights are for serious players, and there’s a high-score board for some local fame. All games — except pinball CONTINUES ON PAGE 20


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— are free to play if you buy drinks or food. If you don’t want booze, they also offer inventive sodas. The bar, usually 21 and older, goes all ages from 2-8 p.m. on Sundays. 3929 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, arcadelegacyohio.com/ bar-edition. Queen City Exchange Queen City Exchange is Cincinnati’s first and only stock exchange-themed bar, featuring 40-something beers on tap with prices that rise and fall depending on demand. Prices average around $4.50 to $7 — check the board for up-to-date numbers. When the market crashes, it’s time to buy, buy, buy and chug, chug, chug. For more gaming, visit during the drop-in dart league on Monday or Trivia Tuesday. 32 W. Court St., Downtown, queencityexchange.com. The Rook OTR At this board-game parlor, people can select from a library of more than 800 games featuring everything from Twister and Cards Against Humanity to Settlers of Catan and Pictionary. Snack on sliders, tots or pizza rolls while downing some classic and kitschy cocktails, like a Capri Against Humanity — made with a Capri Sun juice pouch and rum — or a Pretty Pretty Princess, with sparkling wine, amaretto, cotton candy and a candy necklace. 1115 Vine St., Overthe-Rhine, therookotr.com. Coming Soon: Pins Mechanical Company From the Columbus-based Rise Brands, the group behind 16-Bit, this new bar — slated to open later this summer — will have 25 pinball machines and 10 duckpin bowling lanes, plus other “old school” entertainment options like foosball, bocce ball and shuffle board. The three-story bar will also boast a rooftop patio. 1124 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, pinsbar.com.

BOURBON BARS

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Bourbon Haus 1841 Tucked away on the B-Line, Northern Kentucky’s bourbon trail experience, sits Bourbon Haus — one of 12 stops in the area (which also include New Riff, Bouquet Restaurant and The Globe) providing some of the best bourbon you can get your hands on. With an impressive selection of over 150 bottles, you’ll be overwhelmed by your options in the very best way. Whether you’re partial to an Old Fashioned or keen to try new things, the Haus has a lovely list of bourbon-backed libations for you to sip on while you decide which crafted flight is going to take you on a trip into Kentucky’s liquid history. 522 Main St., Covington, bourbonhaus1841.com. The Littlefield This Northside bar and bistro specializes in whiskey — from small-batch bourbons and ryes to white dogs and Japanese Hibiki — and cozy eats, like an artful shepherd’s pie and

3 Points Urban Brewery PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Sixteen Bricks bread with blue-cheese bourbon butter. Clever cocktails highlight verdant and floral flavors, like in the Mad Anthony, with Buffalo Trace bourbon, basil simple syrup, balsamic vinaigrette and housemade ginger beer. 3934 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, littlefieldns.com. Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar This shotgun-style wood-lined watering hole houses a mind-boggling bourbon selection — more than 300 bottles on floor-to-ceiling shelves — served in snifters by a well-educated, passionate staff. Each day OKBB offers a special hand-selected bourbon flight. For those less interested in straight booze, try the best Manhattan in the city. 629 Main St., Covington, wellmannsbrands.com/okbb. Prohibition Bourbon Bar Named one of the best bourbon bars in the country by The Bourbon Review, Prohibition Bourbon Bar started as a coffee and pastry shop before morphing into a speakeasy with one of the largest collections of bourbon and whisky in the world — the bar has more than 1,500 bottles and counting, including Scotch, Irish, Tennessee and Japanese brands, plus more than 50 wines by the glass. Like any good Prohibition bar, access is limited: The Newberrys only open their watering hole Thursday through Saturday nights. 530 Washington Ave., Newport, newberrybroscoffee.com. Wiseguy Lounge Housed above Goodfellas Pizzeria, Wiseguy Lounge tries to embrace the ambiance of the Roaring Twenties with a selection of craft cocktails that utilize homemade syrups, fresh-pressed juice and even open flames, plus rotating beer taps and an “elite” bourbon selection. There are more than 250 bourbons to choose from, including hand-picked single barrels, and a Bourbon Connoisseurs Club for serious imbibers. 603 Main St., Covington; 1211 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, goodfellaspizzeria.com.

SOME BREWERIES AND BEER BARS C AN’ T LIST ’EM ALL

3 Points Urban Brewery Named after the triangle shape of Pendleton — formed by Liberty, Reading and Main — 3 Points opened on June 1. With eight of their own beers on draft so far (the goal is 12) and a 185-person taproom, this urban brewery is a design-forward and artful space where all are welcome to indulge. Six artists were commissioned to create pieces inspired by the house beers and taste profiles. Birdseye is a Saison that melds fruity, spicy and clove-y notes together like a patchwork quilt. Lindsay Nehls’ artistic interpretation looks exactly as it tastes — boldly colorful, simple in construction and wholly satisfying. Other taps feature options like Sinking Orca oatmeal stout or the Origami Post Coast IPA. Check out the art that goes with each brew online or in the taproom. 331 E. 13th St., Pendleton, 3pointsbeer.com. Crafts & Vines A great pony keg and bar in MainStrasse, this shop has more than a dozen different wines and beer on draft. All beer is from Kentucky and Cincinnati and the tap list features rarities like brews from Mash Cult — Crafts & Vines is one of the only places to serve the local nano brand on draft — as well as Paducah’s Dry Ground, Louisville’s Apocalypse Brew Works and Lexington’s Ethereal Brewing. The female-helmed operation also offers a selection of snacks and charcuterie, and a wine club. 642 Main St., Covington, craftsandvines.com. Growler House This craft beer destination features 30 taps of local, regional and national beers — from favorites to hard-to-find rarities — for you to imbibe onsite or take home in one of the bar’s 32- or 64-ounce growlers. Taps rotate daily. Sample new brews via a pint or 5-ounce “Benchers,” or create your own flight. If you want to stick around and drink, the Growler House also

NAME:

Omy Bugazia

TITLE: Bartender

at Please

FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE: I

love making the Frida Zipkin for guests. It’s a bright, complex cocktail with fino sherry as the base to make the beverage pop across your palate. Not only is it bright, but it is also bitter, nutty and refreshing. The Frida Zipkin is a great aperitif cocktail to prime guests before a tasting menu. Drink more sherry!

FAVORITE PLACE TO DRINK AFTER WORK: Longfellow. In my opinion,

this is the best bar in the city, hands down. They have everything from cheap beer to a diverse spirit selection and a tight food menu. Not to mention, they have wonderful music and an awesome space. Ask them for shots of Angostura bitters. It’s great. Do it.

offers a direct ordering station linked with O Pie O (across the street) so you can get sweet or savory pie creations delivered to your table. 1526 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills, thegrowlerhouse.com. Higher Gravity These guys really want to help you love beer — so much so that they’ve installed iPads around the store to help you browse their inventory and find your perfect brew. Let their friendly “beeristas” pour you a flight, and don’t leave without visiting their growler and crawler station to take a cold one home with you. Higher Gravity is kidand dog-friendly, as well as B.Y.O.F. (bring your own food), so bring the whole fam and order in something tasty from one of their Northside neighbors. 4106 Hamilton Ave., Northside, highergravitycrafthaus.com. CONTINUES ON PAGE 22


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song time” and shelves of pink wigs. 575 Race St., Downtown, thattokyobar.com.

Nine Giant Brewing This brewery and snackery in the heart of Pleasant Ridge just celebrated its second anniversary. Nine Giant’s story begins with a fabled giant named Nine. Though many don’t know, these mythical creatures once called Cincinnati home, guzzling the great brews of the city’s past. The giant found a place among the shimmering taps and glistening blue walls of what would become his namesake. There are no flagship beers at Nine Giant — its 10 taps are subject to endless experimentation. Currently, you can complement your fried pickles with Fake Empire, a Czech pilsner, or Loveless raspberry witbier. 6095 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, ninegiant. com. Rhinegeist This uber popular OTR brewery and event space is celebrating its fifth anniversary on June 23 with an epic birthday party. Also epic? Its new Jurassicgeist dinosaur bone display — a never before exhibited Galeamopus skeleton, on loan from the Cincinnati Museum Center. In addition to sampling the brewery’s lineup of West Coast-inspired brews or playing a game of cornhole, you can grab shortorder takeaway from downstairs brasserie Sartre OTR (served via a pneumatic tube) or head upstairs to the weather-dependent giant patio. This very chill wooden rooftop deck features ample seating and an upstairs bar with 15 draft beers and ciders — including Bubbles — plus a selection of wine and draft cocktails. 1910 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinegeist.com.

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Streetside Brewing Co. From their taproom/brewery along Eastern Avenue in Columbia Tusculum, Streetside Brewery blends craft and community. With beers like the milkshake blonde Cereal Milk, a red velvet donut stout collaboration with Holtman’s Donuts called Robe, S’more Fun Together brown ale and a key lime gose that tastes like buttery graham cracker crust, this brewery has developed a niche for having your cake and drinking it, too. The taproom frequently hosts food trucks and programmed events, and Streetside’s Return of the Mac coffee-blonde recently received a silver medal by RateBeer, a crowd-sourced global site for craft beer enthusiasts. 4003 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum, streetsidebrewery. com.

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Urban Artifact This brewery, taproom and music venue, located in a historic church, crafts beers with locally caught wild yeast and bacteria, resulting in a lineup of sour, tart brews — like the flagship Harrow Gose. If sour isn’t your thing, add some sweet flavored-syrups from the bar or try local Skinny Piggy kombucha on tap. The brewery also hosts events and live music basically nightly, including the long-standing Blue Wisp Big Band on Wednesdays, trivia on Thursdays, film screenings on Mondays and both local and traveling bands in genres ranging from Hip Hop to Experimental music. Its in-house indie radio station, Radio Artifact, just got picked up by WVXU. 1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, artifactbeer.com.

TIKI BARS

BARS THAT PU T THE LIME IN THE COCONU T

Japp’s Since 1879 Japp’s transforms from a craft cocktail lounge to an island getaway on the first Wednesday of each month for Tiki Night. Jeremy Harrison, bartender, musician and one of Tiki Night’s founders, spins ’80s New Wave/Punk Rock dance jams throughout the night and serves up surf-ready drink staples. An homage to authentic Caribbean/Polynesian libations, expect complex and potent rum-based cocktails with a balance of sweet, sour, spice and a fruity or floral garnish. 1134 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, wellmannsbrands.com/japps1879. Below Zero Lounge PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Westside Brewing Co. Since opening in spring 2017, this spot has brought a lot of life to its little corner of Westwood. Not only is West Side Brewing a great neighborhood watering hole, it’s also a community hub that’s seen a chili cook-off, dog-friendly nights, pop-up workout classes, live music, fundraisers and countless big-game watch parties in its first year. Originally pegged as a craft brewery for the everyman, WSB is inviting enough for the casual beer drinker, spacious enough for groups and families and legit enough to impress the most discerning local brewpub frequent flyers. WSB also has smart taps — all beer is tracked and displayed on digital menus, kind of like a phone battery, so you can see what’s freshly tapped (you’ll see a green, full keg icon) or what’s most popular (red, empty keg icon). 3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood, westsidebrewing.com.

KILLER KARAOKE

SCIENCE SAYS YOU SING BE T TER THE MORE YOU DRINK

Below Zero Lounge LGBTQ+ nightclub Below Zero Lounge is nestled snuggly between the nightlife action on Vine and Main streets in OTR and plenty of trendy theater destinations — Know Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Cincy Shakes and the Aronoff. These two facts are specifically important during Thursday night karaoke when the Patty and Matty Karaoke Show takes over the lounge. With a splash of panache, hosts Patrick Carnes and Matthew Pappert lead increasingly inebriated singers through everything from ’80s hits and radio-friendly Pop to favorite showtunes and plenty of Celine Dion. Because of the proximity to those theaters, it’s not uncommon for local talent or actors from traveling Broadway shows — or even a drag queen or two from upstairs’ The Cabaret — to hop onstage to belt their own takes on karaoke classics. 1120 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, belowzerolounge.com.

The Hub OTR Celebrating Cincinnati’s urban bike culture and cycling activism, The Hub OTR services bikes by day and slings beer and cocktails at night. Trade your fixie for a $5 shot-and-beer special when the Hub transforms into a dog-friendly drinking destination with entertaining events and live music, including karaoke on Monday nights hosted by Hot Wheels Entertainment. Hot Wheels is the brainchild of karaoke jockey Bree, one of the city’s most notoriously engaging karaoke hosts — and a musician herself — whose business name reflects one of her other passions: advocating for those with disabilities, especially those in wheelchairs. It’s a perfect marriage of booze and tunes for singers who care about wheels of all types. 1209 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, thehubotr.com. Northside Tavern This laid-back neighborhood tavern features a front bar, back room and huge patio. There’s free live music almost every night of the week — including some you make yourself. Every Thursday is Karaoke Fantastic in the back bar, with more than 16,000 songs to choose from. And the first Saturday of the month, you can find a novel approach to the sing-along staple, Sexy Time Live Band Karaoke, which exchanges backing tracks for a full band of veteran Cincinnati rockers who are missing just one thing: a lead singer. During their karaoke “concerts,” you take the microphone and bring all the pomp, swagger and drunken falsetto to the stage while they play your song selection live. 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside, northsidetav.com. Tokyo Kitty The neon-lit and uber kawaii Japanese karaoke bar plays off of Lost in Translation by offering seven themed private karaoke rental rooms — with high-tech in-room robot drink delivery via Bbot — a karaoke mainstage, a dance floor and Tiki-style cocktails. Private karaoke rooms go for between $20 and $50 an hour and singers can choose from around 500 popular party hits. It’s a futuristic fantasy land full of “happy fun

Knotty Pine Rock Club & Tiki Bar This Cheviot mainstay is all Rock club/pool hall inside and all beach vibes outside, as the oneeyed-pirate-meets-biker skull logo can attest. The outdoor Tiki bar abuts a sand volleyball court, with competitive and co-ed league play throughout the summer and daily happy hour from 3-7 p.m. 6947 Cheviot Road, Cheviot, knottypinerocks.com. Northside Yacht Club A loosely nautically themed and ironically landlocked Rock club from two local music and mixology veterans, the Northside Yacht Club is all fun. The cocktails — served by tattooed bartenders in the vein of Sailor Jerry — are masterful, made with fresh juice, fruit and herbal garnish. The tropically themed and navyinspired drinks are served in Tiki glasses, but boat with caution if you order the Volcano Bowl. This punch comes with a highly potent mix of many, many rums, grenadine and pineapple and orange juice — all lit on fire and served with four straws. Lay down a base layer with a bar-food menu that features satisfying items like house-smoked wings, duck fat poutine and vegan lentil chili fries. 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, northsideyachtclub.com. Ludlow Bromley Yacht Club With a giant shark figurine impaled on the sign, this bar, grill and marina has a definite sense of laid-back island humor — and cheap drinks. People might go for the irony, river views and glowing palm trees, but they stay for the grillyour-own steaks, live music and Tiki drinks served in Styrofoam cups. 860 Elm St., Ludlow, ludlowbromleyyachtclub.net. The Sandbar With seven volleyball courts and a view of the river, tap into your inner beach bum with a list of “Dock”Tails, including the Strawberry Colada with Malibu rum, peach schnapps, frozen piña colada and strawberry purée. If you don’t want to join a volleyball league, the bar hosts open play pickup games on Saturday and Sunday. Four Seasons Marina, 4609 Kellogg Ave., California, thesandbarcincinnati.com. CONTINUES ON PAGE 24


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DISTILLERIES

WHEN YOU WANT YOUR SPIRIT S STR AIGHT FROM THE SOURCE

New Riff Distilling This craft distillery, which opened adjacent to the Party Source in 2014, is all about embracing patience: This fall, they’ll finally be releasing the first batch of their bourbon and rye whisky, made in an all-copper column still, using well water discovered on site. While we count down the days until the New Riff release, you can currently sample their Kentucky Wild Gin, made with local spice bush, and unaged white dog. Free tours take visitors behind the scenes to see production from grain to barrel, and end in a tasting. 24 Distillery Way, Bellevue, newriffdistilling.com. Northside Distilling Company This award-winning local distiller started in a nearly 100-year-old abandoned horse barn in Northside — hence the name. Now, Northside Distilling Company’s bar on Race Street pays homage to its roots. Reclaimed barn wood decorates the walls of the space, giving it a rustic vibe. Take a seat in the cozy bar and enjoy a selection of cocktails crafted in-house from their spirits: Northside Shine, corn whiskey and award-winning vodka. Bourbon nerds: They released their first run of barrel-aged, small-batch bourbon in November. 922 Race St., Downtown, northsidedistilling.com.

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Shumrick & Leys The founders of this distillery and tasting bar have a history with wine, but now spirits are their specialty. The lineup includes small-batch rum (dark and light), bourbon (finished in wine barrels) and vodka (including a horseradish variety for the spiciest of bloody marys), distilled, bottled and aged in an industrial Norwood building that once held Banasch’s sewing company. Tour the distillery before winding down at the bar with a mixed drink made with their specialty booze. 2810 Highland Ave., Norwood, shumrickleys.com.

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Second Sight Spirits This artisan distillery in Ludlow produces innovative unbarreled white rum, spiced rum, bourbon-barreled rum and Villa Hillbillies Moonshine. The tasting room offers samples and tours under the watchful eye of Second Sight’s Steam Punk-esque copper still that looks like it came straight from the mind of Jules Verne. 301 B. Elm St., Ludlow, secondsightspirits.com. Woodstone Creek This boutique distillery only produces 100200 cases of wine, mead and distilled spirits yearly. The offerings include dry to sweet wine from Ohio grape varietals, a wide range of mead, five-grain bourbon, single malt whisky (peated and unpeated), rum, gin, bierschnaaps, vodka and more. Sample anything and everything they have available during Saturday tastings. 4712 Vine St., Saint Bernard, woodstonecreek.com.

Metropole PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

HOTEL BARS

FOR A NIGHT WITH FRIENDS AND STR ANGERS WHERE YOU DON’ T HAV E TO DRI V E HOME IF YOU C AN AFFORD A ROOM

The Bar at Palm Court This lobby-level bar with French Art Deco décor in the historic Hilton Netherland Plaza is like stepping into an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. Sidle up to the bar — if you’re lucky enough to find a stool — and peruse the drink menu, which offers classic cocktails like the Chef’s Old Fashioned and the NP, a best-of-both-worlds cocktail that pairs bourbon with something bubbly. Named after the Netherland Plaza, the cocktail features Four Roses yellow label bourbon, lemon, ginger, bitters and sparkling wine. It’s light, refreshing and still packs a boozy kick. Go during happy hour 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and grab a plate of discounted light bites — lamb belly sliders, ricotta tortellini or chicken wings with smoked butter-Cholula sauce — to accompany your cocktail, or Friday and Saturday night for live Jazz. 35 W. Fifth St., Downtown, orchidsatpalmcourt.com. Coppin’s at Hotel Covington This boutique Covington hotel offers a fine selection of in-house eateries and drinkeries that’ll make you never want to leave. Coppin’s restaurant offers unconventional flavor profiles, gorgeous presentations and clever names. The Mother Smucker, for example, is an alcoholic take on a childhood PB&J, with a concoction of peanut butter-washed tequila, Rhinegeist Press Tart, lemon, Blackstrap Bitters and cherry-bark-vanilla bitters. Or, if you’d rather have a say in your spirits, try the Your Mojito, My Mojito, which allows you to choose between peppermint, cucumber, raspberry, mango or cantaloupe to muddle at the bottom of your libation. If you’re feeling stuffy, escape to the patio for a breather and you’ll be swept away into a sun-dappled, brick-paved paradise. Hotel Covington offers much more than a clean bed and a view of the Ohio River; from cocktails to


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Coppin’s at Hotel Covington PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

coffee drinks and charcuterie to balance it out, they won’t leave you wanting. 638 Madison Ave., Covington, hotelcovington.com. Metropole/Cocktail Terrace Housed in the 21c Museum Hotel, the Metropole is a restaurant and lounge with craft beers on tap, clever cocktails and a smart selection of old- and new-world wines. Or take a secret elevator up 11 floors to the roof for the hotel’s cocktail terrace, open seasonally and weather permitting. The hip 75-seat oasis has cushy patio furniture, tableside service and glass partitions for full views of downtown’s glowing nighttime cityscape. The terrace is known for its boozy slushies — try the Ed Sheeran with your choice of alcohol and ginger beer — and pop-tails, aka cocktails with a submerged flavored ice pop. 609 Walnut St., Downtown, metropoleonwalnut.com.

LIVE MUSIC BARS

WHEN YOU WANT A SIDE OF SOUND WITH YOUR BOOZE

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Bromwell’s HÄRTH Lounge If you follow the music press, Jazz music (particularly in a live setting) has died a million times over. Even if that was true, it must mean Jazz cats have nine million lives. The great American artform has proven its endurance over and over again. Every time Cincinnati’s Jazz club scene takes a shot, someone seems to step up. Joining the downtown live Jazz scene recently has been the Bromwell’s Härth Lounge, with its classy and romantic but laid-back and welcoming atmosphere and a rotation of local Jazz piano greats, including Steve Schmidt and Phil DeGreg, among others. 125 W. Fourth St., Downtown, bromwellsharthlounge.com.

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Southerby’s at the Mariemont Inn If you feel like escaping to the suburbs, the historic Mariemont Inn’s Southerby’s bar is a lobby-level drinking destination worth exploring. With the same hunting-lodge-meetsEnglish-manor ambiance as the hotel, this small pub features a food menu of shareable snacks and chef-crafted cuisine from the in-house National Exemplar restaurant, plus craft beer, seasonal cocktails and wines by the glass or

The Symphony Hotel This hotel is a quiet spot for a cocktail or glass of wine near Music Hall, Memorial Hall and Washington Park. The historic bed-andbreakfast — housed in a restored 1871 mansion — offers nine rooms named after famous composers, a five-course pre-concert dinner in the onsite restaurant and a tasting room bar with a nice selection of bourbon. Only open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, this hidden gem also features live Jazz. 210 W. 14th St., Over-the-Rhine, symphonyhotel.com.

VARIETY OF Craft Beer ON DRAFT

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The Phelps/Top of the Park Both located in the Residence Inn Marriott, The Phelps is a hidden oasis in the city — a tapas bar featuring small bites, wine and hand-crafted cocktails. On the roof, Top of the Park has 360-degree views of downtown, Mount Adams and the river from its vantage point at the base of Lytle Park. Amenities include tabletop fire features, TVs and live music, plus a tapas menu with snack options like sliders, charcuterie and chocolate churros. Try the Re-Fashioned, with Bulleit, blood orange, crème de cassis, rhubarb bitters and bourbon cherry. 506 E. Fourth St., Downtown, topoftheparkcincinnati.com.

bottle. Happy hour runs Monday through Friday with $5 martinis, $3 craft beer specials, half off bottled wine, $2 off select glass pours, $2 off shareables and $2 oysters. Claim a spot in an overstuffed chair next to the fireplace, and don’t be surprised to see a stuffed stag’s head or suit of armor masquerading as decor. 6880 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, nationalexemplar.com.

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The Comet This vintage-styled neon-lit Northside Garage Rock bar has Mexican food (served until 1 a.m.), booze, live music and coffee, so you never have to leave. Or you could just come back for their weekly house salsa creations and housemade ginger ale (pairs perfectly with whiskey). Upon entering, you’ll probably think you’re in a ‘50s-era diner based on the jukebox and checkered tile floors, but this is a space for good, loud music (everything from Rock and Reggae to Hip Hop and Indie); cheap, strong drinks; and an inspirational amount of craft beer in bottles and cans housed in an old-fashioned cooler. For scooter and motorcycle enthusiasts, every Tuesday is bike night. And for Bluegrass fans, the Comet Bluegrass All-Stars bring down the house every Sunday. Look for the Northside postcard mural on the Otte Avenue side of the building to find your way. 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, cometbar.com. The Greenwich Walnut Hills’ answer to Greenwich Village features a combination of Jazz, Spoken Word and Hip Hop. This long-standing nightlife destination has been presenting live music and art for more than four decades. Happy hour runs 6-8 p.m. weekdays with deals on already affordable drinks (a martini here will set you back less than $6) and is a perfect segue into the weekend during “Fridays at the Greenwich,” featuring a regular lineup of weekly acts including the Rollins Davis Band playing R&B on first Fridays and Sonny Moorman closing out the month on final Fridays with live Blues. 2442 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, the-greenwich.com.

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MOTR Pub MOTR Pub does two things really well: rocks your face off with loud music and sweaty crowds and serves up one hell of a burger. The bar hosts some of the best live shows in the city, highlighting local and touring Indie, Rock and Folk acts — all without a cover. Find larger acts across the street at sister establishment and venue the Woodward Theater, also helmed by the same team of longtime area music promoters. Along with excellent live music, MOTR is home to a lively sketch comedy and stand-up scene, late-night eats (including veggie and vegan options) and weekend brunch. 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com.

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Schwartz’s Point Pianist Ed Moss is a Cincinnati Jazz legend for his musical achievements, but he was also beloved for his low-key venue, which was written about as one of the area’s “Best Kept Secrets” so often, it wasn’t really a secret anymore, particularly among the city’s Jazz players. When Moss passed away in 2016, his daughter, Zarleen Watts, decided to honor her father by keeping his passion project going. The club — fittingly located at a “pointed” building arrowed into the five-way intersection at Vine Street and McMicken Avenue — reopened in 2017, retaining the eccentric character and regular Jazz performances (by a who’s who of the Cincinnati scene) that were a part of Moss’ vision, but modernizing it a bit and adding a new drink menu. 1901 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, thepoint.club.

WINE BARS

NAME:

FOR TA STINGS , FLIGHT S AND FEELING FANC Y

Senior bartender at MOTR Pub and Woodward Theater

1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab Amid the crazy fun on Vine Street in Over-theRhine, 1215 Wine Bar & Coffee Lab manages to offer a relatively civilized oasis where you can hang out with friends — or your laptop — and enjoy excellent coffee or, more to the point, sample lovingly curated three-pour flights of sparkling, white or red wines from all over the world. Three different wines are served in numbered glasses; use the tasting notes from the menu and blindly identify which is which. See if you’re correct on a provided card. You also can buy bottles of your favorites to take home. 1215 Vine St., OTR, 1215vine.com. Oakley Wines Oakley Wines started as a boutique bottle shop just off the main drag in Oakley. And then it became more than a neighborhood hang when upward of 100 people started stopping in for Friday-night wine tastings. So, expanding with demand, owner Zach Eidson revamped the basement and turned it into The Cellar bar. The subterranean bar features a full drink list, with wine and beer on tap, and upscale snacks. 4011 Allston St., Oakley, oakleywines.com. Revel OTR Urban Winery This unpretentious boutique winery and event space specializes in promoting local, regional and family-owned wineries. Revel makes its own small-batch house wine, 44 barrels at a time, and serves it in juice glasses. Grab a flight of three 6-ounce or 9-ounce pours, served in carafes so you can drink and discover on your own time. They also carry fun wine cocktails, like a fizzy mojito made with prosecco and a Manhattan featuring malbec and brandy. 111 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, revelotr.com. The Rhined The Rhined is a little slice of cheese heaven located across from Findlay Market. The artisan shop stocks a collection of the best handselected domestic cheeses, plus wine, beer, nuts, olives and jams to accompany the dairy of your dreams. Grab the cheese to go by weight or eat inside on a curated cheese board, like via a Midwest Flight, Soft Flight or Stinky Flight. From 6-10 p.m. om Friday and Saturday nights, you can enjoy pairings of cheese and wine flights crafted by the friendly staff with Italian Pét-Nats, New Zealand sauvignon blancs, Côtes de Provence rosé and more. 1737 Elm St., Overthe-Rhine, therhined.com. The Skeleton Root This working winery and event space in OTR pays homage to Cincinnati’s wine history by producing heritage and French and European style wines, crushed and aged on site. Wines are produced in-house with minimal intervention, showcasing the terroir of the fruit in bottles of red, white and even rosé. The tasting room, with its beautiful illustration of grape harvesters on a Cincinnati hillside, is a perfect backdrop for happy hour and rotating live music, food and yoga events. 38 W. McMicken Ave., Over-the-Rhine, skeletonroot. com.

Nonta Perkins

TITLE:

My go-to cocktail is what I like to call MOTR Pub fruit punch. It was created in my younger years of bartending when I worked in Northside (where we) called it the Nonta Bomb. The ingredients are cherry vodka, energy drink and cranberry juice. I also enjoy making what I call Sparkling Lemonade (citrus vodka, fresh-squeezed lemon, triple sec and sparkling water or Sprite). It is refreshing for hot summer days.

FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE:

FAVORITE PLACE TO DRINK AFTER WORK: I live in Newport, so if I am

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

FROM PAGE 25

not hanging in OTR at MOTR or the Woodward Theater, I choose The Office or Miller’s Fill-Inn or Jerry’s Jug House. I prefer low-key dive bars to have a cheap beer and play games.

Somm Wine Bar This worthy wine destination is in the Incline District in Price Hill. Somm Wine Bar offers a large patio with tables and lounge chairs, live music on Fridays and weekday specials. You’ll find a lot of food choices — from the light fare you expect at a wine bar to several more substantial entrées. 3105 Price Ave., East Price Hill, sommwinebarcincinnati.com.

SOCCER BARS

THESE BARS HAV E MAN Y T V S AND AC CESS TO FU TBOL CHANNEL S / PACK AGES

Christian Moerlein Malt House Taproom An official pub partner of FC Cincinnati (and creator of FC Cincinnati Blood Orange IPA), the Moerlein Malt House screens every match of the FCC soccer season. A slice of Cincinnati history, the subterranean brewery is home to Moerlein bottling operations and also sits above historic lagering tunnels used by Cincinnati beer barons of the past. Come for can releases, fresh taps, happy hour, trivia nights, restaurant popups, tours and more. The taproom is also home to Wienerwurst Mike’s Frankfurtary, serving brats, metts and assorted other meats. 1621 Moore St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/ christianmoerlein. Rhinehaus OTR’s original sports bar, Rhinehaus features more than 14 4k TVs, a projector, 16 occasionally rotating taps and channels/packages like NFL Sunday Ticket and FOX Soccer Channel. It’s the official bar for Die Innenstadt, LFC Cincinnati, Ohio Blues, Cincy Gooners, Cincy Hammers and Packers Everywhere. And weekend opening hours are based on European soccer schedules. 119 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, rhinehausbar.com.

Second Place Catch the game and enjoy a selection of booze on tap, bottled, canned and a few (kind of) fancy cocktails. This bar boasts a pool table, courtyard, board games darts, a carry-in menu from The Littlefield and early morning soccer. What else? Free popcorn. 3936 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, secondplacebar.com. Molly Malone’s Irish Pub & Restaurant Like a good Irish pub, this place can get rowdy; and like a good community gathering space, it hosts trivia nights, live Irish music and karaoke. For all you soccer fans, enjoy the best Guinness in town while you watch live English Premier League games (they even have a fantasy EPL league). It’s a local headquarters to see all FIFA World Cup games through July 15. As an official FCC partner, watch all games here or take a bar-provided shuttle to home matches. 112 E. Fourth St., Covington, covington.mollymalonesirishpub.com.

NEIGHBORHOOD BARS & PUBS SOME TIMES YOU WANT TO GO WHERE E V ERY BODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

Animations If you’re looking for a friendly neighborhood dive bar to play pool and drink beer, this is your place. Animations has everything you’re looking for in a bar and nothing more — beer, pool, bathrooms. Simplicity is what makes this Oakley’s neighborhood bar. It’s sleepy during the week, poppin’ on the weekends and the same faces can be found there without fail. You’ll feel like you’re part of a ’70s dive bar sitcom — you know which one I’m talking about. 3059 Madison Ave., Oakley, searchable on Facbook. CONTINUES ON PAGE 28


Cruise through the brewery on June 23 r d for attractions worthy of the Guinness Book, sweeping views of natural wonders, and a full-throttle lineup of rare beers and surprises. After five years of beer, all roads lead to Rhinegeist.

During the World Cup

Rookwood | 3825 Edwards Road The Banks | 16 W Freedom Way

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OTR | 1135 Vine Street Clifton | 2845 Vine Street

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Call 513.396.5800 or go to authenticwaffle.com to reserve a table today

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#DrinkBetterBeer

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Best BLoody

mary!

•Breakfast •Brunch •Lunch •happy hour •39 craft Beers on tap •Large outdoor patio

One block from UC’s campus 13 W Charlton • Cincinnati, OH 45219 • 513-221-5400

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MON - FRI : 7AM - 4PM • SAT & SUN : 8AM - 4PM

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Arlin’s The is Clifton’s Gaslight District neighborhood pub for the thinking man or woman. Have a beer on the big back patio and beer garden or enjoy live music and bar food. The no-frills atmosphere includes a pool room, plus 20 taps, sports on TV and a jukebox. 307 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, 513-751-6566. Bay Horse Café The historic Bay Horse Café, with roots dating back to 1817, reopened last summer after co-owners and partners Fred Berger and Lori Meeker spent two and half years restoring the building (and its vintage neon sign featuring a trotting horse). The $4, 25-ounce Hudepohl schooners, $6 cocktails and draft beer mark it as an affordable, laid-back hangout. Browse historic news clippings that act as décor, play a classic card game or lounge on the 13-foot couch in the back — all while sipping on reasonably priced booze or snacking on Derby-themed panini. 625 Main St., Downtown, facebook.com/bayhorsecafe.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

cincy’s

NAME: Travis

Salee

Brew House A Walnut Hills institution since 1978, theBrew House offers funky décor, friendly people, good burgers and cheap drinks. It’s a gathering place that is essential to the fabric of Walnut Hills, and has been offering a very tasty Brew House Chili Cook-Off — a favorite of kitchen-savvy regulars — for more than two decades. 1047 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, brewhouse.com.

TITLE: Mixologist

The Crazy Fox Saloon From their insane bloody marys, stacked high assorted meats and cheese, to their fresh mint juleps, The Crazy Fox Saloon brings a fun twist to every drink. This cozy bar provides not only a close-knit atmosphere, but also killer cocktails and a great selection of local craft brews. They pride themselves on bringing their Newport community together for over 15 years and will be hosting many NKY Pride events all June, which will feature tons a swag like custom whiskey glasses. 901 Washington Ave., Newport, searchable on Facbeook.

killer is my beverage of choice. I love how all the fruitier ingredients blend so well to taste so smooth.

Gypsy’s With a welcoming, dog-friendly atmosphere, Gypsy’s is perhaps most well known for their fully stocked bar and large craft beer selection on draft or in bottles and cans — you can find a drink special for under $4 any day of the week (including $2 Jameson and $3 drafts). Watch your favorite game on one of several TVs or enjoy their back patio equipped with fire pits and giant Jenga. 641 Main St., Covington, facebook.com/pub641. Knockback Nat’s Part neighborhood hangout, part sports bar, part destination for hungry individuals looking for delicious smoked wings (featured on the Travel Channel), Knockback Nat’s has a little something for everyone. And there are always sports on TV. 10 W. Seventh St., Downtown, 513-621-1000, searchable on Facebook. Madonna’s Bar and Grill This is one of the closest things to a townie bar in downtown. The cozy dive boasts a pool table,

at Metropole

FAVORITE DRINK TO MAKE: Just

Arugula Guy (a gin-based cocktail made with arugula and lime and lemon juice). Arugula gives it a good peppery note and the vegetal/greenness adds a nice touch.

FAVORITE PLACE TO DRINK AFTER WORK: Longfellow. The Shiso Pain-

jukebox, some of the friendliest bartenders in the city and a great BLT. 11 E. Seventh St., Downtown, madonnabarandgrill.com. Milton’s Prospect Hill Tavern Prospect Hill’s neighborhood joint is chatty, diverse and full of character. A great place to have beer, relax and mix it up with the regulars. 301 Milton St., Liberty Hill, facebook.com/ miltonstheprospecthilltavern. Millions Café/ Mount Lookout Tavern It’s Friday night: Everyone’s looking for love — or lust — in Mount Lookout. Try sister and brother bars Million’s Café and Mount Lookout Tavern — or MLTs, as the locals call it. They are basically mirror-image sports bars that specialize in easy bar food (like smoked wings), craft beer and Jell-O shots of the glow-in-the-dark variety. 3210 Linwood Ave., millions-cafe.com; 3209 Linwood Ave., mtlookouttavern.com. O’Bryon’s Bar & Grill This is a neighborhood bar and grill with two floors and an outdoor patio. Enjoy peanuts — in the shell — while watching one of 14 TVs and explore the regularly rotating draft beer selection. Famous for their Shark Tank novelty cocktail: vodka, sprite, sour mix and a rubber shark filled with grenadine you pour in yourself; you get to take the shark home. 1998 Madison Road, O’Bryonville, obryonsirishpub.com.


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STUFF TO DO

Ongoing Shows VISUAL ART: Terracotta Army: Legacy of the First Emperor of China Cincinnati Art Museum, Mount Adams (through Aug. 12)

WEDNESDAY 13

ONSTAGE: Ensemble Theatre’s Rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch is completely enthralling — as is star Todd Almond. See review on page 43. ONSTAGE: Once on This Island Broadway composer Stephen Flaherty graduated from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music in the early 1980s. He’s had several hits, including Ragtime and Once on This Island. A production of the latter, the magical story of Ti Moune, a lowly peasant girl on a tropical island in the Caribbean Sea, and her love for Daniel, the son of a wealthy and privileged family, just won a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. But you don’t have to travel to New York to catch a production because it’s onstage at the Incline Theater. It’s a sadly joyous fable with gorgeous islandthemed music. Through July 1. $29 adults; $26 seniors/ students. Warsaw Federal Incline Theater, 801 Matson Place, East Price Hill, cincinnatilandmarkproductions. com. — RICK PENDER

THURSDAY 14

Giuseppe Verdi’s tragic Italian opera filled with passion, loss and some crazy high notes. Some serious stuff goes down, but it sounds so beautiful you might forget you’re supposed to cry. 7:30 p.m. June 14, 16, 20 and 22. $35-$195. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., OTR, cincinnatiopera.org. — MORGAN ZUMBIEL

FRIDAY 15

MUSIC: Japanese Breakfast brings soft sounds from another plant to the Taft Theatre. See Sound Advice on page 52. EVENT: MainStrasse Village Original Goettafest Goetta your fill of the classic Cincinnati breakfast staple at the 18th-annual MainStrasse Village Original Goettafest, sponsored by Braxton Brewing Company. Brought to you by German immigrants and perfected by Cincinnatians over past

several decades, goetta — a mixture of pork, beef and pin oats — is deeply rooted in Ohio Valley culture. Along with goetta creations, there will be live music and entertainment, arts and crafts, and children’s activities crammed along two blocks of Sixth Street. Some of the inventive offerings include goetta balls, a goetta bier cheese slammer and goettaloaded tater tots. 5-11:30 p.m. Friday; noon-11:30 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. MainStrasse Village, Covington, mainstrasse.org. —SAMI STEWART EVENT: Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival is one of Cincinnati’s largest and longest-running events devoted to beer. Spend Father’s Day weekend trying more than 400 different beers from more than 100 breweries — the perfect opportunity to taste-test local brews as well

as imported favorites. Each night will be kicked-off by the tapping of a special firkin. 7:30-10:30 p.m. Friday; 7:30-10:30 p.m. Saturday. $65 early admission; $55 general admission; $25 nondrinker. Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com. — LIZZY SCHMITT EVENT: Drag No Matter What Support Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio from the front row of Cincinnati’s favorite drag show at The Cabaret. Hosted by P Squared and Imperial Sovereign Queen City Court of the Buckeye Empire and emceed by Brooklyn Steele-Tate, all proceeds, including the queens’ tips, will go toward supporting our local Planned Parenthood, so bring a stack of ones and make it rain for reproductive health. Secure your tickets ahead of time and you’ll be automatically entered to win two tickets to the annual Diamond Award Gala Cocktail

Party. 6 p.m. doors; 7 p.m. show Friday. $20 presale; $25 door. Below Zero Lounge, 1120 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook. com/p2ppswo. —SAMI STEWART EVENT: Celtic Fest Ohio Grab your kilt and get ready to Erin go bragh at Renaissance Park in Waynesville. Celtic Fest Ohio features five stages with more than 20 acts all weekend long — from Celtic Rock and pipes, fife and drum bands to Highland dancers. In addition to live music, there will be border collie herding demonstrations, information about the history of Irish wolfhounds (with some of the gentle giants on site), a recreated Viking encampment with a 40-foot ship, a Celtic arts and crafts marketplace and a Shamrock Shenanigans obstacle/ beer course. Get your fill of traditional Scottish, Irish and English fare (plus some American) and cheers your CONTINUES ON PAGE 32

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COMEDY: Bob Golub Bob Golub began his standup comedy career after being released from prison in the early ’80s. Like fellow comic Tim Allen, he was in for dealing cocaine. Golub, through his own grit and determination, has created, among other things, an acclaimed one-man show as well as two films, the newest of which, Die Laughing, is just now being released. “I did this all myself,” he says, “and that comes from the way I grew up; blue collar, no one handing you anything.” Audiences at Go Bananas will enjoy his regular standup set Thursday through

Saturday, while Sunday’s show will be screening of the film followed by a Q&A. The film is a dark comedy about a comic who turns into a serial killer. “It grew out of me wanting to whack someone,” he says, “so I made a film.” Locally based comedian Chris Weir will feature. Through Sunday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy. com. — P.F. WILSON

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OPERA: La Traviata If Violetta lived in 21stcentury America instead of 1850s France, she may have been BFFs with Paris Hilton. Her life as a courtesan is filled with nothing but the best parties, the richest friends and the fanciest champagne. She could have it all, if it weren’t for the fact that she’s the protagonist of

PHOTO: PROVIDED

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MUSIC: Black Moth Super Rainbow brings ElectroPop to Urban Artifact. See Sound Advice on page 52.

Celtic Fest Ohio

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mates with pints of Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s, Magners Irish Cider and other brews. 6-10 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday. $12 one-day; $18 weekend. Renaissance Park, 10542 E. State Route 73, Waynesville, celticfestohio. com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

SATURDAY 16

EVENT: Summer Solstice Lavender Festival Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm in Martinsville is in full bloom and ready to celebrate the summer solstice with its annual lavender festival. Try lavender-infused foods, pick your own organic lavender fresh from the field, make your own wreaths and wands, practice yoga, sample lavender honey, listen to live music and more. For its 10th anniversary, the fest has added new workshops and educational talks, including a presentation from Parrot Rescue, who will have unique parrots on hand. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm, 2387 Martinsville Road, Martinsville, Ohio, peacefulacreslavenderfarm.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO EVENT: Cincinnati Wine & Food Experience Explore what the culinary world has to offer at the

2018 Cincinnati Wine & Food Experience, featuring chef, author, restaurateur and TV personality Graham Elliot. Explore more than 20 showcases of food, wine, beer and spirits from local and national chefs and mixologists. Watch Elliot at his cooking demonstrations and meet other chefs and foodies, such as Emily Frank of Share: Cheesebar, Josh Wamsley of Mazunte and Nino Loreto of Panino. 1-4 p.m. Saturday. $85 presale, $100 day of. Yeatman’s Cove, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, wineandfood. cincinnati.com. — DAVID DESSAUER EVENT: Juneteenth Festival In 1988, Cincinnati began the Juneteenth Festival began as a way to commemorate the end of slavery. The weekend fest kicks off with a Parade of the African Diaspora at noon on Saturday at Eden Park. The Juneteenth festival then gears up for a day of family-friendly events from face painting and pony rides to a Motown tribute concert and performance by Bi-Okoto. Children can enjoy fun in the kids’ area with storytelling, games, crafts and even a chance to “meet” Abe and Mary Lincoln. On Sunday, there will be inspirational music and dance and a special Father’s Day concert. Noon-9 p.m. Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday.

Free. Eden Park, 950 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, juneteenthcincinnati.org. — LIZZY SCHMITT EVENT: Celestial Sips The Cincinnati Observatory is celebrating the summer solstice early by combining two of everyone’s favorite summer pastimes: stargazing and sipping on wine (albeit a little fancier than sleeping in your backyard after a bottle of two-buck chuck.) At one of the observatory’s most popular events, guests will get to tour the historic buildings and take a peek through the telescopes while sampling wines hand-picked by experts at The Wine Merchant in Hyde Park. The event will also feature a photo booth and silent auction. Valet parking is included with the price of your ticket. 8-11 p.m. Saturday. $50 member; $60 non-member. Cincinnati Observatory, 3489 Observatory Place, Mount Lookout, cincinnatiobservatory.org. –– MORGAN ZUMBIEL

SUNDAY 17

EVENT: Burlington Antique Show This antiques and vintageonly collectibles market features more than 200 dealers hawking everything from giant metal letters and vintage postcards to industrial lighting, old globes, 1960s Fiestaware and more. It’s generally pretty crowded,

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SATURDAY 16

EVENT: City Flea Find yourself with a few spare dollars in your wallet and have no clue what to spend it on? The City Flea will be in Washington Park for some local shopping on Saturday, whether you might be in the mood for some vintage finds, handmade crafts or artisan eats. With more than 300 unique vendors and small businesses selling anything and everything from clothing and jewelry to ceramics and fiber art, thousands come to each of these events. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Overthe-Rhine, thecityflea.com — DAVID DESSAUER

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PHOTO: CAMERON GOT T

TUESDAY 19

MUSIC: American Aquarium Just over a year ago, North Carolina’s American Aquarium “broke up,” with five band members leaving the Country Rock group. But bandleader BJ Barham wasn’t ready to hang up his guitar just yet. Far from it. After addressing the split in a Facebook post (saying, in part, “I’ve had to replace 20+ band members over the last decade and this time, although much harder, will be no different”), Barham went back to work on what would become Things Change, the first American Aquarium album for New West Records, which was released on June 1 and, as promised, features a new cast of musicians. What hasn’t changed is Barham’s intuitive songwriting, though it has gotten sharper and features some of the best lyrics of his career (inspired partly by the 2016 presidential election). Many critics agree — though only out for a short time, Things Change has earned praise from American Songwriter, the Associated Press, NPR and Rolling Stone, which referred to Barham as the “Southern Springsteen” in its review. 8 p.m. Tuesday. $18. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. Sixth St., Newport, southgatehouse.com. — MIKE BREEN

so if you’re a real hunter, aim for early-bird admission ($6; 6-8 a.m.). 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. $4 starting at 8 a.m. Boone County Fairgrounds, 5819 Idlewild Road, Burlington, burlingtonantiqueshow. com. — MAIJA ZUMMO

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TUESDAY 19

MUSIC: Roots-flavored Indie Rockers Mt. Joy play the Woodward Theater. See Sound Advice on page 53.

YOUR WEEKEND TO DO LIST: LOCAL.CITYBEAT.COM

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ART: Vibrant Minds Colorful Lines Vibrant Minds Colorful Lines

interaction with the community. A show of 2-D and 3-D works of art by the artists, including graphic scrollprints, fabric sculptures and large-format canvases, will be up at BLDG in Covington from June 22 through July 27. At the opening at BLDG, the evening will end with a karaoke dance party. 21 Museum Hotel mural installation June 17-25. BLDG opening reception 6-9 p.m. June 22; on view through July 27. BLDG, 30 W. Pike St., Covington, art.bldgrefuge.com. — MACKENZIE MANLEY

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EVENT: Queer Yoga in the Queen City: Pride Edition Keep the Pride Month celebration going with this special edition of Queer Yoga. Join teacher Trisha Durham for a thoughtfully sequenced and radically inclusive yoga class featuring a curated playlist of queer artists and icons. 11 a.m.-noon. Sunday. $10 suggested donation. The Yoga Bar, 15 W. 14th St., OTR, facebook.com/ cincyqueeryoga. — MAIJA ZUMMO

is an exhibition sprung from a chance encounter between KiiK Create (Manoela Madera and Gray Edgerton) and Jenny Roesel Ustick in Argentina, where the trio collaborated on a mural that explored how humans navigate public and private spaces together. Now, they’re sharing the same language of color they uncovered abroad back in the Midwest, with two other artists: Lindsey Whittle and Natalie Lanese. The group is kicking off the 10-day Vibrant Minds experience with an interactive mural installation on the exterior of the 21c Museum Hotel, located near the “portal” entrance to the rooftop terrace. This will be the jumping off point for artistic

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ARTS & CULTURE

‘This Was Our Place’ A bold wall of vintage ads recalls Walnut Hills’ history of black-owned businesses BY K AT H Y S C H WA R T Z

T

An overview of the “Yesterday Today Tomorrow” mural PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

more than 60 years, the black family business closed. Last year, Kroger left Walnut Hills, too. Creekmore and Neal call their installation “Yesterday Today Tomorrow,” and they say it’s purposely intended to not last forever. The artists, the redevelopment foundation’s Johnson and the historical society’s Plummer hope that information about yesteryear will inspire inclusive conversations about what happens to the building and the neighborhood next. As black students from Douglass Elementary helped paste up ads, Johnson asked them to imagine what businesses they would run. “I’m a social justice warrior. I don’t want historical markers in this community. That’s not good enough,” Johnson says. “We need more than that. We need spaces. We need people activating them.” Plummer, who has worked in Walnut Hills for a decade, is glad to be a catalyst. “History is not just about dusty history,” she says. “There was a whole community here that was thriving, taking care of each other, taking care of themselves. There are a lot of connections one can make. This can be a powerful thing.” A celebration of the “Yesterday Today Tomorrow” installation will be held 5-8 p.m. June 24 at Lincoln and Gilbert avenues in Walnut Hills. More info: walnuthillsstories.org/projects.

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they used to stay at the Manse Hotel.” The tribute to the black-owned lodging at 1008 Chapel St. ripples over uneven layers of plywood, siding and concrete in a retro typeface that alternates between block letters and cursive. The presentation is elegant and proud, yet something not quite right nags at the viewer. The hodgepodge captures both a success story during segregation and its lasting sting. Racial bias affected not only everyday Walnut Hills residents, but even visiting superstars like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Duke Ellington and Count Basie, who were all denied rooms at hotels downtown because of the color of their skin. Neal sports a T-shirt that reads “Art should disturb the comfortable & comfort the disturbed” as he prepares to climb a ladder to paste the final banner for the project. “The kind of art we’re doing is what we’re really passionate about,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to do graffiti that had significance — something that was either calling out history or social change.” Several blocks south, McMillan Avenue is being transformed with restaurants like Fireside Pizza and Just Q’in. The Trevarren Flats apartment complex represents a $10 million investment, and twice that much is being spent on Paramount Square. Meanwhile, low-income residents ask if their needs figure in developers’ plans. A grocery is high on their wish list. Thatcher Poultry & Fish Market, which opened on Lincoln Avenue in 1933, would promise its customers, “If it swims, we got it.” But after

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proclaimed. Sherman’s Flower Shop advertised itself as “Cincinnati’s most prominent and only colored florist.” It also was the longest-running black-owned business in the area. Straight-talking ads from Major Federal Savings and Loan reminded customers that “No one understands the way we do what being black is all about.” Today, only a barely visible “ghost sign” for the lender remains on the side of a shuttered nightclub just around the corner from the installation. Change is coming to Lincoln and Gilbert, though, and Johnson wants Walnut Hills neighbors to know more about their past in order to spark discussions about their future. The redevelopment foundation bought property at the intersection last fall to make way for residences and retail. Some structures have already been razed, but a crumbling cinder block building has been left standing in hopes of filling its half-dozen storefronts again. “We could have just slapped up a mural, made the building look pretty,” says Creekmore, founder of Eye Candy creative agency in Over-the-Rhine. Instead, she and partner Neal embraced the site’s grittiness and let the historical ads guide their typography-driven design and decision to use paper and paste. “I love the way the art looks because it’s not perfect,” Creekmore says. She walks past silhouettes of a chandelier, apothecary vials, vegetables and bouquets to her favorite section of the block-long installation. It reads: “When royalty came to town,

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he slogan of the Andrew Hardin grocery in Walnut Hills was “The path that leads to satisfaction.” That was truth in advertising for African-Americans living in Cincinnati in the early and mid-20th century. Whether black families needed food, a florist, photographer or funeral planning, all roads led to Walnut Hills during the age of segregation. At Hardin’s and dozens of other black-owned businesses clustered near the intersection of Lincoln and Gilbert avenues, they knew they wouldn’t be turned away. Residents over the age of 50 can still recall a bustling retail district where neighbors took care of neighbors. “Yeah, this was our place,” they’ve told Aprina Johnson, community coordinator for the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation. A younger generation, however, has never known much more than vacant buildings and trash-filled lots in that area. The Hardin market, 1035 Foraker Ave., closed in 1961 after 45 years. Desegregation gave customers a path to other stores, and to homes in the suburbs as well. By the 1980s, after Interstate 71 and Martin Luther King Drive cut swaths through the neighborhood, Walnut Hills was neither a shopping destination nor a place the black middle class wanted to live. But a wheat-paste installation by artists Janet Creekmore and Ben Jason Neal is taking a trip down memory lane. Reproductions of old advertisements and fresh images inspired by the long-gone businesses cover a boarded-up building in the 900 block of Lincoln. The black and white artwork is part of a larger project that Johnson calls “a beautiful collision” of people with overlapping interests in art, history, urban redevelopment and social justice. Johnson contacted Creekmore about an art installation after seeing research that Sue Plummer, the chair of the Walnut Hills Historical Society, had done about the old business district. Working with history students from the University of Cincinnati, Plummer found 300 ads for hairdressers, tailors, pharmacists and more while searching through black-owned publications dating to 1902. “We are a growing young Negro business,” Collegiate Dry Cleaners on Walter Avenue

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VISUAL ART

A Milestone for the Rookwood Revival BY ER I N C O U C H

Rookwood Pottery has a storied place in Cincinnati lore, as well as in the Cincinnati Art Museum — it owns over 400 examples of Rookwood works, with 100 of them on permanent display in the Cincinnati Wing and elsewhere. Yet all that seemed part of history: The ceramic company, which began in 1880, had struggled after the Great Depression; it even ended production in 1967. But a revival sparked by Cincinnati owners began in 2006 and, under owner Marilyn Scripps Wade, has now reached a milestone. A new Rookwood fireplace, designed by local artists Terence Hammonds, Katie Parker and Guy Michael Davis for a 2013 Contemporary Arts Center exhibit, has been given to the Cincinnati Art Museum by the company. It was installed in the Cincinnati Wing in May, near other Rookwood architectural elements. The fireplace boasts a mural featuring a wild menagerie, a flowery mantlepiece, screenprinted and fired-on portraits of ceramicists and two seated golden bears, made through a process that involved both 3-D technology and physical shaping from a mold. The bears are connected by long chains to ceramic wolves’ heads, which decorate the fireplace below the mantle. The artists wanted to create an intricate fireplace, inspired by vintage Rookwood Pottery designs but with a contemporary twist. They got their idea after the revived Rookwood began again producing fireplaces for sale. Hammonds, at the time an artist-in-residence at Rookwood, scoured the archives of old ceramic molds to find forms to adorn the fireplace. While he did so, Parker — a ceramics professor at University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning — found an inspiring image of a 15th-century Indian tapestry in an old library book. Thus came the idea of something old and something new, with its parallel’s to Rookwood’s new life in Over-the-Rhine (the pottery company opened a production facility in the neighborhood in 2006). “We wanted to play on that uneasiness: What does it mean to come into a neighborhood and start something new?” Parker says. Working off the artful disorder in the original tapestry, the artists each drew the images for the mural before they were created from carved-linoleum blocks. The results are symbolic. They paid homage to the spirit of OTR by sneaking in some authentic symbols you might come across on a stroll through Cincinnati’s historic neighborhood, like a broken Christian Moerlein beer bottle, pit bulls, rats and pigeons. A Buckminster Fuller-like geodesic dome represents a utopia among the chaos, with various Rookwood pieces spewing from it. Additionally, Hammonds, Parker and

The Rookwood fireplace is on display at the CAM P H O T O : R O B D E S L O N G C H A M P S / C I N C I N N AT I A R T MUSEUM

Davis each selected some of their “ceramic heroes” to be screenprinted onto fireplace tiles around the hearth — some of which are connected to the Queen City. Russel Wright, who attended the Art Academy, made the cut; as well as noted 19th-century Cincinnati ceramic artist Mary Louise McLaughlin and Rookwood founder Maria Longworth Storer. “It’s a nod to the neighborhood as much as it is to the history of Rookwood and the love for arts and crafts and ceramics — and our collective love for ceramics and its possibilities,” Hammonds says. He praises the fireplace as a “love letter to ceramics,” because the artists utilized several painstaking techniques to put together the full product. However, what really pushes the fireplace into the 21st century is its mastery of new technology, like the 3-D techniques used by Future Retrieval — Davis’ and Parker’s studio collaboration — to form the eye-catching golden bears beside the hearth. In other words, it’s not a technique that was around when Rookwood set up shop in 1880. Amy Dehan, the museum’s curator of decorative arts and design, says the fireplace’s nod to the OTR revival and the contrast of its contemporary design amid vintage Rookwood pieces make it an appealing, audience-attracting acquisition. “It’s one of those pieces that has a wonderful connection to our historical collections and brings those collections to life in a way that makes them interesting for visitors of today,” she says. “Cincinnati has not stopped being an art center and a center for innovation; that really continues today. This piece is a testament to that idea.” The Cincinnati Art Museum is located at 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. More info: cincinnatiartmuseum.org.


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ONSTAGE

1

5/30/18

1:25 PM

Ensemble’s ‘Hedwig’ is Completely Enthralling BY JAC K I E M U L AY

introspective all at once. Almond brings all this and more to the stage, overflowing with true underground rocker energy. Almond makes Hedwig’s story completely enthralling, and leaves audience members leaning forward on their seats, desperate to learn more about this fascinating character. Hedwig the show is a radical Rock concert, from beginning to end. With the graffiti splattered remnants of the utilitarian Berlin Wall as the backdrop (designed by Brian c. Mehring), watching Hedwig feels C

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2018 SUMMER

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like witnessing a little-known band on the cusp of international stardom play a small basement Punk show. Mehring’s lighting design complements the music in a way that elevates Almond’s Hedwig to the next level. Hedwig feels like a true ’80s Punk Rock show, from costuming and lighting to the music and monologues. Ensemble’s small space lends an essential intimacy to the production. You see Hedwig’s every facial expression and every move, from shoulder twitch to wig flick. When she sings the climactic “Midnight Radio,” asking the audience to “lift up your hands,” almost everyone complies. There’s something profoundly special about watching Almond’s return to this show at Ensemble after 15 years. Hedwig is just as wild and unapologetic, but now wiser and more contemplative. Her reflective moments are more sincere, which makes her final transformation even more poignant. Hedwig’s story stays with you and imparts a sense of pure wonder. It is a celebration and a revelation, and it rocks. Hard.

J U N E 1 3 – 19 , 2 0 18

There is, quite possibly, no better way to kick off Pride Month than with Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s just-opened production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the 1998 Rock musical by John Cameron Mitchell with music and lyrics by Stephen Trask. The most obvious reason is the subject matter. Hedwig is the story of Hedwig Robinson, a genderqueer would-be Rockstar who has seized upon 15 minutes of fame with rocker Tommy Gnosis, who went on to stardom while Hedwig was left behind. Todd Almond played the role at Ensemble in 2001 and 2003, and he’s returned to tell her story to us, candidly and unapologetically, with emotional vulnerability peppered throughout. Hedwig is filled to the brim with raunchy jokes and off-thecuff quips to the audience. And it features “The Angry Inch,” a band that includes Hedwig’s husband Yitzhak, a Jewish drag queen played by surly but soulful Beth Harris. As Hedwig follows Tommy Gnosis’ tour, performing in an adjacent (and vastly smaller) venue, she details an unhappy childhood on the east side of the Berlin Wall. She grew up as Hansel Schmidt, the “slip of a girlyboy” who lived with a cold and emotionally distant mother, impregnated then abandoned by an American soldier stationed in East Germany. Hedwig describes finding solace and inspiration in western Rock music as a young boy. Hansel soon developed a longing to find his “other half” — a concept detailed to him through a story told by his mother. The song “The Origin of Love” is a watered-down version of Aristophanes’ speech in Plato’s Symposium. When American soldier Luther Robinson offers his love and an escape to America, Hedwig’s dream slips into focus. But not long after, Hedwig is the victim of a horrifically botched sex reassignment surgery. Divorced and penniless, living in a trailer park in Kansas, it’s the exact opposite of the American Dream. Hedwig is a complex character. It feels wrong to refer to her as transgender. Not because of her “angry inch,” but because 2018 offers so many more terms for people to describe themselves to the world. Hedwig feels more like a genderqueer Punk rocker — someone who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman within the traditional gender binary — and who loves herself for exactly who she is, angry inch or not, wig or not, bra or not. From the moment Almond takes the stage as Hedwig, this self-love is evident. Almond is massively tall and towers above the other performers onstage, in or out of heels. But regardless of physical height, Almond brings a gargantuan presence to Hedwig. She feels no need to insert herself into any moment; she has already filled the space with her personality and physicality. She is sexy, exuberant, devastated and

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ONSTAGE

Cincy Fringe Entertained and Challenged BY R I C K PEN D ER

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The dust of weirdness left behind by the performers in the form of the David C. Her15th-annual Cincinnati Fringe Festival is riman Artists’ Pick of the Fringe. still settling, and many fans are continuing Writers who critiqued Fringe perforto talk about being entertained, challenged, mances (including CityBeat’s team of Bart moved and educated by the two-week Bishop, Ed Cohen, Sue Cohen, Nicholas event’s multi-faceted offerings. Although Korn, Harper Lee, Jackie Mulay, Rick attendance counting wasn’t finalized in Pender and Sean M. Peters) voted their time for this story, Fringe Producer Chris preference, bestowing the Critics’ Pick of Wesselman said he expected to see an the Fringe on Musical Chairs by Gideon increase. Productions. Created by the same group Anecdotally, it seemed that numerous that won the Fringe Full Frontal Pick in productions received standing-room-only 2017 with the disturbing God of Obsidaudiences, a good sign of across-the-board success for Fringe. Select acts have builtin followings. For example, The Coldharts’ Eddie Poe, a quirky take on the adolescence of Edgar Allan Poe (in 2016 they presented Edward Allan, about the macabre writer’s childhood), was the best attended of the fest, especially by folks who have become fans of the deliciously off-kilter performances of Katie Hartman and Nick Ryan from Brooklyn. They hinted that a third Tatum Hunter and Maya Farhat in The Bureau Poe was being developed. Coming in second was P H O T O : PA U L W I L S O N Project Mobile’s ExTrashVaganza!, in which a local pair, storyteller Paul Strickland and puppeteer ian, this year’s tale was about a triangular Erika Kate Macdonald, used found objects marriage that experienced more ups than — a broom, a coffee carafe, a broken lamp, downs. a one-legged mannequin — to present a The Linda Bowen Full Frontal Pick collection of cleverly told tales peppered (voted by those who purchase all-access with jokes and wry songs. The third-mostpasses to the festival) went to Queen City attended show was The Blackface Project, Flash’s of Monster Descent. Actor and a retelling of the true story of Bert Williams, writer Trey Tatum gave a gripping onea black man who performed on Broadway man performance, directed by Bridget a century ago — but had to do so wearing Leak, about a boy confronting his family’s caricatured blackface. legacy of mental imbalance in a vividly Attendance is not necessarily a factor realized Southern Gothic world of scary considered in earning “Pick of the Fringe” monster stories. recognition, although the Audience Pick The Producers’ Pick by the Fringe went to The Bureau, which did achieve the staff went to Re-Grooving by Yarroway fifth highest attendance among Fringe’s Productions from Cincinnati, a dance 35 shows. The original script from Shit performance that interacted with film in Talkers Anonymous (the brainchild of an exploration of self-identity. The Fringe Tatum Hunter, a recent Xavier University Next Pick for a high school production grad) was about a pair of “re-educators” went to Annalise, written by Vicky Alcorn whose assignment to induct folks into the from Highlands High School, intriguingly New World Order overseen by the Chiquita personifying anxiety and depression as Corporation goes wildly off the tracks. characters interacting with the show’s Another well-attended work — There protagonists. Ain’t No More by Breaker/Fixer from While the principal element of Fringe Fayetteville, Ark. — was the favorite of is always these performances, presented Fringe artists. In a solo show, performer in venues ranging from theaters and Willi Carlisle was a dying Folk singer in the storefronts to churches and classrooms, final moments of his eventful, colorful life. there are many other aspects to round out He was an accomplished and sometimes the experience: music, film, art, workshops, manic storyteller and an astonishing musifun and games at Know Theatre’s Undercian who played fiddle, banjo, button-box ground Bar and an array of special events. accordion, harmonica and guitar and did Contact Rick Pender: some fine square dance calling, too. His rpender@citybeat.com show earned the plaudits of other Fringe


TV

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Summertime, and the livin’s easy. What The Sinner (Season Premiere, 10 p.m. better time to Netflix and chill? Here are Aug. 1, USA) – Surprise! Last year’s surprissome new and returning series to tune into ingly compelling (and supposedly standduring your summer vacay. alone) “whydunnit” miniseries featuring Queer Eye (Season Premiere, Friday, Jessica Biel’s major comeback is getting Netflix) – Another installment with the a second season after all. Underrated feel-good Fab Five just months after its powerhouse Carrie Coon (The Leftovers, Netflix debut! Can you believe? While Fargo) takes over as the lead, with Bill Pullcreator David Collins has expressed interman reprising his role as Detective Harry est in filming a season in his hometown Ambrose, who investigates why a child in of Cincinnati, Season 2 brings Jonathan, rural New York murdered his parents. Tan, Antoni, Karamo and Bobby back to Better Call Saul (Season Premiere, 9 Georgia for another eight episodes (which p.m. Aug. 6, AMC) – This Breaking Bad premakes me wonder if they filmed both seasons concurrently). The guys are currently filming in the rural Australian town of Yass, New South Wales — making them Yass queens — which could make for an interesting international third season, considering the country voted to make same-sex marriage legal just last year. For now, look forward to the guys working to better the lives of folks in the American South, including a straight woman and a trans man. Luke Cage (Season Premiere, June 22, Netflix) – Harlem’s Amy Adams stars in HBO’s Sharp Objects hoodie-donning hero is out of prison and openly in the spotPHOTO: ANNE MARIE FOX / HBO light in Season 2 of this Marvel drama. With last season’s baddies Cottonmouth and Diamondback quel spin-off has quickly proven itself to be dead and M.I.A., respectively, a new villain an outstanding drama in its own right. Still, arises in Bushmaster (Mustafa Shakir), it’s fascinating to watch Jimmy McGill’s who proves to be quite the match for the journey unfold, bringing him closer and “bulletproof black man.” If you missed closer to the Saul Goodman we know out on Netflix’s The Defenders — the 2017 from the original series. It’s now clear that companion series that unites Cage with Season 3’s heartbreaking ending was the Daredevil, Jessica Jones and Iron Fist — catalyst for Jimmy’s transformation into beware that some action has gone down Saul, and this season we find him taking a that will impact this season. more criminal approach, putting his law GLOW (Season Premiere, June 29, Netcareer and relationship with Kim at risk. flix) – The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the are a hit — both on Netflix and as an ’80s Cleveland Browns (Season Premiere, 10 late-night cable show — and the women p.m. Aug. 7, HBO) – Offering an intrigumust navigate a new type of fame. This ing look into the NFL’s version of summer time around, Debbie hopes to become a camp, this HBO doc heads north to cover producer, only to be confronted by a boys’ the Browns for five weeks leading to the club situation (relevant); Ruth falls for a start of the season. The underdogs were camera guy; one character gets injured; reportedly the series’ top pick to feature another experiences a sexual revelation; this season. and one woman copes with being sexually Insecure (Season Premiere, Aug. 12, harassed (relevant!). HBO) – The last season of Issa Rae’s A+ Sharp Objects (Series Premiere, 9 comedy left off with Issa moving in with p.m. July 8, HBO) – Based on the psychoDaniel after finally finding closure in logical thriller by Gone Girl author Gillian her breakup with Lawrence, while Molly Flynn, this miniseries stars Amy Adams continues her relationship with a maras a reporter recently released from a ried friend amid dealing with some utter psychiatric hospital who returns to her workplace bullshit. Few details are out hometown to cover the murder of two girls about Season 3, but Rae has said she hopes while confronting her past and personal to explore themes of toxic masculinity and struggles. Directed by Big Little Lies’ Jeanits effect on black women… it’s a hilarious Marc Vallée, this dark eight-parter’s cast show, I swear. also includes Patricia Clarkson, Elizabeth Contact Jac Kern: @jackern Perkins and Chris Messina.

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6/7/18 10:57 AM


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JUNE 30 at Jungle Jim’s Eastgate

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J U N E 1 3 – 19 , 2 0 18

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THE DISH

OTR’s Zundo to Serve ‘Soulful’ Ramen BY AU S T I N G AY L E

Cincinnati’s Han Lin, the chef behind Montgomery’s traditional Japanese sushi restaurant Mei, is taking his talents to Over-the-Rhine in an effort to captivate the district’s foodies with ramen done the soulful way. Ramen, a traditional Japanese dish consisting of a meator fish-based broth, noodles and a range of vegetables and protein, has grown in popularity in Zundo will open on W. 12th Street later this summer. recent years, but Lin believes the balance PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER between authenticity and modernism has yet to be struck. As such, his forthcoming ramen dish official, but he promises that restaurant, Zundo Ramen & Donburi, will “it’s going to be a small, simple menu.” serve ramen which he calls “incomparable” He has, however, guaranteed OTR’s to Greater Cincinnati’s current offerings. drinking crowd a seat at the table — or bar. “With ramen, the chef’s soul must be Sticking to tradition, Lin will have captured inside it — there’s so many differJapanese beers, sake and soju readily availent kinds you can make with the broth,” he able at Zundo. And he promises another says. “With ramen, the sauce and the broth cocktail favorite: “Sake bombs? Oh, yes,” have to be in a balance. Some restaurants he says. can make a very good broth but the wrong Zundo will tend to the late-night crowd, sauce. That’s not going to be good. And as Lin plans to keep the doors open until their noodles can be done poorly, too.” 2:30 a.m. on the weekends. He will also Lin will pour his soul into every bowl open at 11:30 a.m. throughout the week to of Zundo’s ramen at the start, as he plans give OTR’s nine-to-five clique the option to run the kitchen as the restaurant’s to spend lunch with a bowl of hot ramen or lead chef for at least the first few months donburi. after its opening later this summer. And, Lin sees OTR taking to Zundo quite in addition to pouring proper Japanese quickly, citing the area’s fast-paced lifeauthenticity into each bowl, Lin hopes to style and collective interest in high-quality introduce locals to authentic eating techdining experiences as key factors in his niques, as well. decision to set up shop in the district. “The thing is with the United States is “Here, there are lots of historic buildings, when people eat ramen, they eat it slowly,” and it was very nice to see that,” Lin says. Lin says. “It’s weird to watch. When I eat “Also, I’ve been eating at a lot of restaurants ramen, it’s like a two-minute or threehere, and there are very good restaurants. minute finish. I eat it while it’s hot. When So, it’s mostly because it’s small, has lots of it gets cold, the noodles soak in too much good restaurants and it’s just very different and it’s not good.” here (compared to Montgomery).” Tackling a bowl of hot ramen with haste Lin started renovating the space on 12th can be a test of willpower for those that St., near Queen City Radio, in September can’t stand the heat, but speed is a running 2017, building a full bar and beautifying theme at Zundo: Donburi, a Japanese the walls with new brick, Japanese décor stew that consists of various meats and and paintings by local Cincinnati artists. vegetables served over steamed rice, is also Lin is in the process of hiring staff and considered a “fast” food. putting the final touches on the restau“Donburi takes to young people because rant’s interior. While the long road has it’s really easy and quick,” Lin says. “Here, pushed Zundo’s original opening date there are a lot of young people that will like from April to late June or early July, Lin is donburi.” confident the added attention to detail will Whether topped with chicken teriyaki, make all the difference. eel or sashimi, donburi is a versatile dish Zundo Ramen & Donburi is located at that brings together protein, sauce and rice 220 W. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine. More info: in a three-part harmony. It is seldom found zundootr.com. on local menus, so this is truly a treat. Still fine-tuning the menu, Lin hasn’t made the specifics of any donburi or


CLASSES & EVENTS WEDNESDAY 13

Spend Father’s Day weekend trying more than 400 different beers from more than 100 breweries, providing the perfect opportunity to taste-test local brews as well as imported favorites. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $25-$65. Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.

Happy Baby: Making Nutritious Baby Food — Learn how to make baby food at home that is appropriate for different age groups in this hands-on class. 11:30 a.m.1:30 p.m. $60. Turner Farm, 7400 Given Road, Indian Hill, turnerfarm.org.

Cincy Top 10 Food Tour Foul Play PUZZLE — Enjoy a tasty sightseeing B Y B R E N DA N E M M E T T Q U I G L E Y tour that stops by 10 CincinCelestial Sips — At one nati landmarks and five resof the observatory’s most A c r o s s taurants the city is famous popular events, guests 1. Include in the for. The jaunt includes the historic will get to tour email secretively lunch, an all-day streetcar buildings and take a peek 4. Soup pass andscooper a three-hour tour. through the telescopes while 9. Pool ball$49 typeadult; $39 10:30 a.m. sampling wines hand-picked children. Leaves 14. Rita who sangfrom Taste by experts at The Wine on Iggy Azalea’s hit of Belgium, 16 W. Freedom Merchant in Hyde Park. 8-11 “Black Widow� Way, The Banks, Downtown, p.m. $50 members; $60 15. To no ___ riversidefoodtours.com. non-members. Cincinnati

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local and national chefs and mixologists. 1-4 p.m. Saturday. $85 presale; $100 day of. Yeatman’s Cove, 705 E. Pete Rose Way, Downtown, wineandfood.cincinnati.com. Father’s Day Cruise — This brunch or dinner cruise for dad features a buffet meal plus spectacular river views and a photo keepsake. Noon boarding for brunch; 4:30 p.m. boarding for dinner. $49 adults; $27 children. BB Riverboats, 101 Riverboat Row, Newport, Ky., bbriver boats.com.

SUNDAY 17

Molly Malone’s Beerwood Derby — Molly’s Beerwood Derby is a pinewood derby with an alcohol-related name. Use a standard pinewood car kit and your favorite beer can to create a Beerwood car and race it on derby track the bar’s 32-foot to win prizes and bragging rights. The kit costs $10 at the bar, and 100 percent of the sales go to benefit the Shriners Hospitals for Children-Cincinnati. 4-7 p.m. $10. Molly Malone’s Covington, 112 E. Fourth St., Covington, covington.mollymalonesirishpub.com. 48. Connect, like a

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41 35


MUSIC ‘Switch’ Hitters Kim Gordon and Bill Nace’s Body/Head headline opening night of Cincinnati’s No Response Experimental music fest BY S T E V EN R O S EN

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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J U N E 1 3 – 19 , 2 0 18

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he build-up is dramatic. The No Response Festival, which is devoted to Experimental music and occurs June 21 and 22 at Woodward Theater, has Kim Gordon’s and Bill Nace’s Body/Head as its headlining act just as the avant-garde electric guitar duo readies its second full-length studio album, The Switch. Just last week, a July 13 release date was announced. Six years have passed since the first album, Coming Apart, and the Cincinnati visit is Body/Head’s first stop on its U.S. tour. The second, in Los Angeles, doesn’t come until the day The Switch is released on Matador Records. A mesmerizingly atmospheric early single, “You Don’t Need,” is just out and creating anticipation. It features Gordon’s tough, cool vocals and an ominously hypnotic riff that sounds a lot like Velvet Underground-influenced AltRock. Adding to the anticipation for their appearance here is the fact that Gordon’s 2015 Girl in a Band, her memoir about life as a member of the influential Indie/ Experimental Rock band Sonic Youth, was a surprise bestseller. The book also talks about the music, as well as the collapse of her marriage to its lead guitarist, Thurston Moore, after discovering he was having an affair. “I had to do a lot of press, a book tour, and I had never done anything on my own that publicly,” Gordon says of the Girl in a Band experience. “It was a little difficult being around people all the time by myself. But I’m happy for the way (the book) came out; I’m grateful I had that opportunity. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have thought of it had not an editor approached me.” Girl in a Band contained some very personal passages, which was uncomfortable for Gordon. “I didn’t actually talk about that in interviews so much,” Gordon says. “Basically, I said all I’m going to say about that in the book. I had tried to make (the book) portraits of L.A. in the 1970s and New York in the ’80s and not so much about me. But how could I write a memoir and not talk about myself? I just didn’t want it to be

Body/Head PHOTO: COURTESY OF M ATA D O R R E C O R D S

boring.” No Response’s creators and previous operators of Northside’s Art Damage Lodge, Jon Lorenz and John Rich, are extremely excited about having Body/Head as headliners of this year’s festival. “For me and probably a million other people, Sonic Youth was a huge gateway to Noise music, No Wave, Free Jazz, Drone and avant-garde art in general,” Lorenz wrote in a Facebook post. The Switch is a very compelling album — its five tracks, which are predominately instrumental but do feature singing by Gordon, unfold with a kind of spacey, considered grandeur as the guitars produce overtones and droning effects. The soundscape created by the interplay is otherworldly, but never static — listening is as transfixing as watching a movie like Arrival or Interstellar. It’s the kind of album you’d like to hear live. But both Gordon and Nace laugh when that observation is made during the interview. “We utilize improvisation, so we’re actually not going to be replicating the record,” Gordon says. “We can’t do that. When we recorded it, we went in, set up, played like we were playing live, and then took that chunk of music and decided what we wanted to work with. We shaped that with some editing, mixing and overdubbing of a few vocals and some guitar. It’s not like we could reproduce that onstage if we wanted

to, and we wouldn’t want to.” “The nature of the band is improvisationbased,” she continues. “We know we each have a certain sound that we work with, but we’re also trying to move beyond that. And then there’s a point we come together with it.” Nace explains that the live process is heavily influenced by the crowd’s feedback. “Hopefully, there’s some kind of transmission exchange with the audience,” he says. “It (depends on) what the feel of the room is, and what we’re giving them and they’re giving back. And then we create this loop with it.” Neither wants The Switch, or Body/Head as a group, to be regarded as a conceptual art project — not that there’s anything wrong with that. “The spirit of it is as a Rock record,” Nace says. “Just because it has improvisation or has Noise elements, it’s not an intellectual exercise. We’re going in there to make a Rock record that people feel something when they hear, that they get excited about, that they have all the things they feel when they hear a Rock record.” Nace is a longtime guitar experimentalist who runs the Open Mouth label. He and Gordon began working together in Northampton, Mass., where they live and which has a community of artists and musicians. “It’s a fairly easy place to live, which means you can get a space to play as well,”

Nace says. “It’s a really homegrown kind of thing, much like the scene that revolved around (Cincinnati’s) Art Damage.” Nace and Gordon had first been doing some basement recording for themselves. They also discussed shared interests. “We were both into the French filmmaker Catherine Breillat and I had this great book analyzing her films,” Gordon says. “We were looking at it and somehow Bill (saw) ‘body/head’ and said that’s a good name for a band. I said, ‘Well, we have to have a band if we have a name.’ ’’ Their first recording as Body/Head was for a 2011 limited-edition album on a Belgian label devoted to avant-garde covers of the song “Fever.” (Though popularized by Peggy Lee, the original version of “Fever” was recorded by Little Willie John for Cincinnati-based King Records in 1955.) Even though her record label has asked Gordon not to talk about it, she is moving toward making a solo album. She hopes to record it next year. And she’s also working on her visual art. But is Sonic Youth forever in the past? Or might there be a return, despite the obvious personal personnel issues? “I don’t know,” Gordon says. “I can’t answer that, actually.” Body/Head is at the No Response Festival at Woodward Theater on June 21. Tickets/ more information for the two-day fest: noresponsefestival.com


SPILL IT

Ernie Johnson from Detroit Drops New LP BY M I K E B R EEN

More Local Notes • This Friday, several young current and past students from the School of Rock in Mason, Ohio will showcase the skills they’ve learned through the music education facility at a concert benefiting a great cause. The 8 p.m. show at Bogart’s (2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com) will raise funds for CancerFree KIDS, a local nonprofit organization. SoR’s 15-piece house band will play songs from the students’ recent showcases, which have included everything from a Guns N’ Roses tribute to

BY M I K E B R EE N

Bruce Springsteen is an Emmy away from the EGOT, having already scored an Oscar, many Grammys and, now, a Tony. Kinda. In a very obvious effort to have Springsteen show up and perform at the ceremony, Billy Joel presented The Boss with what was only described as a “Special Tony Award” for his one-man stories-andsongs show, Springsteen on Broadway. So he has a Tony trophy in his possession, but it’s kind of like an honorary doctorate degree — you can display it in your house, but if you get one you probably shouldn’t go around doing surgery (or, in Springsteen’s case, taking over the lead in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical).

Kanye’s Latest Feud

Ernie Johnson from Detroit PHOTO: PROVIDED

THE TOASTERS

MARK GIBSON W/ JESS LAMB & THE FACTORY F R I ERNIE JOHNSON FROM DETROIT 15 RECORD RELEASE

THU 14

S AT 16

SUNGAZE W/ LIGHTWASH & TURTLEDOVES

SUN 17

RUBY WAHL W/ LITTLE DEVICES

MON 18

TWISTED PINE (BOSTON)

TUE 19

WRITER’S NIGHT W/ MARK

FREE LIVE MUSIC OPEN FOR LUNCH

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6 /15

US, TODAY ALBUM RELEASE SHOW SYLMAR MOIR

Takin’ Shots for Shots

Eminem caught some flack after seeming to use realistic gunshot sound effects during his headlining appearance at Bonnaroo. Some video from the fest grounds shows people screaming and diving to the ground as the rapper performed his song “Kill You.” The frayed nerves are understandable with the rash of public mass shootings lately (including at a concert in Las Vegas last year), but Eminem’s representatives said the sound was actually just a boom from the pyrotechnics used during the concert.

6 /23

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS LITHICS

6 /19 6 /29

MT. JOY

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C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Contact Mike Breen: mbreen@citybeat.com

Kanye West’s recent appearance on Celebrity Family Feud will go down as one of the odder pop culture moments of the decade. Despite his recent seemingly erratic behavior, West came off as very affable and far from his egomaniacal reputation, though he did (smilingly) suggest his in-laws on the opposing team should’ve been disqualified for inappropriately discussing answers. The highlight was during the final “Fast Money” segment, when West and teammate Kim Kardashian both instinctively answered “10” to the question, “On a scale of 1-10, how sexy are you compared to the people you work with?” Kardashian further showed she thought the survey was of 100 Kim Kardashians and not regular folks when she immediately answered “Name a part of the body you’re always banging into things?” with “butt” (exactly zero of the non-Kardashians surveyed felt their butt always banged into things).

WED 13

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Yacht Rock and classic Soul celebrations. Opening the show are The Bassless Chaps and Freak Mythology, two groups formed by musicians who learned their chops at School of Rock Mason. Tickets for Friday’s Bogart’s show are $10. • Is it ever too early for Rock & Roll? Several local artists will put that question to the test this Saturday at Urban Artifact (1660 Blue Rock St., Northside, artifactbeer. com). Beginning at 8 a.m., the “Breakfast 2018” event features performances from Cincy singer Emily Ash, Alt/Hip Hop artist Eugenius and local bands like Cracked Flashlight, Lung, Lipstick Fiction and Go Go Buffalo, plus touring groups like Columbus, Ohio’s Queer Kevin, Chicago’s No Men, Lexington, Ky.’s Damned African Descendants and Oregon’s Third Seven. There will also be a potluck breakfast (bring a dish!), yoga and other activities. The show ends/naptime starts at 3 p.m. It is open to all ages and free, though donations will be accepted to help the touring acts. Search “Breakfast 2018” on Facebook for the schedule and more details.

1345 MAIN ST MOTRPUB.COM

Sucking Up to The Boss

J U N E 1 3 – 19 , 2 0 18

Friday at MOTR Pub (1345 Main St., Overthe-Rhine, motrpub.com), the extraordinary nine-member ensemble known as Ernie Johnson from Detroit celebrates the release of its new self-titled full-length album. The tight, funky Cincinnati crew, which features a bevy of talented local musicians (including a full horn section), will play two sets. The free show kicks off at 10 p.m. Ernie Johnson from Detroit is a glorious representation of the instrumental band’s infectious mix of Funk grooves, Jazz flourishes and, most alluringly, hypnotic, percolating Afrobeat guitar and percussive pulsations, plus a sprinkling of various other influences. While the crafty, supple rhythms make up the music’s lifeblood, each player is crucial to the group’s vitality and effectiveness. The horns are like bold splashes of colors, while the deft keyboards of Aaron Holm (who also plays trumpet) provide shadows and shading. But each element of Ernie Johnson from Detroit is also capable of filling multiple roles. For example, like the best Afrobeat, the winding, serpentine guitars of Drew Loftspring and Nathan Lewis enhance the music’s relentless rhythms, but on the new album’s second track, “Ram’s Horn,” they both shape-shift into a more Rock & Roll mode, intertwining distorted riffs behind the beefy horn melodies before breaking off some scorching Blues Rock leads that alter the atmosphere. There’s not a down moment on Ernie Johnson from Detroit, but the centerpiece is “Buster Kuti,” a nine-and-a-half minute epic that encapsulates all that is great about the group. Wholly mesmerizing, the track is anchored by the insistent percussion of Brendan Blumer and Rob Stamler, while Eric Osmanoglu’s simple but powerful bass line is as memorable as anything else in the song — like when you push in on your eyelids for several seconds and see lighted impressions when you let up, Osmanoglu’s bass whoomp is a sonic tracer that sticks with you after the supple groove ends. Anyone who has witnessed the power of Ernie Johnson from Detroit in concert can attest to the group’s spellbinding attraction. But where the live experience often manifests itself in a sweaty, danceimploring manner, the take-home version offers a more cerebral experience. While it certainly still has party-starter capabilities, Ernie Johnson from Detroit also has an almost meditative quality, the kind of album you can put headphones on, kick back and get lost in the captivating flow. For more on Ernie Johnson from Detroit, visit erniejohnsonfromdetroit.com. You can also revisit the group’s previous releases at erniejohnsonfromdetroit. bandcamp.com.

MINIMUM GAUGE

43


SOUND ADVICE

Open for Dinner 4:00 PM Tue-Sat Thurs June 21 6/23 O’Town 7/28 Chris Blue from "The Voice" & Tyler Hilton 8/4 Livingston Taylor 6/28 Funky Feat W/Little Feat members 10/12 Blood, Sweat 6/30 Jesse Colin Young & Tears 2 SHOWS! Midge Ure & Paul Young of The Youngbloods 8/23 Commander Cody 8/25 River Whyless 7/6 Carbon Leaf 8/31 Rumours 7/13 The Summit With Kris Lager Band Fleetwood Mac Tribute 7/20 Jonathan Butler 9/20 The High Kings 7/21 Femi Kuti & 9/28 The Babys The Positive Force 9/29 Madeleine Peyroux

Friday June 22

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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J U N E 1 3 – 19 , 2 0 18

513.221.4111 Edwin McCain LudlowGarageCincinnati.com

44

Black Moth Super Rainbow PHOTO: PROVIDED

Black Moth Super Rainbow

Thursday • Urban Artifact

Black Moth Super Rainbow’s sixth LP, Panic Blooms, is the band’s first fulllength in five years, yet the Pennsylvania ElectroPop project shows no signs of aging. Revisiting the distortion-clogged sound of its early material, BMSR’s latest exists in an alternate reality in which the entire latter half of the 20th century exists as a single moment in time. The quintet duplicates the raw energy and Technicolor soundscapes of pre-Watergate Garage Rock, but the psychedelia is tinged with synth melodies that hearken back to the meditative kitsch of ’80s New Age cassettes, Shoegaze’s whispery and often indecipherable vocals and the penchant for dissonance that flourished during Grunge’s reign. BMSR remain timeless simply because the band isn’t confined to our timeline. They’re a cosmic Bomb Pop, floating in a vacuum, dripping melted cherry syrup into the void. Tracks like “Sunset Curses” and “Baby’s In the Void” do an especially good job of manipulating matter, treating acid-washed chord progressions like the combination of cornstarch and water you might have concocted in a grade school science class, exhibiting the properties of both a solid and a liquid as they’re kneaded by lo-fi drum machine rhythms. Panic Blooms isn’t a radical departure from the band’s earlier work by any means, but it does serve as a lower-tempo reminder of what its respective members do best. With 15 years of history under its belt, the group consistently pushes toward polish and refinement without sacrificing its weirdness. See Black Moth Super Rainbow Thursday and witness a group of seasoned musicians that haven’t let experience temper their curiosity. (Jude Noel)

Japanese Breakfast PHOTO: PHOBYMO

Japanese Breakfast

Friday • Taft Theatre Ballroom

Michelle Zauner started Japanese Breakfast as a creative outlet away from Little Big League, an Indie Rock band that, in hindsight, catered more to Zauner’s punkier bandmates than it did her own vision. It then came as no surprise that the solo project took on a life of its own, resulting in 2016’s Psychopomp, an intimate Dream Pop record heavily influenced by the death of Zauner’s mother. The follow-up, last year’s Soft Sounds from Another Planet, is even dreamier and more cohesive — a dozen songs that recall everything from Cocteau Twins and Mazzy Star to myriad Shoegaze outfits. “I was nervous about following up Psychopomp because it was such an accident,” Zauner said in a recent interview with Fader. “I had built something that I really didn’t want to lose and I was afraid of falling in the sophomore slump. I just kind of felt like all the odds were stacked against me. I think Pyschopomp is in your face and upbeat, but the production is way more


GUIDE TO Mt. Joy P H O T O : M A C K O TA S

lo-fi and all over the place. It’s a bedroom record. Soft Sounds is a little more accessible because its production is way more hi-fi and listenable.” Album opener “Diving Woman” is nearly seven minutes of intoxicating New Wave beats, guitar curly-cues and Zauner’s ethereal vocals, which could serve as the soundtrack to the grooviest prom ever set in outer space. Best of all is “Boyish,” a romantic Doo-Wop-inspired ditty featuring this blunt admission: “I can’t get you off my mind/I can’t get you off in general.” (Jason Gargano)

Future Sounds Cedric Burnside – June 29, Southgate House Revival Barrence Whitefield & the Savages – Aug. 30, Woodward Theater

Nicki Minaj and Future – Sept. 29, U.S. Bank Arena Trivium – Oct. 8, Bogart’s Peter Bradley Adams – Oct. 23, Southgate House Revival

THRICE – Nov. 10, Bogart’s The Lone Bellow – Nov. 28, Memorial Hall

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Dawes – Nov. 10, Taft Theatre

JUNE 20

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Smooth Hound Smith – Oct. 26, Southgate House Revival

It’s hard not to believe in fate when you hear stories like the one about Mt. Joy, a Roots-flavored Indie Rock group founded by guitarists/songwriters Sam Cooper and Matt Quinn. The musicians were high school friends in the Philly area, but their music-making kinship ended when they graduated and went to different colleges. About two years ago, the men both coincidentally ended up living in Los Angeles and decided to get together and jam. With bassist Michael Byrnes, the trio called themselves Mt. Joy (after a landmark at Pennsylvania’s Valley Forge National Park) and recorded three songs shortly after convening; Cooper told upstate New York’s The Daily Gazette it was just a casual “fun side-thing for our parents to listen to.” Without intentions, they also uploaded the song “Astrovan” to Spotify. That decision was a game-changer. Described by Quinn as a song “about being stuck in a life and wanting to have the opportunity to pursue a dream,” “Astrovan” unexpectedly became a hit, earning a million streams in a few weeks. Mt. Joy was no longer a side-project, but a full-time gig. The band — rounded out by Sotiris Eliopoulos on drums and Jackie Miclau on keyboards — hit the road for much of 2017, doing shows with the likes of The Head and the Heart and The Lone Bellow, while also playing big festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Dualtone Records caught wind of Mt. Joy’s buzz and signed the group. Released in March, Mt. Joy’s selftitled album was received with a chorus of acclaim from Rolling Stone, NPR, Billboard, HuffPost and many other outlets. (Mike Breen)

J U N E 1 3 – 19 , 2 0 18

Jukebox the Ghost – Sept. 7, Taft Theatre (Ballroom)

Mt. Joy with Oliver Hazard

Tuesday • Woodward Theater

45


LISTINGS

CityBeat’s music listings are free. Send info to Mike Breen at mbreen@citybeat.com. Listings are subject to change. See CityBeat.com for full music listings and all club locations. H is CityBeat staff’s stamp of approval.

WEDNESDAY 13

SCHWARTZ’S POINT– Zappa, Myers & Burkhead. 8 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

CAFFÈ VIVACE–April Aloisio Duo. 7:30 p.m. Jazz.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE)–Beth Lee. 9:30 p.m. Rock/Roots. Free.

BOGART’S–SUSTO. 8 p.m. Alt/Indie/Rock/Various. $16.

H

FOUNTAIN SQUARE– Reggae Wednesday with Yabba Griffiths. 7 a.m. Reggae. Free.

H

MOTR PUB–The Toasters. 10 p.m. Ska. Free.

RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER–Jack Johnson with G. Love & Special Sauce. 7:30 p.m. Pop/Rock/Various. $35-$75.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY)–Reverend Horton Heat, Big Sandy, JD Wilkes & the Legendary Shack Shakers and Lara Hope & the Ark-Tones. 8 p.m. Rock/ Rockabilly/Pscyhobilly/Various. $25. STANLEY’S PUB–Maritime Law. 9 p.m. Various. Free. VINKOLET WINERY–Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. 6:30 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.

THURSDAY 14

H

BOGART’S–Warren G. 8 p.m. Hip Hop/R&B.

$32.

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE–Todd Hepburn and Friends. 8 p.m. Various. Free. CAFFÈ VIVACE–Hank Mautner Trio. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. COMMON ROOTS–Open mic. 8 p.m. Various. Free.

H

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J U N E 1 3 – 19 , 2 0 18

FOUNTAIN SQUARE– Salsa on the Square with The Amador Sisters. 7 p.m. Latin/Salsa. Free.

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SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY)–Chris Knight with Mic Harrison. 9 p.m. Rock/Roots. $20.

H

MADISON LIVE– Beloved Youth, Misnomer and Carriers. 9 p.m. Indie/Alt/Rock. $10, $12 day of show. MANSION HILL TAVERN– Dudley Taft. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES– Just Two Howlers. 9 p.m. Classic Rock. Free.

H

H

H

H

STANLEY’S PUB– Olivia Frances with Nadim Azzam. 9 p.m. Pop/ Folk/Various. Cover.

URBAN ARTIFACT– Black Moth Super Rainbow with The Stargazer Lilliles. 8 p.m. Indie/Psych/ Rock. $20, $25 day of show.

H

WASHINGTON PARK– Roots Revival with Honey & Houston. 7 p.m. Americana/Roots. Free.

FRIDAY 15

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL–River City Roustabout. 9 p.m. Folk. Free. BLIND LEMON–Charlie Millikin. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

H

BOGART’S–School of Rock Mason with The Bassless Chaps and Freak Mythology (benefit for CancerFree KIDS). 8 p.m. Rock. $13. BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE–Steve Schmidt Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. CAFFÈ VIVACE–Brian Cashwell Trio. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

H

FOUNTAIN SQUARE– Typhoon, The Fourth Wall and Young Heirlooms. 7 p.m. Indie/Pop/Folk/Various. Free.

MEMORIAL HALL– Peter Rowan with Comet Bluegrass Allstars. 8 p.m. Bluegrass. $30-$45.

MOTR PUB–Ernie Johnson from Detroit. 10 p.m. Afrobeat/Funk/Jazz/ Various. Free.

WOODWARD THEATER–Us, Today (album release show) with Sylmar and Moira. 9 p.m. Indie/Post Rock/Progressive/Various. $8, $10 day of show.

SATURDAY 16

ARONOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS–Celtic Woman: Homecoming. 7:30 p.m. Celtic. $42.50-$103.50. BLIND LEMON–Jake Walz. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

H H

BOONE WOODS PARK–Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. 7 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.

OCTAVE–CloZee with Plantrae and Kaleidoscope Jukebox. 9 p.m. Electronic/Various. $12.

RADISSON CINCINNATI RIVERFRONT–Basic Truth. 8 p.m. Funk/Soul/R&B. Free (in the Fifth Lounge). SCHWARTZ’S POINT–The Extended Trio. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE)–Ky Myle. 8 p.m. Country. Free.

H

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE–Hank Mautner with The Steve Schmidt Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free. CAFFÈ VIVACE–Mandy Gaines Quartet. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

H

FOUNTAIN SQUARE– Family and Friends, Edward + Jane and Wake the Bear. 7 p.m. Indie/Folk/ Rock/Pop. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM)–DADDY. 8 p.m. Roots Rock. $18.

THE GREENWICH–Push Play. 8:30 p.m. R&B/Funk. $8.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY)–Whitey Morgan with Josh Card. 9 p.m. Country. $21.25-$80.

H

STANLEY’S PUB–Mama Said String Band with Hollow Bone. 9 p.m. Bluegrass. Cover.

HILLSIDE GASTROPUB– Sonny Moorman Group. 8:30 p.m. Blues.

THE HAMILTON–Michael McIntire. 7 p.m. Americana/ Various. Free.

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD–Pete Dressman. 9 p.m. Rock. $5.

H

JEFF RUBY’S STEAKHOUSE–Grace Lincoln Band. 8 p.m. Soul/R&B. Free.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT–Cult of Sorrow, Void King, Onus and Weed Demon. 8 p.m. Doom/ Stoner Rock/Various. Free.

LUDLOW GARAGE–Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp & Paul Jackson, Jr. 8:30 p.m. Jazz/ Funk/Soul. $35-$75.

VINKOLET WINERY–Holly Spears. 7 p.m. Americana/ Country. Free.

OCTAVE–CloZee with Edamame and Alejo. 9 p.m. Electronic/Various. $12.

H

BOGART’S–The Four Horsemen. 8 p.m. Metallica tribute. $16.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN–Leggy with Dana. 10 p.m. Indie/Rock/Various. Free.

THE GREENWICH–Phil DeGreg & Brasilia. 8:30 p.m. Brazilian Jazz. $5,

MOTR PUB–Jess Lamb & the Factory and Mark Gibson. 10 p.m. Soul/ Pop/Rock/Alt/Various. Free.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM –Retro Nouveau with Josh Kline. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/ drink minimum).

H

TAFT THEATRE–Japanese Breakfast with Half Waif. 7 p.m. Indie Rock. $13, $15 day of show (in the Ballroom).

THE HAMILTON–Amber Nash. 8 p.m. Acoustic. Free. HERZOG MUSIC–The Stone Eye with Swoops and Grey Host. 4 p.m. Rock/ Various.

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD–Gee Your Band Smells Terrific. 9 p.m. ’70s Pop/Rock/Dance/Various. $5. JAPP’S–Ricky Nye Inc. 7 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie. KNOTTY PINE–Bad Habit. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover. THE MAD FROG–Astraeus and Cumberland. 9 p.m. Progressive Metal. $10. MADISON LIVE–Russ Liquid Test and Just Jay’s Fantastic Voyage. 9 p.m.

Electronic/Funk/Various. $12, $15 day of show. MANSION HILL TAVERN– Johnny Fink & the Intrusion. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover. MARTY’S HOPS & VINES– Two Blue. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free. MOTR PUB–Sungaze with Lightwash and Turtledoves. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN–Valdrin, Ancalagon, Cryptic Hymn and Nithing. 9 p.m. Metal. Free. NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB–Gentle Leader XIV with Human Program and Crime Of Passing. 9 p.m. Indie/Rock/Pop/Post Punk/ Various. OCTAVE–Born Cross Eyed. 9 p.m. Grateful Dead tribute. THE PHOENIX–Chris Comer Trio with Dick Sorice. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free. SCHWARTZ’S POINT– Emily Jordan with Jordan Pollard & Judy Tsai. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

H

SEASONGOOD PAVILION–Basic Truth 20th-Anniversary Concert. 6 p.m. R&B/Soul/Funk (part of the Juneteenth Festival in Eden Park). Free. SILVERTON CAFE–Soul Quest. 9 p.m. R&B/Pop. Free.

and Sun Delay. 9 p.m. Indie Rock. $8, $10 day of show. WASHINGTON PLATFORM –Ron Jones Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

SUNDAY 17

H

THE GREENWICH–Pat Kelly & the PsychoAcoustic Orchestra. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. $12. MOTR PUB–Ruby Wahl with Little Devices. 8 p.m. Indie/Folk. Free. SONNY’S ALL JAZZ LOUNGE–The Art of Jazz featuring the music of Art Blakey. 8 p.m. Jazz. Free.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY)–Andy McKee. 8 p.m. Guitar. $20, $25 day of show.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT– MARR with Discount Nostalgia and Darkroom Ignite. 9 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

MONDAY 18

THE GREENWICH–Baron Von Ohlen & the Flying Circus Big Band. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. MANSION HILL TAVERN– Acoustic Jam with John Redell. 8 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

H

MEMORIAL HALL– Three X Jazz. 7 p.m. Jazz. $8.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE)–Willie Heath Neal. 9:30 p.m. Singer/Songwriter. Free.

MOTR PUB–Twisted Pine. 9 p.m. Roots/Various. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM)–Cincinnati Noir. 10 p.m. Dance/DJ/Alt/Goth/ Punk/Various. $5.

TUESDAY 19

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY)–Soulgroup, Brent James and the Vintage Youth, Lovecrush 88, Chalk Eye and more. 8 p.m. Acoustic/Rock/Roots/Various. $10.

H

STANLEY’S PUB– Baccano with $pare Change. 9 p.m. Rock/ Progressive/Funk/Various. Cover.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT– The Yugos with Physco

PACHINKO–Open Mic. 9 p.m. Various. Free.

20TH CENTURY THEATER–Todd Snider. 8 p.m. Acoustic. $25, $28 day of show.

H

MADISON LIVE–Thunderpussy with The Pistol Mystics. 8 p.m. Rock. $13, $15 day of show.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY)–American Aquarium with Travis Meadows. 8 p.m. Roots/Country/Rock. $18.

H

WOODWARD THEATER–Mt. Joy. Indie/ Americana. $12, $15 day of show.


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