CINCINNATI’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • july 26 – aug. 01, 2017 • free
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Creepin’ Bonnie Speeg: Yes, I knew about Ludlow Lagoon, through family that used to frequent there in the late ’40s. So not new. And to note: Anderson Ferry, steeped in a history of its own... and travelling it myself for exactly 70 years... and a former resident on River Road, it has NEVER been touted as a “creepy ride” as your article states. Thank you. Dorothy Gillstrap: The “forgotten Victorian cul-de-sac” has actually been on the radar of most people in Fort Thomas because they want them saved. Seems we are well on the way to doing that now. Comments posted at Facebook.com/CincinnatiCityBeat in response ton July 19 post, “A creepy field trip through Cincinnati’s deserted history”
Time to Clean up Sedamsville Matt Becker: Now if only the city would take care of Boldface Park there in Sedamsville. Brandi Caldwell-Henderson: Why did they wait so long? Johnny Mack: Because the city has no teeth. Comments posted at Facebook.com/CincinnatiCityBeat in response ton July 21 post, “A never-ending feud over building code compliance lands a Sedamsville landlord in court”
Feeling the Creepy Field Trip mrock32: @amber_fuller This is right up your alley! amber_fuller: @mrock32 This looks awesome!! I’ll definitely have to check it out!! davidgerena: Being a graffiti artist I dig this even more. bartonbanta: How long until hipsters turn them into sweet breweries? jdew03: The “deserted Victorian cul-desac” just completed sale from the VA back to the city to begin renovations. It won’t be long until they are fully restored and having families in them.
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Comments posted at Instagram.com/ CityBeatCincy in response to July 20 post, “Plan a creepy summer field trip throughout Greater Cincinnati with this week’s issue.” Photos: @slidepiece
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VOICES
What a Week! BY T.C. Britton
WEDNESDAY JULY 19
Apple is dropping a slew of new emojis later this year. A preview of the next round of high-tech hieroglyphics was revealed early this week in celebration of World Emoji Day (dear god why). Soon you’ll be able to text emojis like a person meditating in lotus pose, a breastfeeding woman and a hijabi. This is the future liberals want! There will also be new smilies (including a much more graphic barfing face) creatures (zombie, genie, elf), food (sandwich, coconut, raw steak) and animals (zebra, T-rex). If you just can’t wait for these additions, there’s a fucking emoji movie — called The Emoji Movie — coming out July 28. In the meantime, we’ll be kickin’ it old school with the lost art of emoticons.
THURSDAY JULY 20
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Here’s a line you might have heard once or twice before in your lifetime: People across the country were glued to their screens this week to watch O.J. Simpson. There were no white Broncos or ill-fitting leather gloves, but Simpson still managed to dazzle during a Nevada parole hearing for his convictions stemming from a 2007 armed robbery. After serving nine years of his nine-to-33-year sentence, Simpson stood before a panel to apologize for his part in the crime. There were many WTF moments. One parole board member oddly chose to wear a distracting Kansas City Chiefs tie, while another mistakenly identified Simpson as a 90-year-old (he turned 70 this month). “You look great for 90!” she said, joking about the
error. But the laughs didn’t stop there! Simpson chuckled about relocating to Florida upon release, since Nevada probably doesn’t want him. The best joke of the day: Simpson saying, “I basically have spent a conflictfree life.” Sure! Nevertheless, the board was convinced and granted him parole. So hide yo kids, hide yo wife and hide yo sports memorabilia, because the Juice is loose — beginning this October.
FRIDAY JULY 21
Surrealist king Salvador Dalí died nearly 30 years ago, but his body was exhumed this week to collect a DNA sample for a courtordered paternity test. Pilar Abel, a 61-yearold Tarot card reader (red flag alert!) believes the otherwise childless artist is her father, because her mother had a “clandestine love affair” with Dalí in the 1950s. She saw it in the cards! If paternity is proven, Abel could claim part of Dalí’s multimilliondollar estate left to the Spanish state. No word on the DNA results yet, but one fascinating revelation came to light when his body was exhumed — Dalí’s iconic, upward pointing moustache is still intact!
SATURDAY JULY 22
Comic-Con took over San Diego and the internet this week, bringing fans, stars and cosplayers together for a pop culture extravaganza. Attendees could meet the actors behind nearly every superhero known to man and partake in immersive experiences like a real-life visit to Westworld. Those of us without quickly sold-out tickets or a cool dad to take us (more on that later) were
left waiting for new trailers and announcements to hit the web. Highlights: American Horror Story revealed its Season 7 theme, “Cult”; millennial cartoons Duck Tales, Hey Arnold! and Rocko’s Modern Life are all getting reboots; and we saw epic trailers for Stranger Things, Justice League, Westworld and more. The biggest winner? Liev Schreiber, who attended the event with his two sons, dressed as a Star Wars jedi and Suicide Squad’s Harley Quinn — down to the sequin shorts and blonde pigtails. You betta werk, lil Schreiber!
SUNDAY JULY 23
The Discovery channel loves a good stunt — remember when that guy attempted to be eaten alive by an anaconda? (Spoiler Alert: He didn’t.) So it’s no surprise the network decided to kick off Shark Week with a good old-fashioned man-versus-beast showdown. Last month it was announced that Olympic boss Michael Phelps would race a Great White shark. Phelps traveled to South Africa, jumped into the ocean in a mermanesque monofin and shot across the 100 meters. The only problem? He wasn’t really racing a shark in open waters (obviously). Scientists recorded the speed of a real shark and used that to compare to Phelps’ time. Producers then added a digital image of a shark to the footage of Phelps swimming to simulate a race so that people would actually want to watch. Actually, that wasn’t the only problem, because dude lost — to a CGI shark — by two seconds.
MONDAY JULY 24
The Bachelorette is winding down, and this week Rachel introduced her top three to her fam (minus her judge father, who is clearly above this Bachelorette bullshit) and embarked on the infamous fantasy suites, aka camera-free overnight dates, aka the bone zone. Her first one-on-one with Eric took the couple to the Spanish countryside in San Juan de Gaztelugatxe... which was a filming location for Game of Thrones. A date at Dragonstone! Get you a girl who takes you to Daenerys’ castle. Honestly, there has been a bit of Bachelorette/Game of Thrones crossover — lots of red wine, hard-to-impress queens (mothers), Rachel even brought her direwolf (OK, regular dog Copper) on the show! Coming soon: fight to the death for the final rose.
TUESDAY JULY 25
This week in questionable decisions: Two of this summer’s tropical storms will be named Don and Hilary; Milan has banned glass bottles, street food and selfie sticks in an effort to curb “anti-social behaviour”; Madame Tussauds debuted what many believe was a whitewashed and unrecognizable Beyoncé wax figure this week, removed it days later and put her back on display after the museum “adjusted the styling and lighting of her figure”; a Brooklyn bar is boasting genuine bullet holes in walls and selling 40-ounce rosé wine in paper bags; and Forbes wrote about the marijuana edibles trend as if it’s a brand new thing. CONTACT T.C. BRITTON: letters@ citybeat.com
Note d Direc tor Fail s to M ake “Film of the Y e ar” BY Luke Lewis
In an unexpected result, a noted director has failed to create this year’s film of the year. Several critics commented that although the director had cast an A-list collection of actresses and actors, the film somehow left viewers feeling as though it was maybe the third best film of the year, not the first. In one scene the main character is just about to basically sort out the entire situation that is bothering everyone in the film, and just as he is about to solve the problem there is an unexpected thing that arises which prevents him from doing it. Directors often use unexpected events to propel the plot and to keep audiences on the edge of their seats. I think in this case the director was successful in that, but not to the degree that this was the film of the year or anything. Although the box office sales topped industry experts’ expectations, the consensus of many
moviegoers seemed to point to this film not being all that it was thought to be. People sort of built this film up. Without having the exact numbers in front of me, I would guess that the film brought in probably around 500 million dollars. It’s not unusual for a film to draw a large number of ticket sales and not be considered to be the year’s best film. For instance, in a typical movie year the third through first best movies of the year will bring in between 100 to 900 million dollars in ticket sales. I am planning on seeing this film this weekend, so I cannot definitively say where it falls among the top films of this year. In the past, my opinion of films has been pretty much in line with what other people think about films, so it seems probable that I will agree with the consensus that indeed this is not the film of the year.
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VOICES MEDIA OWNERSHIP MATTERS
FCC Plans Will Hurt News Diversity BY Jeffrey Layne Blevins
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If you’re not following what’s going on with the FCC, you might be missing out on a lot more than what you realize. I’m talking about the Federal Communications Commission, not FC Cincinnati (but more on them later). The former FCC is planning to change two sets of rules that may significantly impact how you receive news and information — both on television and online. Ajit Pai, FCC Chair, has called into question broadcast ownership rules created to protect localism, diversity and competition — namely rules that limit a single company from reaching more than 39 percent of the national television audience through its owned-and-operated stations. The rules also include restraints on ownership of multiple stations within certain markets. Pai’s signal to relax broadcast ownership rules comes as the Sinclair Broadcast Group — already the nation’s largest — has made a bid to acquire Tribune Media, which would give the company over 200 local television stations across the United States, in addition to the Chicago-based superstation WGN. Sinclair currently owns nine stations in Ohio, including two properties in Cincinnati (WKRC, the CBS affiliate, and WSTR), three in Columbus (including ABC, FOX and CW affiliates), two in Dayton (the ABC and FOX affiliates), and Toledo’s NBC affiliate. With the purchase of Tribune, Sinclair will add WJW (the FOX affiliate) in Cleveland. What critics of the deal are most concerned about is not just Sinclair’s size, but also its diminution of localism and diversity in news and public affairs programming. Sinclair, which is headquartered in Maryland, has been widely panned for its centralized approach to determining content for its owned-and-operated stations across the U.S., and was recently lambasted by HBO’s Last Week Tonight host John Oliver for its proliferation of “must run” pieces. Produced from Sinclair’s headquarters, the segments include political commentary with a notable conservative slant by Mark Hyman and a “Bottom Line with Boris” segment with Russian-born political commenter Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump Administration official. Local Sinclairowned stations are required to air this content nine times per week. However, it would be simplistic to reduce the debate about Sinclair’s programming practices to whether the news media is too conservative or too liberal. The real issue is about one political side being able to dominate our local television news.
While national cable news networks may have distinct flavors — Fox Cable News skews right and MSNBC leans left — local over-the-air broadcasting has been sacrosanct under the law, as the electromagnetic spectrum is a finite public resource that commercial broadcasters get to use for free in return for serving the public interest, which has been broadly defined by the principles of localism, diversity and competition. When the FCC had comparative hearings to determine allocation of the limited number of broadcast television licenses within a defined market — local ownership of the station was a significant consideration, as well as maintaining a diversity of perspectives in news and public affairs programming. Although comparative hearings were eventually discontinued, the primary mechanism the FCC has used to promote diversity of expression in local markets is ensuring diversity of ownership. As the federal Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia said in Fox Television Stations, Inc. v. FCC in 2002, “diversity of ownership is perhaps an aspirational but surely not irrational proxy” for diversity of programming. This was essentially the same rationale when the U.S. broke up the NBC network in 1943 because it was becoming too powerful through its chain of stations, forcing the network to spin off what became the ABC network. In today’s media marketplace, FCC Chairman Pai has been critical of broadcast ownership restrictions because online media services are now creating original programming that is competing for television audiences. While internetbased media affords the most participatory and diverse array of speech ever known, competition and diversity online may also shrink if the agency does away with its network neutrality rules. The FCC currently treats broadband internet service operators as “common carriers” under the law, meaning that they — like traditional telephone service operators, railroads, trucking operators and mail carriers — have to carry all messages and not discriminate based upon who is sending or receiving the message. As common carriers, broadband service providers like Comcast, Verizon, AT&T
and others cannot lawfully block content, degrade access or charge extra fees for services that compete with their own. Unfortunately, Chairman Pai wants to replace this with a model that will allow internet operators to act like cable or satellite service providers, so that they may function as an editor of your online experience. For instance, if your internet service provider has its own movie streaming service it may block or slow the streaming speed of competitors, such as Netflix. Or, the provider may charge extra fees to allow access to competing content and services.
“The real issue is about one political side being able to dominate our local television news.” As another example, think back to FC Cincinnati’s U.S. Open Cup game scheduled for July 12 in Miami, which was to be televised on the Spectrum Sports Ohio channel, which is only available on Charter/Spectrum cable service and DIRECTV in the Cincinnati area. If you happen to be a Cincinnati Bell cable or DISH satellite subscriber, you were out of luck. Is this the kind of logic that we want to inflict upon the internet with our news and information services? Whether our political stripes are left, right or center, we should all have a passion for self-expression and the collective interest of our society to receive a diverse array of opinions and perspectives from a wide variety of news and information outlets. The concerns presented here are about the impact that media ownership consolidation tends to have on localism and everyone’s ability to hear a diverse expression of political perspectives, as well as competition in our information industries. JEFFREY LAYNE BLEVINS, Ph.D., is a CityBeat opinion contributor and head of the Journalism Department at the University of Cincinnati. Contact Dr. Blevins: jeffrey.blevins@ uc.edu or @ JeffBlevinsPhD.
VOICES SPORTS!
Sports in Moderation BY JACK BRENNAN
But over all of my 23 years with the team, I never ceased being a writer/journalist at heart, and that is no secret among those who know me. Quite early in my Bengals career, the writer in me started penning personal letters and op-eds to the Enquirer. I was published numerous times, sometimes with my photo, and Bengals owner Mike Brown never suggested I cease, even though he likely was at 90 percent disagreement with my liberal viewpoints on social and political issues. Sometimes he’d crack a joke about something I’d written, other times he was up for a brief debate. (One thing CityBeat readers should know is that — much more than many conservatives these days — your local NFL owner respects the historic role of an independent media.) But a football team is rather like an army, with a necessarily rigid command structure, and that wasn’t exactly my style. I won’t say I couldn’t fit in — I think I did — and just as it was at the newspaper, my loyalty went totally to the guys signing my paychecks. But let’s just say that at Paul Brown Stadium, there weren’t as many jokes flying around as I used to experience in newsrooms. Make no mistake, most sports journalists truly love sports. They can’t be fans of particular teams, but they are huge fans of sports’ entire entertainment package. They feel privileged to be close to action, both on and off the field. And though they don’t always love the sports people they cover, they love being the public’s agent for interactions with celebrities who fans can see only from afar. (“Sportswriter” is another great card for your deck at the next group barbecue. Tell us again, Scoop, about the time you told Rob Dibble to go bleep himself.) Unlike team employees, media can’t hope to ever be part of a champion. But hey, life is full of trade-offs, and that’s one they’re willing to make. So that’s more the real me — a media guy more than a mid-level sports executive, despite 23 years in sports PR vs. 20 years in journalism. For sure, there’s a lot of weak B.S. in sports. But calling that out can be part of the fun. Sports are a huge soap opera for all of us to enjoy. The games themselves feature performers of great skill, under intense
pressure, and even this eclectic weekly has numerous ads from establishments seeking fans on Bengals gamedays. And even the artsiest crowd can’t deny that big-time sports are a city’s best vehicle to look cool to the wider world. Like it or not, it’s the fact. Though comparably sized cities all have their spots where interesting people gather, they don’t look quite as hip without the national identity provided by a primetime Bengals game, with those glittering aerial shots of the city. Or by the buzz of major league baseball in town 81 times a year, with every date a potential national
Read us on your phone when you’re at the bar by yourself.
“Sports are a huge soap opera for all of us to enjoy.”
attention-grabber, even when the team (as presently) is not so good. We supplement those two pillars with: • Two major college sports programs. University of Cincinnati football now begins every year with Top 25 aspirations, a far cry from 25 years ago, and doesn’t the city look great every year when the almost-unique Crosstown Shootout goes on national TV? • A minor league soccer team making a stunning bid for the majors. Soccer’s time has finally come in the U.S. after 40 years of predictions it would happen, and FC Cincinnati’s breakneck bid for the big time is truly a fascinating tale. • A significant stop on the pro tennis tour, and the roar of a regular NASCAR gig. The end product is a fairly well-known sports town, and we’re a city significantly viewed through the prism of our sports. That’s the way of the heartland, and even if we don’t live and die with every final score, we want our sports to be lively and honest, and to reflect well on our city. That’s what I’m all about in this role, and I hope to prove worthy of your time. JACK BRENNAN’s column will appear in this space biweekly. Contact him: letters@citybeat.com.
the all-new
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Hello, CityBeat World. You are a good world, a progressive part of Greater Cincinnati with a voracious appetite for arts, entertainment, interesting food… the works for a vibrant city. You celebrate diversity among your fellow citizens, knowing that embracing all is the way to avoid becoming Pleasantville. And who am I? I’m your new, bi-weekly sports columnist, happy to be a small part of what CityBeat brings to the local scene. There hasn’t been a regular sports column on these pages for a few years. (Now-Enquirer Reds beat writer C. Trent Rosecrans last held the perch in 2012.) No doubt, that reflects the belief (and likely the reality) that CityBeat’s audience includes relatively few athlete idolizers or gameday face-painters. Relatively few of you, I imagine, are forced by a big sports loss to confront the stunning overall emptiness of your existence. There is much more to life, as the other 40-odd pages of this publication show you every week. But I do love sports — always have — and I think they warrant a spot among the varied menu this publication offers you. “Sports in moderation,” let’s call it, so let me try to sell you on this deal. First, a bit more self-introduction: Though I’m not a Cincy native, I’ve lived here 34 years, and two of my three kids are natives. (I’m a Texas native, but don’t worry, I’ve never been one of “those” Texans. The roots were shallow, as my parents were native Midwesterners.) I came to Cincinnati as a newspaper sports reporter, signing on in 1983 with the now-departed Cincinnati Post. I was the beat reporter on the Bengals from 1984-89, moved to the Enquirer as Reds beat man for the 1990 World Series year and was a Bengals beat man again from 1991-93, this time for the Enquirer. Over 11 years as a Cincy newspaper guy, I also got to write a lot of sports opinion columns. In 1994, I left journalism to become public relations director of the Bengals. I did 23 seasons, covering four head coaches, and I retired this past March. I left journalism because, for me, the career opportunity with the Bengals was a better one. I left the Bengals because at age 65, I am ready to stop working quite as hard and long as that job requires. Being part of the Bengals organization was very cool. Ownership and coaches treated me with consideration and respect. (Players? Haha, maybe not always quite so much, but overall it was fine.) It was exciting, and, yes, it’s an ego-stroker to have a Bengals card in your deck for social and family interactions.
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Ohio’s Addictive Execution Drug
State set to resume executions using midazolam, which critics say has caused grisly botched executions By NICK SWARTSELL
P H O T O : N i c k S wa r ts e l l
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A federal appeals court in Cincinnati paved the way for Ohio to resume executions. Ohio will use to execute prisoners cause excruciating pain as they kill if a person is conscious. Some drug experts are asking the state not to use midazolam. On July 24, 15 pharmacology professors from universities across the U.S. filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court in connection with the Phillips case requesting that the use of the sedative in executions be halted. The brief highlights the “national importance” of the case when it comes to lethal injections. “In sum, midazolam’s mechanism of action makes it unsuitable as the first drug in the State of Ohio’s three-drug lethal injection protocol because it is incapable of inducing unconsciousness and cannot prevent the infliction of severe pain,” the filing reads. “The record of midazolam-protocol executions is profoundly troubling.” Attorneys say their challenge to Ohio’s use of the drug could have national implications. “What is happening in Ohio is a matter of great concern everywhere,” Haddad said in a statement after asking the U.S. Supreme Court to step in. “The record in the Ohio prisoners’ case firmly establishes an intolerable risk of resuming executions under the midazolam three-drug protocol.” A cocktail also containing midazolam as
well as a derivative of morphine was used on Dennis McGuire, the last person Ohio put to death. McGuire’s January 2014 execution took 26 minutes as the convicted murderer visibly choked and gasped. It was one of the longest executions in Ohio since the state resumed the practice in 1999. After McGuire’s execution, other states using that specific two-drug cocktail also saw executions go badly. In Arizona, Joseph Wood gasped for air for nearly two hours before dying in 2014. Arkansas has seen a procession of grisly executions using the drug. And in Oklahoma, Clayton Lockett spent 45 minutes clinging to life after the drugs were administered before succumbing to a massive heart attack. Following Woods’ two-hour execution in Arizona, that state decided to end the use of midazolam. Florida has also discontinued use of the drug in executions. After a wave of controversy and court challenges surrounding the lengthy, most likely painful executions, Ohio temporarily put the brakes on carrying out the death penalty. The courts ordered the state to stop using its two-drug cocktail following
legal challenges saying executions involving the combination likely violated the Constitution’s Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The state then began to try to find ways to return to the three-drug mixture. But that cocktail still contains midazolam, something critics say is unacceptable. Ohio had previously had difficulty sourcing the other two drugs in the cocktail it wants to use to kill Phillips due to drug manufacturers’ refusal to sell them for lethal injection purposes. But now, the state has apparently found the drugs — though it isn’t saying who supplied them, something allowed by a controversial state law passed in 2014. Court approval for the drugs came in June, when the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-6 to overturn a January ruling by federal Magistrate Judge Michael Merz. That earlier ruling put a stay on the execution of Phillips as well as two other pending executions. “The Court concludes that use of midazolam as the first drug in Ohio’s present three-drug protocol will create CONTINUES ON PAGE 13
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ast year as the summer reached its apex, Gov. John Kasich stood at the Columbus fairgrounds among revelers in shorts and sunglasses to kick off the Ohio State Fair. It’s a traditional duty for the governor, and one Kasich undertook with zeal. He had some chocolate ice cream, according to media reports, and marveled when a butterfly landed on his finger. Kasich will have to skip the ribbon cutting this year, his office says, because that day, July 26, he’ll be monitoring Ohio’s first execution in more than three years, which will take place at a state facility known as the Death House. The impending execution has sparked protest from clergy, former correctional workers, legal watchdogs and others. The focus of that fight is a sedative, midazolam, which was also used in Ohio’s last lethal injection. That execution went badly awry, causing the state to pause executions. Critics say midazolam was at least partially at fault for that botched execution because it does not fully sedate inmates. Now, after the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati cleared the state to resume putting prisoners to death last month, attorneys for death row inmates are frantically fighting to stop the practice. Barring a last-minute intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court, correctional officers will strap Ronald Phillips to a gurney at the Death House and begin injecting a cocktail of intravenous drugs — midazolam to sedate him, rocuronium bromide to paralyze him and potassium chloride to stop his heart — into his body until he dies. A jury convicted Phillips of raping and murdering his girlfriend’s three-yearold daughter in 1993 in Akron. Phillips’ attorney Mark Haddad and other attorneys have filed with the Supreme Court seeking a stay of execution and a review of the 6th Circuit’s decision. Two other Ohio death row inmates housed at the Chillicothe Correctional Facility, Gary Otte and Raymond Tibbets, are also included in the filings. Otte has been convicted of shooting two people to death in Parma during home robberies in 1992. Tibbets was convicted of killing his wife and an elderly man who had hired Tibbets as his caretaker in 1997. Despite their crimes, Haddad and other attorneys say Phillips, Otte and Tibbets are due the same constitutional protections as anyone else in the U.S. Critics of midazolam say it doesn’t sedate inmates fully. The two other drugs
news
Code Compliance Dispute Heads to Court
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BY James McNair
A Sedamsville landlord accused by the city of Cincinnati of exposing tenants to “unsafe and unsanitary living conditions that do not meet the minimum standard of habitability” will now have to defend himself in a court of law. On Wednesday, the city filed a 51-page lawsuit against John Klosterman, his wife Susan Klosterman, five other people and five companies in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. It says the group has bought about 70 properties — mostly under Klosterman’s control — in the West Side neighborhood where Pete Rose played baseball as a kid. The city regards him as a building code scofflaw. The defendants “have proven themselves unfit or unwilling to maintain, fund or perform needed improvements and repairs,” the suit says. “The city inspectors have worked with Klosterman for years to get the properties into compliance, often times to no avail. Orders, citations and criminal charges have not deterred Klosterman from acquiring and controlling properties that he is unwilling or unable to maintain, leaving properties vacant and blighted or, in some cases, illegally occupied and blighted.” In a telephone conversation with CityBeat, Klosterman was as feisty as the city has come to regard him. He denied the city’s claims. “There’s been nothing that I have done that has diminished the straight-line value of Sedamsville,” he says. “I’m just saving the buildings one at a time. I don’t have the money to buy them and put Hyde Park money into them. I’m stabilizing them the best I can.” The city says Klosterman owes it more than $582,000 for the following: • $84,000 in unpaid fines. • $259,400 in vacant building maintenance license and late fees. • $6,535 in “lot abatement” costs. • $20,526 in unpaid water bills. • $211,956 in barricade and demolition costs, mostly to “stabilize” the landmark Our Lady of Perpetual Help church at 637 Steiner Ave., a distinctive edifice in the Sedamsville skyline. The church, “has been a historical landmark of the Sedamsville community for decades and, under the control of Klosterman, has deteriorated to an unrecognizable and unsafe state,” the suit says. Built in 1889, the church is owned by the Sedamsville Historical Society, a nonprofit group run by Klosterman. The society acquired the church in 2004. The city condemned it four years later and says its stabilization was financed by the Cincinnati Preservation Association and the city, not at all by Klosterman.
The lawsuit says that the city has filed criminal charges against Klosterman on a number of occasions, leading to fines and jail sentences but only one day locked up. It says it has filed civil actions, too, leading to monetary judgments. Yet Klosterman, it says, remains in arrears in both code compliance and his debts, including an unspecified amount for property taxes. “Mr. Klosterman and his affiliates own over 70 parcels in Sedamsville, which has given them a monopoly over the properties in this neighborhood,” says the city’s senior assistant solicitor, Erica Faaborg. “Their failure to maintain these properties perpetuates blight in this community and decreases the quality of life of its residents. Their failure to pay tax on their properties diminishes the tax base of not only Sedamsville but also the city and county.” Klosterman, 67, contends that the city has unfairly singled him out among code violators and that the fines were issued by “kangaroo courts.” He said that none of his buildings are unsafe or unfit for occupancy. “I’ve paid 500 bucks or a dollar for them, and people have given them to me,” he says. “People want to give me the houses because they don’t want to deal with the city, and I’ve probably taken on more on my plate than I should have because I want to save these buildings here in Sedamsville, so they don’t get torn down.” Klosterman says he began buying property 35 years ago. He said he suspects the city wants to pressure him into selling his property for purposes of urban redevelopment. “The city is done buying up the downtown properties and now they want this second band of Cincinnati, which is Sedamsville, eight minutes from downtown,” he says. The city is asking the court to order Klosterman to pay past-due fines and bills exceeding $582,000. It asks the court to “pierce the corporate veil” and find that the defendant property owners engaged in a conspiracy to violate city building codes. It asks that 11 Sedamsville properties — including the church — be declared public nuisances. And it asks for the appointment of a receiver if the 11 properties are not brought up to code. Klosterman was the subject of a Jan. 30 story in CityBeat about a lawsuit accusing him of making unwanted sexual advances on a female tenant whose rent was lowered in exchange for cleaning his apartments. Klosterman had earlier sued the woman for allegedly failing to pay rent. The dispute is pending in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court. ©
FROM PAGE 11
a ‘substantial risk of serious harm’ or an ‘objectively intolerable risk of harm,’ ” Merz wrote in his opinion staying the executions. But the 6th Circuit disagreed, and the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that the cocktail Ohio has historically used is constitutional. Ohio has defended its use of midazolam and the other drugs in the cocktail it intends to use on Phillips. “The department used a similar combination from 1999 to 2009, and last year, the Supreme Court of the United States upheld the use of this specific three-drug combination,” JoEllen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, told cleveland.com last year. Ohio’s move to resume executions has stirred controversy from those opposed to Ohio’s death penalty. The state has 26 executions scheduled after Phillips through 2021 and has 139 inmates on death row overall. At a July 19 news conference in Columbus, anti-death penalty organization Ohioans to Stop Executions presented messages to Kasich from the Ohio Supreme Court Joint Task Force on the Administration of Ohio’s Death Penalty, roughly 200 faith leaders, former corrections officers and five exonerated ex-deathrow inmates decrying the resumption of
the death penalty in the state. The group cited everything from the state’s rate of false convictions — since 1989, more than 40 people statewide have been exonerated after they’ve been wrongfully imprisoned, including 18 freed by the Ohio Innocence Project for major crimes like murder — to the use of midazolam. In a letter to Kasich, retired Ohio Supreme Court judge and former prosecutor James Brogan, who chairs the joint task force on Ohio’s death penalty, took the governor to task for the state’s disregard of 56 suggestions the task force offered to reform the death penalty. Among the critics who spoke at the news conference was Rex Zent, a retired Ohio prison warden representing 17 former prison employees who drafted a letter to Kasich asking him to stop executions. During his remarks, Zent addressed the psychological trauma corrections workers have reported after being involved in executions and questioned whether further botched executions would happen due to midazolam. “The drugs Ohio is planning to use have repeatedly been implicated in executions that didn’t go as planned,” Zent said. “How can we be certain that nothing wrong in any one of the next 27 executions will occur?” ©
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Local organization reclaims, celebrates and activates urban passageways for pedestrians
Allies for Words by Steven Rosen
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Photos by Hailey Bollinger
Alleys
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because the steps, especially, can help get neighborhood has relied on a $10,000 grant from the Carol Ann and Ralph hristian Huelsman enjoys wearing a T-shirt with a students to Rothenberg Academy, a public school. But V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation. back designed to look like a roll call of stops on a they’re for everyone. Once all are in place, some intersecBut its advocacy of the emotional bond between contemRock band’s North American tour, only instead of tions whose locations would test the best Cincinnati Uber porary Cincinnatians and our public alleys, many of which New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Toronto, etc., these names drivers or postal carriers, such as the junction where Peete date to the 19th century and have outlived their original are decidedly unfamiliar to most of us: Colby Alley, Nagel Street, Peete Alley and the Peete Street Steps all meet, will purpose of providing a rear service entrance for buildings, Alley, Manchester Avenue, Renner Street, Unnamed Alley have identification signs that also say, “Pathway cleared by has struck a chord. Steps, Saint Joe Street, South Wendell Alley, Rice Street Spring in Our Steps.” “Their value is in the historic granite curbs and the bricks,” Steps, Sharp Alley, Glanker Street, Goose Alley, Eton Place. “(That) means we have adopted them per our maintesays Jules Michael Rosen, Spring in Our Steps board memCloser inspection of the shirt reveals that it is commemnance agreement,” Huelsman says. “We have agreed to host ber. “They’re just as much a historic asset as the buildings orating the 2015 Eton Place Alley Festival, a 2.1-mile walkregular cleanup events to ensure regular surface mainteare downtown.” (Though Rosen believes public stairways — ing tour and activation of “street haunts and alley jaunts” nance (trash pickup, weeding, etc.) of these spaces … so another of the organization’s focuses — hold more promise hidden in Cincinnati. You may well have missed the event, that they continue to be viable, safer pedestrian connecthan alleys as urban pedestrian thoroughfares.) held in Mount Auburn and Over-the-Rhine. But if Huelstions in the community.” That belief in alleys as a great civic resource has support man — co-founder of the 6-year-old organization Spring Remarkably, Huelsman had come in for the event from from the city, too. “Alleys are certainly public assets, and in Our Steps, which has received nonprofit status — has Minneapolis, where he’s been working for the past year as a by their nature and role in Cincinnati’s fabric, a historic his say, you’ll be hearing much more about such spaces in community livability specialthe years ahead. Especially ist for that city’s downtown the alleys, most of which improvement district, as well are brick-lined. Cincinnati as being a member of Minhas slightly more than 500, neapolis’ Pedestrian Advisory according to his research. Committee. He has stayed Huelsman has a dream active in Spring in Our Steps for alleys to become urban despite his distance and spaces that are as beautiful activities out of town, orgaand cherished as our parks. nizing local events, planning This is pretty radical — many the signage and posting about of us see them as often gritty, city alleys on social media. littered, bad-smelling and “Christian has done an sometimes dangerous places incredible job of managing to get through as quickly as things, even from Minneapopossible and only if you must. lis,” says Spring in Our Steps But he expresses that dream co-founder Sattler. She’s been so poetically, with such effuless active in recent years, but sive romanticism, that you attended the signage project’s want to succumb. Here’s the dedication. passionate cri de coeur, the “There’s been more awaredeclaration of love, that he ness from the city that there wrote on social media several are people paying attention years ago for South Wendell to these spaces,” she says. Alley in Mount Auburn, the “There’s definitely a stronger subject of an early and difconnection with the city, just ficult cleanup by Spring in knowing there are people payOur Steps: ing attention to these spaces “This place remains my and that they do matter.” sanctuary, symbolic of every Huelsman’s larger vision is turn, U-turn and detour my to see public acceptance for a heart has taken over nearly concept called “living alleys,” four years. It has cajoled which serve the public-atmore sweat to drip from my large rather than just being body, inflicted more nicks where businesses get deliverand cuts, prompted more palChristian Huelsman of Spring in Our Steps stands at the entrance to Over-the-Rhine's Drum Alley, which ends at Coral Alley. ies or load products. pitations from my chambers “In a living alley, it’s about and awarded more tears of how people interact with the space, whether they are makasset,” says Michael Moore, director of the Department of joy than even the mostly six years it took to finish my degree. ing use of it for leisure or brunch/lunch activities,” he says. Transportation & Engineering (DOTE), via email. “They But it’s all a journey. I can’t imagine my life without this “It’s about bringing in elements that attract people.” are called out in (a section) of the Cincinnati Municipal space, this alley and all it represents…” This may sound counterintuitive, since cities already Code and their use and/or restoration requires review on a The degree Huelsman mentions is an undergraduate have open streets and sidewalks, plazas and parks as focal case-by-case basis.” degree in urban planning from University of Cincinnati’s points for human activity. Urban alleys — narrow and often As a result of that city support, on a recent Friday afterCollege of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning. As for the lined with buildings that create shadows and feel enclosing noon Huelsman attended the dedication of a new, long-perarduous cleanup, which among other things uncovered the — are generally little used or, worse, used for such nefarious colating cooperative project between DOTE and Spring in near-secret existence of an overgrown public stairway, he activities as public urination. Our Steps. Wearing that distinctive T-shirt, he arrived at the wrote, “I’ve done it for nothing but I’ve done it for everyBut Huelsman believes they have great potential if made foot of the Main Street Steps to meet a small group of others. thing: to survive and thrive.” more accessible and inviting for pedestrian use and activity. This project is the Stairway & Alley Signage Project, Spring in Our Steps is a small organization with just four “There is a natural human inclination to go where people involving the placement of 12 concrete bollards, with board members, including Huelsman. (A fifth position is feel secure and feel they have full visibility of their environaluminum sign panels, along eight pedestrian gateways on open.) It was founded in 2011 by him and Pam Sattler. For its ment,” he says. “A person’s interaction with a space, when the hillside between Mount Auburn and Over-the-Rhine. alley and stairway cleanups, it has relied on volunteers. For their back is to a wall, creates a sense of control over the DOTE’s Moore says this $20,000 project was chosen current income, which it has used for community events, it
experience. So the enclosure of an alley works for the purpose of creating comfort. It allows people to feel they have full scope of what their surroundings are.” The trick, he says, is to recreate the alley “as a focal point for human activity.” (Also, he points out, to the extent that cars use alleys, they tend to be driven at much slower speeds than on streets. Thus, they are less of a threat to pedestrians than thoroughfares.) This is a transformation that’s not going to come without challenges, as a walk along the Stairway & Alley Signage Project route reveals. As Peete Street starts to turn into the much narrower Peete Alley at one end, the terrain begins to get rugged and a little bit weird. Graffiti on a chunk of rock points to “free hugs” awaiting adventurous urban explorers willing to go off-road. As the alley portion begins, there are a couple buildings, at least one of which looks vacant. Unnerv-
Ten Interesting Alleys Christian Huelsman, co-founder and executive director of Spring in Our Steps, finds these 10 Cincinnati alleys especially interesting. Colby Alley (Over-the-Rhine) An extensive granite block alley with a view of Rhinegeist (formerly a Christian Moerlein bottling plant) that runs behind structures from the former Moerlein empire and ends at the foot of the old Jackson Brewery/ Metal Blast Building. From Eton Place to West McMicken Avenue. Combs Alley (Camp Washington) Zigzags and angles of settled brick that weave through Camp Washington’s wellloved northern half, from Valley Park and the World War I Doughboy statue to the interstate. From Bates Alley to Massachusetts Avenue.
CityBeat photographer Hailey Bollinger, the dumpster and possibly some of the graffiti were gone.) Amazingly, as we stand around this area and bemoan the visible destruction, a young man comes seemingly out of nowhere, nonchalantly walking up a pathway that doesn’t even seem to exist but is where the alley subtly bends, tightens and continues downward to Vine Street. He is carrying a bag with some purchased items and walks right past our small group without stopping. “If it’s an available pathway, people are going to use it,” Huelsman says. Spring in Our Steps realizes they need to organize residents of the areas where it works to maintain their alleys and steps. “Engagement with residents, not just in the immediate communities of these spaces but also with volunteers in general, has been a huge struggle for us,” Sattler says. But there are other people and organizations standing
Corn Alley (West End) A rare exhibition of cobblestone paving terminating at the rear of the historic Lafayette-Bloom School building. From Freeman Avenue to its eastern terminus. Fortview Alley Steps (Mount Adams) A picturesque alley stairway featuring two beautiful homes with exclusive access via steps. From Hill Street to Fortview Place. Goetz Alley (Over-the-Rhine) Spanning nearly the full depth of OTR south of Liberty Street and running parallel to Main Street, it offers an intimate neighborhood experience with a window into the city's lush hillsides. From Michael Bany Way to Liberty. Pope Alley (Northside) A popular walking route beginning with a piazza at the business corridor and running to the Northside Children's Playground. From Hamilton Avenue to Fergus Street. Schorr Alley (Clifton Heights) The lengthiest known alley without intersecting streets, it climbs steadily from the original commercial core in Clifton Heights to today's bustling business district near the University of Cincinnati. From Warner Street to West McMillan Street.
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Public stairs connect Mount Auburn with Over-the-Rhine.
ing graffiti can be seen, like “If $ Is the Foot.” Worse, it looks like the alley’s rare surface of 19th-century cobblestone pavement — it’s one of the city’s few cobblestone alleys — has been removed. Perhaps someone came back to this remote spot with a large vehicle, possibly to do some construction work, Huelsman suggests; there’s also a dumpster placed in the area. Spring in Our Steps had spent three years cleaning up this space, highlighting the cobblestone. “We put a lot of time and energy into it,” Huelsman says. “But it’s hard to keep people accountable when it’s not being cared for or there’s nobody there to care for it.” This is a problem elsewhere, too. Even Huelsman’s beloved South Wendell Alley has gotten overgrown again. (On a subsequent visit along Peete Street and Peete Alley by
Sharp Alley (Over-the-Rhine) An inclined walking route with an identity crisis, it starts as a brick alley, continues with granite paving near the former Hudepohl Brewery and flows onward as an alley stairway. From Back Street to Mulberry Street. South Wendell Alley (Mount Auburn) From the former estate of beer baron Christian Moerlein, it travels past the dwarfing stone retaining wall and wilderness along its length and ends at a long-closed public stairway. From Mulberry Street to St. Joe Alley. Weaver Alley (Downtown) A nearly three-block stretch beginning at Doerr Alley that crawls under a sky bridge at The Phoenix, passes by a mix of historic and contemporary buildings along Garfield Place and goes to Plum Street and the front steps of City Hall.
Stairway & Alley Signage Project marker
up for our alleys. Sometimes literally. Margy Waller, an Over-the-Rhine resident and community activist, almost got arrested last summer trying to protect quiet Adrian Alley from damage. “I was working at home early in the morning and heard a loud noise coming from the alley behind my house,” she says. “I looked out my window and saw there was a big piece of equipment drilling through the bricks. So I went to see what was going on and it was a contractor for the city’s Water Works — they needed to get into the line underneath the alley. I asked them to stop because I was pretty sure they weren’t supposed to be drilling through historic bricks.” She is right on this — DOTE’s Moore says his department’s 2016 Street Restoration Manual demands that “methods and materials used in making the permanent
restoration shall match the existing pavement or surface conditions or be replaced as directed by the DOTE Inspector.” But it took Waller awhile to get that point through to the contractor, who wanted to keep working. She took action to protect the bricks. “Eventually, I stepped in front of the machine onto the bricks so they had to stop,” she says. A more artful example of Over-the-Rhine alley revival occurred last year when ArtWorks and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful collaborated on 14 mini murals along alleys between Main and Sycamore streets, south of Liberty Street. Called New Lines, this program included the alleys Goetz, Plough, Cogswell, Enon and Bland. “It was both to increase pedestrian use and access and to decrease blight and litter and make people feel safe so they could walk through alleys,” says Keep Cincinnati Beautiful’s Marissa Reed.
revive their small segments of Northside’s alley grid. “One of the features we really liked was the idea of keeping the alleys,” Johnson says. “We walked those alleys to different places around Northside when we were first thinking of building here. We loved that they connected to the main drag of Hamilton Avenue. It’s such a lovely walk along Pope Alley, though there are definitely some spots that need to be cleaned up. And I feel like I can walk the dog without having to worry about cars. We’ve considered the idea of keeping our alley looking good all the way to Hamilton.” The opposite of alley revival is alley removal — and it does happen. DOTE’s Moore says the city has turned down requests to vacate, sell or privatize portions of alleys, as in a request by Chatfield College to take a portion of Kemp Alley in Over-the-Rhine. But, if there’s a compelling reason, as in a developer’s recent request for a portion of downtown’s
Recent Northside arrival Kelly Johnson sweeps Pope Alley, adjacent to her home.
The alley approach toward Johnson's home is surprisingly green.
alley-sized Bowen Street for a planned Kroger grocery and residential tower, the city might agree. “Vacation and sale of an alley is not common, but the city probably averages two requests per year and approximately five or six requests for leases each year,” Moore says. “However, not all of these requests are granted.” Huelsman and Spring in Our Steps would just as soon see none granted. “The sale of alleys to private interests eliminates options for pedestrians and opportunities to develop the city in more dynamic ways,” he says. “The leasing and gating of alleys only provide a short-term safety solution. Alleys should remain public and receive the same amenities we consider in making our streets and sidewalks safer and more desirable.” The next Spring in Our Steps community event occurs
the padlocked fence and on Friday night will project short films in this space. It’s possible the dead-end portion of Coral might someday become Spring in Our Steps Park. “Over the years, we’ve cleaned up that space behind the gate tremendously,” Huelsman says. “It used to be covered in tall weeds, beer bottles and all sorts of siding had been disposed there. We really take ownership of the space and continue to improve upon transgressions of the past.” All Cincinnati alleys should have such dedicated champions. But perhaps, with Spring in Our Steps, they all do. Spring In Our Steps presents the Dead End Film Festival Friday at Coral and Drum alleys in Over-theRhine. More info: springinoursteps.com.
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New homeowners — and new residents of Cincinnati — are discovering the pleasure of neighborhood alleys. There’s a good example in Northside, where a network of them sometimes crisscrosses its streets. Some are in good shape and access garages behind homes; others are overgrown and tough to navigate. Some folks might see them as a nuisance, a detriment to privacy, but Kelly Johnson and husband Chris Kerns saw them as a real plus when they moved from a “cookie-cutter” Northern Kentucky subdivision into a custom-built home on Fergus Street between Lingo Street and Chase Avenue. (There are two new homes on the street so far.) They are right at the intersection of Gray and Pope alleys; the entrance to their garage is on Gray and the couple has started sweeping their portion of Pope. They are out to
Friday, beginning at 6 p.m., and Huelsman will be back from Minneapolis for it. It’s called the Dead End Film Festival and will also have some music, “lawn” bowling and other activities, in a very surprising and even eerie locale. It’s where two Over-the-Rhine alleys, Coral and Drum, meet to form a “T” between Main and Clay streets, just north of East 13th Street. Coral between Drum and East 13th can be a little gamey — during a visit with Huelsman, a syringe and socks lay on a curb near the brick pavement, which had been painted a light blue. There was trash near a garage door that faced the alley. But beyond that — behind a fenced-off and gated dead-end portion of Coral — was a more picturesque, kinder and gentler stretch of alley. There was what seemed to be an oasis, where trees grew in the right-of-way. And someone, Banksy-style, had stenciled two white tulips on a building wall. Spring in Our Steps has gotten access beyond
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m a g g i e l o u r a d e r a s M a r i a n // p h o t o : m i k k i s c h a f f n e r p h o t o g r a p h y
WEDNESDAY 26
ART: Wave Pool’s PRAYER FLAGS FOR CINCINNATI features community-made flags. See feature on page 24. FILM: SPACE JAM Washington Park’s Summer Cinema series is screening Space Jam — the live-action animated basketball film from 1996 starring Michael Jordan as Michael Jordan, Bugs Bunny as Bugs Bunny and a slew of other Looney Tunes characters as they take on a team of intergalactic Monstars, who have absorbed the skills of professional players Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Shawn Bradley and a handful of other dudes in order to defeat the Tunes in a basketball game and enslave them in an outer space amusement park(?). Millennials seem to have a special place in their hearts for the movie, whether because of nostalgia, irony or just an interest in watching any film starring indie icon Bill Murray. (Here, Murray stars as Murray, golf pal of Jordan and an improbable basketball coach.) 9 p.m. Wednesday. Free. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, washingtonpark.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO
THURSDAY 27
MUSIC: Punk rockers THE MENZINGERS play Southgate House Revival. See Sound Advice on page 36.
FRIDAY 28
EVENT: Urban alleyway advocate SPRING IN OUR STEPS presents the Dead End Film Festival. See cover story on page 14. MUSIC: THE BAND OF HEATHENS plays Indie Vol. 2017 at Fountain Square. See Sound Advice on page 36.
FRIDAY 28
ONSTAGE: MARIAN, OR THE TRUE TALE OF ROBIN HOOD Playwright Adam Szymkowicz offers a contemporary feminist take on the legend of Robin Hood, proposing that the outlaw who robbed from the rich to give to the poor is and has always been Maid Marian in disguise. In fact, the “Merry Men” are a tad more diverse in this gender-bending telling than they’re traditionally portrayed. Modern concerns and romantic entanglements play out hilariously on the battlefield and in Nottingham’s Sherwood Forest. Count on Know Theatre to land a familiar tale squarely into the present. Maggie Lou Rader, an audience favorite at Know and Cincinnati Shakespeare, plays Marian. Through Aug. 19. $25. Know Theatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, knowtheatre.com. — RICK PENDER
MUSIC: CINCINNATI MUSIC FESTIVAL After years of name changes due largely to rotating sponsorships, it makes sense that the music festival still colloquially known around town as “Jazz Fest” claimed the moniker “Cincinnati Music Festival” a few years ago. By far the longest-running music fest in the area, its genesis dates back more than a half century. And it has long moved on from its Jazz origins, known far and wide for booking a crowd-pleasing mix of classic and contemporary R&B, Soul, Funk and occasionally Hip Hop. Though Cincinnati Music Festival is a huge regional draw regardless of who is booked, organizers have pulled in some top-shelf headliners for this year’s event, with Mary J. Blige topping the bill Friday and Usher closing out the night on Saturday. Before the stadium starts to officially rock on Friday, a fest pre-event party at Paul Brown Stadium’s Club Lounge will
feature early Hip Hop stars Doug E. Fresh (the host of the entire event), Kid Capri and Rob Base. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. $60-$150. Paul Brown Stadium, 1 Paul Brown Stadium, Downtown, cincymusicfestival.com. — MIKE BREEN EVENT: AYE MUSIC & ART FESTIVAL Back in 2006, Cincinnati Hip Hop artist Juan Cosby and his record label Grasshopper Juice founded Adjust Your Eyes Music & Art Festival (AYE) as a fundraiser for various charities and causes, including the American Cancer Society and Susan G. Komen for the Cure. More then a decade later, the fest is still going strong with a weekend’s worth of music scattered around different bars and venues in Northside including the Northside Yacht Club, Northside Tavern, Chameleon and Urban Artifact. Featured artists run the gamut form Punk to Indie to Hip Hop, with
national and local musicians like Chuck Cleaver from Wussy, the Harlequins, Wonky Tonk and more taking the stage. For the full lineup and schedule, visit AYE’s website. Proceeds from this year’s festival will benefit Women Helping Women. See Spill It on page 34. Friday-Sunday. Free admission. Various locations, adjustyoureyes.com. — AMANDA WEISBROD EVENT: ART AFTER DARK: LEI’D BACK LUAU Grab a Hawaiian shirt and grass skirt and slip a lei around your neck for the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Art After Dark: Lei’d Back Luau. The museum courtyard will be brimming with tunes from Reggae group The Cliftones, grub from Eli’s BBQ and the Terrace Café (who will serve up Hawaiian pizza for the vegetarians out there) and CONTINUES ON PAGE 20
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COMEDY: TYRONE HAWKINS “I’m getting back in the saddle, as they say,” says comedian Tyrone Hawkins. This past December, Hawkins’ son passed away. “I never stopped going on stage. It was very therapeutic,” he says. “I’m good at compartmentalizing. I think I went on stage a couple of days later and kept on going up.” After spending several months at home in Cincinnati, he re-relocated back to Seattle. Along the way, he refocused on comedy. “My friend Drewbacca, a comedian from Denver, showed me Louis C.K.’s tribute to George Carlin.” In that special, Hawkins picked up on Carlin’s advice: After 15 years, throw the old material away. So on his drive to Seattle he wrote new jokes, including much more personal ones, some of which he’ll unveil this week. Showtimes Thursday-Saturday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com. — P.F. WILSON
photo : khoi nguyen
SATURDAY 29
EVENT: BRAXTON, BEAM & BOCCE BLOCK PARTY Grab your friends for some quality beer, bourbon, bocce and bro-time this Saturday at Pompilios for a tournament to benefit a local charity. Hosted by Braxton Brewing Co., this block party will run from noon until night with plenty of beer — including a special Braxton Labs tapping — and bourbon slushes to go around. Team registration for the bocce ball tournament is only $10; games run noon-4 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. Noon-10 p.m. Saturday. Free admission; $10 team registration. Pompilios, 600 Washington Ave., Newport, Ky., braxtonbrewing.com. — AMANDA WEISBROD
FROM PAGE 19
specialty tropical cocktails. Hula the night away surrounded by chill vibes and beautiful artwork — guests are granted after-hours access to select exhibits. 5-9 p.m. Friday. Free. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org. — MACKENZIE MANLEY
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SATURDAY 29
EVENT: THE DECADES CRAWL-OTR Break out the legwarmers, tease up your hair, slip on some acid-washed mom jeans and cloak yourself in neon nostalgia for an ’80s- and ’90s-themed bar crawl to some of OTR’s raddest bars. Get gnarly with drink specials like 16-Bit’s $6 TMNT cocktail with Pop Rocks, MOTR’s $4 Zima or Mr. Pitiful’s $2 domestics. Tickets include a fanny pack, lanyard, access to drink specials, a registration party with a themed photobooth backdrop and more. Check out an old-school drag show at Below Zero and feel like you’re a background character in a John Hughes film as the Drinkery OTR’s DJ plays classic jams all night long. 4-10 p.m. Saturday. $15-$19. Crawl starts at 16-Bit, 1331 Walnut St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/ barcrawlusa. — MACKENZIE MANLEY EVENT: DANGER WHEEL Is Danger your middle name? What about
Drunk Big Wheel Rider? The third-annual Danger Wheel downhill racing event is the perfect combination for those with a love of adventure, a fondness for childhood tricycles and an interest in slamming some beers. Teams of three (two to push; one idiot to drive) will race down a large hill in Pendleton on provided Big Wheels for a series of crash-course races. Instead of risking life and limb, watchers will be able to point, laugh and enjoy summer beers from local breweries and burgers from Nation Kitchen and Bar sans concussion. Noon check-in; 2 p.m. races Saturday. Free admission; team registration is now closed. 378 E. 12th St., Pendleton, dangerwheel.com. — ELISABETH DODD EVENT: O.F.F. MARKET AT MADTREE Oakley’s monthly market is back! This month, shop ’til you drop at MadTree’s new taproom, where you can enjoy brews and the indoor Barrel Warehouse while perusing artisanal food vendors, delicious drinks, unique boutiques and business and local farmers. For some easy day drinking, grab Deeper Roots Coffee and MadTree’s Cuppa Coffee, the perfect combination of coffee and an English mild beer. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. MadTree Brewing, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, theoffmarket.org. — ELISABETH DODD
peoplesliberty.org globe@peoplesliberty.org 513.492.2659
Two neighborhoods. Two storefronts. Six people with bold ideas. Findlay Market. Camp Washington. 2018 Globe Grants.
About
2018 Installation + Takeover
People’s Liberty Globe Grants enable teams or individuals to take over a storefront space and transform it into a provocative, interactive experience that engages the neighborhood. In 2018, Globe Grants will be awarded to six teams or individuals to take over one of two spaces: the People’s Liberty storefront at Findlay Market (FM) or the storefront in Camp Washington (CW).
Findlay Market
Award · $15,000 award to support installation and programming. · Work space at People’s Liberty. · Installation assistance and support for programming development. · Coordination of an opening night kick-off. · Promotion and storytelling support. Application Calendar Info Session #1 @ FM Info Session #2 @ CW Application Opens 1-on-1 Meetings Application Closes Interviews
7.11.2017, 5:30PM 7.18.2017, 5:30PM 7.11.2017, 5:30PM 7/12–8/1 8.2.2017, 11:00 AM 8.22 / 8.23.2017
1. March 1–May 31, 2018 2. June 1–August 31, 2018 3. September 1–November 30, 2018 Camp Washington 1. February 1–April 30, 2018 2. May 1–July 31, 2018 3. August 1–October 31, 2018
Apply: peoplesliberty.org Questions: globe@peoplesliberty.org Book a 1-on-1: globe.youcanbook.me
Applications for the 2018 Globe Grants close on 8.2.2017 at 11:00 AM. Start your application. Don’t wait. Do it. Apply. Apply: peoplesliberty.org Questions: globe@peoplesliberty.org Book a 1-on-1: globe.youcanbook.me
People’s Liberty 1805 Elm Street CIN, OH 45202, USA 513.492.2659
People’s Liberty Globe Grants are powered by The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation.
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FILM: DANCE@30FPS The Mini Microcinema hosts an evening of vibrant shorts that showcase the kinetic combination of filmmaking and dance. Curated by Mitchell Rose, associate professor in the Department of Dance at Ohio State University, screenings include Palme d’Or award winner Timecode, security camera footage of two flirtatious parking lot attendants; Shift, featuring aerial dance performed by climbers at Yosemite National Park; and Exquisite Corps, professor Rose’s viral look at 42 contemporary American choreographers; plus a short film by local Max Wildenhaus. Rose will be in attendance. Screenings begin 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Free admission. The Mini Microcinema, 1329 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, mini-cinema.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO
SUNDAY 30
MUSIC: ANIMAL COLLECTIVE plays Madison Theater. See Sound Advice on page 37. MUSIC: Philadelphia’s MANNEQUIN PUSSY exorcises the Woodward Theater. See interview on page 33.
EVENT: HARRY POTTER’S B-DAY CELEBRATION AT PLAY LIBRARY It’s yer birthday, Harry! Harry Potter’s birthday is July 31, and the Play Library is throwing a magical birthday bash for wannabe witches and wizards 21 and up. The celebration includes Quidditch matches, History of Magic trivia, a Diagon Alley Silent Auction, raffles and a boozy Potions Class (i.e. wine tasting) among other enchanted activities. Make sure to come dressed in your favorite house’s robes; there’ll also be a costume contest. Fun fact: Harry Potter was born in 1980, making him 37 this year — the age he is in the epilogue of the Harry Potter series. 6-9 p.m. Monday. $15. Play Library, 1517 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, playlibrary. org. — EMILY BEGLEY
ONGOING ONSTAGE Shakespeare in the Park Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, various venues (through Sept. 4)
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ART: CHASING DREAMS: BASEBALL & BECOMING AMERICAN Attend an opening day for a second time this baseball season: Chasing Dreams: Baseball & Becoming American tells the story of Jewish immigration and integration through America’s favorite pastime at Hebrew Union College. The opening celebration on Sunday pairs ballpark food with history. Complete with films, game footage, photographs and a database of Jewish ballplayers, the exhibit explores the sport’s critical role in creating a national identity. Among the artifacts are baseballs signed by Al Rosen, Mel Allen, Saul Rogovin and Mickey Owen. Join baseball fans of all ages and discover what it means to be an American. Opening reception 1:303:30 p.m. Sunday. Through Oct. 22. Free admission. Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, 3101 Clifton Ave., Clifton, huc.edu. — GRACE HILL
MONDAY 31
arts & culture
Finding Good Theater in Summer
During Cincinnati’s slow season, CityBeat critic finds wonderful plays at Canada’s Stratford Festival BY Rick Pender
PHOTO : Cyll a von Tiedemann
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perfect antidote to Cincinnati’s slower summer theater season can be found in Stratford, Ontario, about three hours by car from Detroit. Founded as the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in 1952, the theater extravaganza has broadened its offerings since then and now calls itself simply the Stratford Festival. Between midApril and late October, 14 productions are available in rotating repertory at four venues within easy walking distance of one another. This was my first visit since 1978. Stratford (population 31,000, swollen considerably by tourists during the season) also affords an inviting destination for relaxing, walking, dining and shopping. Accommodations can be booked at inns, hotels and numerous bed and breakfasts salted throughout the town’s picturesque residential streets. (We stayed with some friends at The Blue Spruce B&B, a charming spot with friendly hosts.) Exquisite gardens abound around theaters and countless private homes. The festival’s initial Shakespearean focus is still present: This season includes Romeo and Juliet, Timon of Athens and Twelfth Night. I saw the latter, Shakespeare’s most literate and profound romantic comedy, in Stratford’s largest venue, the 1,800-seat Festival Theatre. Director Martha Henry employs the fool Feste (Brent Carver) as its organizing character. He launches the evening with yearning music (by Reza Jacobs), accents numerous scenes with his quizzical interjections and tones from Tibetan singing bowls and brings the production to a solemn (and again musical) close. It’s an unusual approach, offering a serious re-examination of a classic often staged in a more lighthearted manner. The surefire comic subplot of the self-important Malvolio (Rod Beattie) made a fool by four laughable tricksters sits uneasily within this low-key approach. This Twelfth Night didn’t quite measure up to one I attended in the same theater in 1978 featuring Maggie Smith as Olivia, but I’m glad to have seen it. The 2017 festival offers another work by a pair of Shakespeare’s contemporaries, Thomas Middleton and William Rowley. Their vicious The Changeling (1622) is a “revenge tragedy” about murder, manipulation and seduction — a dark, melancholy drama. Staged by Jackie Maxwell (previously head of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Shaw Festival, another outstanding Canadian theatrical destination) at the arena-like Tom Patterson Theatre (487 seats), it’s a thorny, bloody show about a conniving woman caught up in a scheme of sexual misbehavior. A sunnier classic is Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The School for Scandal from 1777,
Twelfth Night is an example of the festival’s commendable practice of colorblind casting. staged by festival artistic director Antoni Cimolino at the Avon Theatre, a modernized 1901 proscenium stage with 1,000 seats. The witty comedy is about the selfish shenanigans of a pair of brothers, eventually exposed by their earnest uncle. They scheme for the affections of an effervescent young noblewoman, whose husband senses he’s losing his grip on his young spouse. The backand-forth of their volatile marriage — she shops and flirts; he frets and agonizes — is deftly amusing, and the second act’s opening farce of characters hiding and revealing one another’s secrets is a delirious example of brilliantly comic plotting. Sheridan’s comic characters have names that distill their personalities: Lady Sneerwell (Maev Beaty as a vicious destroyer of reputations), Sir Benjamin Backbite (Tom Rooney as a nasty gossipy scandal monger), Mrs. Candour, Snake, Crabtree and Careless. Cimolino enhances the humor with scandalous newspaper headlines projected on the drawing-room sets during scene changes. The production has a furious momentum, leaving many in attendance yearning to return for more of the lively dialogue. Another period piece at the Avon, Gilbert & Sullivan’s comic operetta H.M.S. Pinafore (1878), or “The Lass that Loved a Sailor,” further demonstrates the long tradition of arch
British humor. This whimsical tale satirizes Victorian England’s class stratification. It’s about an apparently lower-class sailor in love with the daughter of his ship’s captain, a man of higher social station. Their plight is resolved by a silly confession about baby switching, but no one looks to Gilbert & Sullivan for believable storytelling. The jaunty tale is full of good-natured pokes at prudish British behavior, from tea drinking to adherence to the social order. The most entertaining musical performance I saw was a production of the 1950 Golden-Age Broadway show, Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls, the season’s major hit routinely selling out the huge Festival Theatre. Using a big, talented cast and incredibly athletic dancing, director and choreographer Donna Feore’s scintillating production is every bit the equal of New York musicals. The show commences with a hilarious cellphone warning: A gangster shoots an onstage ringing pay phone, then nods menacingly to the audience. It concludes with a pair of weddings between bad boys and good girls, an echo of the endings of numerous Shakespearean romances. The festival is committed to new works, too. Kate Hennig’s The Virgin Trial is the second in a series of plays about the Tudor
queens. Bess (Bahia Watson), the precocious teenage daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, is coming into her own as a manipulative — and manipulated — young woman on her way to the throne as Elizabeth I. Wearing contemporary clothing and speaking in blunt modern English, this production portrays the chilling nature of scheming political and sexual maneuvering that remains familiar today. The Stratford Festival is a showcase of acting talent. Many actors appear in multiple productions — not only does Tom Rooney dazzle as Twelfth Night’s foolish Andrew Aguecheek and School for Scandal’s vile Sir Benjamin Backbite, he is playing the hypocritical title role in Molière’s Tartuffe. Additionally, the festival uses the commendable practice of colorblind casting in many productions. The festival’s costuming and scenic design are universally dazzling, and this season represented a noteworthy array of female directors and designers. As Twelfth Night’s Lady Olivia observes at that show’s conclusion, “Most wonderful.” The STRATFORD FESTIVAL in Stratford, Ontario, Canada continues through October. For more information: stratfordfestival.ca.
a&c the big picture
PAR-Projects Has Above-Par Art Events BY Steven Rosen
lei’d back luau Friday, July 28 5–9 p.m. Live music from The Cliftones Free admission Sponsored by: CityBeat / PNC Bank / WVXU / CFM
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Based on my experiences seeing art take off the table as quickly as possible,” there, PAR-Projects could be called Par Sears says. “Now people are starting to Excellence. I haven’t seen a lot of shows at drop by, hang out. All is on course.” its Northside home — the art organization PAR-Projects recently hired Gabrielle hasn’t had a lot of shows there since openRoach as gallery and events fellow. ing to the public last year at 1662 Hoffner St. New plans are coming quickly. On Aug. 5, — but what I have seen I can’t stop thinking it is organizing the Northside Summer Marabout. And I look forward to its future plans, ket along Hoffner Street from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., especially its outdoor movie theater. (PAR which combines arts booths with yard sale stands for “Professional Artist Research.”) ones. From 2-9 p.m., PAR-Projects’ courtThe current show, Rick Mallette’s FIRE, yard will serve as a beer garden with music. is a candidate for the end-of-year Best And the next art exhibition, opening Sept. 9, Gallery Show list. It’s installed in a space has Mike Fleisch and Sita Magnuson. known as The Nook because it’s an intimate, But the biggest news is that PAR-Projects slightly elevated portion of the old lumberbelieves the time has come to move forward drying warehouse that PAR-Projects bought in 2014 (along with an accompanying courtyard). The building has a barn-like rusticity, since it is wood with an open-air central area, but this show doesn’t try to sentimentalize that setting. It instead challenges it by conjuring wood’s mortal enemy — fire. A painter and printmaker, Mallette has expanded his materials and his ideas here to include sculpture, collage, found objects, sound and motion. The result is a A colorful storage container serves as an art gallery in Northside. series of large stand-alone P H O T O : c o u r t e s y o f pa r - p r o j ec t s pieces with an installationlike coherence, whose colors often have a searing, incandescent on one of its key goals: to be able to show brightness. Here are two examples: There’s movies in its courtyard. It already has a a glowing-sun-orange surfboard-like sculpshipping container that can be stacked on ture, with its painted yellow flames appeartop of another one so that a large screen can ing to jump right off the surface. And there’s be dropped down and films/videos can be a framed wall piece that consists of cut and projected onto it. There would be a sound shaped pieces of shiny, reflective Mylar. system, outdoor seating and artificial turf, a This show is on display in this comfortroll of which has already been installed. ably organic space through Aug. 12. “We’ll turf out the whole courtyard and A second exhibit, up through Aug. 12 and have ongoing programming,” Sears says. inside the brightly painted storage con“We want to incorporate large-scale video tainer on the grounds, is also worthwhile: into our grander exhibition design and also Brett Schieszer’s Era of Big Brains creates do things more accessible than art, like faman engaging, charming installation that ily movies once or twice a month.” seems to expand its space as far as the eye That leads to the other piece of news: can see. Hours for both shows are 3-7 p.m. PAR-Projects is getting ready to launch a Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. $15,000 fundraising drive through getJust last weekend, PAR-Projects had to togethers and attempts to connect with deal with a burglary at The Nook — somepeople interested in growing Cincinnati’s one took lighting. But Jonathan Sears, the art options. Already, two donors have executive director, is too busy looking offered to match the first $3,000 raised. forward to future plans to let something “One person came out of the blue and said, like that slow him down. To him, the worst ‘I’ll give $2,000 to spur fundraising,’ ” Sears struggle is behind — finding a permanent says. “Someone saw that and said, ‘I can home after some false starts and pop-up also offer $1,000.’ ” shows. Last year, PAR-Projects paid off That’s a good start for an arts group that the mortgage on the property, which it had is really hitting its stride in Northside. bought for $30,000, and put a needed new For more information on PAR-PROJECTS, visit roof on the building. facebook.com/parprojects. “The idea of losing a building we had to
a&c VIsual art
Prayer Flags for a Better City BY Grace Hill
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A white cloth features the image of a At an opening reception last Saturday, single brick house, its painted façade waving images documenting the citywide installawhenever the wind catches it. The work — a tion covered Wave Pool’s walls. One showed prayer flag — is a depiction of an isolated a neighborhood girl with her hands folded in residence in Camp Washington. prayer. Flags span the tall black fence of the That lonely building is a symbol of hopedbasketball court she stands in. for change in the neighborhood, as are the This spot, the Schiller/Hughes Playground other cloths that were recently displayed basketball courts, is threatened by residenat locations around town for an art project tial development in Over-the-Rhine. The called Prayer Flags for Cincinnati. Their artist’s statement urges support of the space. dancing, alternating colors of blue, white, red, Her intent is that the newly blessed wind will green and yellow represent five harmonious bring change. elements that bring balance to the world: the sky, wind, fire, water and earth. Detroit-based artist Whitney Lea Sage created the project as a means of fostering conversation and compassion. Inspired by Tibetan Buddhism, Prayer Flags for Cincinnati, currently on view at Camp Washington’s Wave Pool gallery, combines these prayer flags with photographs of them being installed and displayed in locations around town. Sage worked with resiPrayer flags on a Cincinnati hillside dents to make flags and place P H O T O : c o u r t e s y o f wav e poo l them in locations that might benefit from an expression of goodwill. Flags have occupied a community food “The idea is that by hanging these around garden, a farm stand and a pocket park. the city you could actually change the world There may yet be more, with such installaaround you through the passing of compastions and their mantras eventually encomsion, love, goodwill and hope for the betterpassing the city. ment of all people,” Sage says. Sage made the flags out of such donated The flag depicting the solitary Camp fabric items as T-shirts, pillow cases, curWashington home, which Sage painted, was tains and comforters. She finds these preferinspired by a conversation with a commuable to store-bought Tibetan prayer flags. nity member. The home has no neighbors “As beautiful as I find those to be, they’re — either as rendered in acrylic or in real life. mass-produced items that feel mass-proAlthough occupied, it is next to an abanduced,” she says. doned factory and stands alone. The flag The material used in the Cincinnati presents its challenges, but offers hope for project re-envisions the flags. “I want things the future. that remind us of the lived experience,” Sage Sage is Wave Pool’s current Art Space Is says. (She no longer is soliciting materials, as Your Space artist-in-residence, a program enough flags have been made.) that calls for artists to prompt community Along with the conversations that arise conversations and explore ways contemponaturally when Sage does a project, she rary art can be a catalyst for change. invites community members to submit Cal Cullen, co-founder of Wave Pool, notes love letters, air grievances or tell a story. an inherent optimism behind the art. Postcards at the entrance of Wave Pool offer “It’s kind of what you expect people to a forum to do so. want,” Cullen says. “Healthy, happy places A craft space in the Wave Pool gallery to live.” holds everything guests need to make their Sage’s installation also shows the worown. The results can be touching. One flag ries of the city: gentrification, development, simply reads in a child’s colorful scrawl, “We waste, access, environment, economy. have to keep people safe.” Though the flags depict sometimes-grim PRAYER FLAGS FOR CINCINNATI is on view realities, their placement inspires hope. at Wave Pool, 2940 Colerain Ave., Camp According to Buddhist tradition, the winds Washington, through Aug. 13. More info: that pass through them will bless all else wavepoolgallery.org. they touch.
a&c onstage
Van Ackerman Returns to ‘Drowsy Chaperone’ BY rick pender
his sister elicited that strong response from Ackerman because Man in Chair “happens to be my own personality type,” he says. “That’s why the role worked so well for me. For me, the biggest thing about him is his desperate need to connect. He’s constantly looking for validation from the audience. ‘Am I right?’ ‘Do you hear me?’ He’s always asking for a response. His nature is to escape, go
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Van Ackerman in The Drowsy Chaperone
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somewhere that he doesn’t have to think at all. For him, that’s musical theater.” Ackerman’s had similar experiences, especially his 26th birthday. “I was in grad school, all alone. I’d just gotten the cast recording of Cats. I made myself dinner and listened to it all night,” he says. “It was a ‘Man in Chair’ moment. Pure escape. It brought me out of a melancholy, depressive state to something that was much happier.” The Drowsy Chaperone — the recording that Man in Chair so loves — is a joyous, silly blast of escapist entertainment. “The music is such an acknowledgment of all those fun Jazz musicals from the 1920s with goofy, funny lyrics,” Ackerman says. “That’s what musicals were about.” “I’m very emotional and I love sad moments,” he continues. “I’m really drawn to sadness and darker things. It’s just so sweet. It touches your heart. I’m very heartcentered, and he’s very heart-centered.” Cincinnatians’ hearts are likely to be touched by Ackerman’s reprise of this iconic role in August. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE will be presented by Cincinnati Landmark Productions at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater from Aug. 2-27. Tickets/ more info: cincinnatilandmarkproductions.com.
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A role called “Man in Chair” might initially seem to be a peripheral character in a show, almost a generic piece of scenery. So it could come as a surprise that an actor would eagerly take on the part not once but twice. But it might be the role of a lifetime for Van Ackerman. Trained as an actor, he’s been in Cincinnati for the better part of two decades as the publicist for the Broadway in Cincinnati series and more recently handling marketing and public relations for the Cincinnati Arts Association, the company that manages the Aronoff Center and Music Hall. A decade ago, Ackerman saw the Broadway production of the Tony Award-winning musical The Drowsy Chaperone with his sister and told her, “You know that character who sat in the chair? I’m going to play him one day.” His prediction came true in 2011, when he sat in the chair for a production by Cincinnati Music Theatre, a local community theater. It was his first time back onstage in 18 years. He’s about to embark on the role again, this time at the Warsaw Federal Incline Theater. “He really speaks to me,” Ackerman says. “The last time I did the show with CMT, the run was just too short. Just as it was ending, I was finally relaxing into the role. I knew as an actor there was more to be discovered. Plus, I missed him! I retained the lines for about six months after I did the show — I kept running them everyday because I missed him. I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if somebody else did the show and I could do it again?’ never thinking it was going to happen. Then, sure enough, the Incline announced they were going to do it. I auditioned and it’s happening again.” The Drowsy Chaperone is a multilayered musical. It’s about Man in Chair, who escapes from his dreary and sometimes frustrating existence via recordings of longago musicals. With an LP on his record player, he begins to imagine his favorite show: The Drowsy Chaperone from 1928. (It’s a show entirely made up for this musical.) The jaunty story of a show-business wedding is full of colorful characters and comic misadventures that come to life around him. He’s awash in trivia about the show and interrupts to offer the audience tidbits. And real life intrudes, especially his nosy landlord. “What sets Drowsy apart is the musical wrapped in this monologue by this goofy, darling man,” Ackerman says. Ackerman confesses that the character resonates with him because they are similar personalities with similar interests. “He’s a musical theater aficionado; he loves musicals,” he says. “He’s very sad and depressive, a bit antisocial. He begins the show very blue, very sad. He lives through escaping into musical theater. It’s really his salvation.” Seeing the Broadway production with
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Loneliness certainly becomes the domiSome films create a sense of wonder at nant sense we derive from the image, which the spectacle on display, the lavish beauty is surprising. That initial silliness of watchof the images and the sense of engagement ing the sheet drift about the frames, so preswith the characters. They can spark quesent and damned near comically tangible tions as to how great beauty can exist in as it dances just out of reach of M or the the world. Or, what might have shaped the living characters it shares the frame with, characters we see on the screen and where dissipates and we are left with the haunting could have they come from? isolation and the longing to connect that A Ghost Story, the new release from wafts off the form. writer-director David Lowery (Ain’t Them “It was an image I felt you could hang an Bodies Saints), belongs to this select class. entire film on,” Lowery says. And his point In a recent phone interview, I was able to press him on the origin of his quite haunting take on the existence of the particular ghost in the film, the spirit of a dead husband referred to only as C (played by Academy Award-winner Casey Affleck), who cannot seem to give up his attachment to his wife M (Rooney Mara) and the home they shared. “It all really began with the image of the ghost,” Lowery says. “The image on the poster predates this movie because I loved the concept of a serious film that Casey Affleck plays the lonely ghost at the center of the film. revolved around such a silly P H O T O : B r e t C u r r y // co u r t e s y A 24 image.” And what an image it is! is proven. Affleck’s ghost rises from the table in the His belief in the image was so strong that morgue, completely shrouded in a sheet, when I pressed Lowery as to what the film soon after M leaves after identifying her might have looked like with a more tradihusband’s body. At first glance, it recalls the tional conception of the ghost, his response hokey childishness of Casper the Friendly is quick. “It wouldn’t have been made,” he Ghost. Yet, in the hands of another filmsays. “The bedsheet came before anything maker, operating in a different genre, this else. So, had I veered from that course, I could have been a horrific resurrection on don’t think I would have made the movie.” par with the mythic return of a supernatuHe places great and obvious faith in his ral slasher. idea for this presentation of the ghost. But Instead, Lowery lets the ghost sit and even more hinges on tweaking the haunted acquaint itself with its surroundings and house genre by telling the story from the its new state of being. In doing so, the perspective of the ghost. It is this otherghost loses that potential association with worldly character that grounds us far more Casper. But it could also be a Halloween than any living person in the film — even costume. When the ghost turns finally to M, who we see struggling mightily with her face the audience, we notice two blackened grief and loss. It is the ghost’s emotional arc cutout eyeholes, but nothing else. After that is compelling, swinging from loneliness fully assessing the world, the ghost stands to rage while watching M begin to move and the drape of the cloth obscures the on with her life to the point of leaving the body. We know (assume) that Affleck is house. The ghost reacts violently to others underneath, and this generates questions entering and taking over the space, attemptas to how he might be able to articulate a ing to make it their own. For whatever “performance” of any distinction. reason, it cannot leave. “There’s something so naïve and charming Time passes, rocketing forward and then about that costume,” Lowery says, clearly mysteriously folding back onto itself, and amused by the challenge. “And removing it the ghost remains. In A Ghost Story, Lowfrom the context of Halloween and placing ery pulls off the neatest trick of all with this it in an empty house or a place where it haunting image. He teases us with the idea doesn’t necessarily feel like it belongs just that humanity survives into the afterlife. was really interesting and emotional. It (Opens Friday at the Esquire Theatre.) (R) made me laugh, but it was also a sad, melanGrade: A choly and lonely image.”
ON SCREEN Maudie’s Sweet Charm By T T stern-enzi
Is there another actor working today with a more sweet and innocent charm than Sally Hawkins? She burst on the scene as the character Poppy in Mike Leigh’s 2008 film Happy-Go-Lucky, about an impossibly cheerful and exuberantly colorful schoolteacher whose naïve optimism confounded anyone and everyone who came into contact with her, including audiences. In the hands of practically any other actor, a certain willfulness would have been unavoidable, distracting us with the effort behind the performance, but Hawkins never let a hint of stress or strain in having to be upbeat sneak through the seams. That is not to say that Hawkins has allowed herself to be typecast, hemmed in by this bright and chipper lodestone. She finds and mines curious variations on the theme, always alerting us to the underlying goodness in every character, despite the oppressiveness of their given situations or surroundings. Case in point: Director Aisling Walsh’s Maudie recounts elements from the life of the actual Maud Lewis (played by Hawkins), an arthritic woman assumed, by both her family and the Nova Scotia community in which she resides, to be incapable of taking care of herself. With no direct intention to prove anyone wrong, Maud settles upon the idea of becoming the housekeeper for a misanthropic fisherman and handyman (Ethan Hawke) living in a tiny shack, where she not only convinces him that she can do the job but also becomes an indispensable part of his life. And she begins to paint pictures with a childlike sense of wonder, attracting a degree of celebrity that would transform the lives of most others. Hawkins, once again, creates an impenetrable aura of resolute happiness. There is never a moment when we feel that Hawkins downshifts into a sense of contentedness, allowing Maud to become a mere portrait of staid saintliness. We see and appreciate the highs and lows of Maud’s life, thanks to the liveliness and grace in which Hawkins envelops us. (Now playing at the Mariemont Theatre.) (PG-13)
a&c television
TV Rewind: ‘The Sopranos’ Still Hits High Notes BY JAC KERN
While I typically cover new and current — we see how he acts at “work,” and the shows in this column, I will occasionally different persona he has at home, but in the revisit some programs from the past — safe space of Dr. Melfi’s office, Tony can let series that have been on my watch list his guard down a bit and give the audience for years, but I’m just now getting around some insight into his past. to. First up: The Sopranos, which aired Tony may be a bad dude, but you have on HBO for six seasons from 1999 to 2007 to root for him. It’s easy to read him as a (now available on HBO GO, HBO NOW and sympathetic character, looking past his Amazon Prime). killing, lying and cheating, hoping he finds I’m only two seasons in so far, but I can a way to protect himself and his loved ones already understand why this incredible from their enemies, the law and sometimes crime family drama is so revered. Besides even one another. The fact that the loveable, hitting the mark on nearly every level — excellent acting from a talented cast, compelling storytelling, a balance of tense drama and dark humor — The Sopranos represents the start of the golden age of television we’re currently enjoying. The show made HBO the prestige television destination it is today with its current hits like Game of Thrones and Westworld. Critics and viewers alike sung The Sopranos’ praises, and in the end it received a total of 111 Emmy James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano nominations and 21 wins, PHOTO : courtesy of hbo two of them for Outstanding Drama Series. Now, watching the show nearly 20 years immensely talented Gandolfini died well after its original debut, it still stands up before his time in 2013 only magnifies that as one of the greatest dramas of all time. feeling. America loves a good mob story — and The Sopranos is a quintessential the characters here are no exception, American tale, elevating a familiar genre by frequently quoting or referencing films like examining masculinity, marriage, mental The Godfather, Goodfellas and Scarface, to health and, of course, the mob — one that much amusement. And The Sopranos tells will surely endure even 20 years from now. the best kind of mob story, focusing on patriarch Tony Soprano’s (James Gandolfini) many levels in the roles he serves as Room 104 (Series Premiere, 11:30 p.m. a husband, father and DiMeo crime family Friday, HBO) — This new anthology series boss. from the Duplass brothers takes place Tony is forced to examine these roles in a single motel room, where a different when he begins seeing psychiatrist Jennifer story (with a different set of characters and Melfi (Lorraine Bracco) after passing out actors) takes place each week. I’m hoping from what she believes was a panic attack. this will be akin to HBO’s fantastic High And while therapy certainly starts to help Maintenance, which centers on a pot dealer Tony and give him tools to cope with his in New York who meets different customers complicated life, it’s a closely guarded in each episode. secret he feels he must hide from anyone Welcome to Siesta Key (Series Premiere, outside his immediate family: wife Carmela 10 p.m. Monday, MTV) — “From The Hills (Edie Falco), daughter Meadow (Jamieto the beach,” teases an ad for this new Lynn Sigler) and son Anthony Jr. (Robert show, referencing the 2006 guilty-pleasure Iler). If his crime family were to find out, reality series that introduced us to “characthey’d see it as a weakness, a flaw that ters” like L.C., Speidi and Justin Bobby. As would make Tony a target. the title reveals, the cameras move from The idea of a hyper-masculine mobster California to retiree-rich Florida to follow secretly seeking out the help of a therapist wealthy college students home on break off still rings relevant today, even with society the coast of Sarasota. becoming more comfortable with the topic of mental health. And Tony’s therapy sesCONTACT JAC KERN: @jackern sions act as an excellent storytelling device
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Due to high demand, Cincinnati Burger Week Specials extended for one more week! Goat Cheese Braxton Burger $5 6 oz. Wagyu Beef topped with Braxton Beer Caramelized Onions, Whipped Goat Cheese, Arugula on a Challah Bun
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FOOD & DRINK
American Cheese
Artisan and domestic-focused cheese shop The Rhined opens a brick and mortar near Findlay Market BY Mckenzie graham
C
Midwest stuff will be in the middle,” she says. “We’ll have to find a place for the international.” Astute observers may note The Rhined’s close proximity to Findlay Market staples Silverglades and Gibbs Cheese, which also carry a large selection of cheeses purchasable by weight. Thankfully, Webster says, it’s a different product line. Along with local, The Rhined will also highlight cheese from more atypical milks. “It’s hard to find affordable sheep milk cheeses and water buffalo cheeses in the states, so I want to round out our selection of sheep and water buffalo stuff,” she says. “There are some great sheep milk cheeses from Ohio that we’re going to have that we’re really proud to carry.” Webster learned about cheesemaking and cheese selling from a culinary internship in Portland with famed cheese whiz Steve Jones. She stayed at an Airbnb in the city for a month and worked at Jones’ store Cheese Bar to glean any and all information she could from his successful business. “All the cheese makers love this guy,” she says. “He’s just really good at what he does and he’s been doing it for a really long time. He totally let me come out and hang out at his business and work behind the counter and learn how to do everything.” She brought all that knowledge back to Cincinnati. Although Webster hopes her shop will primarily be a retail business, it does have 11 seats, including a bar, and three very cute menu boards with her signature themed cheese board options. You can add charcuterie to your board if you so choose, although Webster likes to remind that The Rhined is really about the cheese. Well, the cheese and wine. “I love wine so (selecting and tasting wines) was definitely an easy part of the job,” Webster says. “We’ll have 30 total wines for purchase, plus we’ll have six wines by the glass, all meant to be super cheese-friendly. If you come in and ask for a new kind of cheese and you want something that will go great with it, all of our mongers will be educated and able to suggest a great pairing for you. “I’m not going to have something there just because it’s cheap or because people come in and ask for it,” she continues. “I want everything to be something that I love and something I can stand behind.” The shop also carries canned/bottled beer and features four taps for in-house pours. Beers will be specifically selected to complement the cheese, so Webster warns that there won’t be any “crazy-super-hoppy IPAs” because the brew would mask the flavor of
Stephanie Webster’s OTR shop The Rhined stocks 50 to 60 different types of artisan cheese. delicate cheeses. There’s also a Parisian-looking basket filled with baguettes if, perhaps, you’d like to create a picnic in a nearby park. And if you’re not sure or are overwhelmed by cheese choices, the mongers will let you try five or six before you buy. It’s meant to be an experience, Webster says, one that leaves the customer feeling educated and empowered. As for Webster, what tickles her cheesy fancy? “The stinkier the better,” she says. “They taste salty and creamy and pudgy, and they’re so good with mustard and pickles.” The former biology teacher then explains
that cheeses become stinky because of their washed rinds. The cheese maker will wash the rind repeatedly over time with a brine — or any number of liquids, including beers and ciders — to encourage the growth of the very same bacteria that makes us reach for our deodorant each morning. Think about that next time you decide to try the stinky choice. And, if you forget, just let Webster’s clever rhyme remind you: “If it smells like feet, it’s what I want to eat.” THE RHINED (1737 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine) hosts a grand-opening celebration 2-8 p.m. Friday. More info: therhined.com.
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heese is having a moment. It feels silly to say that about a product that’s arguably been around since humans began cohabitating with other milk-producing mammals but in the age of the internet, Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos, slow-mo cheese-goo food porn and the millennial-favorite cheese board, cheese really and truly is a star. That’s why it’s refreshing to walk into a shop (shoppe?) that leaves all the trends behind and charms guests with its back-to-basics, excellent foodstuffs — cheeses you just won’t find at your local grocery store. The Rhined is your new Shop Around the Corner for that creamy, buttery goodness we love to slice/carve/spread/shred on everything. Stephanie Webster, who co-owns the business with her husband Dave, is a former high school biology teacher turned cheesemonger. After visiting cheese shops on various vacations in cities like New York, Denver and Portland, Webster started tinkering with the idea of opening her own. Eventually she turned that dream into reality, quitting teaching and launching The Rhined as a traveling pop-up concept in 2016, doing cheese tastings at venues like Rhinegeist and Findlay Market while renovating a permanent storefront at 1737 Elm St. in Over-the-Rhine. “I started getting milk from a farm in Hillsboro — really good, high-quality milk — and started making some cheese at home, playing around with the chemistry of milk and cultures and pHs and nerdy stuff,” she says. Although Webster won’t be supplying any of her own handcrafted cheeses at The Rhined, she’s tasted and approved each cheese the shop carries. In total, there will be 50 to 60 cheeses available at a time. “I had a few people helping me that are experts and we have tasted a ton,” she says. Webster’s focus is on local and regional flavors. “It’s hard to stay local with cheese,” she says. Unlike with vegetables, fermentables, jams and other hot selling points at markets, cheese requires a massive amount of work to produce. One has to be both farmer and chef, which is why the distance permissible for “local” cheese spans about 150 miles. “We’ll have a high concentration (of cheese) from our area, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Vermont and California,” she says. “Eighty percent of our cheeses are domestic, so we’re focusing on American made.” If you want to find Ohio’s offerings in The Rhined’s cheese case (located right inside the front door), imagine placing a map of the United States over the top of the glass; that’s how Webster organizes the product. “Your California stuff will be on the left; your Vermont stuff will be on the right;
PHOTO : haile y bollinger
F&D WHAT’S THE HOPS
Themed Pub Crawls! BY GARIN PIRNIA
Events
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Where the locals come to eat, drink and have fun
Weekly Specials Tuesday: McNab Winery Summer Dinner with Jen Petrey - 6pm - $49/person Wednesday: Wing Night
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Thursday: Wine Tasting & Live Jazz
Swad Indian Restaurant
1810 W. Galbraith Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45239 513-522-5900 • 513-580-1200 Online Ordering Now Available With Free Limited Area Delivery
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July and August must be the months for pubcrawls, because the city has quite a few • Taft’s Ale House is slated to open a of them planned. On Saturday, wear your second location in Spring Grove Village in best (worst?) ’80s and ’90s attire for The August. Taft’s Brewpourium will serve New Decades Crawl in Over-the-Rhine. With Haven “apizza,” a type of coal-fired Neapoliyour $15 ticket, you get a neon fanny pack tan-style pizza that’s not well known around and cocktail and beer specials at 16-Bit, here. The 5,000-square-foot taproom and MOTR (a $3 Malibu Barbie drink), the Drink50,000-square-foot brewery will also brew ery OTR and more, including Below Zero, and serve Taft’s beers. which will be hosting a themed drag show. • On Aug. 3, Bad Tom hosts Pints for Also on Saturday, Braxton hosts the Pups to raise money for Northern KenBraxton, Beam & Bocce Block Party at Pompilios in Newport. The event includes a bocce ball tournament, bourbon slushies, specialty Braxton Labs’ beers and food specials. The third-annual Danger Wheel returns at noon on Saturday. During the “tournament of bravery and outdoor jollification,” drunk adults will ride provided big wheels down a steep hill in Pendleton. Local breweries will be selling summer-style beers to give participants liquid courage. The cost is $100 for a team of three (two to provide Danger Wheel (the beer + big wheel race) returns Saturday. a running start; one idiot to PHOTO : provided drive). Covington hosts an interactive version of the board game Clue on Aug. tucky’s Stray Animal Adoption Program. If 12. Someone murdered the Goose Girl, and you bring your furry best friend, he/she will six suspects and murder weapons are the receive a Bad Tom bandana. options. During the Get a Clue Covington • On Aug. 5, the 9-year-old Listermann murder mystery pub crawl, visit six bars will unveil a branding refresh along with two and order a Braxton or New Belgium beer to new limited-run can releases: Lil Jimmy, a receive clues. (We’re pretty sure one of the NE DIPA with citra lupulin powder, mandaGoebel Goats did it.) rina bavaria and cascade hops; and Bring the Hops, another NE DIPA but brewed with zythos, citra, galaxy and lemondrop hops. • The Western & Southern/WEBN Fire(We’re waiting for them to brew What’s the works won’t light up the sky until Sept. 3, but Hops.) official fireworks beer sponsor Braxton has • Starting on Aug. 11 and running every started the party early by releasing Short Friday and Saturday night through Sept. 16, Fuse, a pale ale brewed with cascade and Darkness Brewing will co-produce Last centennial hops and grapefruit juice. The Call for Alcohol, “a sketch comedy interacbeer is currently available at their Covington tive drinking game show” directed by Ricky taproom on draft and in cans and will be W. Glore, who also directed A Nightmare distributed up until Riverfest. on Backstreet: A Boy Band Musical Parody. • Blank Slate recently released a new seaTickets ($15) include admission and one beer. sonal can: PilMo, a mosaic-hopped kölsch • Urban Artifact’s Bewilderfest takes and the perfect lawnmower beer. PilMo is place Aug. 25-27. The theme of the fest is available while supplies last at $9.99 plus tax experimentation, so live bands will perform per case (with a one-case limit). songs “outside of their normal repertoire,” • On Wednesday, Municipal Brew Works and Urban Artifact and other local breweries taps Woltermelon Blonde, a variation of their will have some unusual beers for sale. Approachable Blonde Ale infused with water• On Aug. 26, Spring Grove Cemetery presmelon. It’s named after Hamilton firefighter ents An Afternoon with the Beer Barons. Patrick Wolterman, who died in December Docents will share history about the beer 2015. Sales will benefit the bereavement barons buried there while serving beers nonprofit Companions on a Journey Grief from 14 local breweries including Fibonacci, Support. Fifty West and Dayton’s Toxic Brewing. ©
New Beers
F&D classes & events
The Proof Is In The Eating
Most classes and events require registration; classes frequently sell out.
WEDNESDAY 26
An Evening in Charleston — Work at your own station to prepare the deep flavors of the Carolina Low Country. 6-8 p.m. $70. The Learning Kitchen, 7659 Cox Lane, West Chester, thelearningkitchen.com. Shark Week at Igby’s — The bar will offer specials on LandShark and Dogfish Head beers and featured fishbowl cocktails. Includes themed specialty bar snacks (like Goldfish crackers, not actual fish). A portion of proceeds will benefit the Newport Aquarium’s Wave Foundation. Through July 29. Free admission. Igby’s, 122 E. Sixth St., Downtown, igbysbar.com. Groceries & Grilling: Asian American Night — Head to Findlay Market for latenight market hours and special Wednesday grilling parties. Guests will get the recipe and list of ingredients so they can shop and then grill the recipe onsite. 5-8 p.m. Free admission. Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, findlaymarket.org. Streetside and Jaded Fork Dinner — Caterer The Jaded Fork teams up with the brewery for a menu featuring dishes like chicken skewers, BLTs and beer cheese, paired with Streetside beers. 6:30-9 p.m. $48. Streetside Brewery, 4003 Eastern Ave., East End, streetsidebrewery.com.
THURSDAY 27
Arnold’s Three-Course Golden Ticket Beer Dinner — A three-course Southern dinner paired with three Fifty West beers and live local music. 7-9:30 p.m. $39. Arnold’s Bar & Grill, 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, fiftywestbrew.com. Chipotle Chicken and Risotto — Learn to balance flavor in this class, where you’ll prepare chipotle-seasoned chicken breast at your own cooktop, served over asparagus risotto with lemon. 6-8 p.m. $65. The Learning Kitchen, 7659 Cox Lane, West Chester, thelearningkitchen.com.
FRIDAY 28
The Rhined Grand Opening Celebration — The Rhined is celebrating the opening of its brick-and-mortar location in OTR with a happy hour party. The event will feature $5 glasses of cava, free cheese (starting at 4 p.m.) and other drink specials. 2-8 p.m. Free admission. The Rhined, 1737 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/therhined.
WingFling at Washington Platform — Discover more than 40 different flavors of wings — from bulgogi Korean wings to honey bourbon. Through Sept. 3. Prices vary. Washington Platform, 1000 Elm St., Downtown, washingtonplatform.com. Streetcar Brewery Tasting Tour — Cincy Brew Bus uses the Cincinnati Connector to visit three local breweries, incorporating tastings, tours, history and architecture. 1 p.m. $20-$35. Meets at Taft’s Ale House, 1429 Race St., Over-theRhine, cincybrewbus.com.
SATURDAY 29
Handmade Pasta Workshop — Get up close and personal with pasta. Learn two ways to hand-craft pasta using the traditional crank method and with a Kitchen Aid mixer. 11 a.m.-2 p.m. $175. Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.
Bacon, Bacon, Bacon — Use bacon in three different dishes: panzanella salad with crispy bacon vinaigrette, pan-seared shrimp with bacon corn cakes and pancetta risotto with shallots. 5-7 p.m. $75. The Learning Kitchen, 7659 Cox Lane, West Chester, thelearningkitchen.com. Thirsty for History — The second-annual alcohol and antiques event at the historic Promont House in Milford will feature locally brewed craft beer, food, crafting demonstrations, an antique bottle display, tours and more. For adults 21 and older. 3-6 p.m. $30. Promont House, 906 Main St., Milford, milfordhistory.net.
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the newbees
july 29
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Braxton, Beam and Bocce Block Party — Head to Pompilios for a bocce ball block party featuring brews from Braxton Labs, bourbon slushes and food and drink specials. The bocce tournament is $10 per team. Noon-9 p.m. Free admission. Pompilios, 600 Washington Ave., Newport, Ky., facebook.com/braxtonbrewingcompany.
LuNch & DINNeR buFFet
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TUESDAY 01
Summer Salmon Dinner — Throw a party with panache. Celebrate summer weather with a menu featuring chilled fresh tomato, basil and bread soup; pan-roasted salmon with hot bacon dressing; asparagus and white bean salad; and decadent chocolate almond cake. 6-8:30 p.m. $75. Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.
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French Provencal Bistro Dinner — This express class teaches you to make an approachable and inviting bistro-style dinner with twice-baked spinach soufflés, roasted ratatouille chicken, polenta with two cheeses and blueberry galette. 6-7:30 p.m. $45. Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com.
Date Night: Indian Delights — Prepare four delicious Indian dishes: lahsuni masoor dal, curried stuffed okra, Indianspiced cauliflower and peas and aloo masala. 6-8 p.m. $150. The Learning Kitchen, 7659 Cox Lane, West Chester, thelearningkitchen.com.
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music
Emotional High
Hard-touring Philadelphia rockers Mannequin Pussy leave it all on the stage every night interview BY JASON GARGANO
PHOTO : cj Harve y
M
annequin Pussy’s live shows are like exorcisms. Frontwoman Marisa Dabice is a feral presence, her powerful vocals emitted with the kind of intensity that would seem impossible to replicate on a consistent basis. Yet the Philadelphia band — which also includes guitarist Thanasi Paul, drummer Kaleen Reading and bassist Colins “Bear” Regisford — has toured relentlessly behind last year’s Romantic, an enthralling record full of terse relationship songs that are even more visceral when delivered in a live setting. Romantic is surprisingly eclectic for an album of such to-the-point brevity (11 songs in 17 minutes). Songs range from the Hardcore of album-opener “Kiss” to the ebb-andflow, Geraldine Fibbers-esque dynamics of “Romantic” to the hook-laden “Denial,” which sounds like The Breeders doing their best Garage Rock impression. CityBeat recently tracked down Dabice to discuss everything from the next Mannequin Pussy record to the role of artists in such politically polarizing times.
CB: I don’t think the four of you had played much together before recording Romantic. How do you think touring so much of late will impact the next album? MD: I’m very excited about the next record, mostly because we’ve been playing with each other so much that we understand each other’s styles very well and we’re really tight right now. From the nature of touring
Mannequin Pussy’s Romantic is an eclectic collection of terse, visceral relationship songs. so much, we’ve really learned how to communicate with each other in an effective way. So working on stuff is so much easier because we actually know how to talk to each other about things and ideas and being honest about it if one of us is doing something that isn’t working. We’re not as shy with each other, so it makes the writing process a lot more open and exciting. CB: Most of the lyrics on Romantic are written from a first-person perspective and seem intensely personal in nature… MD: I definitely made a conscious effort to move away from that — that lyrical necessity of saying what I feel — and maybe starting to focus less on the feeling and maybe more on the needs and the desires of things. I think the next album is going to be less centered on myself. CB: You’ve talked about the corrosive nature of social media. Do you feel like with the pervasive nature of Twitter and Facebook and the rest that musicians have lost some of the mystery that was inherent pre-internet? MD: I think it’s definitely a loss. There is something with most of the people I know who are in my position as artists — a lot of us are kind of strange, damaged people. We kind of would like to keep our private lives
private and like to put what we’re feeling and doing into our music and leave it there. The culture now kind of necessitates this willingness to really be open and share. It is kind of like open therapy. There is something that actually is useful and beautiful about that. I think if maybe that kind of culture had been around when I was a teenager I might not have felt so alone in whatever I was going through at the time. It would have been easier to find people who were experiencing similar tragedies and traumas. But it does put a lot of pressure on an artist to not only be entertaining through your music and your live performances, but also in the personality that you’re putting across through these social mediums. That is an art in itself that many of us are not very good at and shouldn’t really be expected to do. CB: You guys have been pretty outspoken when it comes to your political and social beliefs — the most obvious being the “Fuck Trump” T-shirt Bear wears on tour. What are your thoughts on finding the right balance when it comes to mixing politics and art? MD: I think that’s up to each individual artist to decide for themselves. With artists,
as with the general population, there’s a real variety in those of us who truly care and are interested in things that are going on politically in our world and those of us who are a little bit more nihilistic and apathetic about it. I have artist friends who are extremely vocal about it and others who could not give less of a shit. There are almost two schools of thought with how you approach politics through your art, which is you can really let it influence it and you use this platform and this opportunity and this microphone you have in order to say something and remind people of what’s going on. Or you look at art as this ability to kind of free people from the political world that we constantly exist in. Is art an escape? Or is art ramming a message back down your throat? I like to think as a band we like to exist a little bit between those worlds. I want the escapism and the catharsis to come out through our music, but I also want it to be clear that staying engaged — and more so just taking care of each other — is the most important thing. MANNEQUIN PUSSY plays Woodward Theater Sunday with Cherry Glazerr and Leggy. Tickets/ more info: woodwardtheater.com.
C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 2 6 – A U G . 0 1 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 3
CityBeat: You’ve been on the road for much of the last year, which I imagine is pretty tough given how much physical and emotional energy you put into your live shows. It almost seems like an exorcism for you. What’s it been like for you to go to that intense level as often as you have recently? Marisa Dabice: There are definitely nights where before I’m like, “I don’t know how I’m going to do this.” Kind of the nature of touring is that it is like a full mind-, bodyand soul-exhaustion experiment. You’re constantly not quite comfortable and probably deficient in something. But as soon as you’re onstage you just kind of have to push all that aside and just go through it. That’s what I aspire to do every night — not think about anything internally and externally I’m complaining about and drop into that music blackout for a little bit. That’s the only way you get through it. I am definitely exhausted at this point in our touring cycle. I wanted to stay home. I just want to work on the next record, but that’s not an option right now. Everything we’re doing right now is so exciting that I’m like, “OK, I’m going to get over that feeling.”
music spill it
AYE Fest Showcases Eclecticism of Local Music BY MIKE BREEN
1345 main st motrpub.com wed 26
bang vanity creeps
thu 27
strand of oaks w/ jason anderson
f ri 28
new royals album release
sat 29
talk - cd release go go buffalo
s un 30
future science: sketch comedy
mon 31
peonies the missed munsons
tue 1
cincy stories writer’s night w/ dave
karl spaeth: unplugged
free live music now open for lunch
1404 main st (513) 345-7981
3 4 • C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 2 6 – A U G . 0 1 , 2 0 1 7
7/29
7/ 30 8/5 8 / 10
Brick + Mortar yoke lore, jess laMB, toon town
cherry glazerr Mannequin pussy, leggy
nappy roots doughty faMily
sidewalk chalk Marcus alan ward
buy tickets at motr or woodwardtheater.com
The best multi-act/multi-venue/multiChuck Cleaver and many others. genre festival for original Greater Cincinnati For the complete schedule (music starts at musical acts returns this weekend for three varying times) and more information on AYE, days’ worth of sights and sounds (primarily) visit adjustyoureyes.com. in the Northside neighborhood. Launched in 2006, the community-oriented AYE Music & Art Festival has not only showcased This Saturday, longtime Cincinnati public local aural and visual artists, but also radio station WVXU (91.7 FM; wvxu.org) raised thousands of dollars for various local presents its second-annual Tiny Desk charities. This year’s event will raise money Showcase, featuring an interesting crossand awareness for Women Helping Women, section of local bands and solo artists that which offers support and services to those submitted videos for NPR’s Tiny Desk Conaffected by abuse. On Friday and Saturday, AYE (aka “Adjust Your Eyes”) presents events at Northside Yacht Club (4227 Spring Grove Ave., northsideyachtclub.com), Chameleon (4114 Hamilton Ave., chameleon-northside. com), Urban Artifact (1660 Blue Rock St., artifactbeer. com), Junker’s Tavern (4156 Langland St., 513-541-5470) and The Mockbee (2260 Central Parkway, facebook. com/themockbee), which is in the Brighton arts district. Filthy Beast is one of several Cincy acts playing the AYE Fest. AYE continues Sunday at P H O T O : fa c e b oo k . c o m / f i lth y b e a s t Chameleon, Northside Yacht Club and Urban Artifact. While the event does feature several test, a nationwide competition that plays off regional and national acts, it primarily of the popular Tiny Desk Concerts series. focuses on local talent. Exploring the The concept of the original series (prevenues is recommended (most have no sented as video and audio) is surprisingly cover charge), but some highlights include simple, yet remarkably ingenious — present the #Natihiphop Showcases Friday at artists in the raw, without effects or producChameleon and Junker’s, featuring artists tion, performing at NPR’s offices. The Tiny like Raised x Wolves, Pizza Boiz, WeirdDesk Contest began three years ago as a way Dose, Sons of Silverton and Lazy Ass to discover lesser-known talent from across Destroyer; the Cinthesizer Showcase at the country. Video submissions are uploaded Chameleon Saturday and Sunday, featuring to YouTube that show the artist performing Electronic and Hip Hop sounds from Heran original song in a “desk” setting. mosa, Danbient, Devin Burgess, MeioCincinnati hasn’t produced a Tiny Desk sis, Supa and others; and the Phase Melt Contest winner (yet), but it has certainly Digital Showcases at The Mockbee Friday been well represented in submissions. and Saturday, coupling Electronic-oriented According to WVXU, 91 entries have come music from artists like Liquid Hologram, from the area since the contest began. The Playfully Yours and Infinity Spree with station enlisted several of the area acts that Phase Melt’s visual accompaniment. submitted to the 2017 contest to perform Genres represented elsewhere throughout at Saturday’s Tiny Desk Showcase event at the weekend include Indie, Punk, AlternaSouthgate House Revival (111 E. Sixth St., tive and Hard Rock, Soul, Experimental Newport, Ky., southgatehouse.com). Artists music, Americana and beyond. Further slated to appear include Anew To Wander, local performers include Filthy Beast, Elk Creek, Greg Mahan, Jack Burton Lockjaw, Common Center, Dark Colour, Overdrive, Jen Creasey, JetLab, Knotts, Satyr Circle, Founding Fathers, The Mega Pixel, Nick Kizirnis, The Matildas, Harlequins, Joesph, Lipstick Fiction, Emily Parker, Maurice Mattei, Brianna Ghost Hussy, The Jared Presley ExperiKelly, Adam Stone, Lauren Eylise and ence, Season Ten, Eugenius (with Mavis Tooth Lures A Fang. Concave), New Moons, Kuber, Xzela, Rich Proceeds from tickets — $12 or $15 day of Wizard, Wonky Tonk, Culture Queer, show — support WVXU. Dynamite Thunderpunch, Camp Sugar, CONTACT MIKE BREEN: mbreen@ citybeat.com Vampire Weekend at Bernie’s, Wussy’s
Local Tiny Desketeers
MINIMUM GAUGE BY mike breen
Dress Code Wars? Arcade Fire’s layered meta/ irony promo thing leading up to Friday’s release of its Everything Now album — an introvert version of U2’s overblown Zooropa “social commentary” — makes it’s hard to to tell if any “news” about the band is real or part of the schtick. Case in point: When an unpopular “hip and trendy” dress code and “phone-free” rule was announced for an impending album release show, frontman Win Butler said it was all the doing of Apple Music, which is live-streaming the concert. But the band’s official Twitter account quickly churned out one of its faux propagandist statements to claim responsibility while sheepishly walking back the “mandatory” elements of the initial decree. Political Misappropriation Goes Global Donald Trump apparently is not the only world leader to use music in political rallies by artists who vehemently oppose him. When the worldwide hit “Despacito” was used by Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to rally the youth to his (wrong) side (of history), the song’s singers, Daddy Yankee and Luis Fonsi, criticized the use, with Mr. Yankee writing that it only highlighted Maduro’s “fascist ideal.” Maduro recently responded to protests over constitutional overreach by killing, injuring and jailing thousands. Sticking to His Guns Performers are often lambasted for “diva” backstage demands like the temperature of bottled water or the thread count of the cases for their tiny toe pillows, but it’s hard to think of an instance where unmet demands led to a cancellation. But when Country artist Jamey Johnson found out that a venue had recently implemented a ban on guns, he reportedly canceled the show just hours before start time, angered (or frightened?) that his crew would be unarmed. To be fair, it was a hard-nosed dive bar in a very violent neighborhood — a House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
music listings
CityBeat’s music listings are free. Send info to MIKE BREEN via email 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 26
HORSE & BARREL - John Ford. 6 p.m. Roots/Blues. Free.
10 p.m. Indie/Rock/Punk/Pop/ Various. Free.
KNOTTY PINE - Kenny Cowden. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.
CROW’S NEST - Rob Lyon. 10 p.m. Folk/Americana. Free.
BROMWELL’S HÄRTH H LOUNGE - Burning Caravan. 8 p.m. Gypsy Jazz. Free.
MOTR PUB - Strand of Oaks H with Jason Anderson. 9 p.m. Indie/Rock/Folk. Free.
FOUNTAIN SQUARE - Indie Vol. H 2017 with Band of Heathens, The Perfect Children and Michael
CROW’S NEST - Steve Dirr. 9:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free.
NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB H - Negative Approach and Bloodclot with Flesh Mother, Abraxas and
BREWRIVER GASTROPUB - Old Green Eyes and BBG. 6 p.m. Standards. Free.
FOUNTAIN SQUARE - Reggae Wednesday with The Flex Crew. 7 p.m. Reggae. Free. KNOTTY PINE - Dallas Moore. 10 p.m. Country. Free. THE LIBERTY INN - Stagger Lee. 7 p.m. Country/Rock. Free. MADISON LIVE - Savage Master, Nuke, Solar Flare and Bloodgate. 8 p.m. Metal. $7, $10 day of show. THE MOCKBEE - Calumet, J. Stout and Jesse W. Johnson & Coyote Scream. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. Free.
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MOTR PUB - Bang with Vanity Creeps. 9:30 p.m. Rock. Free.
PIT TO PLATE - Bluegrass Night with Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. 7 p.m. Bluegrass. Free. SILVERTON CAFE - Root Cellar Xtract. 8:30 p.m. Country Rock. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Mark Becknell with Frontier Folk Nebraska and Dusty Bryant. 8 p.m. Rock/Roots/Various. Free. URBAN ARTIFACT - Blue Wisp Big Band. 8:30 p.m. Big Band Jazz. $10. WOODWARD THEATER School Of Rock Allstars. 6:30 p.m. Rock. $8, $10 day of show.
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THURSDAY 27
GRANDVIEW TAVERN & GRILLE Basic Truth. 8 p.m. Funk/R&B/ Soul. Free.
OCTAVE - Brother Smith. 9 p.m. Funk/Country/Rock/Soul/Various. $5.
JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD Inflatable Ape. 9 p.m. Rock/Pop/ Dance/Various. $5.
QUAKER STEAK AND LUBE COLERAIN - Bike Night with Pandora Effect. 5 p.m. Rock. Free.
JAPP’S - Burning Caravan. 5:30 p.m. Gypsy Jazz. Free.
RIVERSEDGE - Dirty Revival H with People Brothers Band. 6:30 p.m. Soul/Funk/Various. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Wilder with Lost Coast and Ben Knight and the Welldiggers. 8 p.m. Americana/ Rock/Various. Free.
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LUDLOW BROMLEY YACHT CLUB - Trailer Park Floosies. 9:30 p.m. Rock/Dance/Pop/Rap/Country/ Various. Cover.
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WASHINGTON PARK - Bandstand Bluegrass with Maria Carrelli and Missy Raines and the New Hip. 7 p.m. Americana/Folk. Free.
BOGART’S - All the Above with H As You Like It, Into the Skies, Current Events, Undergrads and Wise Wolf. 7:30 p.m. Pop/Rock. $10, $12 day of show.
BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE Steve Schmidt Trio. 8 p.m. Jazz. Free.
Mecca, Antzy, Liquid Hologram, Fluff, Ample Parking and Dokta Kloccs. 6 p.m. Electronic/Various. $5.
MOTR PUB - New Royals. 10 p.m. Funk. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Adjust H Your Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Chuck Cleaver, Culture Queer, Wonky Tonk and Camp Sugar. 9:30 p.m. Various. Free.
NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB H Adjust Your Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Ghost
Hussy, Satyr Circle, Eyenine and Juan Cosby, Eugenius and Mavis Concave and Ronin. 9:30 p.m. Hip Hop/Experimental. Free. OCTAVE - Oh Kee Pa. 9 p.m. Phish/ Jam. Cover.
FOUNTAIN SQUARE - Salsa on H the Square with Afincao. 7 p.m. Salsa/Latin/Dance. Free.
CHAMELEON - Adjust Your Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with D-Nails, Kill Bill, Xzela, Sons Of Silverton, WeirDose, Raised x Wolves and Happy Tooth & Dug. 6 p.m. Hip Hop. Free.
THE GREENWICH - “Stay Woke” H with Blvck Seeds featuring Aziza Love, Siri Imani and more. 8
COLLEGE HILL COFFEE CO. - Ricky Nye. 7:30 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie. Free.
PNC PAVILION AT RIVERBEND Kidz Bop Best Time Ever Tour. 7 p.m. Kidz Pop. $25-$45.
THE COMET - T-Rextasy, Kicked HOut, Betsy Ross and Hateflirt.
THE REDMOOR - Soul Pocket. 9 p.m. Dance/Pop/R&B/Rock. $10.
CROW’S NEST - Easy Tom Eby. 9:30 p.m. Folk/Americana. Free.
p.m. Various. $7.
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ronnie Baker Brooks
ruthie Foster
albert Cummings
CHRIS STAPLETON AUGUST 8 • RIVERBEND
Kenny Blues Boss wayne
Davina & the Vagabonds
PluS… arCheS BooGie Piano StaGe loCal StaGe | youth ShowCaSe StaGe
tiCKetS PreSale:
$25/night, $45 weekend Pass
PAUL BROWN STADIUM H Cincinnati Music Festival with Mary J. Blige, Kem, Bell Biv Devoe, En Vogue and SWV. 7:30 p.m. R&B/Pop. $60-$150.
513-671-7433 • 32 W. CRESCENTVILLE, CINCINNATI, OH 45246 • LOCALSKATEPARK.COM
$5 ADMISSION ALL TIMES
MON-THURS 1PM-9PM
FRIDAY 11AM-9PM
SATURDAY* 9AM-11PM
SUNDAY 9AM-9PM
*9AM-11AM for 12 & younger only C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 2 6 – A U G . 0 1 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 5
BOGART’S - The Wailers with H Rockstead and The Cliftones. 8 p.m. Reggae. $25.
30+ aCt S on 3 StaGeS
MANSION HILL TAVERN - Tickled Pink. 9 p.m. Blues. $4.
THE MOCKBEE - Adjust Your H Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Sarbosa, Pot Pocket, Echo
FRIDAY 28
COMMON ROOTS - Open Mic. 8 p.m. Various. Free.
KNOTTY PINE - Lt. Dan’s New Legs. 10 p.m. Dance/Pop/Various. Cover.
TAFT THEATRE - Fastball. 8 H p.m. Pop/Rock. $20, $25 day of show (in the Ballroom).
ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Dottie Warner and Ricky Nye. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. Free.
BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE Todd Hepburn and Friends. 6 p.m. Various. Free.
Ialive, Pizza Boiz, Cody Jones and Dracula-Wolf. 9:30 p.m. Hip Hop. Free.
MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Kick the Blue Drum. 9 p.m. Modal Banjo Blues Rock. Free.
URBAN ARTIFACT - Kate Wakefield (release show) with Marjorie Lee and GRLwood. 8 p.m. Indie/Experimental/Various. Free.
august 11-12, 2017
Visit citybeat.com/win-stuff to enter for a chance to win tickets to this upcoming show:
JUNKER’S TAVERN - Adjust H Your Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Lazy Ass Destroyer,
SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - The Menzingers with The Sidekicks and A.M. Nice. 8 p.m. Rock/Punk. $20, $23 day of show.
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Sawyer Point, CinCinnati, ohio
Moeller. 7 p.m. Americana/Roots/ Soul/Rock/Various. Free.
Head Collector. 8 p.m. Punk/Hardcore. $13, $15 day of show.
RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER Incubus with Jimmy Eat World and Judah and the Lion. 6 p.m. AltRock. $29.50-$99.50.
WANTS YOU TO
WIN STUFF!
3 6 • C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 2 6 – A U G . 0 1 , 2 0 1 7
MUSIC sound advice After two years of worldwide headlining The Menzingers with The Sidekicks and and support tours and an uncharacterA.M. Nice istically long spell between albums, The Thursday • Southgate House Revival Menzingers released their fifth and possibly The Menzingers have many impressive best album, After the Party, earlier this bullet points on their résumé, including a year. Described by Barnett as “a love letter consistent string of great reviews for their to our 20s,” After the Party has already body of work over the past 11 years and been tagged as one of the best albums of the ability to maintain the same lineup 2017, even with six more months of releases for the band’s entire history. The latter to come. It’s another example of a huge clearly speaks to The Menzingers’ band-ofaccomplishment for The Menzingers that’s brothers Punk mentality and the unbreakreally no surprise to anyone who knows the able personal bond that gives their music band. (Brian Baker) its emotional impact. It also speaks to the fiercely loyal fan base the group has earned The Band of Heaas a result. thens with The PerThe Menzingers fect Children and lurched to life in 2006 Michael Moeller after the demise of Friday • Fountain two of Scranton, Pa.’s Square most beloved Punk Although The Band bands, Kos Mos and of Heathens has been Bob and the Sagets. together for 12 years, The quartet — vocalthe Austin, Texas ists/guitarists Greg quintet’s seeds were Barnett and Tom sown even earlier May, bassist Eric when the founding Keen and drummer trio — Colin Brooks, Joe Godino — immeThe Menzingers Ed Jurdi and Gordy diately wrote and PHOTO : Charles Wrzesniewski Quist — were workrecorded a handful ing as solo artists in of songs and released the flourishing Austin them as the accuscene. The musicians rately titled Demo. were fixtures at the The release was a now defunct Momo’s harbinger of the on Sixth Street, acclaim that would where they were roufollow, as the initial tinely assembled on recording made a double or triple bills, number of year-end so they eventually best-of lists. The pooled their talents. attention earned The With the addition Menzingers a deal The Band of Heathens of a rhythm section, with Punk indie label P H O T O : G r eg G i a n n u ko s the band dubbed Go-Kart Records, itself The Good Time which released Supper Club and set about amassing a loyal 2007’s debut full-length, A Lesson in the local fan base. Abuse of Information Technology, to even A new name was presented when the more positive publicity, particularly for the band was inexplicably identified in a newsharrowing rewrite of Simon & Garfunkel’s paper ad as The Heathens; the inadvertent “Richard Cory” and a scorching cover of The rebranding stuck. Clash’s “Straight to Hell.” The Menzingers’ After a debut album, 2006’s Live from sophomore album, 2010’s Chamberlain Momo’s, Band of Heathens swapped out Waits, was cited by punknews.com as the its original drummer for beatkeeper John year’s best. Chipman in 2007; that year also saw the The group’s big break came in 2011 band release its second live set, recorded when The Menzingers signed with Epiat Austin’s legendary Antone’s, and receive taph Records and the label’s founder, Bad Best New Band honors at the Austin Music Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz, hailed the Awards. The following year, the group quartet as the best example of passionate released their eponymous debut studio old-school Punk and its direction going foralbum, produced by local icon Ray Wylie ward. The group’s Epitaph debut, 2012’s On Hubbard and featuring a stellar guest list the Impossible Past, was awarded albumthat included Gurf Morlix, Patty Griffin and of-the-year honors by several websites and the late Stephen Bruton. The album hit the publications. Two years later, the equally top slot of the American Music Associaincendiary Rented World and its blazing tion’s radio play chart and made the associasingle, “I Don’t Wanna Be an Asshole Anytion’s Top 10 of the year’s best albums. more,” kept the fire roaring.
859.431.2201
In 2009, Band of Heathens appeared on PBS’s Austin City Limits playing songs from its debut and sophomore studio album, One Foot in the Ether — the group’s second album to hit No. 1 on the American Music Association’s radio chart. The band was also nominated for the New Emerging Artist award at the Americana Music Honors in 2009 and for Best Duo/Group of the Year at the American Music Association Awards in 2010. After the release of 2011’s Top Hat Crown & the Clapmaster’s Son, founding member Brooks announced his departure to pursue new musical projects and life directions. The band also said hello to new keyboardist Trevor Nealon and goodbye to drummer John Chipman, who was replaced by Richard Millsap in 2012. The following Sunday Morning Record became Band of Heathen’s most acclaimed album to date and made a number of best-of lists in 2013, but it was last year’s Duende that found the band exploring its most diverse set of emotionally and politically charged songs, balancing raging Rock anthems with rootsy Country Grateful Dead Jam boogie, New Orleans Animal Collective Blues and Tex-Mex PHOTO : Tom Andrew spice. It was a musical expedition that took on political overtones as the band toured during 2016’s contentious election cycle. There’s a good chance that The Band of Heathens has some fresh takes on the post election scene, too — turn on, tune in, drop up. (BB)
FUTURE SOUNDS TEGAN AND SARA – Aug. 2, Madison Theater HANS ZIMMER – Aug. 3, U.S. Bank Arena ROYAL BLOOD – Aug. 3, Bogart’s FASTER PUSSYCAT – Aug. 3, Southgate House Revival THE COATHANGERS – Aug. 3, Northside Yacht Club TESLA – Aug. 4, Taft Theatre
live MusiC no Cover
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE SOUTHGATE HOUSE LOUNGE OR TICKETFLY.COM
Wednesday 7/26
7/26 mark becknell: artist in residence, frontier folk nebraska, dusty bryant
Burning Caravan 8-11
7/27 the menzingers, the sidekicks, a.m. nice; wilder, lost coast, ben knight & the welldiggers
Thursday 7/27
7/28 Punk rock night: shriek, freak boX, 13Pagan holiday13, shocker; derick howard 7/29 Patrick sweany, edward david anderson; tiny desk showcase 2017: anew to wander, elk creek, greg mahan, jack burton overdrive, jen creasey, jetlab, knotts, mega PiXel, nick kizirnis, the matildas, emily Parker, maurice mattei, brianna kelly, lauren eylise, tooth lures a fang 8/3 faster Pussycat, chakras, v-twin sin; the 9th street romPers, lucky holler boys; Politics as usual: milehigh congress, high rollers, q. easy, bigg henn, kane lord wolf, yb, heemdolla$, allen4President, dj kennedy
Todd Hepburn & Friends 8-11
Friday 7/28 Steve Schmidt Trio 8-12
saTurday 7/29 FrenchAxe 8-12 CoCktails
fireplaCes
Wed. - Fri. open @ 4pm | Sat. open @ 6pm 125 West Fourth st. | CinCinnati, ohio 45202
W W W . S O U TH G A TE H O U S E.COM
www.BromwellsHarthLounge.com
C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 2 6 – A U G . 0 1 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 7
Animal Collective with Aaron Dilloway Sunday • Madison Theater When is a band not a band? Perhaps it’s when a loosely affiliated set of musicians assemble as a whole or in random combinations of its individual members, and in those various permutations create sounds that defy accepted genre categorization. Perhaps it’s when the aggregation’s members operate under pseudonyms and build an epic discography that reflects melodic lessons taught by The Beatles over a half century ago while utilizing the studio as a fifth member, somehow sculpting music into sonic artwork that suggests an acid-dosed jamboree of The Flaming Lips, Polyphonic Spree, Brian Eno, Can, Brian Wilson, Pink Floyd and a dozen other influences that were never really influences. Animal Collective is all that and somehow impossibly more. Childhood friends and products of Baltimore’s progressive school system, Animal
Collective’s four members — David Portner (Avey Tare), Noah Lennox (Panda Bear), Josh Dibb (Deakin) and Brian Weitz (Geologist) — indulged in exploratory forays into Pavement-tinged Indie Rock music, then dabbled with psychedelic substances and Krautock, which was followed by experimentalism that was untainted by exposure to previous purveyors of musical weirdness. While all four were enrolled in separate colleges, they reconvened in Baltimore during summers to work on musical projects, the first being Lennox’s solo debut (as Panda Bear). In 2000, the group released its next collaboration, Spirit They’re Gone, Spirit They’ve Vanished, under the banner of Avey Tare and Panda Bear. After releasing a few more project albums, the band took some industry advice and christened its total unit Animal Collective, taking “Animal” from an early label name and “Collective” for the musicians’ intention to create as an interchangeable team. The group’s first release in this format was 2003’s Here Comes the Indian, a densely textured and exotically appointed album, followed by the stripped-back but equally harmonically beautiful Sung Tongs. After 2005’s Feels and 2007’s Strawberry Jam, which was cited as Pitchfork’s album of the year, Animal Collective (operating as a trio) recorded 2009’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, the band’s breakthrough that was lauded by Uncut Magazine as “one of the landmark American albums of the century so far” before the album had even been released. In the eight years since Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective has done the visual album ODDSAC, curated All Tomorrow’s Parties, appeared at festivals like Coachella and released two more acclaimed albums, 2012’s Centipede Hz and last year’s Painting With. Animal Collective may well be the most inventive and original American band that doesn’t even narrowly resemble a conventional band. (BB)
111 E 6th St Newport, KY 41071
music listings continued from page 35 RICK’S TAVERN - Bloodline with DJ & the Apostles. 9:30 p.m. Rock. $5. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Derick Howard. 9:30 p.m. Funk/Rock/Roots/Jam/Various. Free.
Now featuring deals from:
SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Shriek, Freak Box, 13PaganHoliday13 and Shocker. 8:30 p.m. Punk. $6. TAFT THEATRE - The ShadH owboxers with Pluto Revolts. 8 p.m. AltRock. $13, $15 day of show (in the Ballroom).
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BOGART’S - Social Distortion with Jade Jackson. 8 p.m. Rock. Sold out.
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CINCINNATIAN HOTEL - Philip Paul Trio. 7 p.m. Jazz. Free.
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WASHINGTON PLATFORM SALOON & RESTAURANT - The Panvibe Group. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).
ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Cadillac and Catfish. 9 p.m. Blues/ Swing/Jazz/Various. Free.
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Dirt, Filthy Beast, New Moons and Tina Panic Noise. 9 p.m. Rock/Alt/ Various. $5.
SATURDAY 29
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URBAN ARTIFACT - Adjust Your H Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Common Center, Ned and the
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THE COMET - Rat Trap. 10 p.m. Punk. Free. COMMON ROOTS - Muruga Booker and Friends. 8 p.m. Alternative. $5. CROW’S NEST - Tony Hall. 10 p.m. Acoustic. Free. DOWNTOWNE LISTENING ROOM - Chris Carpenter with Charlie Millikin. 7:30 p.m. Pop/ Rock. $12.
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EASTGATE BREW & VIEW - Encore Duo. 6:30 p.m. Acoustic Classic Rock/Americana. Free. FRONT STREET CAFE - Ricky Nye and Chris Douglas. 7:30 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie. Free. THE GREENWICH - Young Jazz H Messengers featuring Jennifer Simone. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10.
Log into our website for the full list:
CINCINNATI.ALTPERKS.COM Facebook/ T w i T Ter: @perkopoL is
JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - My Sister Sarah. 9 p.m. Pop/Dance/ Various. $5. JUNKER’S TAVERN - Adjust H Your Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Vampire Weekend at
Bernie’s, Bad Taste, Lipstick Fiction, Daddy Luthor and Lockjaw. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. Free.
KNOTTY PINE - Saffire Express. 10 p.m. Rock/Pop/Various. Cover.
Lamb & The Factory and Toon Town. 8:30 p.m. AltPop/Rock. $10.
MADISON LIVE - Oak with Men of Blues and CrossWalk. 8 p.m. Rock/ Country/Americana/Blues. $10.
SUNDAY 30
MADISON THEATER - Highly Suspect. 8 p.m. AltRock. Sold out.
CHAMELEON - Adjust Your H Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Professor K, ADDvantz,
MANSION HILL TAVERN - Johnny Fink and the Intrusion. 9 p.m. Blues. $4.
Danbient, Blakhi, Devin Burgess, Zig and Hermosa. 9 p.m. Hip Hop/ Electronic/Various. Free.
MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Jason Erickson. 9 p.m. Various. Free.
MADISON THEATER - Animal H Collective with Aaron Dilloway. 8 p.m. Art Pop. $25.
MOTR PUB - TALK (release H show) with Go Go Buffalo. 10 p.m. Rock/Alt/Psych/Various. Free.
THE MOCKBEE - Lockjaw, Formally Lethargic, Slutbomb and Tarby. 8 p.m. Various. Free.
NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Adjust NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB H Your Eyes Music & Art Festival H Adjust Your Eyes Music & Art 2017 with Founding Fathers, Kuber, Festival 2017 with Soft Self PorDark Colour and Rich Wizard. 9:30 p.m. Indie/Rock/Electronic/Various. Free.
NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB H Adjust Your Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Goodnight Goodnight, Joesph, PLEASURES and The Harlequins. 9:30 p.m. Rock/Various. Free.
PAUL BROWN STADIUM H Cincinnati Music Festival with Usher, Fantasia, Anthony Hamilton and Con Funk Shun. 7:30 p.m. R&B. $60-$150.
THE REDMOOR - Remember. 9 p.m. Jazz/R&B/Various. $10. RICK’S TAVERN - 3-Day Rule. 10 p.m. Rock. $5. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Patrick Sweany with Edward David Anderson. 9 p.m. Blues/Rock/Various. $15, $18 day of show. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Tiny Desk Showcase 2017 with Anew to Wander, Elk Creek, Greg Mahan, Jack Burton Overdrive, Jen Creasey, JetLab, Knotts, MEGA PIXEL, Nick Kizirnis, The Matildas, Emily Parker, Maurice Mattei, Brianna Kelly, Lauren Eylise and Tooth Lures a Fang. 9 p.m. Various. $12, $15 day of show.
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THOMPSON HOUSE - I Fight Fail with littledevices, Hades In Olympus, The Alexith Effect and Before Sunday. 8 p.m. Rock. $10. THE UNDERGROUND - In Days H Forgotten (release show) with Against Icarus, Underestimate,
Returning His Crown and Pickwick Commons. 7 p.m. Metalcore. Cover. URBAN ARTIFACT - Beat Faction with DJ Troll, Gerald Shell and Christian Vesper. 10 p.m. Alt/ Dance/DJ/Various. Free.
WASHINGTON PLATFORM SALOON & RESTAURANT - Brandon Coleman Quartet. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum). THEATER - Brick H+WOODWARD Mortar with Yoke Lore, Jess
traits, Dynamite Thunderpunch and The Jared Presley Experience. 9:30 p.m. Rock/Indie/Various. Free.
PNC PAVILION AT RIVERBEND 2CELLOS. 8 p.m. Classical/Pop. $39.50-$85. SONNY’S ALL BLUES LOUNGE Blues jam session featuring Sonny’s All Blues Band. 8 p.m. Blues. Free. URBAN ARTIFACT - Adjust H Your Eyes Music & Art Festival 2017 with Waterfall Wash, Season Ten, SAME, Tooth Lures a Fang and The Rooks. 8:30 p.m. Rock/ Various. $5.
WOODWARD THEATER - Cherry H Glazerr with Mannequin Pussy and Leggy. 8:30 p.m. Indie Rock. $10, $12 day of show.
MONDAY 31 THE GREENWICH - Baron Von Ohlen & the Flying Circus Big Band. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. $5 (or two cannedgood donations for Freestore Foodbank). MEMORIAL HALL - “Melodic H Discourse” with Joshua Jessen and Brandon Coleman. 7 p.m. Jazz. $6.
THE MOCKBEE - OH jam! presents Off tha Block Mondays with hosts Stallitix, Goodword, DJ Noah I Mean, Chestah T, Gift of Gabi, Christian, Toph and Preston Bell Charles III. 10 p.m. Hip Hop. Free. MOTR PUB - The Peonies with H The Missed Munsons. 9:30 p.m. Indie/Rock/Pop. Free.
TUESDAY 01 RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER KORN with Stone Sour, Skillet, Yelawolf and DED. 5:30 p.m. Hard Rock/Metal/Rap. $25-$74.50. STANLEY’S PUB - Trashgrass H Tuesday featuring members of Rumpke Mt. Boys. 9 p.m. Bluegrass. Cover.
crossword puzzle
THE CLASSIFIEDS
Laughing Matter BY Brendan Emmet t Quigley
COMMUNIT Y ANNOUNCEMENT
Across
LOOK! Have you had trouble with a Guardianship in Hamilton County? Do you fear a ward is being mis t r eated/is olated? Starting a support group for concerned Cincinnatians: email us at ccaga17@gmail.com!
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67. Indian butter 68. Rum drink on a cold night 69. College heads 70. Young lads Dow n
1. Twin’s first home 2. Singer with the album “Shepherd Moons” 3. Walk heavily 4. Smith Corona part that has two characters on it 5. Discreet email letters 6. Driver’s position? 7. Delta fighter Coulter 8. “Adios” 9. First name of the NFL’s career rushing leader 10. Big cheese 11. Yoked beasts 12. Close at hand 15. Approving word 18. Golf club 22. “Shady ___” (Pavement single) 24. Boxer’s order 25. “Free Women, Free Men” author Paglia 27. “Smells delish!” 28. Approving
word 29. Yellow bracelet non-profit 30. “___ Poetica” 31. Gives the thumbs up 36. Simpsons character with a shotgun 37. Diaper solid 38. Pulls back 40. BDSM aggressor 41. Stratego piece 43. ___ Smith (Adidas sneaker brand) 45. Prison camps 46. Winter last week’s answers
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C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U ly 2 6 – A U G . 0 1 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 9
1. Turned on the waterworks 5. Bored by everything 10. Babe 13. “I was ___ joking!” 14. Where you might see the big picture 16. Palindromic river of England 17. Bad guy who can’t see too far into the future? 19. Two ___ time 20. The “B” in “Notorious RBG” 21. One crying “Uncle” 23. Sox town, on scoreboards 25. Guest’s bed 26. Queequeg’s boss 27. Freedom from gas relief medicine? 32. Israeli leader Golda 33. Spot for a barbed wire band or random Chinese letters 34. Understanding 35. Cuban guy? 36. “I’m laughing so hard” in memes, and theme of this puzzle 39. Low-risk savings options 42. Panama pronoun 44. Company softball pitch 45. Hit the mall 46. Unexplained neurosurgery? 51. Tiny amount 52. Day before 53. Mud bath spot 54. Whiskey, rum, tequila, vodka and Coke drink 56. Best of the best 60. Even if, briefly 61. “Best Chatty Bird Recording” award? 65. Eternity 66. Do a parody of
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