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CINCINNATI’S NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY • JUly 12 – 18, 2017 • free
Moved Aside
Longtime residents are being uprooted as affordable housing options dwindle in OTR BY NICK SWARTSELL • PAGE 13
VOL. 23 ISSUE 33 ON THE COVER: illustration: PHIL VALOIS
VOICES 04 NEWS 09 CITY DESK 10
cover story 13 STUFF TO DO 19 ONGOING SHOWS 21
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MUSIC 32
SOUND ADVICE 34 INSIDE: CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK GUIDE
EDITOR IN CHIEF Danny Cross CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Hoffman MANAGING Editor Maija Zummo MUSIC EDITOR Mike Breen ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Steven Rosen ASSOCIATE EDITOR Emily Begley STAFF WRITERS James McNair, Nick Swartsell PHOTOGRAPHER/DESIGNER Hailey Bollinger CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Rick Pender, Theater; tt stern-enzi, Film CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Reyan Ali, Anne Arenstein, Casey Arnold, Brian Baker, Keith Bowers, Stephen Carter-Novotni, Chris Charlson, Brian Cross, Hayley Day, Jane Durrell, Kristen Franke, Jason Gargano, Katie Holocher, Ben L. Kaufman, Deirdre Kaye, John J. Kelly, Harper Lee, Candace Miller-Janidlo, Anne Mitchell, Tamera Lenz Muente, Julie Mullins, Sean Peters, Rodger Pille, Garin Pirnia, Selena Reder, Ilene Ross, Holly Rouse, Kathy Schwartz, Maria Seda-Reeder, Leyla Shokoohe, Bill Sloat, Brenna Smith, Michael Taylor, Isaac Thorn, Kathy Valin, Kathy Y. Wilson, P.F. Wilson CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Phil Heidenreich, Khoi Nguyen, Catie Viox EDITORIAL INTERNS Elisabeth Dodd, Grace Hill, Mackenzie Manley, Amanda Weisbrod DESIGN INTERN Dylan Robinson PHOTOGRAPHY INTERNS Scott Dittgen, Amanda Emmerson, Brittany Thornton CARTOONIST Tom Tomorrow PUBLISHER Tony Frank ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Josh Schuler SALES ACCOUNT MANAGERS Cory Hodge, Ryan Quinlan, Dan Radank, Neil White BURGER KING Kane Kitchen Office Administrator Samantha Johnston EVENT DIRECTOR Allie Martin EVENT & SALES COORDINATOR Chanell Karr Marketing & Event Team Evan Crew, Hannah French, Danielle Hale, Ryan Henges, Elle Lallo, Meg Schott, Amanda Watt, De’Vaughn Williams, Chelsea Zoecklein
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Land of the Non-Reading Commenters Andrew S. Pappas: Easy to be generous when it’s not your money, very easy. Oh well. Greg Carter: Because “gubmint” uses play money that isn’t theirs to be responsible for. Assholes. Russ Briede: And where does all this extra $$$ come from? Danielle Mason: Did anyone read the article which indicates Aftab was able to increase wages and reduce the budget from last year? He is rewarding good employees and eliminated the waste. Gary Sims: No. They don’t bother to read. They see $16 and act as if it’s 100K of their “hard earned” tax dollars and their conservative heads explode. Carroll Peebles: He is doing what he promised when we voted for him. Good man. Comments posted at Facebook.com/CincinnatiCityBeat in response to July 11 post, “Aftab Pureval rolls out new $16-perhour minimum, paid family leave and LGBTQ protections”
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What a Week! BY T.C. Britton
WEDNESDAY JULY 05
After the world’s longest Fourth of July weekend ever, most of us returned hungover and hot doggedout to business as usual Wednesday, but some were wrapped up in a series of tweets from NPR. For 29 years, the public radio network has aired a reading of the Declaration of Independence on July Fourth, and this year they continued the tradition on Twitter, breaking up the historical statement into necessary 140-character segments. A number of conservatives and Trump supporters seized what they thought was an opportunity to bash NPR for somehow disrespecting the president or employing liberal bias, only to discover the tweets merely reflected one of the county’s founding documents. Most of the facepalm-worthy Tweets have been deleted, but big ups to @JustEsrafel, the dude who originally accused NPR of “calling for a revolution,” only to check himself and apologize for his ill-informed response. #EverydayHeroes
THURSDAY JULY 06
Thanks to Wired for pointing out that Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker’s social media is a depressing display of Caucasian crimes against nature. Be sure to follow @scottwalker for poorly cropped and way-tooclose-up snaps of his daily brown-bag lunch (Spoiler Alert: It’s always two ham and cheese sandwiches and a cranberry juice cocktail every damn day), his love of milk, non-seasoned food and, now, beer. Walker posted a pic of a Miller Lite can this week with the caption you know he thought was just so witty: “For those in the liberal media who don’t like my Instagram, Facebook or Twitter, I have a simple response: Can I get you a beer?” Predictably, commenters ran Walker through the gauntlet. The best response was a close-up image of the can, which reads “union made.” Burn!
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FRIDAY JULY 07
In promotion of 2 Chainz’s new album, Pretty Girls Like Trap Music, the rapper last month held a listening party at an actual pink-painted home in his native Atlanta. The Pepto Bismol palace — known as the Pink Trap House — remained a local landmark in the following weeks, hosting a church service, salon pop-up and even free HIV testing. But mostly it was a ’grammable photo shoot destination for (mostly white) people who probably don’t know what a trap house even is. The hotspot came to a close this weekend when 2 Chainz’s lease ended and the owner painted the pink house while in anticipation of new tenants. Luckily for those hoping to get social media street cred without actually having to live in a blighted neighborhood, Free Tours By Foot is still offering the so-called “ghetto tours” of graffiti in Brooklyn, N.Y., and even graffiti workshops!
SATURDAY JULY 08
Saturday’s Taco Festival at Yeatman’s Cove was sure to be a fun summer fiesta: There would be tacos and margs, Mario Lopez and a Chihuahua beauty pageant — what could go wrong? According to attendees, the event should have been called Taco Fiasco, with some likening the national touring trainwreck to the
disastrous Fyre Festival. The ticketed event charged a cover just to attend, on top of food and drink prices, and once folks were inside they had to purchase taco tokens, which means standing in two lines before even getting a bite to eat. The food lines were so long, A.C. Slater himself reportedly hawked tacos, and some claimed they waited in various lines for up to 45 minutes only to discover the food had sold out. Since it’s 2017, these disgruntled attendees took to Facebook to voice their opinions where, overnight, negative reviews were promptly deleted (the page administrator claimed only “profane and insulting” posts were removed). Meanwhile, sponsor The Cincinnati Enquirer dubbed the taco fest a success with nary a mention of the abundant problems.
SUNDAY JULY 09
Recreational weed sales began in Nevada last week, and one couple celebrated by getting hitched in a dispensary grow facility. Kinda like a botanical garden for stoners! The groom is a doctor and cannabis activist whose father was once jailed for marijuana charges, so it was important for him to support the cause. And no, they did not blaze before walking down the aisle (BOO!). While it was an alternative wedding, the couple maintained some of your typical wedding traditions: something old, something new; something borrowed, something blueberry kush.
MONDAY JULY 10
Special shout out to Special K for busting the myth that women don’t actually need to consume nutrients to live and shaking the stigma of eating food for females everywhere. The cereal’s latest ads feature takeaways like, “Yeah, we eat chocolate,” as if it’s some defiant, feminist act and not just a very normal thing. Hear that, ladies? You’re finally free to eat! In similar breakfast commercial news, a current Yoplait yogurt ad pokes fun at the idea of moms constantly being judged by showing women admitting to paying their kids an allowance and — gasp! — drinking wine. #BRAVE These are both lady-centric foods almost exclusively marketed to women — delicate dishes suitable for the sensitive palates of women folk, which don’t taste that great and really just awaken your hunger for a decent hot meal.
TUESDAY JULY 11
This week in questionable decisions: Rob Kardashian ripped on his ex, Blac Chyna, on social media, posting personal texts, videos and nude photos of her — which may break California revenge-porn laws; a YouTube star is fighting accusations of trying to give fake hair extensions to a hair donation charity; the Vatican has outlawed gluten-free communion hosts; Rooney Mara revealed she just ate pie for the first time at age 31; and construction workers in New York found what they thought might be a World War II-era bomb this week only to discover it was a harmless time capsule buried at the site of a 1980s nightclub… that happened to look like an old-timey bomb. CONTACT T.C. BRITTON: letters@ citybeat.com
Zack Cozart Should Name His Donkey Joey Votto BY JEFF BEYER
Last year was tough for hardcore Reds fans — the team finished 68-94, trading away several beloved players along the way. This year, however, there have been lights beckoning through the dark tunnel that is the modern “rebuilding” process. Amongst other exceptional feats by Reds this year — Joey Votto’s best offensive output since his 2010 MVP season, Adam Duvall’s continued power hitting, Raisel Iglesias’ bullpen dominance — longtime shortstop Zack Cozart is having a breakout season. Turns out, back in spring training, Votto made Cozart a promise: Earn a spot on the All-Star Team, get a free donkey. All eyes have been on the duo ever since Cozart pulled out to a big lead among National League shortstops and people found out about the promise. Would Votto follow through? Now that Cozart has won the spot and played in the game, the more important question is: What should Zack Cozart name his donkey once it gets here? The answer is simple: Joey Votto! Here’s why: First of all, Joey Votto doesn’t get many days off. If there were another Joey Votto, a donkey Joey Votto, to stand in the batter’s box and stubbornly stare at and frustrate opposing pitchers, human Joey Votto would have more time to spend reading about his favorite animal, the blobfish, which he would by no means like to be gifted by Cozart for his home saltwater aquarium (hint-hint, winky-winky). Second, Donkey McDonkface is funny but unoriginal. Therefore, this knock-off of the popular British suggestion for its Antarctic research vessel, Boaty McBoatface, is simply unacceptable. Kickass McGee, however, is a cool name and should be used for all FC Cincinnati players and any person observed spinning their car’s tires in the rain. Third, Joey Votto once did an interview on MLB Network dressed as a Canadian Mountie, complaining about not being taken seriously and only wanting to talk about his outfit and his horse, “Nibbles.” While this has nothing to do with naming the donkey, it is an equine-related anecdote and should be known by all fans and haters alike. Fourth, sharing equal legal name rights, donkey Joey Votto can negotiate “a more reasonable contract” with Reds GM Dick Williams that will please broadcaster Marty Brennaman, who has lamented often and consistently that five-time All-Star human Joey Votto is paid too much. If this fails to appease Mr. Brennaman, his frustrations can be abated via the donkey Joey Votto pulling a mesh drag to smooth the infield while the grounds crew whips ole long ears in the ass after home games. Finally, donkeys are notoriously moody and protective. They are sometimes even used to protect livestock from predators and will stomp any animal they feel is a threat. While the Reds were struggling through last year’s season, human Joey Votto played the foil to away-game crowds, entertaining fans and irritating foes by refusing to toss foul balls he’d caught to the opposing spectators and by famously stomp-twisting a paper plane that had found its way on the field near first base. If this isn’t worthy of donk-consecration, then what else do you want?
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Hamilton County’s Living Wage Torch-Bearer
Aftab Pureval rolls out new $16 per hour minimum, paid family leave and LGBTQ protections By James McNair
PHOTO : Haile y Bollinger
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A
ftab Pureval, Hamilton County’s freshman clerk of courts, pushed his office to the forefront of the Ohio living wage movement Tuesday by declaring a $16-an-hour minimum wage for most of his 212 employees as well as paid leave to care for newborns and sick relatives. The new baseline wage — $16.48 to be exact — covers those workers who earn less than $30,000 a year, Pureval says. Those earning between $30,000 and $60,000 will receive a 1 percent raise. The raises will take effect in less than a week and boost the pay of all but 10 employees. A third policy change was neither about pay nor benefits. Although the Hamilton County administration forbids discrimination against employees for sexual orientation and gender identity, the policy doesn’t automatically apply to the county’s elected offices. The clerk’s office’s new policy against discrimination includes LGBTQ employees as a protected class. Pureval, who last November became the first Democrat elected to the court clerk’s job since 1903, says the raises were long overdue. “I was shocked that the clerk’s office has been able to retain so many folks for decades while still underpaying them,” he says. “These are folks who come in every day, who work hard and diligently and are committed to public service and serving the citizens of Hamilton County — and our office had been woefully undervaluing and underappreciating them. “Our staff is the greatest resource that we have, and they’ve earned these salaries and these benefits through their hard work.” Worker advocacy groups and elected officials around the country have been clamoring for higher minimum wages, with mixed results. Last December, the Ohio Legislature and Gov. John Kasich enacted a bill preventing cities from establishing citywide minimum wages above the state’s own minimum, now at $8.15 an hour. But local governments have the legal authority to raise minimum pay for their own workers, as Cincinnati did in 2016 when it went to a $15-an-hour base for its full-time workers. Franklin County set a $13.69 hourly minimum wage for its employees in 2016. Just last month, Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson announced his intent to raise the minimum for that city’s workers to $15 an hour. “Better-paid workers are generally better workers,” says Amy Hanauer, executive director of Policy Matters Ohio, a think tank with offices in Cleveland and Columbus. “Raising worker wages increases stability and retention, eases recruitment and
Aftab Pureval speaks with employees inside the clerk’s office July 10. can help workers to thrive in a job. When public employees are paid poverty wages, they are more likely to need public assistance, and their children are less likely to thrive long-term, so government often ends up facing increased costs anyway.” Pureval says raising his employees’ pay was “the right thing to do.” He says one 17-year employee never topped $12 an hour or $30,000 a year in spite of being a high achiever. “Hamilton County is an incredibly modern community, and to be undervaluing a top performer like that to that degree has to change,” he says. “With these salary increases and those benefits, it is changing.” Pureval’s new family leave plan is just as groundbreaking. The federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 requires employers to give workers up to 12 weeks of leave in the event of pregnancy, family illness or adoption, among other occasions. Nothing, however, requires them to keep paying those workers, and that is the case under current Hamilton County policy. The new policy in the court clerk’s office, effective Aug. 1, will give workers six weeks of paid parental leave — to both mothers and fathers. Those with at least five years of service will receive 100 percent of their pay. Those with less than
five years will be subject to a sliding scale topping out at 70 percent. The office will provide two weeks of paid leave to care for sick family members. “We have a lot of staff who are the primary care-givers for their families and also for their sick relatives,” Pureval says. “They take a lot of time before and after work caring for those family members, and if you’ve never been in that situation, it’s incredibly stressful. It’s difficult to choose between a paycheck and caring for your loved ones, and with this two-week benefit, thankfully we won’t have to force employees to choose that.” Keary McCarthy, president of the Innovation Ohio Education Fund in Columbus, says Summit and Lucas counties and the cities of Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Newburgh Heights offer paid family leave. “Every other country in the industrialized world requires some form of paid family leave, and the United States has not caught up to this trend,” he says. “A policy that allows workers to earn a portion of their paycheck after the birth or adoption of a new child is good for both families and businesses. That’s why many Fortune 500 companies like Netflix and Microsoft have recently announced their own paid family leave policies.”
Pureval took office in January and wasted little time in making the office more responsive to public needs. He also fired about two dozen workers who either served as Republican Party officials or were related to former clerk Tracy Winkler, including a nephew, a cousin’s wife and a son-in-law’s brother. “This is a direction toward merit being the fundamental driver in determining your success in the clerk’s office, not who you know or what party you’re part of,” he says. Pureval’s $12.8 million budget for 2017 is down slightly from $13.1 million a year ago. He says about 73 percent of the budget goes toward personnel expenses. And the cost of the raises and paid medical leave, he says, was so outweighed by the savings from the firings and other measures that he is spending “hundreds of thousands of dollars” less than the office did last year. “We reduced the size of the office, we streamlined, we created efficiencies and we cut waste,” Pureval says. “That’s how we were able to afford these changes while still being well within our budget, while saving taxpayers’ dollars and while spending less on personnel than the previous administration.” ©
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Following a second-place finish to Councilwoman Yvette Simpson in Cincinnati’s mayoral primary, Mayor John Cranley has shuffled up his bid for reelection with new campaign manager Chandra Yungbluth, who replaces Jay Kincaid at that post. “As someone who has been in the trenches with John for years fighting to build a more inclusive city that protects its citizens and supports its workers, I have long believed that John’s re-election is key to Cincinnati’s future,” Yungbluth told the Cincinnati Business Courier recently. Yungbluth has a good deal of political experience. She helped run State Rep. Brigid Kelly’s successful election campaign, was executive director of the Hamilton County Democratic Party for three years and was the political director for the United Food and Commercial Workers, in addition to running or helping with other campaigns. Kincaid will stay on as an advisor and spokesman. Yungbluth’s hiring comes as a sign Cranley is switching up his strategy. The mayor’s campaign bet big on TV and radio ads prior to the primary, including one TV hit delivering a positive portrayal of Cranley and his record along with a negative TV piece against Simpson criticizing her for her support of the streetcar and votes against pay raises for then-incoming Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac. Cranley’s campaign spent more than $800,000 on such ads. Now Cranley looks to be beefing up his ground game after a second-place primary finish to Simpson, who has credited her victory to an intense, focused effort in a number of city neighborhoods. Simpson won the city’s May 2 mayoral primary with 45 percent of the vote, besting Cranley’s 35 percent and labor attorney Rob Richardson Jr.’s 20 percent. Simpson took nearly every precinct in Cincinnati’s central neighborhoods of Overthe-Rhine, West End, downtown, Avondale, Mount Auburn, Walnut Hills, Corryville and Clifton — some by slim margins, others more decisively. Cranley took many outer neighborhoods on the east and west sides, many by wide margins. Simpson’s outright win in the primary contest came as something of a surprise. In the primary, Cranley spent about $90 per vote, while Simpson spent less than $2.50. Turnout in the primary was low — just 11 percent — and might not be indicative of November’s election results. Nevertheless, Cranley isn’t taking any chances. His campaign has hired 12 full-time staff members — six of whom will spend much of their time canvassing. (Nick Swartsell)
Butler County Officials Say No to Life-Saving Anti-Overdose Meds Narcan, a drug that can revive overdosing drug users by blocking opiate receptors in the brain, is sometimes the difference between an addict going into treatment or heading to the morgue. But some Butler County officials, including controversial Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones, say they don’t support using the drug to save overdose victims, even as overdose deaths continue to ravage Ohio. That’s caused outrage among drug treatment advocates. Activists planned a July 11 protest at the Hamilton Municipal Courthouse in response to comments from Jones about how Butler County Sheriff’s deputies don’t carry Narcan. That’s just the latest in a weeklong controversy sparked by Middletown City Councilman Dan Picard, who suggested the city shouldn’t administer the drug to repeat overdose victims. Picard suggested a three-strikes rule basically telling emergency responders not to administer Narcan a third time to the same person. Instead, he said, the addicts should be left to die. “I want to send a message to the world that you don’t want to come to Middletown to overdose because someone might not come with Narcan and save your life,” Picard told the Hamilton Journal-News. “We need to put a fear about overdosing in Middletown.” Other council members decried that idea, and Middletown won’t institute the proposal. But Jones, the county sheriff, is all for it. Jones says it’s too dangerous for his officers to revive overdose victims, who he says are often violent after they’re saved. For that reason, they don’t carry Narcan. Jones has some support from fellow Republican officials in the county, including Butler County Commissioner T.C. Rogers, who says overdose response is a job for medical responders, not law enforcement. Other law enforcement officials disagree with that perspective, however. “Here we are in the United States of America and we are having a debate about who should live and who should die,” Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan, a member of the Hamilton County Heroin Coalition, told The Cincinnati Enquirer. “Our number one priority is to be saving lives — no matter what. Ask any cop, most of the time you are responding to a call it is because someone made a poor choice.” Synan says no officers on his force have been injured administering Narcan. CONTINUES ON PAGE 11
FROM PAGE 10
Drug overdoses are the leading cause of death in Butler County. Ninety-six people there died in the first four months of the year by overdose, according to county data, including 80 due to opiates. (NS)
Hamilton County GOP Endorses Three in Council Race The Hamilton County Republican Party July 7 announced its endorsements for Cincinnati City Council elections. Incumbent Amy Murray, Council’s Major Transportation and Regional Cooperation Committee chair, got the nod from her party. Newcomers teacher Jeff Pastor and real estate developer Seth Maney also got the official Republican Party endorsement. Maney served as executive vice president of major developer Urban Sites as well as serving as president of Main Street OTR, the neighborhood’s business district. The three represent a small slate in contrast to the Hamilton County Democratic Party’s nine endorsements. But county GOP chair Alex Triantafilou left open the possibility that the party will endorse more candidates as the campaign goes on. “Between Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, Cincinnati is the only one of Ohio’s major cities to have Republicans elected to City Council,” he said in a news
release about the endorsements, “and we look forward to continuing our tradition of having conservative voices on our urban core’s governing body.” Democrats picked incumbent council members P.G. Sittenfeld, Wendell Young, Chris Seelbach and David Mann for their endorsements. They also tapped three newcomers — former Sittenfeld aide Tamaya Dennard; Avondale’s Ozie Davis, a community activist; and Lesley Jones, a pastor at Truth and Divinity Covenant Ministries United Church of Christ in Mount Airy — and two return candidates in Greg Landsman, who led the successful education levy effort Preschool Promise, and Michelle Dillingham, a community activist from Kennedy Heights. Both Dillingham and Landsman ran in 2013, narrowly missing enough votes to join the nine-member governing body. Cincinnati’s Charter Committee, the city’s defacto third party, also endorsed several candidates for Council. Its picks include Democrats Dennard, Mann, transit activist and former police officer Derek Bauman and Cincinnati Neighborhood Games organizer Henry Frondorf, as well as Republican Murray. Incumbent Christopher Smitherman, an independent who leans conservative on many issues, will also make another bid for Council. He’s been endorsed by the Hamilton County Green Party. (NS)
OTR’s ANSWER TO THE BEST HAMBURGER JOINT
Just enter discount code OTR18OFF when checking out at our kiosks 1818 Race Street, across from Findlay Market, 11 am to 7 pm. Good through July 5 – 31, 2017.
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Celebrate Hamburger Month at The Counter inside EMC all of July with 18% off all menu items
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BY NICK SWARTSELL
C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 • 1 3
Longtime residents are being uprooted as affordable housing options dwindle in OTR
i l l u s t r at i o n : P H IL VALOIS
Moved Aside
C
CHARLES WILE Y
harles Wiley has lived in Over-the-Rhine since his father, a railroad man, packed his family onto a train called The Hummingbird and moved them from Alabama in the 1940s. For the last 27 years of his time in the neighborhood, Wiley has made his home at Parkway Towers, a 100-unit subsidized apartment complex among the rapidly changing blocks near Findlay Market. In March, a buzz spread through the building after Wiley’s neighbors were notified it was being vacated. “We know that your building has a lot of conditions and problems,” read a letter many tenants received from developer Model Group, which recently purchased Parkway. “We have determined that it will be necessary to empty the building in its entirety. It will be necessary to relocate both you and your low-income rent subsidies to other housing units in the area.” The news troubled Wiley, who lost part of his foot to diabetes a few years back and relies on living close to the
“I told my buddies, you better start saving every penny you have. You’re about to have to move somewhere a lot more expensive.”
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— Charles Wiley market because of his limited mobility. He is also very fond of his friends in the building, some of whom he’s known since childhood. “I told my buddies, you better start saving every penny you have,” Wiley said earlier this summer as he sat in his recliner surrounded by vintage football paraphernalia and photos and paintings of family and friends. “You’re about to have to move somewhere a lot more expensive.” It’s no secret that Cincinnati’s hottest neighborhood has gotten more costly to live in over the last few years. Over-the-Rhine’s rise has remade beautiful parks and turned crumbling historic buildings into glistening storefronts and high-dollar condos. It has also strained housing affordability for the city’s most vulnerable, many of whom trace their lives in the neighborhood back generations to urban renewal of other black neighborhoods, migration from Appalachia or the South and other major social forces in the 20th century. The changes of this century have, until recently, centered around Over-the-Rhine’s southern half, mostly fueled by more than half a billion dollars in investment poured into the neighborhood by the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation (3CDC), a public-private partnership with the city of Cincinnati. But recently, these dynamics have begun intensifying in other parts of the neighborhood as well, including the area around Findlay Market and around a recently rehabbed Ziegler Park on the OTR-Pendleton border. Having seen the changes firsthand, other residents at Parkway were less surprised about their potential impending moves. Charlene, 44, who asked that her last name not be used for this story, was facing her third move in two years. She lived for 23 years in an apartment on Sycamore Avenue near Milton Street until it was renovated in 2015. From there, she began renting from Brickstone Properties, an affiliate of Model Group. She was in an apartment on Elm Street just blocks from Parkway Towers when Model told her last year it was rehabbing that building and she would have to leave. Now, she faced moving again.
“This is prime real estate,” Charlene says of the Findlay Market area. “I’ve been in downtown Cincinnati since I was three days old. I have family who have lived down here all their lives, too. I want to stay here.” For now, Charlene will get her wish. After hearing about the situation, advocates with the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio discovered that her building has a use restriction — that is, a requirement tied to past rehabilitation funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that it stay affordable. For the next five to 15 years, Model will likely have to continue with that arrangement. Contrary to Model’s letter, most residents there have only mild complaints about the building’s condition, and HUD documents show that Parkway scored an 84 percent — much higher than other buildings that continue to receive HUD approval — during a recent inspection. Model has since backed off telling tenants to move. In response to a request by CityBeat for comment on the situation, Chief Operating Officer Bobby Maly said the company has decided to leave the building as it is after Legal Aid’s requests. At a recent meeting about the situation, Legal Aid’s Nick DiNardo told residents they were in the clear — for now. “I think they tried to pull a fast one here, and they got caught,” he said. “And now they say they’re not going to try and do that anymore.” In hotspots around OTR, other residents haven’t been as lucky. As the neighborhood heats up and the temptation to make money on valuable real estate rises, low-income people are getting shuffled around and, in some cases, moved out of the neighborhood entirely. In many buildings, expiring HUD subsidies or rent restrictions are allowing landlords to shift affordable housing to market rate. “It’s a process involving pressure,” Legal Aid Director John Schrider says of the squeeze felt by low-income renters in redeveloping neighborhoods. “The pressure can come in a number of subtle or not-so-subtle ways. As neighborhoods change, unless you find the right way to
do it, which seems really elusive, the former residents are going to lose.” Despite efforts to preserve affordable housing in OTR and other neighborhoods, the situation could get worse. Wiley hopes it won’t. “I’ve been down here all my life,” he says. “This is where I want to be. This is where I want to die.”
Rapid change in the urban core OTR’s revitalization has been nationally lauded by The Atlantic, The New York Times and a number of other prestigious publications. But it has come at a price. A now widely cited study by Xavier’s Community Building Institute using Census data and real estate listings found that even as middle and high-income housing has increased, the most affordable housing — units costing about $400 for a one bedroom — in OTR decreased by 73 percent from 2000 to 2015, going from 3,235 units to just 869. OTR has also seen a decrease in residents living in the neighborhood who receive rental help from HUD attached to Section 8 vouchers. With vouchers, HUD picks up the cost of rent above 30 percent of a recipient’s income for any private residence that accepts them. At its peak, in 2004, 545 voucher holders lived in OTR. By 2015, that number had dropped to 326, according to HUD data. The reasons people with vouchers leave a neighborhood can be complex, but some almost certainly left OTR because they couldn’t find landlords accepting the subsidies. Charlene, the Parkway Towers resident, can attest to this. “Look at my gray hair. I got these from worrying about a roof over my head,” she says. “Most landlords just don’t want to mess with Section 8. The government makes them do things they should be doing already (to maintain buildings) and they think everyone on Section 8 doesn’t have any money.” Big demographic shifts have also occurred in the wake of OTR’s revitalization. That might seem like a good
PARKWAY TOWERS
A model Group rehab project near Findl ay Marke t
“As Over-the-Rhine losses affordable housing, there is no neighborhood that is opening its doors.” — Mary Burke Rivers, executive director of Over-the-Rhine Communit y Housing
Traumatic transitions Around the same time residents at Parkway Towers were worrying they would need to leave their building, Birdie Fleming sat on a couch in her neighbor Catherine Chiles’ apartment a few blocks away at 1900 Race St. Boxes, clothing and packing material surrounded the two. Both Fleming and Chiles are in their mid-seventies and hold HUD vouchers for subsidized rent. Both had lived in their building near Findlay Market for more than 15 years and both were in the process of moving out. As they sat in Chiles’ soon-to-be former apartment, they were at turns angry and frightened, sometimes in tears. Both struggle with various chronic illnesses and rely on walkers to get around. They also rely on each other and don’t want to be split up. “I’m worried about her,” Fleming said, motioning to Chiles. “She’s in the same shape I am. I don’t have that much longer, I believe. I just want a peaceful place where I can sit and not be bothered.” Model Group, which owns the building, told Chiles and Fleming last summer they eventually have to move — something they resisted — but would get relocation assistance in doing so. Fleming signed a lease on an apartment in the West End but says she never wanted to live there. She says stress around the move has affected her mental state and that she didn’t understand what she was signing at the time. After signing the contract and being told she couldn’t get out of it, Fleming begrudgingly began undertaking the slow, painful process of lugging bags of belongings the 20-minute walk from her old apartment to the new one. Maly, Model Group’s CEO, says the building on Race
Street is in bad repair and must be vacated — something the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition and residents in the building have contested. He says Model plans to build a new mixed-use development at the site with a quarter of its residential units affordable at 80 percent of the area median income, or AMI. AMI is the measure HUD uses to determine housing affordability based on countywide income statistics. In Hamilton County, AMI is $71,200 for a family of four, meaning Model’s affordable apartments will be financially accessible to families making about $56,800 a year, or a single person making $40,000 a year. The Census tract containing Findlay market has many low-income residents, some on fixed incomes like Fleming and Chiles, and the median household income there was just $7,500 at the 2010 Census. To be affordable for such a household by HUD standards — which stipulate a tenant should pay no more than 30 percent of her or his income for housing costs — an apartment would have to cost about $188 a month. It’s a conundrum common in the affordable housing world. Subsidized developments touted as affordable at 30, 60 or 80 percent of AMI are still out of reach for residents in many areas of OTR and other neighborhoods where the median household incomes have hovered at $15,000 or less a year. Some residents close the gap with Section 8 vouchers — but there’s a lengthy waitlist to get those. After an extensive back and forth between Model, Legal Aid and the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, Fleming was let out of her lease on her apartment in the West End. She now lives on 13th Street in OTR, where she is somewhat happier. Chiles, her former neighbor, lives not far away on 14th Street. Still, the two say, they’ve had to throw away many of their belongings and endure a traumatic transition.
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thing at first glance — less segregation for a largely black, low-income community. But the changes have come mostly due to black residents leaving the neighborhood, thanks in part to problems that tightly bind race and economic status in Cincinnati (see “That Which Divides Us,” issue of Aug. 26, 2015). The five census tracts making up Over-the-Rhine and neighboring Pendleton, population about 6,000 today, lost nearly 2,000 black residents between 2010 and 2015, according to Census data. Meanwhile, white population in the neighborhood has increased by about 700 residents. In 2015, CityBeat published a story detailing the displacement of some low-income, predominantly black residents out of southern OTR, including a man named Reginald Stroud, who lost two businesses and his home when developers purchased and renovated the building his family occupied on Walnut Street (see “Moving Up, Moving Out,” issue of Aug. 12, 2015). The trend has repeated, albeit more slowly and less drastically, in other parts of OTR. But it could speed up as some of those areas, including the blocks on the Pendleton-OTR border surrounding a newly revamped Ziegler Park and the area around Findlay Market in OTR’s northwestern quadrant, receive more attention from developers. And respite may not be readily available in other neighborhoods — a recent study by the Local Initiatives Support Corporation released in February found that Hamilton County needs 40,000 more units of housing to meet the needs of the area’s low-income families. For those who advocate for tenants, it’s a distressing situation. “With the robust housing and commercial market in Over-the-Rhine, it is difficult for people to hear and believe that there is a downside,” says Mary Burke Rivers, executive director of Over-the-Rhine Community Housing. “As Over-the-Rhine loses affordable housing, there is no neighborhood that is opening its doors.”
AFFORDABLE HOUSING UNITS IN OTR 2000: 3,235 2015: 869 Source: X avier Universit y Communit y Building Institute/Census
SECTION 8 VOUCHER HOLDERS IN OTR 2004: 545 2015: 326 Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development The four porperties mentioned in this story are located in areas seeing big new development efforts.
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Big plans, big changes Model is one of the few for-profit developers in the city working with affordable housing, which presents difficult and complicated financing challenges. The company has a good track record, affordable housing advocates say, but some of the recent moves it has made are distressing. “They’re known as the model for-profit developer,” says Josh Spring, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition. “The affordable units they develop, historically, have been quality, and their management has been good. But Model will also sell out their tenants easily. It gets to the point where you start to wonder — are they doing affordable housing because it’s the right thing to do? Or are they doing it because it’s good PR and when the market shifts on a block, they can move people out?” The building where Fleming and Chiles lived is just a small piece of a larger plan. Model, one of the first developers to work with 3CDC in the years after the latter was founded in 2003, recently purchased 35 buildings in the area around Findlay Market for renovation, including most of the block south of 1900 Race. Those plans include a $19 million project providing 23 market-rate apartments and nine condominiums ranging between $225,000 and $575,000. Other developers are moving fast in the neighborhood as well, rehabbing buildings for market-rate apartments and condos. Maly says preserving affordability in the neighborhood is a big priority for Model, as is creating mixed-income communities. “We believe that OTR’s diversity is one of the most interesting and appealing parts of the community,” he said in an email response to questions about the developer’s plans. “We will continue as we have done for many years to try to develop high-quality affordable housing that is indistinguishable from market-rate housing alongside high-quality market-rate housing.” There are currently about 300 affordable housing units in the neighborhood around Findlay Market, and the city would like to see 50 more — part of larger pushes in City
Hall to boost affordable housing. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, one of the last major nonprofit affordable housing providers standing in OTR, is working on a plan that includes a 43-unit scattered site project for the areas around the market. That effort, called Carrie’s Place, is part of a bigger project involving affordable housing across OTR with Model and 3CDC at the helm. Last year, the groups announced a $135 million project that would rehabilitate about 300 units of affordable housing at 60 percent AMI while adding 250 units of market-rate housing. The city provided $2 million toward that project and forgave $2 million in debt previous owners owed on some buildings involved in it. The rehabs will take place at eight sites scattered across OTR once owned by Denver-based Mercy Housing and other affordable housing providers. Even this effort to preserve affordable housing will entail some loss of affordable units, though. According to an analysis of a list of the properties included in the project, the effort will take some 335 existing affordable units of housing and yield 303. That’s if all the planned affordable units come through — something some affordable housing advocates have expressed doubts about.
A long and ongoing loss The mechanisms by which OTR is losing its affordable housing are complex and not necessarily all about developers. In some ways, they’re baked into current federal housing policy, which has become increasingly reliant on the private market. In the 1970s, HUD began to move away from largescale public housing complexes toward more marketbased approaches like Section 8. By the 1980s, HUD had launched a program called LowIncome Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), which are given to developers in exchange for a promise that the residential buildings they construct will remain affordable for 15 or 30 years. HUD has also used other subsidies, including
rental vouchers that stay with particular units in particular buildings, to try and ensure that those without the means for market-rate housing have a place to live. Some of the subsidies that have left OTR belonged to Hart Realty, run by former affordable housing magnate Thomas Denhart. In 2001, following the civil unrest in OTR and changes to the way the Department of Housing and Urban Development assessed fair market rents, Denhart declared bankruptcy and got rid of properties containing about 900 affordable units of housing. Some of those units, purchased by other landlords, stayed HUD-subsidized. Others became vacant or were converted to market-rate housing. It’s hard to know how many low-income tenants eventually trickled out of OTR due to the bankruptcy, but it was far less than the 2,356 low-income units CBI found the neighborhood lost in the last decade and a half. Rent restrictions on LIHTC buildings and buildingspecific subsidies expiring are another part of that puzzle — and future expirations could claim many more units of affordable housing over the coming years. HUD data shows that about 30 buildings containing about 500 units of affordable housing in OTR and neighboring Pendleton had their HUD affordability restrictions or subsidies expire between 2001 and last year. In some cases, building owners can ask the Ohio Housing Finance Agency, which handles HUD contracts for the state, to opt out of their rent restrictions early. That has happened in other Ohio cities, and at least one building in the Mercy Housing portfolio has received that permission as well. And time is winding down on restrictions and subsidies at a number of other buildings, meaning the potential for far less affordable housing in the future. “There are some older tax credit projects, and as they bump up to their 15th year, they’re increasingly at risk of no longer being low-income housing,” Legal Aid’s Schrider says. Sycamore Manor represents 19 units of affordable housing in an area of Pendleton seeing rapid reinvestment. The building’s HUD subsidies will expire in September this
P H O T O S : N I C K S WA R T S E L L
developers unveil rehabbed affordable housing in Pendle ton.
SYCAMORE MANOR
“Right here, this is my spot. I sit here and see the world. I liked to barbeque here and have a thousand kids come around. You moved me like I’m a youngster who just moved out of momma’s house.” — Birdie Fleming
An uphill battle for affordability As in the area near Findlay Market, there are efforts to preserve affordable housing in Pendleton. In late May, a group including Mayor John Cranley, OTRCH Executive Director Rivers and Tom Feusse of Wallick Communities, a for-profit developer, gathered at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center to unveil a $5.4 million renovation of 40 units of LIHTC housing in the neighborhood called Cutter Apartments. The rehabs were financed with HUD dollars, meaning they’ll stay affordable for at least another 15 years. But even as those units are saved, many others remain in danger or are gone for good. What’s more, proposed changes to tax policies at the federal level have deflated the value of funding mechanisms like LIHTC, making it harder to rehab buildings or build new affordable housing (see “Credits Where Credits are Due,” issue of March 29). And President Donald Trump’s administration earlier this year proposed deep cuts to HUD programs that fund affordable housing. In cities like San Francisco, where housing costs have exploded over the past decade, debates have raged about how to address the skyrocketing expense of places to live. Some pro-development factions trust the market to take care of housing costs, arguing that increasing density in the city by building more housing of any kind — even luxury condos — will eventually decrease all housing costs by soaking up demand. But others say those high-end units just increase property values around them
and make the neighborhood more and more expensive. While data isn’t conclusive in San Francisco, studies in other cities show more housing doesn’t always equal affordability. A study released in April by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research found that even in Houston, producing more housing didn’t always lead to lower prices in changing neighborhoods. In fact, higher property taxes and the demolition of more-modest housing in favor of higher-priced dwellings, even denser ones, was increasing cost of living in some urban Houston neighborhoods, according to the study. It’s a debate that’s likely to intensify around neighborhoods like OTR and Pendleton. As affordable options there continue to dwindle, tenants look likely to be moved around or out of the neighborhoods entirely. That’s a source of constant stress for some — a feeling they could be uprooted at any time. “There are days when the loss of affordable housing in Over-the-Rhine and the loss of the people who lived here breaks my spirit,” says OTRCH’s Rivers. “I get overwhelmed by all the losses and the potential losses that lie ahead. When we lose a unit of affordable housing, here or in any neighborhood, it will be years before we get it back, if we ever do get it back. With all the changes and the loss of housing I’d guess that most residents don’t feel that their home is secure here. That’s a hard way to live.” Just days before she moved, Fleming sat on her doorstep outside her apartment at 1900 Race St. She looked up and down the street wistfully. “It’s peaceful here,” she said. “Right here, this is my spot. I sit here and see the world. I liked to barbeque here and have a thousand kids come around. You moved me like I’m a youngster who just moved out of momma’s house. I’m 75 years old. Just let me do like I’ve been doing, taking care of myself.” ©
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year, and tenants there have already been told they will need to be out by the end of the summer. Residents there have a variety of opinions about that — some shrug it off as simple economics. But others, including one elderly tenant who sat on his doorstep recently with a bandage on his arm from the dialysis he must undergo, say they are very upset about the situation. At this point, many aren’t sure where they’ll move. Like Sycamore Manor, buildings in OTR and Pendleton containing at least 900 low-income units are set to have their HUD subsidies or LIHTC-related rent restrictions expire over the next five years, HUD data shows. That’s not counting buildings OTRCH, Model and other groups are working to keep affordable. Meanwhile, revitalization efforts are making the neighborhood more expensive. Sycamore Manor sits across from the current hum and roar of construction on an underground parking garage for the Alumni Lofts, the former Woodward School building where market-rate apartments run between $800 and $1,900 a month. The building is also across the street from Ziegler Park, which recently received a $30 million renovation from 3CDC. Residents in other buildings nearby are seeing big increases in their rents tied to improvements in the neighborhood. Low- and moderate-income residents at an apartment building two blocks away on 13th Street received a letter last month advising them their rent would go up $110 a month — an increase that residents say they can’t afford. “The neighborhood continues to improve around us,” the letter says. “The new parking garage and green space at Woodward School across the street and the completely rebuilt Ziegler Park, 200 feet away. Improvements throughout the Pendleton and OTR are creating great energy that has spread throughout the city.” That increase isn’t a one-time occurrence. Census data shows that gross rents in the Pendleton Census tract went from $296 in 2010 to $486 in 2015.
O V E R 5 0 VA R I E T I E S O F W H I S K E Y, I N C L U D I N G :
FREE & OPEN TO ALL AGES Friday, July 21 • 5-10 p.m. Saturday, July 22 • 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
F E AT U R I N G F O O D F R O M :
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P R E S E N T E D B Y:
F R I DAY
5pm: Willow Tree Carolers 6pm: Wonky Tonk 7pm: The Missy Werner Band 8pm: Justin Paul Lewis 9pm: Jay Jesse Johnson Band
S P O N S O R E D B Y:
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S AT U R DAY
2pm: Joe Wannabe 3pm: Ethan and Joey 4pm: Ma Crow and the Lady Slippers 5pm: The Rosetint Collective 6pm: Right Turn Clyde 7pm: Taylor Shannon 8pm: Royal Holland 9pm: Comet Bluegrass All-Stars
F E AT U R I N G B E E R F R O M : P R O C E E D S B E N E F I T:
FOR MOR E I N FO, V I SI T C I T Y B E AT.C OM/ C I T Y B E AT-E V E N TS
to do
Staff Recommendations
WEDNESDAY 12
ART: Cincinnati Art Underground’s SHADOOBIE explores the relationship between the natural and built world. See review on page 24. EVENT: CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK KICK-OFF PARTY Burger lovers, your time is nigh: Cincinnati Burger Week returns on Monday with more than 50 eateries serving up $5 specialty burgers. From Mount Adams Pavilion’s Buffalo Chicken Dip Burger to Oakley Pub & Grill’s succulent Soul Burger, there’s no shortage of culinary concoctions to fulfill every meaty — or vegetarian — craving. Burgers available at each participating restaurant are listed on this year’s official Burger Week passport, including designations showing where vegetarian substitutes are available. Get your passport punched at at least three locations to be entered to win a grill-out party courtesy of the Ohio Beef Council. The festivities kick off with a party at Braxton Brewing Company Wednesday, complete with live music and an extra punch for your passport. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Free. Braxton Brewing Company, 27 W. Seventh St., Covington, Ky. Burger Week runs July 17-23. For a list of participating restaurants, visit citybeat. com. — EMILY BEGLEY
THURSDAY 13
COMEDY: RYAN SINGER Though he hails from the Dayton suburb of Kettering, comedian Ryan Singer calls Go Bananas in Montgomery his home club. Now living in Los Angeles, he still has fond memories of his hometown. “When someone has a
FRIDAY 14
MUSIC: Singer/songwriter TRISTEN supports her new Sneaker Waves at MOTR Pub. See Sound Advice on page 34.
ONSTAGE: THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR Are you impatient for Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to open the doors of its new theater in September? If you need a shot of the Bard before then, Cincy Shakes launches its 11th-annual summer tour of classic plays in free, shortened versions at parks and community centers all over the Tristate. The fun kicks off with a rollicking comedy about the funny fat guy, Sir John Falstaff, trying to make ends meet by romancing two happily married and very savvy women in The Merry Wives of Windsor. They turn the tables and deliver a fine comedy. 7 p.m. Friday. Free. Eden Park, 950 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams. For a full list of this week’s performances, visit cincyshakes.com. — RICK PENDER EVENT: BACON, BOURBON & BREW FESTIVAL Bacon, America’s sweetheart, will join forces with Kentucky’s saving grace — bourbon — and Cincinnati’s sidekick — craft beer — for a three-day festival in Newport. Dedicated to Cincinnati’s rich history in the beer, bourbon and pork industries, this festival includes top food vendors, booze tastings, lectures, group discussions and creations from the Tristate’s top mixologists. Entice your senses with odd culinary creations, like deep-fried peanut butter, jelly, banana and bacon or feel fancy with baconwrapped filet mignon. Snack on bacon popcorn, try multiple bacon-goetta combos or, if you’re vegetarian, just go for the drinks. 5-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Festival Park, Riverboat Row, Newport, Ky., facebook.com/baconbourbonandbrewfestival. — MACKENZIE MANLEY CONTINUES ON PAGE 20
THURSDAY 13
ART: MASTER PIECES, SKETCH AND IN MEMORIAM AT MANIFEST Manifest gallery hosts two consecutive evenings of events this Thursday and Friday. On Thursday, Something Special welcomes the gallery’s newest Manifest Artists in Residence, Brianna Angelakis and Charlie Goering, with a night of fancy foodstuffs, wine and live music. On Friday, the gallery hosts a larger public opening for its three newest exhibits: MASTER PIECES, which features the work of MFA students throughout the country and includes a piece by Angelakis; SKETCH, a sampling of nascent works that helped artists realize their vision but could stand on their own; and IN MEMORIAM, artworks made in remembrance. All three exhibitions continue through Aug. 11. Something Special 6-9 p.m. Thursday. Opening reception 6-9 p.m. Friday. Free both nights. Manifest, 2727 Woodburn Ave., East Walnut Hills, manifestgallery.org. — MARIA SEDA-REEDER
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EVENT: MST3K LIVE! In the not too distant past, Netflix renewed a show about a jumpsuit-wearing guy who is marooned in space and forced to watch schlock films at the behest of an evil scientist. Throughout those films, he riffs jokes at the expense of the cinematic stink bombs alongside his robot friends, which are really just puppets made from gimcrack. Mystery Science Theater 3000 has featured three different hosts since its 1988 premiere, actor/ writer Jonah Ray being the most recent in the show’s 11th season — almost 18 years after season 10 aired. They’ve taken MST3K on the road and will perform a live episode in Columbus featuring Eegah, a 1962 teenage caveman horror movie. Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt play the show’s villains via televised video and Joel Hodgson, the show’s creator and original host, will be on stage. 8 p.m. Wednesday. $39-$50. Speaker Jo Ann Davidson Theatre, 77 S. High St., Columbus, Ohio, mst3k.com. — SEAN PETERS
photo : Art by Brianna Angel akis
bad opinion of Dayton, you can always make a couple of quick assumptions,” he says. “First, they probably visited for two days and were stuck in a hotel somewhere and didn’t have car. So they would have that opinion about any place. That’s also probably the type of person that’s vocal about how everything sucks.” Growing up, Singer was close to his grandmother who instilled an interest in religion in him. However, today his interests go beyond theology and encompass the paranormal and more. Showtimes ThursdaySunday. $8-$14. Go Bananas, 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, gobananascomedy.com. — P.F. WILSON
p h o t o : D a n N o r m a n , M i n n e s o ta O p e r a
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SATURDAY 15
CHRIS STAPLETON AUGUST 8 • RIVERBEND
ONSTAGE: THE MAGIC FLUTE Cincinnati Opera’s current adaptation of Mozart’s The Magic Flute has been described as “surreally enchanting.” Tamino had only seen the princess in a portrait, but this didn’t keep him from embarking on a quest riddled with mythical creatures, an evil queen and heroic trials to save her. However, he finds that all is not as it first appears. Layered in aesthetics of silent film, projections and an absurd animation style, the production — reimagined by Komische Oper Berlin and British theater group 1927 — has bewitched audiences from across the globe. Catch the three-hour classic tale, sung in German with projected English translations. Through July 23. $45-$149. Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, cincinnatiopera.org. — MACKENZIE MANLEY
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SATURDAY 15
EVENT: BASTILLE DAY Joyeux quatorze Juillet! It’s time to repurpose that Fourth of July red, white and blue and fête French freedom during Saturday’s Bastille Day summer street festival in downtown Montgomery. Montgomery is celebrating 28 years of friendship with sister city Neuilly-Plaisance, France. Enjoy ethnic cuisine from European Café, Cinque Restaurant and many more food vendors. Between filling up on crêpes and wine, find family-friendly activities like pony rides, a waiters’ race, historic walking tours, live music and a communal art project. Noon-11 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. Between Cooper and Remington roads, Montgomery, montgomeryohio.org/bastille-daycelebration. — ELISABETH DODD EVENT: TASTE OF ITALIA Pasta lovers, noodle connoisseurs and Italian-cuisine enthusiasts alike are welcome to immerse themselves in the culture and food of Italy at Jungle Jim’s Taste of Italia event. Complete with a tour through Italy’s most savory regions, visitors can learn more about Italian history and culture
while enjoying fresh dishes and ingredients from across the sea. With the VIP option, ticket holders will have ample access to the Paradise Pavilion bar and exclusive privileges on adult beverages. Show up hungry, because you’re likely to be more stuffed than cheese ravioli when you leave. Ages 21 and up. 6-9 p.m. samples; 6-11 p.m. bar Saturday. $20; $25 day of; $40 VIP; $45 VIP day of. Jungle Jim’s Eastgate, 4450 Eastgate South Dive, Eastgate, junglejims. com. — AMANDA WEISBROD EVENT: CRAZY CARDBOARD BOAT REGATTA Don’t rock the boat — because this one is made of cardboard. Set course for Butler County’s Crazy Cardboard Boat Regatta to simultaneously test your sea legs and MacGyver-like craft skills. Register a team, build a water-worthy boat strictly out of corrugated cardboard (and decorative flourishes) and get ready to race around the lake in Voice of America Park… or sunbathe nearby and watch the action. The fastest, most creative and best-looking cardboard boats will win prizes. The race is short, but the activities, entertainment and food last all afternoon. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. Free for spectators; $30 entry/
$5 b
m 50+ restau o r f s r e ran urg
JULY 17-23, 2017
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CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
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JULY 17 – 23
Contents Party in Your Mouth Combining the right beer and burger can be sensational Page 7
Cincinnati Burger Week commandments Page 11
Local burger spots are carefully crafting new specialty burgers all the time
PoP’s PoPPin’ egg salad sandwich
“sandwicH of- tHe Year” Restaurant News
WILDEGGS.COM | Follow us on coming soon! DOWNTOWN 301 E 4th Street Cincinnati, OH 513-345-7014
OAKLEY 3240 Vandercar Way Cincinnati, OH 513-285-8802
KENWOOD 7677 Montgomery Rd. Cincinnati, OH
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Page 17
“Best sandwicH” - Restaurant Hospitality
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
Finding Your New Favorite Burger
Kelsey Ky Brown
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Best Hot Brown - USA Today
JULY 17 – 23
Cincinnati Burger Week Menus
Front of Shirt
JULY 17 – 23
Saturday & Sunday Brunch 11am-3pm Monday-Friday Happy Hour 5pm-8pm Private Events of any kind 940 Pavilion St. Cincinnati, OH 45202
SATISFY
YOUR HUNGER
EXTINGUISH YOUR THIRST
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CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
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513.381.1905 www.mtadamschapter.com
Visit u
s duri
r Burge
ng
Week
3620 Decoursey Ave, Covington, KY 41015
(859) 866-6017
BETTER BURGERS BETTER CHILI EPIC FRIED
FOODS
3 PRIvATE EvENT SPAcES HOURS: Mon-Sat 11 aM-2:30 aM • Sun 11 aM-3 pM
2701 Vine Street • 513.221.2300
JULY 17 – 23 •
It’s almost like the two were made for each other. And after just one sip, we think you’ll know exactly what we mean.
J A C K D A N I E L’ S
TENNESSEE WHISKEY
KEEP YOUR NIGHT AS UNCOMPLICATED AS YOUR COCKTAIL. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ©2015 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks.
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
When smooth, charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey first met the sweet fizz of cola, America’s classic cocktail was born.
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Visit one of our 4 locations during
100 + beers in each location • MacsPizzapub.com Mac’s On the Pike 6309 WOOster Pike | Mac’s cliftOn 205 W McMillan st Mac’s landen 2920 W Us-22 | Mac’s Main strasse 604 Main st cOvingtOn
T h e Brea kfa sT B u rge r Homemade Chorizo Goetta, American Cheese, a Fried Egg, & Curry Aioli
T h e B l ack B e a n Burg e r c a p r e se
1000 Elm St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513-421-0110 washingtonplatform.com
Come see our newly remodeled veranda
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Vegan Black Bean Burger, Provolone, Basil, Tomato, & Roasted Garlic Mayo
7565 Kenwood Rd, CinCinnati, oH 45236 (513) 984-1905 • triobistro.com
Party in Your Mouth
Combining the right beer and burger can be sensational By Stephen Novotni
B
JULY 17 – 23 07
Saundra says. “I think you can do bourbon and burgers too. I never drank beer until five or six years ago. I had a wine rep introduce me to beer. I wasn’t drinking Bud Light or Budweiser. I just think it’s terrible. “But that’s my personal opinion and now you have beers that are just great,” she continues. “Warped Wing makes great beer. You have Rhinegeist. You have all these local beers popping up. I think beers and burgers now are available to people with different taste profiles. You can have a burger and an IPA. I think beer anymore, you can pair it as easily as you can wine. I can go and get a sour or a hoppy IPA. Now, whatever I’m in the mood for, it’s there.” ©
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let them talk to my wife,” he continues. “She’s the expert on that. I like ice water.” Saundra says she thinks the house sangria goes splendidly with their burgers. “Most of the beers we have on draft, I love,” Saundra says. “We make a house punch and a house red and white sangria, and right now we do a mildly spicy watermelon white sangria and it would go well with any burger. We actually gave my husband the watermelon sangria last night and he loved it.” Saundra says bourbon cocktails go well with their burgers, too. She says it is important to move outside of your comfort zone to explore different pairings. “Historically, the way burgers and beer have been presented have been together,”
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
Blue Ash. They are really proud of the food they serve and take great care to craft fresh fare and offer good advice to their patrons on what drinks work with each dish. “The basic burger has to be as much in house as possible,” says Shawn. “Local products, because that makes a huge difference in flavor, fresh bread and grilled meat. All those things put together make a really good burger.” Their massive Flying Pig Burger will be on special for Burger Week. It’s piled with slow-roasted barbecue pork. “My perfect day is you’re sitting on the river with a light IPA. As long as it’s ice cold, that’s it,” Shawn says. “When people ask me about pairings, I
•
eers and burgers are a long-standing American tradition. There’s something that just works about the interplay of bitter hops and savory beef on the tongue. But some drinks work better for some meats than others, and understanding the subtleties of this culinary dance can turn a simple beer and burger into an experience that’s memorable. Fifty West Brewing Company Executive Chef John Tomain says the brew pub’s beer selection, which is all made in house, is different from week to week. So it’s a good idea to talk with your server or bartender about what drink works with which burger or entrée. “Our beers are changing regularly,” Tomain says. “But any of the lighter beers will pair fine. Let’s say our Main Street Amber or our Coast to Coast IPA are good. I think really, with a burger, it’s your own preference. There are certain things that will pair better. Like as in the case with wine, likes with likes. So, an IPA works with something bitter — like arugula. They add to each other. Anything that’s sweet, like our Doom Pedal White Ale, which is one of our mainstays — it’s got a little orange-y, coriander-y spice, so I would pair that with a fennel Italian sausage that we have made by Lehr’s Meats for us.” Tomain says beer often pairs with burgers because it is more versatile than wine. “The biggest problem with wine is it doesn’t do well with spicy,” Tomain says. “With beer you can have an IPA which pairs pretty well with something spicy or our Going Plaid Scotch Ale, which is a little maltier and sweeter — that can help cool down a spice. Really, wine loses its luster when you pair it with spicy foods.” Sometimes the beers pair so well that it goes into the food. “I really like our clam dish,” Tomain says. “It’s kind of like an ode to a clam bake. It’s got some corn, potato, some smoked sausage. We use fresh corn, so we take the stalks of the corn and we roast that and make the broth and we pair that with some of our Main Street Amber. We make a broth from the Main Street Amber and the corn stalk.” Husband and wife team Shawn and Saundra McCoy operate Brown Dog Café in
A rich and juicy burger good enough to carry the name of Greater Cincinnati businessman and community leader Charles “Chuck” Scheper. Fresh ground with special-select USDA prime Midwest Angus beef and a sprinkle of Izzy’s secret spices.
$ 5 The Izzy Burger
July 17-23
Available at all 8 locations • www.izzys.com
Great food Since 1926! Patio oPen!
6396 Salem Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45230 www.salemgardens.org • 513-231-9666
When smooth, charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey first met the sweet fizz of cola, America’s classic cocktail was born.
08
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CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
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JULY 17 – 23
It’s almost like the two were made for each other. And after just one sip, we think you’ll know exactly what we mean.
Enjoy Jack Daniel’s™ Specials throughout Cincinnati Burger Week restaurants including: J A C K at D select A N I E L’participating S TENN ESSEE WH ISKEY
KEEP YOUR NIGHT AS UNCOMPLICATED AS YOUR COCKTAIL. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. BRU Burger BarAll•rightsChandler’s Burger Bistro • Chapter ©2015 Jack Daniel’s. reserved. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks. Flipdaddy’s (all 4 locations) • House of Orange Keystone Bar & Grill - Hyde Park • Lachey’s Ladder 19 • Mac’s Pizza Pub (4 locations) Martino’s on Vine • Mt. Adams Pavilion Nation Kitchen and Bar • Parkers Blue Ash Tavern The Sandbar • Tickle Pickle • Trio Bistro When smooth, charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey first met the sweet fizz of cola, America’s classic cocktail was born.
BJDJUKO5219_LUG_v1b.indd 1
3/13/15 4:48 PM
It’s almost like the two were made for each other. And after just one sip, we think you’ll know exactly what we mean.
J A C K D A N I E L’ S
TENNESSEE WHISKEY
KEEP YOUR NIGHT AS UNCOMPLICATED AS YOUR COCKTAIL. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. ©2015 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved. JACK DANIEL’S and OLD NO. 7 are registered trademarks.
#JackandBurgers
Post photos of yourself and your friends enjoying Jack Daniel’s™ & burgers and be automatically eligible to win a Jack Daniel’s™ backpack. Must be 21+. BJDJUKO5219_LUG_v1b.indd 1
3/13/15 4:48 PM
Over 30 beers • Over 25 Whiskeys • Graeter’s shakes alWays fresh, never frOzen burGer patties made frOm siGnature blend Of anGus beef brisket, shOrt rib, & ChuCk
600 W 3rd st COvinGtOn, ky 41011 (859) 547-4646 burGersandCrafts.COm
JULY 17 – 23 • CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017 • 09
Proudly serving at two locations the All AmericAn Burger: Served on a Servatti bun with bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mayo & american cheese. Includes choice of french fries or chips.
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JULY 17 – 23
DelhI 6135 Cleves Warsaw Pike Cincinnati, Oh 45233 513-941-0823
harrISOn 10533 harrison ave harrison, Oh 45030 513-202-0439
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK Commandments
Only $5
Cincinnati Burger Week has created such strong, lusty, even insane feelings, that we decided it needed its own little manifesto. Please read on.
1. THERE’S A CHANCE THEY WILL RUN OUT
We expect that the restaurants will be extremely busy. So, if a place runs out of ingredients toward the end of a shift, handle it with poise: Go back the next day, earlier, and enjoy your burger and sides.
2. THERE WILL LIKELY BE WAITS
People have been talking about Burger Week 2017 for months. Don’t be surprised if restaurants sometimes have waits.
3. YOU WILL TIP LIKE A PRO
$5 brings out the cheap in all of us, but, really, you’re likely getting a $10-plus burger — many restaurants are going way overboard with ingredients, trying to outdo each other — so please consider full menu price when tipping. The people who are serving you are working harder during Burger Week than at any other point in the year. A kind word will also be welcome — these people are our friends and neighbors.
Slatts Pub
4858 Cooper Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45242
4. YOU REALLY SHOULD BUY A DRINK AND/OR OTHER FOODS
5. CHECK TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM
A huge thanks to our presenting sponsors:
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Ohio Beef Council & Braxton Brewing Co. Official Cocktail: Jack Daniel’s™ Nonprofit sponsor: Childhood Food Solutions
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
6. DINE-IN
Just a final note that restaurants will not offer their $5 burgers to-go. A big incentive for them to participate is knowing they’re bringing new customers in to experience their restaurants and service. Carry-out lines out the door would impose upon everyone’s burger consumption.
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Restaurants will be encouraged to post their waits and remaining burgers for the day. Visit cincinnatiburgerweek. com and don’t forget to tag your Instagram photos and tweets with #CincyBurgerWeek.
JULY 17 – 23
Purchase of sides and extras are not a requirement. But we think it says a lot to try other new things during the Burger Week experience. Grab some fries, a Braxton, or a Jack Daniel’s™ cocktail and say thanks!
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5 B U R G E R S $
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
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JULY 17 – 23
menus; -
O F F I C I A L Anderson Pub & Grill andersonpubandgrill.com
Memphis Burger Premium angus chuck smothered
with house-made BBQ sauce & topped with bacon & cheddar.
Bard’s Burgers & Chili facebook.com/bardsburgers1
2 Choices The Five-O Burger: A juicy cheeseburger
topped with bacon, lettuce, pickle & mayo served on a sliced & toasted glazed donut bun! The Standard Deluxe: Classic burger & fries for $5 for the less adventurous.
Burger Brothers Belterra Park belterrapark.com
The Stepbrother 5oz. angus patty, American cheese, shredded lettuce, sliced tomato, onion, pickle, apple wood candied bacon and Burger Brothers sauce.
brown dog cafe browndogcafe.com
The Flying Pig Ground Chuck Patty barbecued pork
B U R G E R
Chandler’s burger bistro (2 locations) chandlersburgerbistro.com
Hangover Easy
hangovereasycincinnati.com
Sweet Sunrise
All American Burger Served on a Servatti
bun with bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, mayo, & american cheese. Includes choice of french fries OR chips.
Ohio Proud ground beef on a toasted English Muffin topped with melted cheddar cheese, tomato bacon jam, and sunny side egg!
Chapter mt. adams
House of orange
mtadamschapter.com
houseoforangesportsbarandgrill.com
BBQ Crusted Chapter Burger
Dutch Lion
crossroads sports bar & grill
The Izzy Burger Rich and Juicy, this burger is
Kansas City BBQ Crusted burger with coleslaw, pickles, and onion staws.
crossroadsbar.letseat.at
Bacon Cheeseburger 1/3 pound burger with
lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, choice of cheese, and bacon. Served with fries.
desha’s deshas.com
Single patty with bacon, fried gouda wedge, and spicy orange mayo.
izzy’s (8 locations) izzys.com
good enough to carry the name of one of Greater Cincinnati businessman and community leader Chuck Scheper. Fresh ground with special-select USDA prime Midwest Angus beef and a sprinkle of Izzy’s secret spices.
keystone bar & Grill
(3 locations) keystonebar.com
York with a Fork Burger A fresh beef patty
belly, onion, compote cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, with smoked garlic aioli.
The Garrett Burger Onion marmelade, herb goat
bru burger bar
Drake’s drakescomeplay.com
Jamón Burger QT pound Bru signature
blend burger topped with Serrano Jamón, Habanero Havarti cheese, crispy onion straws, and Sriracha aioli.
burger on a butter toasted bun with hickory smoked bacon, iceberg slaw, jalapeno-green tomato jam and parmesan garlic mayonnaise.
Tangy Chipotle Burger Fresh beef patty with
bucketheads
fifty west brewing co.
Ladder 19 ladder19.com Ragin’ Cajun Two 4oz stacked patties topped
bruburgerbar.com/cincinnati
Bullseye Burger A fresh 1/3lb angus burger
topped with american cheese, bacon, BBQ sauce and a giant onion ring on a toasted bun.
buffalo wings & Rings
cheese, spring greens. Served on a toasted brioche bun.
Drake’s BLT Burger A fresh, never frozen 8 oz
fiftywestbrew.com
50 West Burger House ground beef w/ lettuce,
tomato, pickle, onion, cheddar, and house dressing served on a broiche bun.
topped with carrots, celery, caramelized onions, cheddarjack, and stout-braised brisket. Served over Yorkshire pudding in a hot skillet.
Lachey’s Bar lacheys.com
lettuce, tomato, white American cheese, and a chipotlecilantro aioli.
with grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, swiss cheese and Clifton’s favorite Cajun sauce.
Mac’s pizza pub
(3 locations)
Flipdaddy’s (all 4 locations)
(4 locations) macspizzapub.com
Ringer Burger Made with premium beef blend!
3 Choices The Flipdaddy: The quintessential, classic
w/ BBQ Sauce, onion rings, lettuce, tomato, onion.
buffalowingsandrings.com
Topped with Sweet BBQ sauce, Applewood-smoked bacon, Chedder Jack cheeses on a brioche bun, topped with an onion ring (868 cal.).
burgerFI BURGERFI.com
The BURGERFI Cheeseburger
flipdaddys.com
American burger with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. The French Connection: Featuring our freshly made Boursin cheese, aioli & thinly sliced, deep fried red onion straws. Popeye would chase this burger through NYC! Whiskey Bacon: Sweet ‘n’ tangy Jack Daniel’s™ infusion, American cheese, cherrywood smoked bacon, crispy bacon bits.
A true American classic, 2 all natural beef patties, topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomato and Fi sauce served on BURGERFI’s signature branded bun.
flipside liberty
burgers & crafts
Cheddar, applewood bacon, charred balsamic vinegar red onions & Flipside’s house BBQ sauce.
The Craft Burger
Gabby’s Cafe
burgersandcrafts.com
Special patty blend of angus beef brisket, short rib, & chuck topped with aged cheddar cheese, caramelized onion, bacon, lettuce, tomato, Frog Ranch pickle slaw, a fried egg, and a chipotle honey drizzle.
flipsideburger.com
Flipside Burger Featuring their 2 year aged
gabbyswyoming.com
Gabby’s Caprese Burger Fresh mozzarella cheese, pesto, lettuce, tomato, and tomato aioli. Served with homemade saratoga chips and BBQ sauce.
Best Western 8oz all-beef burger seared and served
Macaron bar macaron-bar.com
Macaron Burger 2 Special Dessert “Macaron Burgers” for $5
Martino’s on Vine martinosonvine.com
Pittsburgher Black Angus burger topped with
melted provolone cheese, fries, coleslaw, and tomatoes all served on fresh Italian bread.
MOTR Pub
motrpub.com
MOTR Burger
An Over-the-Rhine staple since 2010. The bolder burger built for beer! Hand-packed beef topped with house aioli, farm tomato and a crispy onion ring on a fresh bun baked by MOTR’s Main Street neighbor Shadeau Breads.
menus; -
Mt. Adams Pavilion
prime cincinnati
tela bar + kitchen
Buffalo Chicken Dip Burger Hand-pattied
The Jack Burger A mushroom infused prime
Starsky and Hatch Hand-formed Longdale
mountadamspavilion.com
beef burger served with the Pavilion’s signature housemade Buffalo chicken dip on a brioche bun, accompanied by fresh lettuce, tomato, and onion.
Murray’s Wings murrayswings.com
Sweet Bourbon Bacon Burger Third of a pound grilled angus burger topped with sweet bourbon sauce, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Served with saratoga chips and a side of pickles.
primecincinnati.com
burger with rocket arugula, aged Vermont cheddar, spicy onion jam, sugar cured bacon, and truffle aioli on a brioche bun.
Tickle pickle northside
Grilled Bourbon & Bacon Burger All-
2 Choices
experiencethepub.com
beef patty, toasted brioche bun, Makers Mark BBQ sauce, white cheddar cheese, maple pepper bacon, BBQ onions straws, chipotle mayo.
The Pub (rookwood)
Frisco Burger Two Avril Bleh beef patties, swiss
The Bees Knees Burger 8oz all beef patty
cheese, caramelized onions, and 1000 island dressing on Sixteen Bricks sourdough.
experiencethepub.com
on a brioche bun topped with Makers Mark BBQ pork and finished with a sriracha coleslaw.
the National exemplar
Salem Gardens
Southern Barbecue Burger
Charlie O Burger Two 1/4 pound ground chuck
nicholson’s tavern & pub
Sammy’s craft Burgers & beers sammyscbb.com
nationalexemplar.com
Dry-aged beef topped with horseradish cheddar cheese, barbecue bacon, and creamy coleslaw.
nicholsonspub.com
The Bourbon Bacon Burger A 6oz hand
patties, topped with sharp cheddar, maple bourbon bacon jam, arugula, red onion, tomato, and Nicholson’s house made lemon garlic aoli on brioche bun.
nine giant brewing ninegiant.com
Uncle Walter Burger Black Hawk Farms grass
fed beef, housemade pickles, red onion, shredded lettuce, american cheese, secret sauce, served on Sixteen Bricks challah bun.
Oakley Pub & Grill
salemgardens.org
patties with American cheese, lettuce, onion, pickle and mayo on a fresh Giminetti kaiser bun.
The Zandbar Zinzinnati Burger
A fresh brat burger patty with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and a gently-spiced whole grain mustard dijonnaise.
Slatt’s pub
slattspub.com
2 Choices If Cows Could Fly: 1/2 lb. fresh ground
guacamole, and alfa sprouts, topped with Wasbi Ranch.
The Goat Cheese Braxton Burger
smokejustis.com
Federal Burger This burger is 1/2 LB of hand
pattied USDA Ground Beef with Smoke Justis spices, topped with white cheddar cheese & applewood smoked bacon. Served on a locally made brioche bun with house made mayo, lettuce, onion and tomato.
tavern on the bend tavernonthebend.net
The 007 Burger 1/2 pound patty with fresh
ground beef from Eckerlin Meats, lettuce, tomato, provolone cheese, and secret sauce served on a Regina Bakery bun.
washingtonplatform.com
2 Choices Breakfast Burger: Homemade chorizo
goetta, American cheese, a fried egg, & curry aioli. Black Bean Burger Caprese: Vegan black bean burger with provolone, basil, tomato & Roasted Garlic Mayonaise.
Willie’s Sports Cafe (Western Hills only) williessportscafe.com
3 Choices Old Rueb: 1/3 lb burger w/ corned beef,
sauerkraut , pepper jack cheese & 1090 sriracha aioli. Willie Philly: 1/3 burger Philly meat, onions , banana peppers, mushrooms, queso cheese. Big Italian: 1/3 burger, salami, capacola, ham, banana peppers, pizza sauce, provolone. All burgers come w/ lettuce, tomatoes, onions, served with fries.
Zola Pub & Grill zolapubandgrill.com
The Classic All-American Burger
Fresh 8oz. Angus ground beef with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on a toasted Kaiser roll.
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
West Coast Burger Provolone cheese,
trio bistro triobistro.com
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pattyburger.com
donut “bun” with a fudge, gooey brownie patty. We top it with some raspberry sauce, whipped cream & a little Tres Belle magic. It’s the sweetest burger of the week! Jacked Up Joe: We start with one of Tres Belle’s signature jumbo mocha cupcakes with an Irish cream filling, top it with a Jack Daniel’s ganache, Irish cream buttercream and a Jack Daniel’s whiskey ball. It’s a party in your mouth!
JULY 17 – 23
smoke justis
Patty Burger
2 Choices The Sugar Momma: Soft & sweet yeast
Washington Platform saloon & restaurant
thesandbarcincinnati.com
Parkers blue ash tavern ground applewood bacon, tomato jam, smoked gouda cheese, on a challah bun. Black Bean Burger: Black Beans blended with Rice, Roasted Vegetables, Portobello Mushrooms, Aged Cheddar Cheese and Southwestern Seasonings.
tres belle cakes & coffee shop tresbellecakes.com
the Sandbar
jerk spices, bacon, grilled onion & American.
parkersblueash.com
Bread Zepplin: Regular Non GMO bun, beef burger, American cheese, ketchup, Mayo, lettuce, tomato, onion, & pickle. Buns N’ Roses (Vegan): Cuban bun, house made black bean burger, spicy ketchup, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle.
Ground tenderloin, arugula, Braxton beer caramelized onions, goat cheese, on a challah bun.
onion jelly, smoked Gouda cheese, micro greens.
Soul Burger Premium angus chuck seasoned with
2 Choices Triple Crown: 50% ground chuck, 50%
ticklepicklenorthside.com
Bacon Jelly Burger Sweet & savory bacon
beef, served on a brioche bun, topped with steak fries, bbq pulled pork & covered with house-made Fifty West IPA bier cheese. Black Bean Burger: beer cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion.
oakleypubandgrill.com
Farms OHIO beef patty, smoked hatch pepper cheddar cheese sauce, roasted tomato crudo, Sixteen Bricks challah bun.
The Pub (crestview hills)
Nation kitchen & bar nationkitchenandbar.com
telabarandkitchen.com
$
L O C A T I O N S
5 B U R G E R S
W E E K
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JULY 17 – 23 •
thursday trivia nights
don’t miss a single play this fall on one of our large outdoor dog friendly patios.
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
tuesday trivia nights
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Celebrate burger week at Tēla with a Starsky & Hatch. Do it! 1212 Springfield Pike Cincinnati, OH 45215 513.821.8352 (TELA)
Get your passports stamped at Tres Belle Cakes and Coffee Shop all during Burger Week when you grab your Dessert Burger and Jacked Up Joe Jumbo Cupcakes. They are available for pre-order and carry out. Dessert Burgers and Cupcakes will also be available at Gabby’s Cafe during Burger Week.
Happy Eating!
Mon-Fri 7 am to 6 pm, Sat 10-6 and Sunday noon-4
8921 Reading Rd, Reading, OH 45215 | (513) 260-9883
All -American Burger e h T A Fresh 8oz Angus
Tomato, Onion and 626 Main St. Covington, KY 41011 859-261-7510 • zolapubandgrill.com
Pickle on a Toasted Kaiser Roll.
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
2169 Queen City Ave. • Cincinnati, OH 45214 (513) 389-9464 • www.murrayswings.com
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Proudly serving during Burger Week:
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JULY 17 – 23
Patty with American Cheese, Mayo, Lettuce,
Sweet Bourbon Bacon Burger
Third of a pound grilled angus burger topped with sweet bourbon sauce, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. Served with Saratoga chips and a side of pickles
BRU is an ode to our love....
the Burger
Paired with a beer, we can’t imagine what could be better.
9 Welcome to Bru Burger Bar 9 41 E 6th St (On the corner of 6th and Walnut St) • Cincinnati, OH 45202 513-463-6003 • For reservations visit us at www.bruburgerbar.com
Finding Your New Favorite Burger
Local burger spots are carefully crafting new specialty burgers all the time By Stephen Novotni
T
JULY 17 – 23 17
you’ve got to think about the flavors that you can use that might go well with it. It’s just a hit or miss thing. So, I think it takes a lot of dedication to make a gourmet burger.” Gilliam has seen the trend grow. “When I was a kid you bought a hamburger and it might have cheese, lettuce, pickles — just the basic stuff,” Gilliam says. “And now people are starting to look more into the ingredients or what type of meat goes into their burgers. (The public) is starting to become more adventurous. A few years ago was when I saw it change — people taking a simple thing and making it better. Everybody can have their own signature burger by making it theirs, by choosing the toppings, by giving it a name.” ©
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“It caught me off guard,” Gilliam says. “I’d just been trying to mix different flavors and see how they worked out. I didn’t think they would actually go with mine. I was just going to try it out as the lunch special and see how it would go.” Gilliam describes the “Garrett Burger” as an all-beef patty on a brioche bun topped with a creamy herbed goat cheese and a fresh onion marmalade. It’s an example of how experimentation and putting a subtle spin on the basic hamburger can make it something special. “To make it a gourmet burger, it’s everything that goes into it, not just the ingredients,” Gilliam says. “Burgers are a basic thing. If you want to add more to it to upscale it,
CINCINNATI BURGER WEEK 2017
and drink that compliment one another and are appropriate to the season. “We have some summer-style burgers — the California Burger with banana peppers, mushrooms, Swiss cheese. We pair that with a lemon pepper mayo or aoli,” Herringer says. “We try to pair up for the season. We definitely try and stress pairing this with a seasonal beer. Here at Zola, we are more of a pub-style place. The lighter-style wines can pair up well with the summer-style burgers, too.” Garrett Gilliam, a line cook at deSha’s American Grill at Harper’s Point, says he was excited and honored that the management at his restaurant chose his creation as their specialty burger for Burger Week.
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he humble hamburger has changed a lot in recent years. No more is it just a fast food grab-and-go item. Now, thanks to a more educated and more widely traveled public and the resulting demand for fresher and more exotic ingredients, hamburgers have gone gourmet. The burger business is booming among Cincinnati culinary locales, and foodies have a terrific opportunity to strap on the feedbag and work their gourmet groove thanks to Burger Week. It’s a chance to try new, off-the-menu specialty burgers for the bargain price of $5. Zola Pub in Covington is presenting a classic for Burger Week. Owner Matt Heringer says he’s offering an 8-ounce black Angus burger — it has a silky smooth 81-19 grind, meaning a generous fat content of 19 percent to lend the beef a rich, easy feel. This is served with American Cheese on a fiveinch Kaiser roll, freshly baked with mayonnaise, lettuce, onion and pickle. “It’s kind of simple, but at the same time we feel that our burger meat and consistency is a good quality,” Herringer says. “You’ll be able to tell the difference.” Herringer is proud to offer food that has travelled only dozens of miles, rather than hundreds, to his restaurant’s front door. “We use a place in Cincinnati, Chef’s Warehouse,” Herringer says. “It comes from a couple of places including Lexington. Our produce comes from local places as well.” The difference between and average burger and one that is extraordinary is largely a product of consistency in the kitchen and fresh, quality ingredients. “We do not pre-cook anything,” Herringer says. “It’s all cooked to order. Fresh and simple. A lot of places still use frozen ground beef and ground chuck. We use fresh-ground Angus-grade beef here, and I think people notice that. And we do it for a pretty reasonable price. Besides just our featured burger, we do this every day. People recognize that quality.” Herringer tries to offer a variety of burger entrees to appeal to his clientele’s varied tastes. He says part of what makes the experience of dining out special is the advice his team offers to its patrons, suggesting food
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You haven’t haven’t had had the the perfect perfect burger burger until until you’ve you’ve been been here. here. At At Burger Burger Brothers, Brothers, serving serving you you nothing nothing but but big big You bites of of deliciousness deliciousness isn’t isn’t our our goal, goal, it’s it’s our our obsession. obsession. We We use use fresh-ground fresh-ground Angus Angus beef beef cooked cooked just just the the way way bites you like. Not to mention our hand-cut fries and the freshest ingredients. We’re open late. Bring your hunger. you like. Not to mention our hand-cut fries and the freshest ingredients. We’re open late. Bring your hunger.
JULY 17 – 23
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JULY 17 – 23
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# C incy B ur g er W ee k
Participating Locations
JULY 17 – 23
- Follow @CincyBurgerWeek on Twitter & Instagram - Post photos of you & your favorite burgers with the hashtag: #CincyBurgerWeek - Post photos of you and your favorite drinks with the hashtag #BraxtonAndBurgers or #JackAndBurgers
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MOTR BURGER An Over-the-Rhine staple since 2010. The bolder burger built for beer! Handpacked beef topped with house aioli, farm tomato and a crispy onion ring on a fresh bun baked by MOTR’s Main Street neighbor Shadeau Breads.
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JULY 17 – 23
AW SHUCKS, Thanks you guys CITYBEAT JUST NAMED FLIPDADDY’S: BURGER SPOT #1 NEIGHBORHOOD NORTHERN ‘BURBS & NORTHERN KENTUCKY #3 OVERALL BURGER IN CINCINNATI
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photo : provided
Sunday 16
MUSIC: AESOP ROCK At the start of this year, CityBeat spoke to New York-bred/Bay Area-based underground Hip Hop legend Aesop Rock before a tour stop in Cincinnati about his latest album, The Impossible Kid, a more personal lyrical effort that the MC said was a result of maturing and understanding his artistic talents better. If it’s his “mid-life crisis” — he’s crossed the threshold into his 40s and has been making music for more than 20 years now — it’s a good look for the former Ian Bavitz. His seventh album stands with his best work, as he continues to craft progressive and thought-provoking songs. And don’t expect him to be eyeing retirement anytime soon; Aesop said for him making music isn’t a choice: “It’s a compulsion, a passion, it’s a million things wrapped up in one.” Opening his current tour is the dazzling, creative Art Rap maestro Open Mike Eagle. 7:30 p.m. Sunday. $22.50. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com. — MIKE BREEN
registration. Voice of America Park, 7850 VOA Park Drive, West Chester, yourmetroparks.net. — ELISABETH DODD
SUNDAY 16
EVENT: BURLINGTON ANTIQUE SHOW Complete any collection with a trip to Burlington for the Midwest’s premier antiques and vintage collectibles show. Burlington has everything from authentic antiques to already-flipped furniture. There will be more than 200 dealers, so whether you’re into costume jewelry, coins, cameras or Coca-Cola,
WITH ADULT BEVERAGES.
you’re sure to uncover some gems. If you’re a serious collector, consider early bird admission — you’ll get first pick for only $2 more. 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. $6 early bird (6-8 a.m.); $4 general; free 12 and under. Boone County Fairgrounds, 5819 Idlewild Road, Burlington, Ky., burlingtonantiqueshow.com. — GRACE HILL
MONDAY 17
ONSTAGE: The Cincinnati Opera presents Missy Mazzoli’s SONG FROM THE UPROAR. See feature on page 22. MUSIC: ELF POWER brings psychedelic fuzz and thunder to MOTR Pub. See Sound Advice on page 35. MUSIC: Indie rockers PINEGROVE play Southgate House Revival. See Sound Advice on page 35.
ONGOING VISUAL ART The Strange & Exotic World of Lafcadio Hearn Main Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Downtown (Through Aug. 20)
Over-the-Rhine + 16-BitBar.com
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EVENT: THE CITY FLEA Support local businesses and find something unique at this month’s City Flea. Vintage dealers, artisan pizza, plant studios and more will overtake Washington Park with one-of-a-kind local artisan goods and wares. Since 2011, the City Flea has helped small businesses grow and the community thrive as numerous vendors go from hobbyists to full-on entrepreneurs and shoppers meet, greet, buy and eat with like-minded friends, neighbors and strangers. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. Free. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, thecityflea. com. — AMANDA WEISBROD
UNLEASH YOUR INNER CHILD...
arts & culture
A Visionary Contemporary Opera
Missy Mazzoli’s much-praised Song from the Uproar is part of Cincinnati Opera’s current season BY ANNE ARENSTEIN
P H O T O : m a r y l e n e m ay
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C
incinnati Opera, in collaboration with concert:nova, presents an opera about a fiercely independent woman whose life was operatic by any standard — and who was virtually unknown until composer Missy Mazzoli wrote Song from the Uproar: The Lives and Deaths of Isabelle Eberhardt. Isabelle Eberhardt was born into an unconventional family in Switzerland in 1877. By the time she was 20, her parents and brother had died and she left for Algeria. There, Eberhardt dressed like a man, converted to Islam, joined a mystic all-male Sufi sect and survived an assassination attempt. After a tempestuous romance, she married an Algerian soldier and died in a desert flash flood at age 27. Her journals miraculously survived. In 2004, Mazzoli was an aspiring 24-yearold composer who had no interest in writing opera. She wrote music for Rock bands and had just begun composing solo and chamber works while studying at Yale. Then she wandered into a Boston bookstore and bought a copy of Eberhardt’s journals. Eight years later, the multi-media Uproar — inspired by what she read — had its world premiere at The Kitchen in New York. It has since been performed in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Chautauqua, N.Y. and now Cincinnati. Its series of four performances at the Aronoff Center for the Arts’ Fifth Third Bank Theater begins Monday. It is a chamber opera with Eberhardt as the only named character. She is lucky to be remembered today. “Isabelle’s husband and others pulled the papers from the water and dried them in these big urns,” says the Brooklyn-based Mazzoli in a phone conversation. “This opera literally comes out of the flood. I became obsessed with her history and started using her texts for the libretto.” But the material almost overwhelmed Mazzoli, who had never composed an opera at the time. “I’d written about 30 minutes of music, but I wanted this to be a reflection on Isabelle’s life and not her life story, so I turned to Royce Vavrek,” she says. Vavrek, a playwright, filmmaker and librettist trained as a musician, created a series of vignettes incorporating Eberhardt’s writings, as well as his own and Mazzoli’s poetry. Filmmaker Stephen Taylor became part of the team, using archival footage to enhance the dreamy, surreal landscape that Eberhardt inhabits in the opera. Staging also plays a critical part: A vocal quintet portrays multiple roles, from Swiss bourgeoisie to whirling dervishes. “I came to believe that a woman as progressive as Isabelle Eberhardt deserved
Missy Mazzoli (pictured) says her opera was inspired by a fearless woman explorer. a story unmoored from any specific period in history, a world where distorted guitars, stuttering electronic voices and abstract films could find a home in her fantasies and dreams,” writes Mazzoli in her essay for Cincinnati Opera’s program book. The 75-minute work, performed without intermission, draws us into Eberhardt’s brief life in vignettes separated by electronic sequences — what one reviewer described as “crackling like ancient shortwave.” “(Mazzoli) is able to conjure up atmosphere in a couple of bars, like Verdi and Britten,” says Evans Mirageas, Cincinnati Opera’s artistic director. “She sets up not just the sound world, but also the historical and locational world of the piece.” Mazzoli insists that an emotional connection far outweighs a sense of place. “I never wanted to create music that says, ‘Oh yeah, Algeria, 1904,’ ” she says. “I do try to create that emotional response to being in the unknown, or being on the edge, or being ecstatic.” The opera’s first haunting song, “The World Within Me Is Too Small,” is a deceptively simple melody propelled by insistent, urgent accompaniment, not unlike a pulse. And “I Have Arrived” conveys that sense of ecstasy with lively woodwinds and a giddy tempo.
The concluding vocal performance for Eberhardt and the chorus, which echoes the opera’s opening instrumental phrases and sonic accents, establishes Eberhardt’s presence. Abigail Fischer brings her lustrous mezzosoprano to the Cincinnati’s performances; she has appeared in every production of Uproar since the premiere. Mazzoli wrote the role for her after hearing Fischer perform works by George Crumb and Nico Muhly. “Isabelle is a huge, demanding part and Abby was fearless about everything involved in creating the role,” Mazzoli says. “She still is.” The score calls for a piano, electric guitar, double bass, a few woodwinds and — in what has become a signature of Mazzoli’s compositions — electronics. Members of concert:nova will be in the pit under the direction of Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Associate Conductor Keitaro Harada. concert:nova’s artistic director, Ixi Chen, has been advocating for Uproar since its premiere and is thrilled to be collaborating with Cincinnati Opera. “I love Missy’s music — especially this piece,” she says. Marco Pelle makes his Cincinnati Opera debut, staging and choreographing Uproar. Mazzoli, now 37, regards her first opera with the circumspection provided by
experience. “I feel like it’s a real honest reflection of where I was at that time,” she says. “I was responding to the opportunity that I had and the resources available, and all the original team had a huge impact on it. I won’t write about Isabelle again; this is my truth about her.” Uproar’s success brought further opera commissions for Mazzoli and Vavrek. Last September, Philadelphia Opera presented the world premiere of Breaking the Waves, based on the 1996 Lars von Trier film. Mazzoli’s score garnered critical raves for powerfully evoking both character and landscape. “I want to connect to people,” she says. “I want music to be a tool for connection. With opera, you have more opportunities for that. “What I’m working on now is very different, and it’s an extension of Uproar,” she continues. “I’ve become more adept at experimental harmony and texture, but I had to write Uproar before I could get to that spot. It’s all part of one artistic journey.” SONG FROM THE UPROAR is presented four times from Monday through July 21 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts’ Fifth Third Bank Theater. More info: cincinnatiopera.org.
a&c THE big picture
Why Are the Monkees in a Psychedelic Art Show? BY STEVEN ROSEN
According to Stern, the two producers sent him and Brockman to Hollywood to plan for the movie’s promotional campaign. “We went to a photographer’s studio and I said to Rafelson, ‘Sit down in the chair and we’re going to take your picture for the poster.’ He said, ‘It ain’t gonna be me. It’s going to be John.’ I said he’s not a head — he doesn’t smoke and he’s not the director.
Poster for 1968 Monkees’ movie Head P H O T O : c o u r t e s y o f th e c a r l s o lway g a l l e r y
And he said, ‘Who’s paying who?’ So it ended up being John.” Rafelson, in a 2002 interview for Mojo, had a somewhat different story: “The ad was originally supposed to have a picture of me on it, but John Brockman was a Marshall McLuhan scholar and said, ‘It doesn’t matter whose picture is on it. We’re not going to say it’s The Monkees. We’re just going to say, ‘What’s Head? And whose head? and basically enquire people into the theater.’ He was afraid this picture was too radical for The Monkees’ audience, so let’s allow people to discover it as an individual movie. That was the philosophy.” Stern says USCO’s Judi Stern and Barbara Durkee printed 100 copies of the Mylar posters. There were also paper ones. Stern kept four of the Mylar ones. Head flopped when released but has since become a cult favorite. But Rafelson’s and Schneider’s next production, the Dennis Hopper-directed Easy Rider, changed Hollywood and made actor Jack Nicholson a star. DISTANT HORIZONS: PIONEERS OF PSYCHEDELIC ART is on view through Sept. 16 at Carl Solway Gallery, 424 Findlay St., West End. More info: solwaygallery.com.
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Distant Horizons: Pioneers of Psychedelic Art, the exhibit currently at the Carl Solway Gallery, is a show devoted to 1960s art at its most radically transformative. The four principal artists — Isaac Abrams, Ira Cohen, Tony Martin and the artist collective USCO (especially its member Gerd Stern) — were, in many cases, so turned on by LSD that they sought to create work that, like the drug, could see through all of life’s pretensions and artifices to arrive at the pure white light/white heat of revelatory truth. So what are two copies of a poster for Head, a 1968 movie starring The Monkees — so often derided as the ultimate in fake, commercial boy bands — doing in this show? It’s a beautiful screen-printed poster — an image of a serious-looking, bespectacled young man’s head on reflective Mylar, with colors swirling around. It’s so memorable it’s in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. Still… The Monkees? The explanation relates to USCO’s Stern, who at age 88 has a fascinating history as a poet, visual artist, Beatnik and hippie. There’s a 329-page interview with him, conducted by the University of California’s Regional Oral History Office, available online to prove how unusual his life has been. He, as part of USCO, was involved in a groundbreaking Long Island disco, called The World, that used new media projections so groundbreaking it received widespread press coverage. The Solway exhibition has a copy of a 1966 Life magazine featuring the place. At the time, Stern was represented by a young John Brockman — now a top literary agent — in his commercial ventures. “One day, we got something from Hollywood saying they had seen our publicity and would like to meet with us,” Stern says. “And later, in front of (Brockman’s) Central Park building, a huge limousine stopped and they asked us to come down.” In the limo were two men, Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider, who had created The Monkees, a television sensation from 1966-68 in which four actors were hired to portray a zany, tight-knit Beatlesque band. By 1968, Rock music had moved on and they were seen as too synthetic and adolescent. Still, Rafelson and Schneider had parlayed their success into a six-picture production deal with Columbia Pictures. For the first film, they wanted to make the band newly appreciated for the turned-on generation. Stern says he partook of marijuana in the limo, but Brockman didn’t touch the stuff. “They said they hadn’t thought of a name for the picture yet and I thought of (one). I said, ‘Let’s call it Head. It’s a great name for a movie.’ ‘Heads’ are people who smoke dope. And Rafelson is the movie’s director, so he’s the head. We’ll do a psychedelic poster of his head.”
a&c visual art
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Shadoobie, an exhibition on view at Cincinnati Art Underground through July 22, features the work of Indiana-based sculptor Daniel Combs and two Cincinnati-based artists, painter Matt Estenfelder and multimedia artist Maxwell Redder. According to gallery materials, it stresses work that originates with forms in nature, but is as inspired by the human-made environment as the natural one. The show’s title comes from the lyrics of the Rolling Stones’ song “Shattered,” which urges the listener to “Go ahead, bite the Big Apple, don’t mind the maggots.” This is an example, the gallery says, of “the image of nature resisting our over-development in big cities” and thus fitting for this show. Artist and Cincinnati Art Underground creative director Andrey Kozakov curated the show. This is the first of such endeavors at the gallery’s 800-square-foot space on Main Street (or anywhere, actually) for Kozakov, who learned about fine art as a child from his artist-father. When I visited, gallery director Rachael Moore showed me one of Kozakov’s architectural sculptures, which clarified the curator’s connection to the three artists in Shadoobie. Though it’s not officially a piece in the show, Kozakov’s cabinet-like object could easily have been included. For Estenfelder’s and Redder’s works, the two advance the conflation between natural and human-made forms from different sides of the same coin. As Kozakov describes, “You see both sides of the same idea.” Some of Estenfelder’s more recent paintings are common subjects: a portrait, a composed still life. But prior to painting, Estenfelder distorts the images via computer manipulation until they’re virtually unrecognizable, rendering them abstract yet retaining hints of form and structure. In Estenfelder’s oil-on-canvas “Points to Three,” for example, details of color and pattern reveal implications of what once might have been clear — the draping of a checkerboard tablecloth, a sprig of green figs, the rococo insides of a fully bloomed flower — but have been distorted like a reflection in a funhouse mirror. As painters often do, Estenfelder radically experiments with form and color, using traditional subjects to say something about painting rather than merely depicting the subjects themselves. Think of Modernists like Matisse and Picasso, who often painted both nudes and landscapes, but the subject matter was never actually those nudes or landscapes — it was about what the artist could do with paint upon a canvas. Likewise, Redder’s artistic output in Shadoobie seems equally interested in formal investigation. He pursues it with materials, playing upon the show’s curatorial
framework of humanity’s mark on our natural environment. Several of his more successful works in Shadoobie — “It’s Just Cake, Sugar Babe,” “Rotation of Crops” and “Adam’s Finger” — employ remnants of human habitation upon the land: caulking, foam, wall anchors and oversized pieces of building insulation that the artist has sliced, peeled or written upon.
Matt Estenfelder’s “Arrival” P H O T O : s h a r e e a l l e n photo g r a ph y
“Rotation of Crops” and “Adam’s Finger,” both executed with insulation foam, read as landscape and graffiti, collapsing the idea of surface and object to become the wall itself. Nearly a dozen of Combs’ diminutive sculptures, located on two pedestals near the front of the gallery, also engage with building materials — they are carved from pottery plaster. The pieces can resemble both architectural hardware and organic forms. Half of the pieces, which prominently feature smoothed-out flanges that look as soft as sand, are painted; the other half are left bare. Kozakov explains that Combs mixes acrylics with solvents to give the paint a kind of “bubble effect” and then applies a clear coat to protect it. This small exhibition, though not necessarily a conceptual revelation, does well to provide viewers with the impression of what the work of any of these three talented artists might look like in one’s home. And for talented artists like Combs, Estenfelder and Redder, giving the public more opportunities to encounter (and potentially purchase) their work can itself be revelatory. SHADOOBIE runs through July 22 at Cincinnati Art Underground, 1415 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. More info: cincinnatiartunderground.com.
a&c culture
Price Hill Has Good Stories to Tell BY LEYLA SHOKOOHE
August 9 5:30-8:30 PM CinCinnAti PlAyhouse in the PArk
enjoy sweets & treAts froM: bloC Coffee CoMPAny, CAMP wAshington Chili, Covington Coffee CoMPAny, ChoColAts lAtour, einstein bros bAgels, holtMAn’s donut shoP, jA’dore deleCtAbles, nothing bundt CAkes, MAribelle CAkery, sAndy’s CAtering CuPCAkes, 3 sweet girls CAkery, tres belle CAkes And Coffee shoP, And More to be AnnounCed!
tiCkets And More At CitybeAt.CoM/CitybeAt-events
C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 • 2 5
What’s your story? Cincy Stories wants and a video camera. They are encourto know. The two-year-old local nonprofit aged to share their stories in the intimate that is dedicated to building community booth, which Ashwell and Braley can then through storytelling has just opened its edit and turn into a three-to-five-minute second neighborhood “story gallery” in video that is played on the three television East Price Hill. Through Oct. 31, people screens in the front. can stop by the space at 3116 Warsaw Ave. Already up is one featuring local pastor from noon-7 p.m. Wednesday through Kirk Kirkland, of Revive City Church on Saturday and share their lives. Glenway Avenue. He discusses his calling “People are hungry for this kind of interacto the ministry, issues with city permits tion,” says Chris Ashwell, creative director for his original choice of location and the and co-founder (with Shawn Braley) of formation of the church’s outreach efforts. Cincy Stories. What began in 2015 as a live storytelling event — akin to the national Moth Radio Hour — in the basement of Over-theRhine’s MOTR Pub is steadily expanding its reach. Braley explains that Cincy Stories has felt its mission is to come to where the people are, not just wait for them to come to its events. He refers to it as “get(ting) our hands dirty in the neighborhood.” Last year, it operated a story gallery on East McMillan Street in Walnut Hills. Andrew Aragon in the booth at the new Price Hill story gallery There, Ashwell and Braley P H O T O : S h a r e e B ooth worked with the Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation and received “creative placemaking” Interaction also comes from face-to-face funding from the Local Initiatives Support encounters — visitors are encouraged Corporation (LISC). That resulted in 21 to sit down and swap stories with one stories from Walnut Hills residents and another. Prompts are spread throughout workers for its website, cincystories.net. the exchange to facilitate conversation. Some are beautifully produced vignettes. They can be as innocuous as “Tell me a In Price Hill, Cincy Stories is working story about the most memorable sports with Price Hill Will, along with the Carol game you went to” and as potentially Ann and Ralph V. Haile Jr./U.S. Bank touchy as “Tell me a story about a time you Foundation, ArtsWave and, again, LISC. were accused of something you didn’t do.” And Price Hill welcomes it, says Samantha “Our brains need that narrative to actuConover, community engagement coorally really connect,” Braley says. “I think dinator for Price Hill Will. “We’re trying we can keep each other at arm’s length to keep everybody here and keep them when we (just) talk about what we think, invested in this community,” she explains. rather than about who we are through the Cincy Stories complements her organizastories that we share.” tion’s aim to reinvigorate Warsaw, the busiBoth men believe sharing relatable stoness district of East Price Hill. Businesses ries can change a community for the better. are cropping up on Warsaw Avenue, but “This is something that could actually storefronts remain vacant or underutilized. make long-term tangible action in our “It’s just not active all the time,” Conover communities,” Ashwell says. “All we’re says. “So we’re trying to find people to bring doing is empowering people to believe that into these storefronts and make them more they actually matter in the community, and active, and to get more businesses to be their stories are as important as what hapmore attracted to our business district.” pened to any politician or business owner. The premise for the Price Hill story And when they feel like they’re important gallery is simple enough: Make the space to the community, they feel like they want comfortable with couches and free cofto be part of it. And then they want to help fee and welcome everyone who stops in. the community.” Ashwell refers to the space as “grandma’s PRICE HILL STORY GALLERY is open noon-7 living room.” Visitors can pop into a p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. More info: story booth, which is a small, private tent cincystories.net. complete with an easy chair, a microphone
a&c film
Rush to Cinematic Judgment: A List of the Best Films of 2017 — So Far BY T T STERN-ENZI
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As we celebrate the passing of the halfway tally of over $200 million, the film certainly mark of 2017, it seems that critics (like the stands as a major exception to the rule that team at indiewire.com), moreso than usual, movies by and about people of color fail have taken to offering up first-half evaluto export well. And everyone now seems ations. That means they’re taking time to thoroughly interested in doing business make an extra opportunity to indulge in the with Peele, who looks like he’s going to be time-honored tradition of compiling lists. far too busy to actually appear in front of Just like regular film fans, I peruse these the camera anytime soon. The real trick lists, seeking to compare and contrast my here is that Peele’s ultra-contemporary tastes against those of my peers. But all too racial horror allegory was able to do so often I find myself envious of their early access to a greater number of arthouse selections or film festival titles that I won’t catch sight of until September, when I head up to the Toronto International Film Festival. So, as a regional film scribe, I feel an obligation to level the playing field a bit. For a film to merit consideration in my “Best Of So Far” list, it must have had at least one week of theatrical screenings in our market and screened at some point Kelvin Harrison Jr. in It Comes at Night after the Academy Awards P H O T O : e r i c m c n att/ c o u r t e s y o f a 24 on Feb. 26. Let’s be honest, the real new year of film kicks off the first Friday after the big much more than merely push PC buttons; dance, right? the film drew people into theaters and into The good news is that this list gives conversations afterward about something readers a chance to play catch-up before other than our Tweeter-in-Chief. the second half of the year swings into high • The premise of French writer-director gear and brings the annual awards season Julia Ducournau’s Raw sounds like an onslaught of prestige titles. Here are my best so far, in no particular order: • During the second half of It Comes At Night, Trey Edward Shults’ psychological thriller, I mused to myself that I was getting a sneak peek at my Top 10 for the year. With his steady hand at the helm and the presence of producer and star Joel Edgerton, It Comes At Night wrapped me in the warmest, creepiest embrace I’ve been in so far this year. I was completely mesmerized, despite the fact that the team of indie producers at Garance Marillier in Raw A24 absolutely mismarketed PHOTO : courtesy of focus world the hell out of this movie, convincing audiences that intriguing lark from the Toronto festithey were entering a horror film marrying val’s Midnight Madness slate. A virginal It Follows or The Witch with the zombie young veterinary student named Justine apocalypse thrills of The Walking Dead. (Garance Marillier) discovers a mysterious No way, no how, people. This was infinitely truth about herself during a hazing ritual better than that gimmicky idea. — one that sends her on a quest to quench • The consensus pick for most viewers a new deadly hunger for flesh. Part of the would have to be director-writer Jordan delicious play here is how vegetarianism Peele’s Get Out. With a global box office
factors into the narrative, making Raw a fascinating, contemporary coming-of-age story that draws crafty and quite sensual parallels with Paul Schrader’s 1982 version of Cat People. • Graduation from writer-director Cristian Mungiu — who shared Best Director honors at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival with Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper) — deserved a greater following. It’s a complex situational human drama about how far a father (Adrian Titieni) is willing to go to assist his daughter in her efforts to get into university and start off on a successful path for a life abroad. It explores tricky ethical territory with a degree of naked honesty that forces audiences to question the choices we all make versus the lessons we hope we are passing on to our children. • What kind of list would this be if I didn’t shower some love on Personal Shopper? Assayas immediately reteamed with Kristen Stewart, who made an indel-
Sam Elliott in The Hero c o u r t e s y o f th e o r c h a r d
ible impression in his 2014 film Clouds of Sils Maria, which earned her the first Cèsar (the French Oscar) awarded to an American performer. In Personal Shopper, Stewart is front and center, anchoring this curious tale about a young woman in Paris anxiously awaiting a message from her recently deceased brother. Assayas and Stewart will make you believe that ghosts communicate through text messages. • Debra Winger needs to act more. It feels good to get that off my chest, because since watching The Lovers, I’ve been waiting for the next opportunity to see her onscreen. Why is it that European directors are tripping over themselves to work with Juliette Binoche and Isabelle Huppert but there’s no love for America’s version of these screen treasures? Indie filmmaker Azazel Jacobs instills his film with a persnickety temperament thanks largely
to the pairing of Winger and Tracy Letts as a bickering married couple, each with lovers on the side, who rekindle their old flame one last time. The undeniable allure of Winger pierces my tough, cynical shell like a love letter from the heart. • The Big Sick is a real anomaly. It is small and intimate, thanks largely to its screenwriter and star Kumail Nanjiani, a Pakistan-born stand-up comic with a lowkey presence that is akin to the magnetic appeal of silent screen stars of old. His reactions are easily tagged as deadpan, but there’s way too much life, intensity and intelligence behind his eyes and in his whispered asides. His wit lurks in the mix, underneath the laughs. And, when paired with performers like Holly Hunter and Ray Romano, he ironically shines even brighter, granting The Big Sick the kind of broad beats we expect from high-concept Judd Apatow productions. • What is Baby Driver? Fast & Furious Baby? The Usual Suspect Driver? (500) Days of The Italian Job? La La Heat? Director Edgar Wright shows his love for all of these movies and more, creating a frenzied mash-up that shifts gears and threatens to spin wildly out of control — except it doesn’t because he’s got a firm and steady grip on the wheel. How about just calling it a hit and leaving it at that? • The rise of our current fascination with food culture could be traced to one man: chef Jeremiah Tower. Director Lydia Tenaglia, an award-winning producer (four consecutive Prime Time Emmys for Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown), knows what a celebrity chef looks and acts like, and in her documentary Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent, she makes a strong case for Tower being the godfather of the kitchen. • Can anyone ever live up to the “role” of a lifetime? That’s the question at the heart of The Hero, from Brett Haley (I’ll See You in My Dreams) with Sam Elliott as the man behind an iconic Western character who stares down his own mortality and the harsh realities of bad personal choices. The Hero epitomizes what is best about indie storytelling. It is bracingly intimate and presents a performer like Elliott with the chance to fill the screen like we’ve always known he could. Offer your favorite 2017 films at Facebook.com/ CincinnatiCityBeat or letters@ citybeat.com.
a&c television
1980s-set ‘GLOW’ Is Relevant Today BY JAC KERN
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When Netflix announced a new original alter-egos like Welfare Queen, Beirut the show about 1980s women’s wrestling, Mad Bomber and Fortune Cookie. Sam tries I expected a campy comedy. Come on, to convince them the roles can serve as GLOW stands for Gorgeous Ladies of deeper commentary, but as “Welfare Queen” Wrestling! How serious can it be? asks, will other people know that? But despite its presumed gimmicky subWhen forced to play into stereotypes, ject matter, like a growing number of series many of the characters discover their true that are tough to categorize, GLOW is a true selves. With fake moves comes real power; dramedy with many layers. It is created by with faux rivalries in the ring comes real Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch, with Jenji conflict in life. Kohan (Orange Is the New Black) serving Despite being the clear protagonist, it’s as executive producer. The show tackles hard to get behind Brie’s character. Ruth is serious topics but has a blast (from the past) all the while. From the music to costumes to early tech — even ’80s-rific training montages — the retro references are totally bitchin’. And yes, Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling was a real women’s professional wrestling outfit started in 1986. The show centers on Ruth (Alison Brie), the definition of a struggling actress — perhaps because of the sparse and unimpressive roles available to women, perhaps due to her level of talent. Ruth Betty Gilpin, standing, wrestles Alison Brie in GLOW. jumps at the opportunity to P H O T O : e r i c a pa r i s e / n e t f l i x audition for a new project that will act as a female counterpart to the popular men’s pro-wrestling, an intense over-actor straight out of your unfazed by the prospect of playing a “Gorhigh school’s drama club. She sleeps with geous Lady” and actually fighting in a ring. her best friend’s husband despite having zero Her cheerfully relentless, “go get ’em” feelings for him. She’s at once frustratingly attitude comes in stark contrast to that of flawed and refreshingly complex. Gilpin’s her director Sam (Marc Maron, essentially Debbie has a seemingly perfect life — she’s playing himself). The tortured mind behind experienced fame, settled down and had a cult B-movies like Oedipussy, perpetually baby — but she’s on the brink of becoming smoking and bemoaning his ex, dismisses unhinged. Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling her too-serious thespian take on the role. seems like a ridiculous impossibility at first, But when Debbie (Betty Gilpin), Ruth’s but ultimately empowers her. And while best friend, hunts her down at the gym to Maron embodies his character, Lowell falls confront her about a major betrayal — Ruth just short. He should be the biggest source of is not as squeaky clean as she might seem — comic relief — and often is funny — but his their impromptu showdown wins Sam over. comedic timing is slightly off. And he manages to recruit Debbie, a former Still, GLOW explores many topics very soap opera star turned stay-at-home mom, to much relevant today: diversity versus tokenjoin Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, too. ism, the politics of marriage, empowerment The rest of the Gorgeous gang includes versus exploitation and the many interprea diverse mix of women, in terms of shape, tations of feminism. In the end, Gorgeous size, color and character — a stuntwoman, Ladies of Wrestling is a group of diverse the daughter of a famous wrestler and a women forced into shallow, stereotypical woman who, well, wants to be a wolf — roles, but GLOW gives them purpose. played by everyone from singer Kate Nash Even today there are plenty of shows and actual pro-wrestler Kia Stevens to both lauded for their diversity that actually lean newbie and experienced actors. on stereotypes and fail to tackle issues faced Sam envisions Gorgeous Ladies of Wresby minorities and other underrepresented tling as being like another one of his sci-fi people. Yes, representation matters, but so film odysseys, but Sebastian “Bash” Howard does content. Although GLOW has its flaws, (Chris Lowell) has other plans. The cokedit’s able to successfully address serious subup Miami Vice-looking millionaire pushes jects while remaining flashy and fun. for more stereotypes and less storytellCONTACT JAC KERN: @jackern ing, leaving the women to embrace racist
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FOOD & DRINK
Hops, Beans and a Biergarten
Craft coffee and craft beer collide at Walnut Hills’ Landlocked Social House BY SEAN M. PETERS
PHOTO : haile y bollinger
T
Landlocked Social House aims to become a community gathering space. immediately identifiable specks of primary color — splotches of red, blue and yellow. “I knew I wanted handmade cups; I knew I wanted color,” Anne says. Andrew concurs. “We knew from the very beginning, no matter what we did, we wanted to make sure that — while we were extremely serious about curating a good tap list and creating a space that people would feel like home in — we didn’t want to come off as too serious,” he says. “We didn’t want it to be a black-and-white shop.” Wood Burl Coffee roasters, owned by Press Coffee Bar, exclusively provides the beans served at Landlocked. Eventually Anne hopes to bring on a couple more roasters for pour-over options. The beer selection is a labor of love for Andrew — Landlocked most likely has at least one beer that aficionados of any caliber haven’t yet sampled. A recent tap list features brews like Flash Lamp white ale from locals Urban Artifact, Vous Français farmhouse ale from Oklahoma’s Prairie Artisan Ales and Baked Goods pale ale from Massachusetts’ Clown Shoes. But Andrew pays special attention to Ohio breweries. “A lot of people in this city are really busy and don’t have time to leave and go around Ohio and try beers,” he says. “So I can bring
cider and beer from around Ohio and serve them on tap. It gives me the opportunity to introduce people to something before it might be served in every bar.” He also ventures to breweries that don’t have the capacity to distribute on a larger scale, taking Sundays off from the coffee shop to travel and pick up kegs from smaller-scale operations. “It’s the reason we plan to be closed on Sundays,” he says. “A lot of breweries are open on Sundays but closed on Mondays, so that gives me the opportunity to go and pick up kegs.” After a successful first month of business, Landlocked Social House’s full food and drink menu is now available. Aside from a stellar drink lineup, the shop also offers baked goods, pastries and French ficelle sandwiches from Westwood bakery Crackling Crust and bagels from local Lil’s
Bagels. The neighborhood’s Fireside Pizza also delivers to the shop. If you want to visit Landlocked Social House, look for the benches welded to the front of the building — this was an idea Anne and Andrew got while traveling through Germany. To add an additional spot for friends to gather, they also dug out a gravellined beer garden in the adjoining lot, with German-style picnic tables, string lights and a surprisingly wonderful view of I-71 and the lush greenery in the immediate vicinity. The goal is to create a community gathering space for newbies and enthusiasts to come enjoy both of Anne’s and Andrew’s beverage passions. “It’s a place where people who are trying to grab the most insane tasting notes out of beer and coffee can hang out with people who just drink domestics and are interested in trying something new,” Andrew says.
Landlocked Social House GO : 648 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills; Internet: landlockedsocialhouse.com; Hours : 6:30 a.m.-midnight Monday-Saturday.
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here’s a chronological distinction between coffee and beer in that one beverage is typically intended for the morning and the other is suitable only after the day’s work is done. Mostly. With this in mind, Landlocked Social House, which recently opened in Walnut Hills, is covering the socially acceptable drinking needs of an entire day in one place — and with gusto. This is achieved by offering a solid third wave coffee and espresso menu alongside an extensive selection of beers, ciders and wines. For those wondering what “third wave” means, it’s a cultural attitude toward coffee that treats the beverage as an artisanal offering and not just a blasé commodity — a similar reflection of the increased popularity of craft beer and the finer points of brewing. The first wave can be simplified to Folgers, the second Starbucks; and the third is the recently proliferated maturation of the morning brew, with a focus on ethically sourced beans and more nuanced control over the roasting process. “A coffee shop can sustain itself on its own, but having the beer side of things definitely just helps the business so much,” says Anne (pronounced Ah-nee) Decker, who co-owns Landlocked Social House with her husband Andrew. “I’m very into coffee and he’s very into beer, so I’d never step on his toes about beer knowledge and he wouldn’t about coffee. We respect each other’s worlds.” Anne is the coffee yin to Andrew’s beer yang. She managed Press Coffee Bar in Dayton for several years before she and Andrew, who worked at Eudora Brewing Company in Kettering, made the move to Walnut Hills. “We wanted to choose a neighborhood that gave us similar feelings to where we lived in Dayton, the Oregon district in Belmont — close to downtown, but not downtown,” Anne says. “This area feels like that for us, with a really good neighborhood. There are people that have lived here a long time and really take pride in Walnut Hills, which was a draw. Also our friends own this building, and it was just a great opportunity.” The building — an apartment complex and former vet clinic with two storefronts — is owned by Jeremiah and Becki Griswold of White Whale Tattoo, the neighboring tattoo shop. The inside of Landlocked is bright and colorful. The shop’s yellow La Marzocco espresso machine complements the green walls, exposed brick and penny-round tiles. The interior tables and outdoor signage — which concisely reads “Coffee and Beer” — were welded by an artisan friend. Even the ceramic cups, handmade by Sam Chamberlain in Dayton, are unique with their
F&D tHE DISH
Listermann Opens In-House Renegade Grille
Where the locals come to eat, drink and have fun
BY AUSTIN GAYLE
Weekly Specials Tuesday: Local Artist Spotlight Wednesday: Wing Night Thursday: Wine Tasting & Live Jazz
Live Music 7/12 - Mitch & Frank 6-9pm 7/13 - Steve Barone 6-9pm 7/14 - John Lee Roberts 7-10pm 7/15 - Lisak & Rowe 7-10pm 7/16 - Kyle Hackett 5:30-8:30pm 7/18 - Todd Hepburn & The Local Music Showcase 6-9pm
fe aturing all local dr afts cr aft beer menu nk y’s original bourbon bar
fo od s pecia l s Monday-Thursday
6818 Wooster Pk. Mariemont, OH 45227
(513) 561-5233
$7 burgers $8 flatbread PiZZ as
liv e m us i c
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513-961-3600
july 14
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july 15
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july 21
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moonshine & wine
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Listermann Brewing Company has officially brought in a wingman to help deliver both great beers and great bites to the Cincinnati area. The brewery joined forces with Renegade Street Eats, a four-year member of the local food truck scene, to add a kitchen to the Listermann taproom. The in-house Renegade Grille officially opened on June 24, allowing guests to pair their craft beers with a savory selection of wings, burgers and more. However, for Listermann General Manager Jason Brewer, Renegade’s extensive menu starts and stops with the wings. “I would challenge any wings against their wings,” Brewer says. “I’m not a small guy, so I can tell you they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t make the best wings. It took me probably two and half years to order anything else off their menu.” For the past three years, Renegade Street Eats has partnered with Listermann to serve wings at the brewery every Thursday night, establishing a presence that Brewer ultimately sought out for more than just one night per week. While Kris Buening, owner of Renegade Street Eats, still advocates for other recipes in her repertoire, she has given in to Brewer’s addiction to wings — she’s even tailored her menu to meet Brewer’s fiery wing needs. Offering 12 different wing sauces, Buening has an answer for almost any taste bud that crosses her path, including Brewer’s. His buds wanted more than flavor; they wanted fire. Customers can now order any Renegade wings “Brewer Style,” an adjustment to the recipe that adds more heat to any sauce. Brewer, of course, couldn’t be happier to have his favorite wings just across the bar. “The one thing that I’m ordering once or twice a week is Chipotle 562 wings ‘Brewer Style,’ ” Brewer says. “I could literally eat that wing sauce every day. Put it on a pair of shoes and I will eat that pair of shoes.” Likely adding to Brewer’s favoritism, Buening’s Chipotle 562 wing sauce is made with Listermann’s very own 562 Lateral Oatmeal Stout, a popular stout fitted with hints of coffee and chocolate. “That’s the first beer Jason challenged us with and it has been a hit with anyone and everyone that tries it,” Buening says of the beer and sauce combo. But Buening isn’t bound by her wings; she’s confident that her gyro burger is the best in town. “You’re honestly not going to find another one like this in Cincinnati because I make my gyro meat from scratch,” she says. “Other gyro burgers I’ve found around town are beef patties with gyro meat on top of them. (Ours) is a burger made entirely of gyro meat.” Additionally, Renegade Street Eats’ deep fried mac and cheese balls, a fan favorite
among frequent visitors to the truck, will become a much more lasting addition to the menu thanks to her new kitchen. “Those are a tried-and-true favorite that we weren’t always able to keep around,” Buening says. “But with the permanent location here (and) the availability of refrigeration, they will always be here.” Brewer and Buening wanted a permanent relationship for more than just a constant
Renegade Grille specializes in spicy wings. PHOTO : haile y bollinger
supply of mac and cheese balls; they partnered with the concept of family in mind. Tired of working away from her loved ones, Buening started Renegade Street Eats to bring her family together. She and her husband captain the ship as the two primary chefs, while her two girls — ages 17 and 13 — also lend a hand whenever possible. Now, four years into the endeavor, Buening has loved every minute of it. “I’ve loved it from the first time that I watched someone eat my food and saw how much they enjoyed it,” she says. While Renegade will still keep the truck in action during the year from March to October, Buening and her family feel right at home in their new kitchen. “(Listermann) just really welcomed us in,” she says. “It’s such a family atmosphere. To be included in all of that, we felt really special.” Brewer wouldn’t have it any other way. “Having food here that is from the same roots that we are really helps us complete the experience,” he says. “They’re really just part of the family.” RENEGADE GRILLE is located inside Listermann Brewing Company, 1621 Dana Ave., Norwood. More info: listermannbrewing.com.
F&D classes & events Most classes and events require registration; classes frequently sell out.
WEDNESDAY 12
Groceries & Grilling: Sweets & Treats — Head to Findlay Market for late-night 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-theRhine, findlaymarket.org
THURSDAY 13
Coffee 101: A Cup of Excellence — Chuck Pfahler, founder of La Terza Coffee, leads this class about coffee. Then take part in the art of manual brewing, with bonus tasting exercises. 6:30-8 p.m. $24. UC Victory Parkway Campus, 2220 Victory Parkway, Walnut Hills, uc.edu/ce/commu.html. Murder on the Menu — A historically inspired multi-course dining experience (paired with MadTree beers), complete with a tale of murder. In 1879, a corpse was found in an alley and Washington Platform’s proprietor became the man who might convict beer baron William Schaller of murder. 6 p.m. $45. Washington Platform, 1000 Elm St., Downtown, saloontours.com.
FRIDAY 14
Bacon, Bourbon and Brew Festival — Area food vendors will be on hand with menus featuring dishes that incorporate one or all of the three Bs: bourbon, bacon and beer. Includes discussions with mixologists, bourbon tastings and live music. 5-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Festival Park, Riverboat Row, Newport, Ky., facebook. com/baconbourbonandbrewfestival. Hoots and Hops — Drink beers from Great Lakes, Bad Tom and Fifty West; snack on Holtman’s Donuts and Mazunte tacos; take a hike along the Discovery Trail; listen to live music; watch birds from RAPTOR, Inc.; or nap on an outdoor hammock. 7-11 p.m. $40. Cincinnati Nature Center, 4949 Tealtown Road, Milford, cincynature.org.
Entrée-Worthy Salads — Make three delicious salads with different flavors and textures to keep your taste buds happy. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $65. The Learning Kitchen, 7659 Cox Lane, West Chester, thelearningkitchen.com. Fibonacci Anniversary Party — The brewery commemorates two years with a party featuring music, beer and a barbecue food truck. Noon-midnight. Free admission. Fibonacci Brewing, 1445 Compton Road, Mount Healthy, fibbrew.com. Beer & Cupcakes — Darkness teams up with local bakery Mama C’s Buttercream
859.206.6324
14 E 5t h St • Cov i n gto n, KY 41011
Blues, Brews and BBQ — A fest featuring eats from Sweets & Meats BBQ, Wicked Hickory and Neal’s Famous BBQ, plus live Blues music. 3-9 p.m. $15 adults; $5 children. Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, 1763 Hamilton-Cleves Road, Hamilton, pyramidhill.org.
Rhinegeist on draft
Happy Hour M-F, 3-6pm
Carry Out Specials
Indigenous Herbs & Edible Plants for the Home Landscape — This class teaches participants how to grow, use and eat herbs and plants with medicinal and edible qualities. 10 a.m.-noon. $15; free for CGC volunteers. Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Road, Avondale, civicgardencenter.org.
Kebab Platters
$7.99
SUNDAY 16
Five One Three Bagel Co. Bagel Bar — A pop-up bagel bar in the park. 10 a.m.noon. Prices vary. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/ fiveonethreebagelco. Smokin’ Hot BBQ at Findlay Market — Features a full pig roast, grill demonstrations, live music from Ricky Nye and barbecue tastings all afternoon. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission. Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook. com/findlaymarket.
www.bonbonerie.com
kentuckyhouseofgrill.com
Carriage House On-Farm Dinner — Chefs visit the farm for dinners using seasonally available ingredients, prepared on a wood-fired oven. Features chefs Nathan Mantia and Norman Tchorz of Tela Bar + Kitchen. 5-8 p.m. $95. Carriage House Farm, 10251 Miamiview Road, North Bend, carriagehousefarmllc.com. Pets in Need Ice Cream Social — Features games, face painting, food trucks, ice cream and visits from the Lockland Fire Department and SPCA. Well-behaved animals welcome. Noon-3 p.m. Free. Pets in Need of Greater Cincinnati, 520 Wyoming Ave., Lockland, pincincinnati.org.
MONDAY 17
Cincinnati Burger Week — Cincinnati Burger Week is back, all you meat-loving burger babies. More than 50 area chefs and restaurants will prepare burgers from gourmet blends to off-menu specialties for $5. Through July 23. More info at citybeat.com.
TUESDAY 18
A Complete Meal in One Bowl — CityBeat dining writer Ilene Ross leads this class on turning a bowl into a meal. 6:30-9 p.m. $45. Cooks’Wares, 11344 Montgomery Road, Harper’s Point, cookswaresonline.com.
NEW LOCATION
OPENING SOON Sun-Thurs 11am - 9pm Fri-Sat 11am - 11pm
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D J A N G O N O RT H S I D E . C O M
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SATURDAY 15
& Sprinkles to offer sweet and savory cupcakes paired with Darkness’ beers. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. $16. Darkness Brewing, 224 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, facebook.com/ darknessbrewing.
Grab Some ALL-STAR Pastries
music
Juan’s Direction
Along with guest MCs, Juan Cosby demonstrates America’s palpable frustration on debut album BY Brian Baker
PHOTO : provided
3 2 • C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7
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or a guy who’s chest deep in Greater Cincinnati’s Indie Rock and Hip Hop milieu, Nick Mitchell has a fairly normal life. When he’s not booking local Hip Hop shows, doing the day-to-day grunt work for his label Grasshopper Juice or planning his 12th-annual (and imminent) Adjust Your Eyes Music & Art Festival, Mitchell is working promotions for the club Chameleon in Northside and putting the finishing touches on the next-door Chameleon Pizza Oven. And if not for the fact that his wife Emily works with him as Chameleon’s bar manager, he’d barely have time to see her or their 6-month-old daughter. “Without the support of my parents and Emily — oh my God,” Mitchell says. “I barely get by as it is, but they help. A lot.” His schedule would break most people, but Mitchell is not most people. When he’s not doing the above, he’s doing more than the above — gigging and recording with Hip Hop group Counterfeit Money Machine, operating within the Cinthesizer collective and developing Juan Cosby, his Hip Hop production and artist nickname. Mitchell’s first Juan Cosby album, 2015’s Amanap, was essentially a single musical idea stretched into an album-length suite, while his EPs were more song structured but still very diverse musically, similar in tone to his all-over-the-atlas work with Chick Pimp, Coke Dealer at a Bar, his eclectic and on-hiatus Cincinnati band. When he began planning Inhospitable Planet, the brand-new Juan Cosby album, Mitchell envisioned a very specific form. “I realized that I wanted to get all these rappers on it, and I had the opportunity to get all these talented people, but I was trying to think of a way that it could still be mine,” he says. “I didn’t want to lay down a boom-bap beat and then three guys make the song. On the Counterfeit stuff, I sing and rap, but I decided early on I didn’t want to do that at all with (Juan), so I started thinking about music like Boston or Jack White, where the hook is an instrumental melody, and I was like, ‘That’s what I need to do.’ That was the main idea — to put my signature on it without using my actual voice.” Taking his title from a nerdy inspiration — the title crawl for Star Wars: The Clone Wars states that Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi are attempting to escape from “an inhospitable planet” — Mitchell wanted to address America’s current contentious nature and the unease that is gripping the country. But he didn’t want to hamstring his talented vocal guests (which include Blueprint, CJ the Cynic, Spoken Nerd, Eyenine, Ronin, Ialive and many others) by putting words in their mouths, so he merely provided
Juan Cosby is the Hip Hop guise of Cincinnati music Renaissance man Nick Mitchell. the project’s title and a specific beat to each featured artist and let them run with it. “People are comparing everything that’s going on to the ’60s and ’70s, and (Inhospitable Planet) fits with the politics and the pipeline and police brutality, everything,” Mitchell says. “So I left it up to (the MCs’) interpretation.” The result is an incredibly musical Hip Hop album that gives voice to the palpable frustration and anger that permeates American culture while offering a few rays of hope for its resolution. That lyrical range, balanced against Mitchell’s evocative and singular beats and melodies, creates a compelling and engaging tension over the course of Inhospitable Planet’s 13 tracks. “Some, like Blueprint or Weirdose, were looking at it in a more positive light — focus on yourself, try to do better than everyone else,” Mitchell says. “Billy East brought up Trayvon Martin. Everybody took it in different directions. I just said, ‘The album’s called Inhospitable Planet; take that how you will.’ Everybody either let all their aggression out or tried to spin it into a positive. I was glad it happened that way.” If Mitchell’s Hip Hop alter ego sounds vaguely familiar, it’s no accident. Years ago, he was watching a University of Texas football game and heard the announcer
introduce freshman receiver Quan Cosby (who was later signed by the Bengals). It struck Mitchell’s ear oddly. “They kept saying his name, and with the roar of the crowd, it sounded like ‘Juan Cosby,’ and to us — I don’t know if it was what we were smoking or whatever — we thought that was hysterical,” he says with a laugh. Mitchell eventually established Juan Cosby as a whip-smart beat producer and board manipulator, using the identity to explore B-roll material from his various musical projects at the time. But when Chick Pimp went on hiatus, a recently married Mitchell decided to direct his energy toward production and wound up working with Counterfeit Money Machine in 2013. “I realized the smart move would be to not have to go to band practice three days a week, but engineer my music career in a way that most of the work could be done at home when I get a chance,” Mitchell says. “I was DJing for Counterfeit because I really thought those two guys were talented, then it came to a point where I was like, ‘Look, I’m willing to take this more seriously, I just want to concentrate on beat production and use Counterfeit as a way to launch me into that.’ They were all about it. I had a lot
of connections that they didn’t, so once I committed to it, they started to take off and do really well. I’ve met all kinds of new Hip Hop people and been doing tracks with them. Counterfeit is like home base. I wasn’t really taking Juan Cosby seriously at that point, it was just a name I attached to stuff.” That has clearly changed with the rising profiles of Counterfeit Money Machine and Cosby. With Inhospitable Planet’s release show safely behind him, Mitchell still has several irons squarely in a well-stoked fire, and he’s reminded of them daily. The next big one is the Adjust Your Eyes fest, which returns July 28-30 to venues in Northside. “(The festival) is the big focus right now,” Mitchell says. “(Area Hip Hop artist) Haskell helps with a lot of the label stuff. The release party wasn’t five minutes over and he’s like, ‘We’ve got five or six things we need to talk about for AYE.’ Obviously I’m lucky to have that kind of support — none of this stuff would work if I didn’t have him and (Counterfeit Money Machine’s) AP — but let me take a couple of days.” JUAN COSBY performs at the AYE Music& Art Festival in Northside July 28-30 (details at adjustyoureyes.com). More info: juancosby. bandcamp.com.
music spill it
Eric Nally Starts a New Chapter with ‘Ruby’ BY MIKE BREEN
icon Nally sometimes sounds possessed by is Freddie Mercury. “Ruby” is the first single from a forthcoming EP, and apparently it is just one of the “new looks” Nally will reveal on the release. The promotional description that accompanies the music video explains that “Ruby” is a “small piece of a greater picture that will be unveiled on his debut with each track maintaining its own texture
Eric Nally P H O T O : fa c e b oo k
and approach while building towards a cohesive story.” In the interview that appeared with the Billboard premiere, besides telling a story about meeting the “super nice” Justin Bieber at an MTV awards show (they hung out and it turned out Biebs was a genuine Eric Nally fan), Nally says each song on the release is “so different” and that he’s using a different producer for each track. (“Ruby” was produced and co-written by Pom Pom, who is also the co-star of the music video.) Reportedly titled Madville, there is no firm release date for the EP. Nally says that, in terms of a label releasing it, he has yet to decide on what direction to take, though he also expresses admiration for how Macklemore resisted label offers and even now remains an independent artist who is in control of every aspect of his career. Earlier this year, it was announced that Nally would play his first hometown solo show on Sept. 1 to close out the free Indie Vol. 2017 concert series on Fountain Square. Watch the “Ruby” clip and find links for more on Nally’s latest maneuvers at ericnally.com. CONTACT MIKE BREEN: mbreen@citybeat.com
1345 main st motrpub.com
BY mike breen
Revolution Radio A man was recently arrested after putting a bit too much flair into his song request. To ensure the DJs understood he wanted to hear Insane Clown Posse’s “My Axe,” a 38-year-old man took an axe with him to the Boston-area station, ultimately getting arrested after a lengthy stand-off. In the U.K., someone is critiquing a radio station’s playlists a little more creatively. A Pop station in Mansfield, England was hacked numerous times over several days by a funny nerd who played “The Winker’s Song,” a ’70s novelty tune about masturbation, repeatedly over the station’s airwaves. Nothing’s Shocking The barrage of once-unbelievable twists and turns to which Donald Trump’s administration subjects America on an hourly basis is going the sap our species’ ability to feel shock by the time it’s all over. Two months ago, we would have shook our heads in disbelief hearing that a professional music publicist introduced Trump’s kid to a lawyer who Jr. thought would give him Kremlin-mined dirt that would end Hilary Clinton’s presidential bid. Now? Meh. New York PR big-shot Rob Goldstone, who has reportedly worked with the likes of BB King and Michael Jackson, set up the questionable meeting between the Trump team and a Russian lawyer for good reason, though. Russian Pop star Emin Agalarov, one of Goldstone’s clients, asked him to! Yawn. From Cool to Drool Rick Rubin is so revered as a musical genius and general cool dude, calling him a “superstar producer” doesn’t seem adequate. But before you go searching for a title more befitting the Zen-like knob-turner who has lent his magical studio touch to the Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash and countless others, there’s something you should know. Recently, Rubin dusted off his Twitter account, created in 2014 and tweeted on just once, to share a video by Scott Adams, the cartoonist who created Dilbert and is now another loudspeaker of hate and paranoia for the Trump-or-die right. No one tell Rick about Alex Jones!
wed 12
matt haeck
thu 13
front country honey & houston
fri 14
tristen erin rae & the meanwhiles
sat 15
ernie johnson from detroit
sun 16
lauren eylise
mon 17
elf power
tue 18
writer’s night w/ mark feat. andrew gould free live music now open for lunch
1404 main st (513) 345-7981
7/19
7/20
priests
swim team, blakkr
colin stetson justin walter
7/21 Dawg Yawp, caleb groh, jsph 7/29
brick + mortar, Yoke lore, jess lamb & the factorY, toon town
buy tickets at motr or woodwardtheater.com
C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 3
When acclaimed Cincinnati Rock crew Foxy Shazam announced it was going on an indefinite hiatus in 2014, it didn’t take long for the musicians to surface with various other projects, making a splash with area groups like Lung and The Skulx. Almost since the day the band went its separate ways, a buzz has consistently lingered about imminent solo material from Foxy’s spirited, acrobatic singer Eric Nally. But the only music from Nally to be made public since Foxy’s last album came courtesy of his pivotal guest spot on Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ hit “Downtown,” on which he sang the high-flying hook and appeared alongside the track’s other guests — Hip Hop pioneers Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and Kool Moe Dee. In what turned out the be the most high-profile moment in Nally’s career, “Downtown” led to numerous television and other promotional appearances with the superstar duo when the single was released. Beyond the promo cycle, Nally also traveled the world with Macklemore and Co., reprising his “Downtown” role live for much of the extensive touring in support the single’s parent album, This Unruly Mess I’ve Made. Though it’s been a useful step in his development, Nally’s temporary career detour might seem like an odd direction. But given the singer and songwriter’s idiosyncratic persona, style and artistic outlook, it was also pretty on brand in its unexpectedness . Likewise, the justunveiled first taste of Nally as a true solo performer is quite a curveball in the context of Foxy Shazam’s soaring, thrusting, theatrical Rock sound. But it also makes perfect sense in the bigger context of Nally and Foxy’s generally eccentric and unconventional approach. On July 9, the music video for Nally’s debut solo song “Ruby” premiered on Billboard magazine’s website. It’s an arresting visual that somewhat resembles a moody, smoke-machine-filled video from the ’80s that has been updated for current times, but the song itself is stupefying, showing a totally new side of Nally’s musical self. Available on iTunes and Spotify, “Ruby” is a sensual, pulsating dose of tranquil, synth-laden Pop. It’s not difficult to imagine “Ruby” being performed by The Weeknd, with its blend of modern and vintage Synth Pop and pumping rhythms, not to mention Nally’s slinky vocal performance, which includes a passionate falsetto and once again demonstrates what an incredibly versatile voice he possesses. The track also effortlessly evokes the spirit of Thriller-era Michael Jackson, which makes for a striking and impressive contrast when you consider that the other
MINIMUM GAUGE
MUSIC sound advice
AN IRISH WHISKEY, SCOTCH ANd cRAFT BEER TASTING EVENT
Save the date
September 13th, 2017 5:30-8:30 Pm
3 4 • C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7
New Riff Distillery Newport, Ky
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Visit citybeat.com/win-stuff to enter for a chance to win tickets to ANIMAL COLLECTIVE at MADISON THEATRE on July 30th!
Tristen with Erin Rae & The Meanwhiles Friday • MOTR Pub When Chicago-area native Tristen Gaspadarek first began attracting attention with her 2011 album Charlatans At The Garden Gate (often referred to as her debut, though she’d self-released recordings previously), her unique skills as a singer, songwriter and arranger were immediately apparent to many who heard her music. Going by simply Tristen, she moved to Nashville after college to pursue her music career. She has said that Charlatans was written right when she moved and she was listening to a lot of Country music; her slight Americanabefitting “twang” was duly noted in the extremely complimentary reviews the album received from several major publications. But most of those critics Tristen saw something much PHOTO : Krist y Benjamin more: the profound understanding of the classic Pop song archetype that this up-and-coming artist exuded on nearly every single track. Tristen craftily uses varying shades and colors to decorate, but her grasp of the deeper mechanics of classic songwriting — from structure Elf Power and melody to lyrics, PHOTO : Sandra rek vocal delivery and beyond — made her stand out as a special talent, not just to critics but also to other music industry types and, increasingly, music fans. Tristen probably could have gone “twangier” for her next album — in 2013, Americana’s increased commercial viability became lucrative for some. But great artists stay true to themselves, eschewing trends for challenges. Tristen’s 2013 album C A V E S has the accouterments of a Synth Pop album and is imbued with the spirit of passion and romance found in ’80s artists like Echo and the Bunnymen, Eurythmics or Kate Bush. While it may have been a curveball for some fans, a few attentive listens to C A V E S showed Tristen’s songwriting alchemy shining in much the same way, if not a bit brighter. There was just a different shell. With C A V E S, Tristen proved she was a wildly effective writer whose songs impact regardless of the tools or medium.
In an interview after its release, Tristen said she’d always considered herself a Pop music writer (she grew up on The Beatles and Pop oldies on the radio), so for C A V E S she decided to embrace the hybrid-happy, purists-be-damned spirit behind much of today’s Pop music. Tristen’s remarkable new Sneaker Waves — released on the Modern Outsider label earlier this month — is another revelatory album. But in her latest artistic stage, the influence touchtones that critics were quick to point out in her earlier work seem more gracefully infused into the sound, giving more power to the songs and enabling Tristen’s distinctive artistic personality to cut through even more. The path from Charlatans to Sneaker Waves might have seemed unusual at the time, but Tristen has ended up exactly where she needs to be. And she doesn’t appear to be anywhere close to finished yet. (Mike Breen) Elf Power Monday • MOTR Pub One of the most storied music scenes in Indie Rock history is the Elephant 6 Recording Co., born in Louisiana, baptized in Denver and sanctified in Athens, Ga. by the braintrust behind Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control and Apples in Stereo. Inspired by The Beach Boys — its recording facility was dubbed Pet Sounds Studio — the E6 Collective filtered its abiding love of ’60s Pop idealism through a contemporary yet hallucinogenic kaleidoscope to create a potent soundtrack that helped define Indie Rock in the ’90s and continues to influence artists today. One of the first bands to be associated with E6 after its relocation to Athens was Andrew Rieger’s Elf Power. The project’s early album, Vainly Clutching at Phantom Limbs, became one of the hallmarks of the E6 expansion. Rieger and then-girlfriend Laura Carter relocated to New York, but by 1997, they had returned to Athens to record Elf Power’s conceptual follow-up album, When the Red King Comes, which featured a cover of “Needle in the Camel’s Eye” by Brian Eno, one of Rieger’s most beloved influences. Two years later, Elf Power
released its relative breakthrough album, A Dream in Sound, featuring contributions from Flaming Lips producer Dave Fridmann, Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum and Scott Spillane and of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes. Although Elf Power has rarely enjoyed the higher profile of some of the more illuminated members of E6, Rieger and a rotating cast of players have crafted an impressive discography over the past quarter century. Since a 2002 one-off for spinART, the bulk of the band’s work has been released on Carter’s Orange Twin label. The biggest gap between releases came when the band took four years to follow up 2013’s Sunlight on the Moon with the exquisite consistency of Twitching in Time, which dropped back in May. Rife with the screeching, fuzzy and thunderous Psychedelia, acid-etched Folk and Eno-tinged texturalism that has characterized Elf Power from the start, Twitching in Time stands as a brilliant testament to Rieger’s expansive yet focused musical vision. (Brian Baker)
FUTURE SOUNDS VANS WARPED TOUR – July 19, Riverbend Music Center PRIESTS – July 19, Woodward Theater STEVE EARLE AND THE DUKES – July 20, Taft Theatre TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND/ THE WOOD BROTHERS/ HOT TUNA – July 21, PNC Pavilion at Riverbend KOOL KEITH – July 22, Northside Yacht Club
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KORN – Aug. 1, Riverbend Music Center TEGAN AND SARA – Aug. 2, Madison Theater C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 5
Pinegrove with Vagabon and ADJY Monday • Southgate House Revival It might be difficult to view a band’s Pinegrove PHOTO : Andrew Piccone formation as a matter of destiny, but with Pinegrove, that conclusion seems almost inevitable when you consider that vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Evan Stephens Hall and drummer/vocalist Zack Levine have been playing music together since they were 7 years old. By the time the pair graduated from high school, they had already formed a band, broken up and reformed, amassing a responsive audience in their hometown of Montclair, N.J. Hall and Levine went their separate ways for college — Hall to Kenyon College, where he might have crossed paths with Walk the Moon’s Nicholas Petricca, and Levine to Northwestern. But they made a pot/munchies/My Morning Jacket-fueled pact to return to a band configuration once they had finished their studies. In 2010, Hall and Levine assembled Pinegrove as an Americana/Indie Rock outfit — think Guster steered by Son Volt — with help from Levine’s younger brother Nick on guitar (Nick recently opted out of the band). The band coalesced quickly, self-releasing its first EP, Mixtape One, months after forming. That was followed by a 2012 fulllength, Meridian, and a couple more EPs. In 2015, Pinegrove signed to Run for Cover Records, who reissued its
compilation album, Everything So Far, later that same year. In early 2016, the band released Cardinal, its first studio album for RFC, which was followed five months later by a live album culled from the group’s Audiotree sessions. Pinegrove’s second live recording came less than a year later with Elsewhere, a collection of tracks taped during an extensive 2016 tour. Pinegrove was on the road during the 2016 presidential campaign and election and felt the only sensible way forward was to foster an atmosphere of unity and love. To that end, the band’s catalog at pinegrove.bandcamp.com was made available for free or for a voluntary donation to the Southern Poverty Law Center, one of the most high-profile and successful civil rights law firms in the country. (BB)
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 SUPERSUCKERS – Aug. 4, Southgate House Revival NAPPY ROOTS – Aug. 5, Woodward Theater CHICK COREA ELEKTRIC BAND/BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES – Aug. 13, PNC Pavilion at Riverbend GUIDED BY VOICES – Aug. 16, Woodward Theater LOGIC – Aug. 18, PNC Pavilion at Riverbend GREEN DAY – Aug. 20, Riverbend Music Center BETTY WHO/GEOGRAPHER – Aug. 30, Woodward Theater Cincinnati City Beat 07-12-17_09-01-17.indd 1
6/27/17 9:05 AM
music listings WEDNESDAY 12 BREWRIVER GASTROPUB - Old Green Eyes and BBG. 6 p.m. Standards. Free. BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE Burning Caravan. 7:30 p.m. Gypsy Jazz. Free.
Now featuring deals from:
CINCINNATIAN HOTEL - Philip Paul Trio. 7 p.m. Jazz. Free. CLIFTON CULTURAL ARTS CENTER - Honey & Houston. 7 p.m. Americana. Free.
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THE COMET - Freedom Nicole Moore, Slow Glows and Candice Handy. 10 p.m. Indie/Soul/Rock/ Various. Free.
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PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Open Mic with Josiah Whitley. 7 p.m. Various. Free.
KNOTTY PINE - Dallas Moore. 10 p.m. Country. Free.
RIVERSEDGE - Dallas Moore H Band with Jim Burns Band. 6:30 p.m. Country. Free.
Sold out.
$4
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SILVERTON CAFE - Root Cellar Xtract. 8:30 p.m. Country Rock. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Mark Becknell with Mark Hunter. 8 p.m. Acoustic. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Junior Brown with Justin Wells. 8 p.m. Roots/Rock/ Various. $20, $25 day of show. TAFT THEATRE - The Dustbowl H Revival with Heather Maloney. 8 p.m. Americana/Roots/Various. $12, $15 day of show (in the Ballroom).
URBAN ARTIFACT - Blue Wisp Big Band. 8:30 p.m. Big Band Jazz. $10.
THURSDAY 13
Log into our website for the full list:
CINCINNATI.ALTPERKS.COM Facebook/ T w i T Ter: @perkopoL is
JAPP’S - Burning Caravan 5:30 p.m. Gypsy Jazz. Free.
JEAN-ROBERT’S TABLE FrenchAxe. 6:30 p.m. Jazz. Free.
PNC PAVILION AT RIVERBEND H - Willie Nelson & Family with Dawes. 8 p.m. Country/Americana.
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KNOTTY PINE - Kenny Cowden. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.
JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - The Company Band. 9 p.m. Dance/ Pop/Various. $5.
KNOTTY PINE - Flatline. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.
PIT TO PLATE - Bluegrass Night with Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. 7 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.
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HORSE & BARREL - John Ford. 6 p.m. Blues/Roots. Free.
MOTR PUB - Front Country with Honey & Houston. 10 p.m. Americana/Roots. Free.
OCTAVE - Ben Miller Band. 8 p.m. Americana. $10.
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FOUNTAIN SQUARE - Salsa on the Square with Son Del Caribe. 7 p.m. Latin/Salsa/Dance. Free.
HARMONY HILL VINEYARDS & WINERY - Encore Duo. 5 p.m. Acoustic Classic Rock/Americana. Free.
FOUNTAIN SQUARE - Reggae Wednesday with EarthKry. 7 p.m. Reggae. Free.
NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Grace Lincoln. 9 p.m. Soul. Free.
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CROW’S NEST - Easy Tom Eby. 9:30 p.m. Americana. Free.
THE GREENWICH - Just Friends Friday with Kathy Wade and the Phil DeGreg Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10.
JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Bourbon Road Band. 9 p.m. Country. Free.
MOTR PUB - Matt Haeck. 10 p.m. Country. Free.
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COMMON ROOTS - Open Mic. 8 p.m. Various. Free.
p.m. Alt/Rock/Pop/Folk/Various. Free.
MCCAULY’S PUB - The Pandora Project. 8 p.m. Rock. Free.
THE LIBERTY INN - Stagger Lee. 6:30 p.m. Country/Rock. Free.
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BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE Todd Hepburn and Friends. 6 p.m. Various. Free.
ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL Dottie Warner and Ricky Nye. 7:30 p.m. Jazz/Blues. Free. BOGART’S - The Aquabats with Reggie and The Full Effect and Kepi Ghoulie. 7 p.m. Pop/Rock/Ska/ Various. $22.
SMALE RIVERFRONT PARK Cocktails and Crown Jewels featuring Soul Pocket. 6:30 p.m. Soul/R&B/Rock/Funk. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Scotty Karate and Cash O’Riley. 9:30 p.m. Various. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Dangerbird with Kill City and Lockjaw. 9:30 p.m. Punk/Rock. $6. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL H (SANCTUARY) - Unknown Hinson with Veronica Grim & The Heavy Hearts. 8 p.m. Roots/ Country/Rock/Various. $15, $18 day of show.
URBAN ARTIFACT - Vox Vocis, Expeditions and Analog Bandits. 9 p.m. Various. Free. WASHINGTON PARK Bandstand Bluegrass with The Part-Time Gentlemen Band. 7 p.m. Bluegrass/Americana. Free.
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FRIDAY 14 ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - River City Roustabout. 9 p.m. Folk. Free. BECHTOLD PARK - Ambrosia. 6 p.m. Rock. Free. BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - April Aloisio Quartet. 8 p.m. Brazilian Jazz. Free. THE COMET - Airpark and Fun H Machine. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free. COMMON ROOTS - Offbeat Delta Don. 8 p.m. Americana. Free. CROW’S NEST - Slippery Creek. 10 p.m. Bluegrass. Free. FOUNTAIN SQUARE - Indie Vol. 2017 with Angelica Garcia, Mad Anthony and Wonky Tonk. 7
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MADISON LIVE - Circle It with Daniel In Stereo and This Pine Box. 8 p.m. Indie/Alt/Rock/Pop. $7, $10 day of show. MANSION HILL TAVERN - Sonny Moorman Group. 9 p.m. Blues. $4. MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Over Easy. 9 p.m. Soft Rock. Free. THE MOCKBEE - Black Signal, Chuck Diesel, Druski and Andres Bautista. 10 p.m. Electronic/ Dubstep/Various. $5. MOTR PUB - Tristen with Erin H Rae & the Meanwhiles. 10 p.m. Indie/Pop/Various. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Sexy Time Live Band Karaoke. 8 p.m. Various. Free. NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Spike Wheeler, Zjinzjin Zjinzjin, Jennifer Simone and Nature Was Here. 9 p.m. Various. PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Russell Up Some Grub. 7:30 p.m. Old-Time/ Bluegrass/Americana. Free. THE REDMOOR - 2nd Wind. 9 p.m. Jazz/R&B. $10. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Rhyan Sinclair & All the Little Pieces. 9:30 p.m. Rock/ Country. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - JIMS with Symptoms, Calumet and Arlo McKinley. 9 p.m. Rock/Various. $5. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - LouieAndFriends, Joei Razook, Eazy El Loco, Chris Crooks, #Corveon, LV Bangerz and $teven Cannon. 10 p.m. Hip Hop. $10, $15 day of show. THOMPSON HOUSE - Killa Killz. 8 p.m. Rap. $10. THE UNDERGROUND - Warshful with Tethered Satellites and Anew To Wander. 7 p.m. Rock. Cover. URBAN ARTIFACT - Heavy Hinges, Zoo Trippin’ and Founding Fathers. 8 p.m. Rock/Funk/Soul/Blues/ Various. Free.
859.431.2201
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.
WASHINGTON PARK - Friday H Flow with Adina Howard. 7 p.m. R&B. Free. WASHINGTON PLATFORM SALOON & RESTAURANT - Rob Parton. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/ drink minimum).
SATURDAY 15 BECHTOLD PARK - The Greg Kihn Band and Marshall Tucker Band. 6 p.m. Rock. Free.
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BOGART’S - ONE OK ROCK with Set It Off and Palisades. 7 p.m. Rock. $25. BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE The Midwestern Swing Band. 8 p.m. Western Swing and Jazz. Free. CELEBERTIES - Money Man. 10 p.m. Hip Hop. $35-$60. CINCINNATIAN HOTEL - Philip Paul Trio. 7 p.m. Jazz. Free.
Joesph and Dinge. 10 p.m. Indie/ Rock/Pop. Free.
MOTR PUB - Lauren Eylise. 9 p.m. R&B/Pop/Soul. Free.
NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Close the Hatch, Ethicist, Grey Host and Maharaja. 9 p.m. Metal/Various. Free.
NORTHSIDE TAVERN - DJ Pillo Selectas Choice. 9 p.m. Hip Hop/ Reggae/Funk/Soul/Rock/Dance/ DJ. Free.
PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Low Country Boil. 7:30 p.m. Various. Free.
SONNY’S ALL BLUES LOUNGE Blues jam session featuring Sonny’s All Blues Band. 8 p.m. Blues. Free.
THE REDMOOR - The Redmoor H Summer Sessions: Side A featuring The Last Troubadour, Rockstead, The Grove, Freak Mythology, The Old Sports, Life Brother and Matt Schneider. 5 p.m. Rock/Various. $10, $15 day of show (benefits Leukemia & Lymphoma Society).
RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER - Chicago. 7:30 p.m. Rock. $25-$125. SILVERTON CAFE - Colour of Rhythm. 9 p.m. Various. Free.
THE COMET - Disaster Class, Mortimur and Brianna Kelly. 10 p.m. Indie/Rock/Electronic/ Various. Free.
SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - The Cryptomatics (8 p.m.); Clownvis Presley (10 p.m.). 8 p.m. Blues/Rock/Funk/ Soul. Free.
CROW’S NEST - Willow Tree Carolers. 10 p.m. Folk/Americana. Free.
SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Noir. 10 p.m. Alt/Dance/DJ/Various. $5.
FOUNTAIN SQUARE - The All White and Wine Affair featuring The Ingrid Rachel Project. 7 p.m. Neo Soul/ Fusion/Various. Free.
SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Chris Knight with Cordovas. 9 p.m. Roots/ Country/Rock. $20, $25 day of show.
THE GREENWICH - B.J. Jansen H & Chef B’s Jazz ’n Wings. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10-$15. HARMONY HILL VINEYARDS & WINERY - Galactic Cowboy Orchestra. 5 p.m. Jazz/Rock/ Bluegrass/Progressive. Free. HARRY WHITING BROWN COMMUNITY CENTER Summer Concerts on the Green with FrenchAxe. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.
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JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - The SunBurners. 9 p.m. Pop/Dance/ Various. $5. JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER Radio Romance. 9 p.m. Roots/ Country. KNOTTY PINE - Flatline. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.
MANSION HILL TAVERN - Jay Jesse Johnson. 9 p.m. Blues. $3. MAURY’S TINY COVE - Ricky Nye. 7:30 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie. Free. THE MOCKBEE - Queen City Soul Club - All Vinyl Dance Party featuring DJ Bryan A. Dilsizian and DJ Grover. 10 p.m. Soul/Funk/ Dance/DJ. Free. MOTR PUB - Ernie Johnson from Detroit. 10 p.m. Funk. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Darlene H(album release party) with
TAFT THEATRE - CeCe Winans. 8 p.m. Gospel. $29.50-$49.50. THE UNDERGROUND - Vibrant Fiction with Make Me Forget and Day N Day Out. 7 p.m. Rock. Cover. URBAN ARTIFACT H Elementree Livity Project with Tropidelic, Go Go Buffalo, Bumpin’
Uglies, Ample Parkin, Abby Vice and Sundae Drives. 4 p.m. Reggae/ Rock/Varous. $10.
WASHINGTON PLATFORM SALOON & RESTAURANT - Steve Hoskins. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/ drink minimum).
SUNDAY 16 BOGART’S - Aesop Rock with H Rob Sonic, DJ Zone and Open Mike Eagle. 7:30 p.m. Hip Hop. $22.50.
BREWRIVER GASTROPUB - Todd Hepburn. 11 a.m. Blues/Various. Free. THE COMET - The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars. 7:30 p.m. Bluegrass. Free. MANSION HILL TAVERN - Open Blues Jam with Sonny Moorman. 6 p.m. Blues. Free. THE MOCKBEE - Luthor the Geek, Amnesiac Mnemonist, Shit Bees, Megan Miller, Detective Hancock, Zinn, Shark Week and The Pisswater Preachers. 9 p.m. Noise/ Experimental. Free.
august 11-12, 2017
30+ aCt S on 3 StaGeS
WASHINGTON PLATFORM SALOON & RESTAURANT Traditional New Orleans Jazz Brunch with Buffalo Ridge Jazz Trio. 11:30 a.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).
MONDAY 17
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE SOUTHGATE HOUSE LOUNGE OR TICKETFLY.COM 7/12 junior brown, justin wells mark becknell: july artist in residence, mark hunter
ronnie Baker Brooks
ruthie Foster
Kenny Blues Boss wayne
7/13 unknown hinson, veronica grim & the heavy hearts; attack of the one man band tour / little cricket tape release show - scotty karate, cash o’riley; dangerbird, kill city, lockjaw 7/14 punk rock night: jims album release, symptoms, calumet, arlo mckinley; rhyan sinclair & all the little pieces; new waves in newport
albert Cummings
Davina & the Vagabonds
THE GREENWICH - Baron Von Ohlen & the Flying Circus Big Band. 7:30 p.m. Jazz. $5 (or two canned goods).
PluS… arCheS BooGie Piano StaGe loCal StaGe | youth ShowCaSe StaGe
MANSION HILL TAVERN - Acoustic Jam with John Redell and Friends. 8 p.m. Acoustic/Various. Free.
$25/night, $45 weekend Pass
tiCKetS PreSale:
7/15 the cryptomatics; chris knight, cordovas; noir; clownvis presley 7/17 pinegrove, vagabon, adjy 7/19 mark becknell: july artist in residence, queen city silver stars, jonathan luck spaulding
WWW.SOUTHGATEHOUSE.COM
MEMORIAL HALL - The Music of Weather Report featuring Noise Police. 7 p.m. Jazz Fusion. $6.
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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 - Elf Power. 9 p.m. H Indie Pop Rock. Free. MUGGBEES BAR & GRILL Karaoke DJ. 8 p.m. Various. Free. NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Northside Jazz Ensemble. 10 p.m. Jazz. Free. SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL H (SANCTUARY) - Pinegrove with Vagabon and Adjy. 8 p.m. Alt/
Rock/Roots. $14, $17 day of show.
STANLEY’S PUB - Stanley’s Live Jazz Band. 10 p.m. Jazz. Free.
TUESDAY 18 ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL Cheryl Renée. 7 p.m. Blues. Free. BOGART’S - Seether with Letters From the Fire and Big Story. 7:30 p.m. Rock. Sold out. STANLEY’S PUB - Trashgrass Tuesday featuring members of Rumpke Mt. Boys. 9 p.m. Bluegrass. Cover. URBAN ARTIFACT - Today Junior, Tundrasomper, Vishnu Basement and 1310. 8 p.m. Indie/Alt/Rock/ Various. Free.
C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 7
MACADU’S - Basic Truth. 8 p.m. Funk/R&B/Soul. Free.
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Sawyer Point, CinCinnati, ohio
STANLEY’S PUB - Stanley’s Open Jam. 10 p.m. Various. Free. URBAN ARTIFACT - Spitwad H Angels, Peace Attack, MARR and Zac Puhl. 8 p.m. Rock/Various.
111 E 6th St Newport, KY 41071
3 8 • C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7
wednesdAy, Aug 23 | newport on the levee | 5:30-8:30 pm
A tribute to All things tequilA, feAturing food & drink from: Aloft newport on the levee, Axis Alley, bAkersfield, CAllé CAntinA, dewey’s pizzA, el rAnCho grAnde, el rAnCho nuevo, the hot spot, djAngo western tACo, gAmeworks, mCCormiCk & sChmiCk’s seAfood & steAks, montoyAs mexiCAn restAurAnt, the pub rookwood, sAmmy’s CrAft burgers And beer, 27 bAr + kitChen, queen City rAdio, And more!
crossword puzzle
THE CLASSIFIEDS
Backup Singers BY Brendan Emmet t Quigley
Across
67. Knights’ journeys 68. Savage of sex columns Dow n
1. Woman in a palindrome 2. 38-Across greeting 3. Pie nut 4. With it 5. Tapenade ingredients 6. Spikes 7. Seaside barriers 8. Single prefix 9. Faber-Castell product 10. Jordanian currency 11. “Encore!” 12. Line at a picnic, maybe 13. Word of agreement 19. Mongolian hot spot 21. “No funny business!” 25. Bowling location 26. Nintendo princess 27. First Lady of Scat 31. First-rate, in ‘90s slang 32. Talking Stick Resort Arena team
33. “Just playing!” 34. Directing word, for short 35. Make a personal connection? 36. Singer ___ Rae Jepsen 37. It’s always by your side 38. Short story writer with the anthology “Rolling Stones” 40. Underwater forest plant 41. Large amount 46. Temple extension 47. Smidgen 49. “Champagne last week’s answers
Supernova” band 50. Phil’s granddaughter on “Duck Dynasty” 51. Mock cry while getting the vapors 52. Seeped 53. Woolly beast 54. Access, as a PayPal account 55. Baseball executive/genius Epstein 58. Dancer Charisse 59. Lic. for one serving 60. Temple extension? 61. Good folk: Abbr.
H el p Wa n t e d
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All adult line ads must contain the exact phrase “Body Rubs” and/ or “Adult Entertainment.” Illegal services may not be offered in any ad. Cincinnati CityBeat does not accept, condone or promote advertisements for illegal activity. / Every ad purchase includes ONE phone number or e-mail address listing. Additional phone numbers & e-mail addresses can be printed for $10 each. / Ad copy & payment must be received by MONDAY AT 5:00 P.M. for the Wednesday issue. / All ads must be PRE-PAID with a VALID credit card or in cash/money order. If a credit card is declined for any reason, the ad will be pulled from the paper and online.
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C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U ly 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7 • 3 9
1. 30-Across display 4. Robbery 10. Time for some action 14. Boddington’s offering 15. Secretary of transportation Chao 16. Hollywood’s Skye 17. Test giver 18. Criticizing trivial faults 20. One-legged whaler 22. Virginia’s capital? 23. Rolled breakfast choice 24. Black-andwhite equine lacking some hair 28. Monthy bill 29. Apple or Manning of the Giants 30. App that can get you places 33. “Let’s do this” 36. Dial some digits 38. Kane’ohe Bay island 39. Socialite dating Tristan Thompson 42. Seeing red 43. Singing sister of Aretha Franklin 44. Small change 45. Owing, as a debt 46. Totality 47. Pale-looking 48. Kaiser’s alternative 55. “___ brillig, and the slithy toves ...” 56. Time of your life? 57. Daredevil’s initialism 58. Some six packs 62. Diagonal move 63. Wild white man of the Himalayas 64. “Guilty!” 65. Punk rock genre that nobody wants to be identified as 66. Head-slapping hollers
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SATURDAY* 9AM-11PM
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4 0 • C I T Y B E A T . C O M • J U l y 1 2 – 1 8 , 2 0 1 7
*9AM-11AM for 12 & younger only
KicK off Party July 12 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm ■
live music from moonbeau
food samples from: burGerfi, flipdaddy’s burGers & beers, and Keystone bar & Grill
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