CityBeat | Feb. 10, 2010 by Chava Communications

CONTENTS VOLUME 16 • ISSUE 14

VOICES

NEWS 11

VALENTINE’S DAY GUIDE 15 TO DO PICKS

MUSIC

ARTS

DINER

FILM

CLASSIFIEDS

A Different Kind of Struggle:

Senior members of the local LGBT community have seen attitudes change dramatically through their lives, yet they keep pushing for more change.

On the cover: Illustration by Oliver Meinerding • Design by Jason Kidwell

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PODCASTS

Oldie but goodie from ’09: Cameron Knight’s story of a local prostitute, “The Downward Spiral”

BLOGS

Sarah Palin has “retarded” reaction, keeping animals safe in cold weather, Tea Party revives “Jim Crow”

PHOTO GALLERIES

Lady in Red at Tonic, The Ohms at Play By Play and Dogfish Dinner at Teller’s

ONLINE COLUMNS

I Shall Be Released: New CDs from Galactic, Lil Wayne, Sade, The Watson Twins, Reckless Kelly and You Say Party! We Say Die!

MUSIC TOWN MESSAGE BOARD

Internet radio explodes, looking for advice on good local music and the lowdown on local Mardi Gras shows

MULTIMEDIA SHOWS

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, check out Victorian Valentines at the library

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4PORKOPOLIS

OPINION & COMMENTARY BY KEVIN OSBORNE

Snakes, White Racists and Black Imps

n our increasingly corporatized world, independent media voices are becoming more rare every day and should be cherished. Sometimes, though, the most immediate threat to those voices isn’t a faceless company in another state but comes from within. Longtime volunteers at WAIF (88.3 AM), a nonprofit community radio station, have warned for the past few years that a small band of board members has changed or ignored its bylaws to get rid of people the group dislikes so it can wield absolute control and operate the station as a private fiefdom. The situation is tragic because, for most of the 35 years that WAIF has been on the air, the station has provided a valuable outlet for news, opinions and musical genres that couldn’t be heard anywhere else on the radio dial. Whether it was from groups advocating for decriminalization of marijuana, aficionados of old-school Garage Rock from the 1960s and ’70s or gay and lesbian activists speaking out in a notoriously intolerant city, curious listeners would be exposed to a wide diversity of views. That began changing in the early 2000s, when board chairman Donald A. Shabazz started stacking WAIF’s board of trustees with his supporters and systematically started purging the station of volunteers who questioned his management style or asked about details of WAIF’s finances. Shabazz has tried to keep a tight lid on dissent at the station, but CityBeat reported in 2006 (See “Naughty Stepchild,” issue of May 3, 2006) about allegations involving the station not keeping current with required Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations, violations that potentially could’ve resulted in WAIF losing its broadcasting license. Verifying those allegations and other complaints about WAIF’s operations is hampered because supposedly public records at WAIF — mandated by the FCC — are notoriously difficult to access. During the same period, WAIF’s property taxes were declared delinquent, questions arose about whether its FCC license was current and there was an unsuccessful effort to unseat the board of trustees amid allegations of unfair voting practices. Also, Shabazz had cameras installed throughout the sta-

tion, allegedly to prevent the studio and offices from being damaged by WAIF programmers. Critics countered the action was taken to intimidate Shabazz’s critics. Shabazz is a mortgage broker who hosts Final Call News Hour, a Nation of Islam talk show on the station. He heads a seven-member majority on WAIF’s board. WAIF’s latest turmoil centers on a boycott planned by ousted volunteers. They want listeners to ignore the station’s spring membership drive, an event crucial for WAIF’s fundraising. The boycott and the “Alert WAIF” electronic newsletter distributed by the station’s critics prompted a bizarre, rambling e-mail by Shabazz on Feb. 1 to all members. “As I am sure you know, within every large organization, group, company or corporation, you have a fringe group of individuals, who are driven by ‘Hatred, Jealousy, Envy, and Racism.’ The type of people who seem to take pride in being ‘Dumb,’ ” Shabazz wrote. “These individuals, mostly a handful of disgruntled and disillusioned ex-programmers, malcontents, political operatives, white racists, and their black imps, who in reality, are actually against the very organization(s) they claim they are for,” he added. “Sad to say, but WAIF has just such a group.” Stating that WAIF’s critics “hide in their dark holes like snakes and vipers,” the bombastic Shabazz wrote, “WAIF is unquestionably the most successful, best equipped, best administered, best managed, financially solvent, debt free, racially diverse, longest running community radio station in the Mid-West.” Referring to himself in the third person, Shabazz continued, “I double dare you to produce any credible evidence that proves that Dr. Shabazz has intentionally been unjust or unfair to any member of WAIF.” Moreover, he challenged anyone to prove if anything written in his long, long e-mail was false. OK, we will. In Shabazz’s letter, he refers to WAIF’s “approximately 43-year long history.” In fact, WAIF’s charter was filed with the Ohio Secretary of State in March 1972, and its first broadcast occurred in December 1975, according to state documents. It’s

VOICES odd that the good doctor doesn’t know that. Additionally, Shabazz writes that he has served as board chairman “for the last 15 years.” In reality, Shabazz wasn’t even elected to the board until 1998 and only became chair in 2005, according to WAIF’s annual reports. Also in Shabazz’ e-mail, he wrote how WAIF has “remain(ed) current in all of our monthly bills” to illustrate how well run the station is operated. But a letter sent to Shabazz last summer by an attorney for Tower Leasing stated, “As you can see, although we received a payment of $450 in June, we have not received any payment in July or August. Nor have we received the fully executed Lease Agreement back from you … Unless my client receives the rent payments for July and August totaling $900 by next Friday Aug. 21, 2009, we will have no choice but to begin the process of removing your equipment from the tower.” When CityBeat began covering WAIF’s problems four years ago, Shabazz sent WAIF members a letter describing our coverage as “the wicked scheme being hatched by a certain group of racist, right-wing political operatives who are trying to hijack our station and destroy WAIF as we know it.” Since then, WAIF board member Victoria Straughn — one of Cincinnati’s most well-respected African-American activists, who works to reduce and treat HIV/AIDS among blacks and to help improve police-community relations, among other issues — has filed a complaint with the Ohio Attorney General’s Office alleging that the station’s board violates state law for nonprofit groups. In Straughn’s complaint, she states that WAIF “had been operating without a treasurer for nearly 3 years, and both the general membership body and (the board) had not received proper or adequate financial reports. Further, the (board) has not discussed or approved an operating budget since I was elected (in 2007).” The letter also describes numerous other circumstances of what Straughn calls inappropriate behavior or actions. Clearly, it’s well past time for an official investigation of WAIF’s finances and operations.

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4living out loud

by larry gross

Walking Away Walking up Sixth Street in downtown Cincinnati on a cloudy January afternoon, I saw her standing there on the sidewalk. I was rushing to the bus stop while she was talking to a man I didn’t know. I wasn’t sure if she had noticed me or not, but a text message on my cell phone later that night told me she did. Her message saying “I miss you” hurt a little, but the reality is I don’t miss her. I’m the one who walked away from the friendship. We met one summer night in a bar in Clifton about two years ago. She came in and sat down on a barstool next to mine and ordered a Bud Light. In a good mood and eager to talk, she told me her name was Kelly. Kelly had short blondish hair, blue eyes and a small nose. She was fairly tall and thin. As I was talking to her, I was guessing she was in her early forties. I was attracted to her. I thought she was sexy. She said she was waiting for someone to come in — somebody who was going to talk to her about a job opening. She was excited about it. As the night wore on and as it became apparent this person wasn’t going to show up, Kelly’s happy mood turned dark. She told me she needed this job desperately. She also told me she only had enough money for two beers. I paid for her drinks. After that night, we started going out for dinners, for drinks or to movies. When Kelly wasn’t moody, she was fun to be with. She had a wicked sense of humor. Kelly was staying with a friend in Clifton. She eventually moved in with somebody else in the same area, someone she said she didn’t like. I quickly figured out that Kelly really didn’t have a home. She told me she was a painter — an artist who admired and liked to do abstract paintings. I have no evidence of this, because my many requests to see her work were quickly dismissed. Kelly also told me she liked to write and was working on a novel. I wanted to see some of the words she had written, but none were ever offered. What she did offer was sex. While I found her attractive, something inside me knew that would be opening a door that I would want to close. Something didn’t feel right. I told Kelly I wanted to take the relationship slow. When I knew her, Kelly was always unemployed, but she told me of various jobs she had in the past — mostly as cashiers at various grocery, drug or department stores. She also told me she was once a receptionist at a hair salon, one that I happened to go to. One time when I got my hair cut, I asked my stylist if she remembered Kelly. Yes, she did. She said Kelly would often come to work

depressed — so depressed she couldn’t greet customers. Once, my stylist said, she came to work and went to the back of the shop and just sat there, unable to cope with the people coming in. Kelly and I continued to go out every so often. I continued to buy her drinks and dinner. I was spending a lot of money. The summer turned into fall. Still jobless, she found herself relocating to Covington to stay with yet another friend. Her mood was darker than ever. She was now asking me for money. At first it was $20 every few weeks, then $50. It was becoming clear to me the relationship was turning into one of not friendship but one mostly about money. On a late fall night, at Washington Platform downtown over dinner, I told Kelly it was time for me to move on. I told her giving her money wasn’t addressing what her real problems were. I suggested she needed help with her mood swings, the kind of help I couldn’t give her. She thanked me for my honesty and we promised we would stay in touch from time to time. If my words upset her, she didn’t show it. My words to her also didn’t stop Kelly from calling, leaving me voice

What she did offer was sex. While I found her attractive, something inside me knew that would be opening a door that I would want to close. Something didn’t feel right. I told Kelly I wanted to take the relationship slow.

mails still asking for money. Those calls left me feeling a bit used. I never returned them. If I had to do it all over again, instead of giving her money or taking her out to dinner or for drinks, I should have found somebody — a doctor — to help counsel her for depression. I don’t know what kind of depression she had and probably still has, but looking back now, clearly something was wrong. I still think about that text message from her in January and the temptation is to respond to it and see what’s going on in her life. After giving it some thought, I’ve decided I won’t be doing this. I have no desire to try and start over again with Kelly. Anyone who knows me knows I take friendships very seriously — but with friendships there are no contracts, no friendship license or even a verbal agreement. Really, it’s all voluntary. I’ll always wish Kelly well, but sometimes walking away is the only thing left to do. Sometimes it’s the only way to deal with a friendship you really don’t know how to fix. CONTACT LARRY GROSS: lgross@citybeat.com

4stealing friends’ jokes since 2007

Worst Week Ever! 4by danny cross

WEDNESDAY FEB. 3 There was a lot of resistance to Henry Truman’s 1948 integration of the armed forces, but dang if history doesn’t show that those blacks helped a lot during the numerous wars that followed. The AP reported today that similarly driven opposition exists against the government’s latest attempt to let people willing to fight for our country actually do it. In response to the nation’s top defense officials deciding to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Republicans have issued a series of responses, most of which are e-mails that say “Ew gross!” in the subject line. John McCain, the top Republican in the Senate Armed Services Committee, admitted that the policy hasn’t been ideal but said the government should at least wait until professional athletes are allowed to be gay before jamming the military up with them.

THURSDAY FEB. 4 We at WWE! are huge on recycling — we feel great about ourselves every week when we overfill two recycling bins with beer cans and 1.75 liter gin bottles (buying in bulk is good for the environment too). That’s why we were excited today to read that the city of Cincinnati in May will start offering new 96-gallon wheeled recycling carts for those among us who believe that burying shit in the ground forever is kind of a waste. The Enquirer reported today that in addition to creating new mountains at a slower pace, the city will save money by reducing the cost of garbage collection. The new recycling program will also include a points system so people who drink a lot of soda can get free stuff to make them feel better about how much their teeth hurt.

FRIDAY FEB. 5 It’s one thing for the Tea Party Movement to take its name from historically radical liberals and then act like a bunch of conservative dickbags, but most of us can agree that we don’t really give a shit. Today the political party formerly assumed to be based in a rich person’s basement in West Chester held a national convention, during which a speaker argued that Barack Obama was elected by people who can’t spell the word vote (F-U-C-K-Y-O-U?) or even say it in English. Convention organizer Judson Phillips, a Nashville lawyer also known for doing a wicked Toby Keith impersonation at private parties, said the speech was awesome and that Sarah Palin has already agreed to appear at the next event and play a word association game about Obama that will make everyone laugh a lot.

SATURDAY FEB. 6

and little kids. By focusing on something called melanosomes, researchers figured out what color individual feathers on certain types of dinosaurs were, which led to responses such as “Woah!” and “That bird was fucking sparkly!” when certain species were colored properly. Scientists expect that after minimal further study they’ll be able to officially replace the old dinosaur colors, which were just made up by fifth graders anyway.

SUNDAY FEB. 7 A great many people spent today watching the Super Bowl (the latest Nielson Ratings had this year’s number somewhere around 6.7 billion). The Enquirer today reported that even though this year’s game pitted the best player in football (Peyton Manning) against a team from one of the most tragic cities in America (Detroit Lions) (New Orleans Saints), a lot of people found a local contest even more interesting: the Super Bowl of Preaching. The eighth annual event, which involved two pastors preaching back and forth about what it means to be a man, drew nearly 19,000 people to Crossroads Community Church, most of whom agreed that the way Tim Tebow hugged his mom in the pro-life commercial made him look like a wuss.

MONDAY FEB. 8 Sometimes something that looks bad for a while can flip-flop right back into the good category: Consider how the decision to do a really shitty job on the Reds’ riverfront stadium led to the development of what will be an awesome casino at Broadway Commons. The same thing could be happening with the consistent population loss of Cincinnati and Dayton, according to The Enquirer, once the collection of suburbs between the dying cities gets included in the Cincinnati-Dayton metropolis on the 2013 census (“Cincinnati-Dayton: Nick Lachey Lives Around Here”). The analysis suggested that the new 19-county city would have better appeal than the individual ones as long as Dayton’s people don’t scare outsiders too much.

TUESDAY FEB. 9 With America’s socialist government spending money like it’s just printed paper it grows on trees, many conservatives are concerned that there’s too much liberal taxing and spending going on. The Enquirer reported today that the mascots that run Kings Island amusement park feel the same way, though they did their part by convincing Mason City Council to reject a proposed admissions and parking tax on Monday. Proponents of the tax, which would have mostly come from people outside the city and not from the pockets of the dumbasses who live in Mason, say it would have made up for the $3 million in city services the park uses every year but that they understand how culturally valuable the park’s fake international monuments are so they’ll figure out a new way to get the money. E-MAIL SOMETHING FUNNY TO: dcross@citybeat.com

february 10-16, 2010

Scientific researchers and schoolchildren have a lot in common — they both have to study, they both wear clothes they didn’t pick out and if somebody in the room farts and blames it on a Brooklyn Barking Spider they both want to know more. The AP reported today that new evidence suggests that dinosaurs were in fact very colorful creatures, which is another hypothesis shared by researchers

Wrong

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4 Letters to the editor

Faux Is the Real Deal Kevin Osborne wrote in Porkopolis, “The need to boost someone’s income shouldn’t be the primary consideration when appointing someone to the Board of Elections” (issue of Feb. 3). Very true. But, as it is strictly a party decision, if the person is qualified, does yeoman work for the party but needs the dough, why not? Politics ain’t beanbag, and the potential choice of Caleb Faux hardly ranks up there with the GOP sleaziness re: Joe Deters.

I would argue that Faux is indeed qualified and has certainly done yeoman work for the Dems. — Robert Goldstein, Downtown

4 say what?

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NEWS

A Different Kind of Struggle LGBT seniors open up about their semi-invisible lives 4By ryan mclendon

“G

igi” is 68 years old and lives in Northern Kentucky, where she moved five years ago after living in Cincinnati since the 1990s. She runs a small business in the community and enjoys her life very much. And like many women her age, she is discreet about her sexuality. But this isn’t a result of modesty alone. Gigi is a male-to-female transgender — she’s had facial feminization surgeries and breast implants — and relies upon her own discretion in order to keep her livelihood intact and herself safe. “I live my life without walking around with a sign on my back,” she says. “I just don’t feel the need to tell everyone in my neighborhood.” Gigi is also active within Cincinnati’s LGBT community. She’s an outreach associate for CrossPort, a transgender and transvestite support group in Cincinnati that hosts monthly meetings and frequent outings. She travels to schools and police departments to discuss transsexual issues as well as recruit for CrossPort. Having transitioned to female at 57, Gigi understands the struggle of coming out later in life. She says there are many elderly transgendered people in Cincinnati, but many of them are still closeted. “If they’re not out by age 65, they’re prob-

ably never going to come out,” she says. CrossPort, however, might actually serve a dual purpose for Gigi. Although it’s open to all ages (its youngest member is 22), about 60 of its roughly 150 members are above the age of 55, making CrossPort the de facto elderly trans organization in Cincinnati, keeping her in contact with not only her trans friends but people in her own age group. Gigi’s story is microcosm of a larger societal issue that often goes unnoticed in Greater Cincinnati: The plight of the gay elderly. While Gigi has a wide swath of friends, young and old, there is no dedicated place for her to commune exclusively with the LGBT people her own age.

Prime Time players Cincinnati offers a wide range of social groups for older people, but there are no LGBT-exclusive organizations. Many groups simply have a large population of older LGBT clientele, such as CrossPort, New Spirit Metropolitan Community Church and Prime Timers. Prime Timers, a social club for men, might be the closest thing to a senior gay men’s group in Cincinnati. A chapter of the international CONTINUES ON PAGE 124

PHOTO: cameron knight

The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) holds an annual prom, one of the few social opportunities for gay adults in Greater Cincinnati. Last year’s event (above) was held at the Contemporary Arts Center.

4 winners and losers THE REV. MICHAEL HOWARD: It’s sad when human foibles tarnish a good cause, but that’s what is happening with Justice Watch. The group, founded by the late Rev. Maurice McCrackin, is based in the West End and has helped transition ex-felons back into society for almost 20 years through its residential program that offers substance abuse counseling and life skills training. Sadly, The Rev. Michael Howard, a Justice Watch activist, is being sought by police for allegedly taking more than $100,000 from the organization. He’s facing charges of aggravated theft, forgery and unauthorized use of property. Unfortunately, such actions just make it easier for critics to dismiss worthwhile causes like the one served by Justice Watch and makes it more difficult for successors.

BILL SLOAT: We enjoyed Sloat’s work years ago when he was the Cincinnati reporter for The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio’s best daily newspaper. We continued to enjoy his work even more once he retired and founded The Daily Bellwether, a blog that covered local and state politics, often with a satirical bent. Using the connections he built over many years, Sloat covered news in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus, frequently offering a fresh angle. Alas, his other work and family commitments began taking up more of his time, and the blog stopped regularly updating in March 2009. Now Sloat has revived the blog, and once again he often scoops local publications with his journalistic acumen. Welcome back, Bill. We’ve missed you. Check it out at www.thebellwetherdaily.blogspot. com.

MIKE WILSON: The Springfield Township resident who (rightly or wrongly) takes credit for organizing the region’s Tea Party Movement made good on his promises last December that his organization would be about more than protests. That’s when Wilson decided to challenge State Rep. Connie Pillich (D-Montgomery) for the Ohio 28th District seat. But if Wilson thought he would cruise to November’s general election, he can think again. His old pals in the Republican Party began actively recruiting mainstream GOP candidates to run against Wilson in the May 4 primary. Now all that work has paid off. Tom Weidman, a well-known Republican who heads the Sycamore Township trustees and was County Commissioner Phil Heimlich’s campaign manager in 2006, has jumped into the race. Joining him is Vicky Zwissler, a small business owner and ex-member of Wyoming City Council. This is when we test whether the Tea Party has any political traction beyond angry mobs.

february 10-16, 2010

JON CRAIG: Through good old-fashioned reporting, The Enquirer’s statehouse reporter helped uncover the identity of the conduit for a shadowy contributor who funded the campaign trying to force a vote on Gov. Ted Strickland’s plan to place slot machines at seven Ohio horse tracks. It turns out the treasurer for the group was Tim Crawford of McLean, Va., the fundraising consultant for ex-Secretary of State Ken Blackwell, Strickland’s opponent in the 2006 gubernatorial race. Crawford is treasurer for New Models, the group that raised $1.55 million for the effort. Crawford has extensive Republican ties, including work for the RNC and Sarah Palin. Many have speculated a casino company that doesn’t want competition from slots funded the effort. Crawford isn’t talking. Meanwhile, although New Models bears a nonprofit’s Web identity, it’s not a registered nonprofit and has no board of directors, no campaign finance filing history and no paperwork on file with the IRS or the Federal Elections Commission.

by kevin osborne

4LGBT struggle: FROM PAGE 11

Prime Timers Worldwide, the group advertises itself as place for older gay and bisexual men and the younger men who admire them. Steve Howell, 44, a native Cincinnatian, has been treasurer of Prime Timers for three years. Although the club is open to heterosexual men, the majority of Prime Timers are gay. “It is a place where men can come and socialize amongst other people,” Howell says. “They can actually be themselves and not have to worry about someone seeing them, and they can mingle with their own kind.” Cincinnati’s is the third largest Prime Timers group in the nation, with 280 members, and the group holds regular monthly meetings. The larger group is also broken up into several smaller groups based on interests, and those groups typically meet weekly. Dining groups, athletic groups and theater groups are among the many choices that Prime Timers offers. Though a majority of Prime Timers are gay,

they’re not necessarily out, Howell adds. “There are a lot of guys that grew up in a different environment and are afraid of gay people,” he says. “There’s still a lot of fear.” Prime Timers’ mission is to reach out to these closeted elderly men, but that’s about as easy as chasing a shadow. “It’s been a challenge for us because we don’t always know where all the older men are,” Howell says. “They think it’s all about sex. That’s what a lot of people think ... dirty old men having sex. That’s not what we are there for.” Another reason older gay men have trouble attending social groups like Prime Timers is as common among the elderly population as a whole — mobility. “I would say maybe a third that have mobility issues,” Howell says. “We have guys that come with walkers, guys that are on oxygen and guys that can barely walk.” Howell says social groups geared toward the elderly are necessary because often older

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LGBTers are dismissed in the larger gay culture. “They forget about them,” he says. “I think it’s just (an attitude of) the younger generation are in it for themselves.”

Visibility still a problem Gay elderly visibility isn’t just a Cincinnati issue — it’s a national problem. Karen Taylor is director of outreach and education with SAGE (Services & Advocacy for Gay, Bisexual, Lesbian and Transgender Elders), the nation’s oldest nonprofit advocacy organization that assists elderly LGBT Americans. Many of the services, benefits and entitlements available to seniors are largely unknown to the older gay community, she says. “What happens in reality at the local level is that LGBT older adults are invisible,” Taylor says. The programs serving seniors don’t serve them effectively, she adds, because many attempt to treat everyone the same and don’t take the vagaries of sexual orientation into ac-

count when providing care. Once a person turns 60, benefits and entitlements change. Many gay community centers don’t understand how to enroll seniors in Medicare and prescription drug plans. “Our own community may not be aware of how to do that work,” Taylor says. The LGBT social strata are the lifeblood of gay seniors because often they don’t have the reliable family network that heterosexual seniors have. Two-thirds of gay seniors live alone, and 90 percent of them don’t have children. For most elderly people, spouses and children are the aging population means of staying social and getting services. “That’s who our aging service system rely on to provide basic assistance at home,” Taylor says. “If we have a population that doesn’t fit the criteria, it means just walking in the door of a senior center where someone says, ‘What’s your wife’s name?’ is immediately a barrier to access.”

History’s lingering effects Cincinnati LGBT Center Vice President John Maddux, 60, says there’s definitely a lack of social support in the fabric of the LGBT community. He currently doesn’t participate in many activities geared for seniors but spends time with friends exploring personal interests. Maddux, who’s also an English professor at the University of Cincinnati, takes a more philosophical approach to why gay men don’t participate in these groups. “I think it’s a sociological phenomenon,” Maddux says. “(The 1950s was) an era when men couldn’t come out, you lived in the shadows. We were all so socialized in a culture where men had to compete with each other rather than nurture each other. I don’t think we really know how to be a part of each others’ lives other than either sexually or in a competitive sense.” Part of the problem is passivity on the part of institutional structure, Maddux adds. There isn’t enough outreach by gay organizations to their elderly constituents, specifically on the part of the local Center. Other than the annual Pride Parade and the Pride Night at King’s Island amusement park, he says, the Center’s presence in the community has been minimal. “I would say that our outreach is pretty pathetic,” Maddux says. “The center has to rediscover itself, to redefine itself. We need to

ask ‘How can we serve you?’ ” Michael Chanak, board member-at-large for the LBGT Center, is an anomaly all his own. At 60, he’s an apt jumper through ageseparated social castes of Cincinnati’s gay community. He uses social media to keep up with friends, young and old, and to keep tuned in to Cincinnati’s varied gay world. “Most of the people in my age group, they’re just not using those things,” Chanak says. “I’ve always been really successful. I’ve been able to have friends and do pretty well for myself. Some are more sensitive to the age issue, especially people in my age group.” While he wouldn’t mind a social group of people closer to his age, it isn’t a high priority for him. “I’ve just become well-socialized,” Chanak says. “I don’t feel particularly isolated and my health is still decent enough that I don’t have any disability that limits my (activity).” Chanak says many of his elderly gay friends have mobility issues that limit their sociability. But for him, he’s still able and still knows how to work a room. “I’m either a stubborn crazy person or just determined that I’m going to make my way,” he says. “I’m just happy that I got this far.” ©

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Valentine’s Day

Wine and Dine Options

Apsara: Four-course dinner for two includes two glasses of champagne. Regular dinner menu is also available. $60. 4:30-11 p.m. Feb. 13-14. 4785 Lake Forest Drive, Blue Ash, 513-554-1040, www.apsaraasiancuisine.com Bella Luna: Celebrating Valentine’s Day all week with a four-course meal Feb. 10-14. $50 per couple. 4632 Eastern Ave., East End, www. bellalunacincy.com Bonbonerie Tearoom: Enjoy a Valentine’s Day tea with fresh fruit bread, scones, heart-shaped tea sandwiches, chocolate covered strawberries and more. 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Feb. 12-13; 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Feb. 14. 2030 Madison Road, O’Bryonville, 513-321-3399 Chalk Food & Wine: Celebrate V-Day with an Oregon Truffle six-course prix fixe menu. Reservations are required. $65 per person. 5 p.m. Feb. 14. 318 Greenup St., Covington, 859-643-1234, www.chalkfoodwine.com Chick-fil-A: Another fast food franchise is hopping on the ironic “fancy” Valentine’s Day dinner (see Skyline and White Castle below), and the Florence Chick-fil-A is doing it for a cause. Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner that includes a soup, salad, entrée, drink and dessert. $20 per couple. Proceeds benefit the Children’s Home of Northern Kentucky. 5-8 p.m. Feb. 13. 4980 Houston Road, Florence, 859-393-5282 Cincinnati Shakespeare Company: Offers up an evening of dinner and entertainment for Valentine’s Day. The guest of honor will be Glenn Plott. $50 per person. 6 p.m. Feb. 13. RSVP to 513-381-2273, ext. 217. 719 Race St., Downtown, 513-381-BARD, www.cincyshakes.com Daveed’s: Offers a prix fixe menu featuring three courses. $55 per person. 5-8:30 p.m. Feb. 13-14. Daveed’s will also offer carryout for two to be picked up between 2 and 6 p.m. Feb. 13. Can’t get reservation downstairs? Upstairs, Chef David will be preparing 12 courses of family-style platters. $35 per person. 7 p.m. Feb. 13. 934 Hatch St., Mount Adams, 513-721-2665 Grand Finale: Offers up a Valentine’s promotion including an appetizer, choice of entrée and dessert from their special menu. $70 per couple. 4:30 p.m. Feb. 12-14. 3 E. Sharon Road, Glendale, 513-771-5925, www. grandfinale.info Hamburger Mary’s: Have dinner, a glass of champagne and a special Valentine’s Day gift. All dinner packages come with a complimentary instant photo to capture the moment. 5 p.m.–10 p.m. Saturday; 5 p.m.–9 p.m. Sunday. Reservations suggested but not required. 911 Vine St., Downtown, 513-421-6279 Hugo: Wants you to splurge this Valentine’s Day with a V-Day weekend menu featuring a dry aged ribeye meal for $45 or a seven-course “tour” selected by the chef for $75 ($100 with wine). 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13-14. 3235 Madison Road, Oakley, 513-321-HUGO Iron Horse Inn: Chef Nat Blanford will create a special four-course menu including oregeno pesto-stuffed meatball, peppered beef carpaccio, filet and lobster oscar and strawberries and chocolate dessert. All courses paired with wine. 5 p.m. Feb. 12-14. 40 Village Square, Glendale, www.ironhorseinn.com JeanRo Bistro: Soup, salad, entrée (lobster or filet) and dessert. Reservations recommended. $55 per person. 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13-14. 413 Vine St., Downtown, bistrojeanro.com Jags Steak and Seafood: Enjoy a three-course prix fixe dinner for two including a variety of steak and seafood options. $99.95 per couple. Or enjoy a four-course dinner for two that includes champagne and chocolate covered strawberries. $149.95 per couple. 5 p.m. Feb. 12-14. 5980 West Chester Road, West Chester, 513-860-5353, jags.com John Phillip’s Restaurant and Bar: Offers the best of the land and sea featuring a 5-oz. filet mignon, 5-oz. lobster tail, sides like asparagus or a baked potato and dessert. $99 per couple. Reservations requested. 4 p.m. Feb. 14. 2809 Dixie Highway, Crestview Hills, 859-344-0444, www. drinkeatenjoy.com Lavomatic: Enjoy a five-course dinner with entrée choices like tenderloin, duck breast, bean stew and more. $50 per person. 5:30-9 p.m. Feb. 13-14. 1211 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine, www.lavomaticcafe.com

Mecklenburg Gardens: Opens their doors on this special Sunday (they’re usually closed) to serve a special a three-course dinner with a surf and turf option, along with their normal menu items, and half-price bottles of wine. $40 with a $5 upcharge for surf and turf. 5 p.m. Feb. 14. 302 E. University Ave., Corryville, 513-221-5353, www.mecklenburgs.net

Morton’s The Steakhouse: Enjoy a three-course dinner with a specialty cocktail and a commemorative photo. $99 per couple. 4-11 p.m. Feb. 12-13 and 3-10 p.m. Feb. 14. 441 Vine St., Downtown, 513-621-3111, www. mortons.com The Pub at Rookwood: Celebrate Valentine’s Day all weekend long with the “Perfect Pair,” your choice of a 1 oz. pour of Quinta Ruban Scotch or an Imperial Pint of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout paired with a slice of Nick’s Wee Dram Chocolate Cheesecake. Feb. 12-14. $9.95. Rookwood Pavilion, Norwood, www.tavernrestaurantgroup.com Riverview 360: Get a great view of the city and a dinner package that includes an appetizer, salad, entrée and a shared dessert (you can fork feed each other). $79.90 per couple. Reservations required. 5-10 p.m. Feb. 12-13, 5-9 p.m. Feb. 14. 668 W. Fifth St., Covington, 859-491-5300 Skyline: For the eighth year, the Blue Ash Skyline celebrates Valentine’s Day under the pseudonym “La Skyline Chili.” Maitre d’chili Scott Callaway and his staff will serve up three-course Skyline dinners for $26.99 featuring a salad, main course and cake. There will also be candlelight, violinists and roses for the ladies. 4-8 p.m. Feb. 14. 5005 Cornell Road, 513-489-8488 The Summit: Invite your sweetheart for a special three-course menu and glass of champagne. $40 per person. Add wine to the first and second course for an additional $10. 5:30 p.m. Feb. 14. 3520 Central Pkwy., Cincinnati State campus, Clifton, 513-569-4980

Havana Martini Club’s Valentine’s Day Party: V-Day gets funky with a live performance by Leroy Ellington & E Funk Band. $5. 9:30 p.m. Feb. 13. 441 Vine St., Carew Tower, Downtown, 513-651-2800, www. havanamartini.com Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides: Carriage Occasions is offering a variety of Valentine’s Day ride packages that include a carriage ride, a single rose, a digital picture and small box of chocolates. Choose different times and locations like a 25-minute tour around Garfield Park and the surrounding areas, or and hour-long tour across the Roebling Suspension Bridge, through Covington and back. Rides start at $50. The carriage stand is at Vine and Fifth streets, Downtown, 812-744-5592, www.carriageoccasions.com/valentines Little Red Dress Party: Get your friends together and dress in something red for this party to benefit the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women! There will be live music from Naked Karate Girls, and Jeff and Jenn from Q102 will be out on the floor mingling. 8 p.m. Feb. 13. $15. The Redmoor, 3187 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout, www.theredmoor.com Love Is a Drag: A variety of drag performers reinterpret the music and gender image of Pop icons like Pink and Beyonce or standards like Billie Holiday. 8 p.m. Feb. 13. CS13, 1219 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, cs13gallery.com Make Pottery With Your Sweetheart: Act like Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore in Ghost during this Valentine’s pottery making session. Funke Fired Arts will provide a short lesson followed by relaxed, guided practice, champagne and strawberries with chocolate fondue. Feel free to bring food/drink to share. Pots will be glazed and fired for you. $40 per person. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 12 or 2-4 p.m. Feb. 13. Reservations required. 3130 Wasson Road, Hyde Park, 513-871-2529, www. funkefiredarts.com

Teller’s: Offering their usual half price wine special as well as a four course prix fixe aphrodisiac-inspired menu including an arugula salad with figs and honey ginger dressing, Lobster Tail with sauce almondine, asparagus and coffee infused basmati rice and a strawberry chocolate parfait. 4 p.m. Feb. 14. 2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, 513-321-4721

Mason Pub Sweetheart’s Dance: Dance to DJ Julie J. $14 table reservation with a bottle of wine per couple. 7-10 p.m. Feb. 13. 753 Reading Road, Mason, www.masonpub.com

Vito’s Café: Serving up a “Lover’s Dinner,” a four-course meal featuring a Seared Scallop appetizer, salad, Pork Osso Buco entrée and a cream puff dessert. Red roses and more than 100 love songs will be available for you to impress your lover. And if you want to go over the top, add Prosecco Italian sparkling wine for $20 extra. $80 per couple. 5-10 p.m. Feb. 11-14. 654 Highland Ave., Fort Thomas, 859-442-9444, www.vitoscafe.com

Paint Your Own Pottery With Your Sweetheart: It doesn’t have to be your significant other, so invite your friends or family (or honey) to paint some pottery to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Buy a mug, plate, bowls or etc. for $8-$50 (including glaze and firing), and get creative. Light snacks will be provided but feel free to bring food/drink to share. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 12, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 13, and noon-4 p.m. Feb. 14. Reservations required. Funke Fired Arts, 3130 Wasson Road, Hyde Park, 513-871-2529, www.funkefiredarts.com

White Castle: Sliders and chicken rings get a touch of class with the addition of candlelight and tableside service. Along with your fave craves, get flowers and a photo of your romantic rendezvous. 4-8 p.m. Feb. 14. For reservations at any Cincinnati location, call 513-559-0575, ext. 10. Washington Platform: The Valentine’s Day Sweetheart Deal features a dozen fresh-shucked oysters, two entree choices, chocolate covered strawberries for dessert and a bottle of wine. $75 per couple. 4 p.m. Feb. 1214. 1000 Elm St., Downtown, 513-421-0110, www.washingtonplatform.com White House Inn: Celebrate Valentine’s weekend with a four-course dinner. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Feb. 12-13; noon-7 p.m. Feb. 14. $50 per couple; add a bottle of wine for $15. 4940 4940 Mulhauser Road, Hamilton, 513-8601110, heartlandcooking.com

Special Sweetheart Events BB Riverboats Valentine’s Day Cruise: Nothing says romance like cruising the Ohio River. Cruisers will enjoy a buffet dinner and live music. Special packages are offered and include things like roses, photos, candy, wine and Mylar balloons. $30.95 adults/seniors; $20 children. Special packages run an additional $25-$50. 7-9:30 p.m. Feb. 13-14. 101 Riverboat Row, Newport, www.bbriverboats.com Daddy Daughter Dance: Girls ages 2-12 are invited to spend a fun-filled night with their fathers. The 10th annual dance features drinks, snacks, photos and dancing. $30 per daddy and daughter; $10 for each additional daughter. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 12-13. NKU Student Union Ballroom, 20 Kenton Dr., Highland Heights, 513-388-4513 Flowers, Chocolate and Romance: The Krohn Conservatory gets more romantic than usual with some special exhibits featuring chocolate and how it’s produced. Volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and give tasty samples. Free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily through Feb.14. Krohn Conservatory, Eden Park, 513-421-5707 Flying Cat: The Lonely Hearts Club group art show looks at the upside of being alone, the search for happiness and what love really means. Noon-5 p.m. Saturdays through Feb. 28. 713 Main St., Covington, theflyingcat.net

Recipe for Romance: Jazz and Champagne at the Krohn: Nothing says romance quite like some sensual Jazz music and delicious bubbly. Bring your honey for a candlelit dinner by chef Amy Tobin featuring live music, hors d’oeuvres, delicious wines and champagne. Booze makes everyone and everything dreamier. 7-9 p.m. Feb. 14. $50. Krohn Conservatory, Eden Park, RSVP to 513-421-5707 Shred Your Ex Night: Metropolis, the sexxxy dance club in what was once known as the Forest Fair Mall, is hosting this dance party to “shred your ex.” What exactly does that mean? Not sure, but Jordan and DJ Sab from KISS-FM will be there. 10 p.m.-2 a.m. Feb. 13. 125 Cincinnati Mills Drive, Forest Park, 513-671-2881, www.cincymetropolis.com A Sinatra Valentine: Matt Snow, Frank Sinatra impersonator, serenades you and your sweetie through a four-course dinner and wine. $14.95. Snow performs 6-9 p.m. Feb. 14. Reservations required. Arnold’s Bar & Grill, 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, 513-421-6234, www. arnoldsbarandgrill.com Singles Anti-Valentine’s Day Bash: Glow-in-the-dark, monsterthemed Monster Mini Golf hosts a V-Day celebration for those 21 and up. There will be snacks, entertainment, unlimited mini-golfing, door prizes and mixer activities. BYOB. 7-10 p.m. Feb. 14. $12. Reservations required. 7058 Ridgetop Drive, West Chester, 513-759-5400, www. monsterminigolf.com Sitwell’s Valentine’s Day Bash: The coffeeshop hosts an evening full of live music and food and drink specials, including Endless Love Chocolate Cake and coffee liqueur drinks. In addition to the traditional V-Day fare, Sitwell’s is hosting a “Best Love Story” contest where patrons can get up and share their own personal love story. There will be a prize for the winner. 324 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, sitwellscoffeehouse.com Spin the Bottle Party: Come down to FB’s for some adolescent fun. Singles and couples are invited to mix, mingle and maybe make out. 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Feb. 13. 126 W. Sixth St., Downtown, www.fb-cincy.com

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february 10-16, 2010

Local 127: Enjoy a menu that includes bison, sea scallops and duck breast with desserts such as sour cream cheesecake. Ladies receive a rose. $45 per person. Feb. 14. 127 W. Fourth St., Downtown, mylocal127.com

The Melting Pot: Offers a five-course meal including special shrimp cocktail, cheese fondue, a cherry blossom salad, Teriaki sirloin and raspberry dark chocolate or smores fondue for dessert. Each meal includes a champagne toast, a rose and take-home goodie bag. $124 per couple. Noon Feb. 13-14. 11023 Montgomery Road, Symmes Twp., 513-530-5501, www. meltingpot.com

valentine’s day SweetArt: The Contemporary Arts Center invites you to check out the sensual exhibit, Marilyn Minter: Chewing Color, to celebrate Valentine’s Day. And shop their gift shop for V-Day trinkets. $7.50. 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Feb. 13-14. 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, 513-345-8400 Valentine’s Day Skate: Spend Valentine’s Day skating around the ice rink on Fountain Square. There will be two-for-one admission and skate rental all day plus exciting giveaways. Starting at 4 p.m., the first 50 couples to arrive will receive a flower. At 7 p.m. one couple will win dinner to Via Vite, more flowers, champagne and a one-night stay at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. $2.50. Noon-9 p.m. Feb. 14. www.myfountainsquare.com Valentine’s Extravaganza: Matt Snow, the Cincinnati Sinatra, hosts an evening of dueling pianos, dinner, dancing and drinking (at a cash bar). $49 per couple. 7-11:30 p.m. Feb. 13. Receptions Banquet and Conference Center Bridgetown, 3302 Westbourne Drive, 513-943-3601 Valentine’s Day with Elvis (Steve Chuke): Price includes buffet and entertainment. The buffet includes their famous pot roast, bourbon glazed

chicken, twice baked mashed potatoes, salad, rolls and vegetable. $23.50 per person or $45 per couple. 7-9 p.m. Feb. 14. Guys N Dolls, 4210 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring, 859-441-4888, www.guysndollsllc.com

with a red, heart-shaped two-person jacuzzi. Valentine’s Day packages start at $179.95, which is a lot cheaper than usual. 7809 U.S. 42, Florence, www. wildwood-inn.com

Valentine’s Night at the Cincinnati Observatory Center: There’s nothing more romantic than the night sky, besides staring up at it with your love. During this romantic evening, couples will enjoy Lookout Joe’s gourmet hot chocolate, “astro-centric” strolling violin music, an aphrodisiac chocolate dessert created by Chef Julie Francis of Nectar Restaurant and a Star-Gazer lily. Activities include a discussion on Mars lead by Dean Regas, tours of the buildings and viewings through the historic 1843 and 1904 telescopes. $40 per couple. 7-9 p.m. Feb. 14. Reservations required. 3489 Observatory Place, Hyde Park, 513-321-5186, www.cincinnatiobservatory.org

Onstage Offerings

Voices from the Heart: Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Cincinnati Union Bethel for this dinner auction to raise money for Off the Streets, a program to assist women involved with prostitution move toward safety, recovery, empowerment and reintegration. $100 per person. 6:30-10 p.m. Feb. 13. Hilton Netherland Plaza, 35 W. Fifth St., Downtown, 513-768-6907 Wildwood Inn: Spice things up with the Wildwood Inn’s themed suites like the Artic Cave room with walls that look like ice, or the Venetian room where you and your lovebunny can sleep in twin gondolas, or the classic Cupid Room

A Special Touch Floral Design Valentine’s Day Specials

Funny Bone on the Levee: The Alex Reymundo Valentine’s Dinner Show combines his stand-up with a dinner including bread, tossed or Caesar salad, four-bean salad, vegetable medley, potatoes, dessert and your choice of prime rib, roasted turkey breast or cheese-stuffed shells with marinara. $40. 8 p.m. Feb. 13 and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14. Newport on the Levee, Newport, www. funnyboneonthelevee.com

After Dark at Shadowbox: Shadowbox presents this package for couples featuring tickets for two to After Dark with an upscale appetizer, dinner, dessert and a rose for the lady. $120 per couple. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13. Newport on the Levee, Newport, 859-957-7625

Go Bananas: Featuring Josh Sneed, local favorite who’s been seen on Comedy Central and Rooftop Comedy and been heard on Bob and Tom. $10-$15. Feb. 11-14. 8410 Market Place Lane, Montgomery, www. gobananascomedy.com

Cincinnati Men’s Chorus: Presents “Reel Love,” a cabaret featuring love songs that won or were nominated for Academy Awards. Desserts will be provided. $25. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13. Below Zero Lounge, 1122 Walnut St., Overthe-Rhine, www.cincinnatimenschorus.org

In Love With Shakespeare: The Cincinnati Shakespeare Company presents some of Shakespeare’s most famous love scenes and sonnets with comedic flair. Suitable for all ages. $5. 3-4 p.m. Feb. 14. Mayerson JCC, 8485 Ridge Road, Reading, 513-761-7500

Cinderella: Cincinnati Ballet performs the classic, magical tale of love and transformation. Dreams will come true with this cast of delightful children, fairies weaving spells of wonderment and riotous bumbling characters. $25$80. Feb. 12-14. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, www. cincinnatiarts.org

Love Letters: This romantic Pulitzer Prize-winning play features a man and a woman sitting side by side, reading through 50 years worth of notes, letters and cards that explain the hopes, dreams, disappointments and defeats that have passed between them. Includes dinner. $30. 7 p.m. Feb. 12-13 and 19-20. Clermont Inn, 180 E. Main St., Batavia, 513-732-2174

Where is

Kevin Mahogany: Vocalist visits the Blue Wisp Jazz Club for two shows. $20; $30 for both; an additional $10 for the front two rows. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 14. 318 E. Eighth St., Downtown, 513-241-WISP, www.thebluewisp.com Valentine’s Day Va Va Voom! Rock & Burlesque Revue: Hell in a Handbasket, Cincinnati’s subculture zine, hosts this rockin’ Valentine’s Day revue at Mayday with special performances by Cin City Burlesque and music by Chakras and Luxury Pushers. 10 p.m. Feb. 12. 4227 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, www.maydaynorthside.com

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TO DO CBRECOMMENDS

business. www.findlaymarket.org. … Arnold’s celebrates Fat Tuesday with what they claim is the “most authentic” Mardi Gras celebration in town. They’ll have free beads, three different kinds of Hurricanes (from scratch), a full menu of Cajun specialties and Lagniappe will be roving the aisles all night playing traditional New Orleans music. 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Tuesday. 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, www.arnoldsbarandgrill.com. … And another Fat Tuesday celebration is going down at the Hofbräuhaus. Sponsored by the German-American Citizens League, Enzian Dancers will perform a special Fat Tuesday dance presentation with prizes for the best costumes. Christian Uhde, the Lord Mayor of Munich, Germany, will be the guest of honor. 6 p.m. Tuesday. 513-574-1741. — MAIJA ZUMMO

SATURDAY13 4 PHOTO courtesy Taft museum of art

WEDNESDAY10 4 ART: TAFT MUSEUM OF ART According to a Taft Museum of Art’s news release, “the tulips, windmills, peasant costumes and canals so characteristic of Holland were powerfully captured by a group of American artists who frequented or settled in the Netherlands in the decades around 1900.” Dutch Utopia: American Artists in Holland, 1880–1914, organized by Savannah’s Telfair Museum from private collections in the U.S. and Europe, brings together that work by such artists as William Merritt Chase, John Singer Sargent, Robert Henri, Cincinnati-born painters John Twachtman and Elizabeth Nourse and others. It’s up now through May 2. Visit www.taftmuseum.org for more details. — STEVEN ROSEN

THURSDAY11 4

FRIDAY12 4 ART: Cincinnati Art Museum hosts STARBURST: COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY IN AMERICA, 1970–1980, which explores the groundbreaking decade that changed the face of photography. See review on page 29. EVENTS: MARDI GRAS So our football team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl. That’s OK. “Who Dat” sounded kind of like “Who Dey.” And we can still act like New Orleans, or better, with multiple Mardi Gras events. That’s right. We have more than one. Apparently Cincinnatians love outdoor parties where they can take their shirts off for beads, even when it’s really cold out. MainStrasse is hosting its 14th annual Mardi Gras event 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. There will be a giant entertainment tent full of live music from the likes of Robin Lacy & DeZydeco and 4th Day Echo, lots of Cajun food booths and a Dunk-a-Cop booth to raise money for the Police Unity Tour. And what Mardi Gras party would be complete without a parade? None. And MainStrasse has two. Friday night there’s a Big Head Parade and Saturday there’s a Grande Parade. Music starts after the parades both nights. $15 in advance for both nights. www.mainstrasse.org. … Findlay Market gets in on the Creole action with a family-friendly Mardi Gras party 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. The market will be full of decorations, costumes, food and drinks. Grab free beads from the Friends of Findlay Market and watch a Jazz parade at noon featuring Lagniappe, Robin Lacy & DeZydeco, Ricky Nye Inc. and the Jon Justice Band. Merchants throughout the market will be offering up Cajun specialties, George Phelps and his band of pals from the Cincinnati Fire Museum will be cooking a special crawfish boil, Market Wines will be holding a special fundraiser tasting and the OTR Biergarten will be open for

CONTINUES ON PAGE 184

february 10-16, 2010

COMEDY: JOSH SNEED Though he still has a hard time coming to grips with it, Cincinnati comedian Josh Sneed is growing up. “I’m getting married in April,” he reports. “That’s exciting. Local gal. I’m really looking forward to the material.” It’s all part of his ongoing adjustment to adulthood, a struggle he talks about at length with audiences. “The things that I find myself doing and can’t believe, because I swore I never would,” he laments. “Or how out of touch I am with my little cousins, or children that are in my life. How clueless I am about why they like the things they do. ‘When I was your age’ kind of thing. It’s been something that’s hard for me to swallow.” Eight years after leaving P&G to pursue stand-up fulltime, Sneed is amazed at how much he has accomplished — a Comedy Central Presents episode, two CDs, the chance to regularly perform in front of 10,000 people, a successful T-shirt business, a popular podcast (“Detention”) and headlining some of the top comedy clubs in America. “Even if it never gets any better than this,” he says, “it’s still been a pretty sweet ride.” It doesn’t look like he’ll be running out of gas anytime soon. Josh Sneed performs at Go Bananas in Montgomery Thursday-Sunday. Tickets are $10-$15. www.gobananascomedy.com. — P.F. WILSON

MUSIC: NYC’s busking-turned-touring-and-recording duo TWO MAN GENTLEMAN BAND swings by the Southgate House’s Parlour with local guests Moonshine Drive. See Sound Advice, page 26.

ART: CS13 The questions of what “gender” means and what it implies beg to be continually discussed and redefined. Muddled understandings of gender lace our dayto-day life with inequities and problems that are taken for granted. What better way to open up the dialogue further than to present a conceptual performance-art show that looks to glamorous alternative-goddesses from the world of drag as models? This Saturday night, CS13 hosts Love Is A Drag, which will include a variety of drag performances that reinterpret the music (and gender image) of contemporary Pop icons like Pink and Beyoncé, as well as older ones like Billie Holliday. Those are expected to be the most conventional of the acts; others will invoke Buckminster Fuller, strap-ons and androgyny. These performers are mostly amateurs, exploring what drag and flexible gender identities can look like. The event starts at 8 p.m. Saturday at CS13, 1219 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine. www.cs13gallery.com. — MATT MORRIS ONSTAGE: ADDING MACHINE If you’ve been feeling like a big zero lately, you probably need to put Know Theatre’s upcoming production on your calendar. Not that you want to follow the example of Mr. Zero, who is replaced by an adding machine after years of loyal service, leading him to go ballistic. This musical actually derives from a classic play written by Elmer Rice in 1923, another era of economic turbulence that led to some extreme behavior. The play is an example of “expressionism,” which means the characters represent larger issues in a symbolic way — such as society’s tendency to grind down its smaller players like Mr. Zero. This kind of drama is also about extreme emotions expressed in a noisy way. The noise with this very new musical (its first production was just two years ago and Know’s production is its regional premiere) is an eclectic set of contemporary songs by the composerlyricist team of Joshua Schmidt and Jason Loewith. Those numbers will surely be performed with verve and intensity because this production’s music director is Alan Patrick Kenny, back in town following a hiatus after his New Stage Collective theater company folded last spring. Paired with director Michael Burnham, a professor of drama at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music and a member of the Cincinnati Entertainment Awards Hall of Fame, Kenny and a powerhouse cast promise to make Adding Machine one of

Covington) features support from Bobby Bare Jr. $25. 859-491-2444. Tickets: www.madisontheateronline.com. — MIKE BREEN

photo: Jeff R. Corcoran

MONDAY15 4

FRIDAY12 4

february 10-16, 2010

DANCE: CINCINNATI BALLET’S CINDERELLA More than just a classic fairy tale about dreams coming true, Cinderella also makes for a delightful time at the ballet: plenty of pantomime, ugly stepsisters (roles traditionally danced by men in drag) and fun fantasies abound, not to mention a race against the clock! Fittingly, Cincinnati Ballet’s dream of maintaining live music to accompany the dancers has also come true, not only for this Cinderella production, but also for Mozart’s Requiem (up next this season) and for the upcoming 2010-2011 season, when a generous endowment from Louise Nippert kicks off. (The grant covers the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s ability to provide musical accompaniment.) With lively choreography by Morgan, Cincinnati Ballet’s Cinderella also features the well-known and rapturous Prokofiev score conducted by Maestro Carmon DeLeone. $25$80. Friday-Sunday at the Aronoff Center. Tickets: 513621-5282 or cincinnatiballet.com. — JULIE MULLINS

4TO DO: FROM PAGE 17

the year’s most anticipated productions. It’s worth noting that Know offers the most affordable tickets of any theater in town. $12. The opening night party starts at 7 p.m. with food by Mixx Ultra Lounge, gelato by Madisono’s and beer by Christian Moerlein. 513-300-5669. — RICK PENDER MUSIC: ROBERT EARL KEEN A little Country, a little Pop and a lot of Texas-spun, story-laced Americana, singer/ songwriter Robert Earl Keen’s latest release, The Rose Hotel, has been hailed as one of the best of his storied career. While laden with an eclectic, pulsating groove and dynamic, rootsy instrumentation, it’s Keen’s, er, keen, trademark sense of storytelling that is most magnetic on Hotel, and his lauded streak of wit weaves in and out of most of the tracks on the album. Like Jimmy Buffett with better songs or Kenny Chesney with soul, Keen has an appeal that isn’t constrained to any one “target market,” as evidenced by his appearance in Gun and Garden Magazine, coverage from NPR and The New Yorker, videos aired on CMT and his forthcoming summer tour dates with the Dave Matthews Band. Now that’s well rounded. Keen’s show Saturday at the Madison Theater (730 Madison Ave.,

MUSIC: FUCKED UP reshapes the hijacked image of “Punk Rock” by taking it back to its roots. The Canadians play the Southgate House with special guest KURT VILE (real name: Kurt Vile!), Austin, Texas’ Iron Age and local faves Till Plains. See Sound Advice, page 26.

TUESDAY16 4 FILM: FLICK MY CLIP SHORT FILM FESTIVAL The second edition of the Flick My Clip Film Festival at Go Bananas — organized by Cincinnati/Dayton-area comics Ryan Singer, Alex Stone and Mike Cody — features short films made by not only area comics, but ones from around the country. “We’ve got one from Cleveland,” says Singer. “There’s a woman who is sending stuff from California. But there was additional postage on hers and I just haven’t gotten to the post office to pay that, so that’s kind of an annoying thing,” he says with a laugh. For many of the short films (and they are short, at five minutes or less) comics got together with filmmakers, each drawing from the others’ area of expertise. “There’s so much common interest there,” explains Singer. “It’s kind of like a mutually beneficiary society, because a lot of comics don’t have the know-how to do decent quality videos or shorts and I know filmmakers are always looking for people to do them.” If all continues to go well, a third edition will be held this summer. The Flick My Clip Film Festival takes place at Go Bananas in Montgomery Tuesday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $5. www.gobananascomedy.com. — P.F. WILSON

MORE TO DO CBRECOMMENDS

Skyline Chili Blue Ash Workers

TAKE ITFROM US

photo courtesy blue ash skyline

PHOTO COURTESY epitaph.com

WEDNESDAY17 4 ART: LIGHTBORNE PHOTOGRAPHY LECTURE at the Cincinnati Art Museum hosts Doug Aitken, the renowned contemporary artist who layers photography with sculpture, architecture, sound and multi-channel video work. His work is currently on display in the installation electric earth. See Big Picture on page 29.

SUNDAY14 4 VALENTINE’S DAY: LA SKYLINE CHILI Irony. We think it’s funny … almost as funny as sarcasm. That’s why we like it when fast food restaurants get “classy” for Valentine’s Day. Got someone you want to impress? Take your 3-Way to the next level when you visit “La Skyline Chili,” Skyline’s Blue Ash location (5005 Cornell Road), for a romantic dinner from 4-8 p.m. on Sunday. For the eighth year, this location and maitre d’chili/manager Scott Callaway will set the mood with candlelight, a violinist and roses for the ladies. Dinner is a three-course offering featuring a salad, entrée and dessert. The restaurant’s staff will be in formal attire, but patrons can be casual. It’s $26.99 for dinner. But what if you want something more casual than chili? White Castle locations nationwide are offering an unforgettable evening of sliders and chicken rings with tableside service, flowers and candlelight from 4-8 p.m. Sunday. Make reservations at Cincinnati locations by calling 513-559-0575, ext. 10. 859-393-5282. — MAIJA ZUMMO

jaSon aldean Ringling B&B ciRcus caRRie undeRwood maRy poppins

Taylor SwifT

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PLAN AHEAD

PHOTO COURTESY myspace.com/fishboneisredhot

You’ve seen his work in art publications, on street signs and telephone polls and at Obama campaign rallies and now you can catch a full retrospective of Pop artist SHEPARD FAIREY’s creations at the Contemporary Arts Center (as well as in various public places around town) starting Feb. 19 with an opening party for his Supply and Demand show at which Fairey will DJ. If drawdropping Chinese acrobatics is your thing, you’ll wanna be at the Aronoff Center on Feb. 19 for a performance by THE PEKING ACROBATS. And it’s a non-first-wave Ska explosion on March 1 as FISHBONE (pictured), THE ENGLISH BEAT and THE PINSTRIPES take over The Mad Hatter in Covington.

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february 10-16, 2010

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The “Free Stuff” closet at CityBeat is overflowing this week, just in time for everyone who spent all of his or her money on Valentine’s Day presents or getting really, really drunk at Mardi Gras. With less effort than it takes to watch a cat fall off a window sill on YouTube, you can head to citybeat.com, click on the “Free Stuff” tab and sign up to win tickets to the traditional Asian dance/music show SHEN YUN at Music Hall next month, as well as the “vintage-modern” fashion, furnishings and art expo 20TH CENTURY CINCINNATI in Sharonville at the end of this month. You can also win tickets to a handful of concerts at Covington’s Madison Theater, including NOFX (pictured), LMFAO, WIZ KHALIFA and ANI DIFRANCO. Want more? Well, you’re kind of greedy, but OK — you can also sign up for gift certificates to the FUNNY BONE COMEDY CLUB at Newport on the Levee and SIA SPA in Kenwood.

Create your own label.

february 10-16, 2010

Coming soon to a bar near you. CheCk next week's Citybeat for details.

MUSIC

4SPILL IT By MIKE BREEN

More Help for Haiti The problems in Haiti aren’t going to end anytime soon, so thankfully the stream of local Haitian relief benefit concerts continues to flow over the next few weeks (and hopefully months). Here are a few Haiti-related happenings this week. • This Friday at the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center in Covington, the 6:45 p.m. “Rise Up Haiti” benefit will raise funds for a Haitian cause that’s been around well before the earthquake — ending child slavery. The show will feature an auction of 10 commissioned visual art pieces, a photography exhibit shining light on the sorry practice and live music from Rob Fetters, Ric Hordinski, Kim Taylor and Me or the Moon. Money raised will go to the Jean Cadet Restavek Foundation (see www.restavekfreedom.org for more on the organization). Admission is $15. • Friday at Mixx Ultra Lounge on Main Street in Over-theRhine, the Kanaval benefit will raise money for Haitian relief efforts with a wide range of musical performances, showcasing everything from Classical music to Hip Hop. The 5:30 p.m. show includes music from The Joneses, Eclipse, Skandal, Tfly, Dan Orlando, Cameo Humes, Kerrie Caldwell and DJs Perry Simmons, Chris Paul and DJ Pillo. A $5 donation will be taken at the door starting at 9 p.m. (other monetary donations will be accepted throughout the entire event). For more on the benefit go to kanavalforhaiti.ning.com. • Local Jazz musician Bruce Menefield and his Omni Works Music organization (which normally works to expose “new generations of youth” to Jazz music and culture) will shift focus this Monday for the fundraiser “Help Them Sing Again” at the Blue Wisp Jazz Club downtown. The 7 p.m. event will feature a Jazz jam session featuring students from UC’s CollegeConservatory Music, as well as established local Jazz artists Mike Wade, Marc Fields, Stan Ginn, Eugene Goss and a host of others. A minimum donation of $10 is requested; all money raised will go to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund (clintonbushhaitifund.org).

More Local Notes

CONTACT mike breen: mbreen@citybeat.com

Home Stripped Home Musicians team up to address unsound mining practice in Appalachia 4interview by brian baker

wo years ago, regional Folk phenoms Daniel Martin Moore and Ben Sollee met at a Lexington show and began making small talk about music and their commonalities when the subject of Appalachian strip mining was broached. It was a subject that both Kentuckians are passionate about — Moore is a member of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and an active fundraiser —so they were determined to do something concrete and creative to WASSUP shed light on the subject. “We’d both been workBEN SOLLEE AND DANIEL MARTIN ing on material and thinking MOORE (with drummer Dan Dorff and about doing some kind of violinist Cheyenne Mize) play Shake It project and it just kind of Records Feb. 19 at 6 p.m., followed by a evolved,” says Moore, who is based out of Cold Spring. CD release show at the Northside Tavern. “We ended up playing a show together; I opened a show for him in Lexington and the next day we went down to Knoxville and did a show. It was a positive experience all around so we talked about doing some recording, maybe an EP, and it turned into a record.” That record, Dear Companion (produced by My Morning Jacket’s Jim James and released by Moore’s regular label home, Sub Pop Records, this Tuesday), is an evocation of Appalachian mountain music and a culture that is slowly being eroded by progress and

technology. The aforementioned mining process of mountaintop removal (MTR) is among the more destructive forces having an impact on rural Appalachia. MTR is a coal mining option where the ground above a coal seam is charged, detonated and removed to expose the seam, avoiding the costlier method of deep shaft mining. It is also incredibly toxic to the environment. “It’s the most aggressive kind of surface mining,” Moore says. “They remove every bit of the mountain above the coal seam. It varies in depth, but sometimes it can be 500-600 feet of the mountain detonated and pushed into the valley. There are all kinds of issues that crop up from that, the biggest being pollution. In every valley there’s a stream and that pollutes the surface water, the groundwater and causes all sorts of health problems for the people around it, (not to) mention the health of the environment.” The direct consequences of MTR are physical contamination and the ever-present threat of floods from the poisonous slurry ponds, the by-product of the mining operation. The more subtle danger is in the dismantling of Appalachian society as families grow weary of the lessened quality of life from pollution and jobs lost due to MTR, moving away from areas where they’ve lived their entire lives. CONTINUES ON PAGE 244

february 10-16, 2010

• Whether you are in love or currently “between mates,” nothing goes better with Valentine’s Day than classic, rafterrattling Punk Rock. This Saturday, the Blue Rock Tavern in Northside celebrates VD Eve with the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” concert. The free show features the dulcet tones of local Punk bands SS-20, CDP, Pumpkin Slut and Pedro-X. • Local singer/songwriter Ryan Adcock is gearing up for a trip to South Africa in a few weeks, where he will be helping the community of Mamelodi (in conjunction with Crossroads) by planting food, building homes and generally helping the people of the impoverished region. Adcock has just about raised enough money to get him there, but this Friday at 7:30 p.m. he’ll be hosting a fundraising show at College Hill Coffee Company that he hopes will push him over the top. Admission is free, but Adcock will have a tip jar, as well as CDs and photography to sell, for donations. If you can’t make it but still want to help, go to www.crossroads.net and look for the “Go Mamelodi” page. • Cincinnati Electronic duo Hungry Lucy has released its new album, Pulse of the Earth. The release is available now for download at www.pulseoftheearth.com under a “name your price” pricing plan (the file-sharing-friendly band is encouraging downloaders to share the release openly). Early next month, the duo will have physical copies of the album available for $15; the limited-edition CD will be in a “wide-format digipack” that includes a 12-page booklet with lyrics and photography by HL singer Christa Belle.

PHOTO courtesy Sub Pop

Kentuckians Ben Sollee (left) and Daniel Martin Moore release Dear Companion this Tuesday.

& JBM PROMOTIONS present

Southgate houSe 24 E 3 rd St • N ewpor t, KY

An Evening with

Shemkia Copeland BlueS Band Moreland & Arbuckle

•

March 31 @ 8:00pm

aleJandro eSCovedo

and The

Sensitive Boys •

April 2 @ 8:00pm

20th Century1

302 1 M a d i so n Rd • Cincinnati, OH

the Charlie hunter trio February 25 @ 8:00pm

portugal, the man

with

H is CityBeat staff’s stamp of approval.

The Greenwich — Windau Jazz’tet. Jazz. Free. Jefferson Hall — 4th Day Echo. Rock. Cover. Peecox Erlanger — 2 Fold. Acoustic. Free. The Redmoor — Mike Wade Quintet. Jazz. Cover. Southgate House (Lounge) — Hillbilly Thursday: Springfield Special.

Concerts

Charlie’s Throttle Stop — Open Jam with Sonny Moorman. Blues/Open

Southgate House (Parlour) — Two Man Gentleman Band | Moonshine Drive. Americana/Bluegrass/Swing (see Sound Advice, page 21). Cover.

Chez Nora — Ricky Nye. Blues/Boogie Woogie. Free. Crow’s Nest — Bob Cushing. Acoustic. Free. Doc’s Place — Rick “Bam” Powell’s Songwriter Night. Open jam/Open mic.

Free.

— Blue Wisp Big Band. Jazz/Swing. $10.

CityBeat’s music listings are free. Send info to MIKE BREEN via email at mbreen@citybeat.com or fax at 513-665-4369. Listings are subject to change. See Club Directory for all club locations.

Folk/Honky Tonk/Roots Rock. Free.

John gorka

February 19 @ 8:00pm

with

4music listings

Port O’Brien/The Dig

•

March 21 @ 8:00pm

molly maloneS

1 1 2 E Fo u r t h St • Covington, KY

Willy porter February 26 @ 8:00pm

www.jbmpromotions.com Tickets/Info 513-779-9462

Lucero | Glossary | Dave Hause — Rock/Roots. Friday, February

12. 9 p.m. Southgate House, 24 E. Third St., Newport. $13, $15 day of show. 859-431-2201.

jam. Free.

Robert Earl Keen | Bobby Bare Jr. — Roots/Country/ H Singer/Songwriter. Saturday, February 13. 9 p.m. Madison Theater, 730 Madison Ave., Covington. $25, $28 day of show. 859-491-2444.

Free.

WIllie’s Sports Cafe (Hidden Valley) — Bob Cushing. Acoustic. Free.

Fucked Up | Kurt Vile | Iron Age | Till Plains — Rock/ Punk (see Sound Advice, page 26). Monday, February 15. 7:30 p.m. Southgate House, 24 E. Third St., Newport. $10, $12 day of show. 859-431-2201.

Knotty Pine — Dallas Moore. Outlaw Country. Free. Mahogany’s Coffeehouse & Bar — Open Blues Jam with Dick and the

Roadmasters. Blues/Open jam. Free.

Friday February 12

Dark Star Orchestra — Rock/Grateful Dead tribute. Tuesday,

H February 16. 7:30 p.m. Madison Theater, 730 Madison Ave., Covington. $22, $25 day of show. 859-491-2444.

Tomorrow’s Bad Seeds | The Frankl Project — Rock/Punk/ Ska. Tuesday, February 16. 9 p.m. Southgate House, 24 E. Third St., Newport. $8, $10 day of show. 859-431-2201.

Northside Tavern — Wade Baker Jazz Collaboration. Jazz. Free. Southgate House (Lounge) — Artist in Residence: Veronica Grim. Roots Rock/Singer/Songwriter. Free.

Southgate House (Parlour) — Rebecca Williams | Kyle English |

Lauren Houston | Douglas Jay Boyd | Aly Tiadro. Singer/Songwriter. Cover.

Stanley’s Pub — Super-Massive. Reggae. Cover.

Thursday February 11

Clubs Wednesday February 10 Arnold’s Bar and Grill — Smokestack and the Foothill Fury.

Blues. Free.

Blue Rock Tavern & Speakeasy — Keith Moody. Roots/Country. Free.

Blue Wisp Jazz Club — Blue Wisp Big Band. Swing. Cover.

When is

Baba Budan’s — Peter Adams. Pop/Indie. Free. Beer Sellar — Corner Pocket. Rock. Cover. Bella Luna — Blue Birds Trio. R&B/Soft Rock. Free. Black Angus Burgers & Brew — Sonny Moorman Group. Rock/Blues. Free.

Black Angus Burgers & Brew — Sonny Moorman Group (7 p.m.).

Blue Wisp Jazz Club — John McNeil. Jazz. Cover. Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center — “Rise Up Haiti”

Free.

Rock/Blues. Free.

Blue Wisp Jazz Club — Wade Baker Quintet with Mandy Gaines. Jazz.

Cover.

Dirty Jack’s — Jenn Cristy | Sleepiní Dogs | The Mark | Bruce Leonard

Project. Rock. Cover.

stockyard Cafe Music, Food & Drinks Karaoke

EVERY thuRsdaY • 7-10

$ Guin 3 Bott ness les!

Strigoi Vii. Metal/Progressive. Free.

benefit with Kim Taylor, Rob Fetters, Me or the Moon and Ric Hordinski. Various (see Spill It, page 21). $15.

Chez Nora — Vicki D’Salle & Her Perfect Gentlemen. Blues. Free. College Hill Coffee Co. — Ryan Adcock. Singer/Songwriter. Free. Dirty Jack’s — Uplifting Productions. Hip Hop. Cover. The Greenwich — J-Flux. Jazz/Latin. Cover. Gus’s Sports Bar — Bob Cushing. Acoustic. Free. Havana Martini Club — DJ Rudy Alvarez (Chris Comer Trio with Jazz at 5

p.m.). Dance/Latin. Free.

Inner Circle Entertainment Complex — Crooked Rook | Circus Asylum | One Day Alive | Art of Failure. Rock. Cover.

Jefferson Hall — The Pole Cats. Rock. Cover. Jim and Jack’s on the River — Blue Stone Ivory. Oldies. Cover. Knotty Pine — Chapter 13. Rock. Cover. Mad Hatter — Marcy Playground | The Flight Station | The Western |

faceblind | Our Rising. Rock. Cover.

Mainstay Rock Bar — Bonneville, Walk the Moon and The Founding Fathers

FRidaY, FEbRuaRY 12 • 9pm • FREE Rocky Cash (Folk/Rock)

. Rock/Indie. Cover.

FRidaY, FEbRuaRY 19 • 9pm • $5 Sparrow Bellows (Rock)

HChakras and Luxury Pushers. Rock. Free. Mixx Ultra Lounge — “Kanaval Benefit for Haiti” with The Joneses, H Eclipse, Skandal, Tfly, Dan Orlando, Cameo Humes, Kerrie Caldwell, DJ Perry Simmons, DJ Chris Paul and DJ Pillo. Hip Hop/Classical/R&B/Various

satuRdaY, FEbRuaRY 20 • 9pm • FREE

Pharaoh Loosey

it’s their one Year stockyard anniversary!

www.myspace.com/stockyardcafe

3112 Spring Grove Ave . Cincinnati, OH 45225

513-591-2233

www.madisontheateronline.com Saturday February 13 • 89.7 WNKU Welcomes

Robert Earl Keen, Jr w/Bobby Bare Jr. Tuesday February 16

Dark Star Orchestra

Thursday February 18 • KISS 107 FM Presents

LMFAO

Saturday February 20

SNOOP DOGG february 10-16, 2010

hour Jazz at 6 p.m.). Rock/Pop. Free.

Blue Rock Tavern & Speakeasy — Sabre | Sun Splitter | Bridesmaid |

Open Mic w/ John Redell

20th Century Theatre — Forever Diamond. Pop/Classic Rock. $10. Allyn’s Cafe — Tickled Pink. Rock/R&B. $5. Arnold’s Bar and Grill — The Comforts (Catfish Evans Trio with happy

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar — Core. Rock. Free. Arnold’s Bar and Grill — Wayne Shanon and Dottie Warner. Lounge.

$2 PB R s! EVERY WEd • 7-11 Bottle

Stanley’s Pub — Bubble Life. Jazz/Funk. Cover. Stockyard Cafe — Open Mic with John Redell. Open mic. Free. Waterfront/South Beach Grill — Blue Birds Trio. Classic Rock/R&B.

Tuesday February 23

The Jump ‘n’ Jive Show Band

A Red Cross Relief Benefit for Haiti Earthquake Victims

Thursday February 25 • KISS 107 FM Presents

WIZ KHALIFA w/Buggs Tha Rocka, Dubby, Zoo Krew, Youngin Da SP, DJ Cockwork

730 Madison Ave | Covington, KY | 859-491-2444

Mansion Hill Tavern — Johnny Fink & the Intrusion. Blues. Cover. Mayday — Valentine’s Day Va Va Voom! Rock & Burlesque Revue with

(see Spill It, page 21). $5 (after 9 p.m.).

Mulligan’s — Sol Driven Train. Rock/Jam. Cover. Northside Tavern — Charlie Hustle | Slow Claw. Rock/Indie. Free.

Paxton’s Grill — The Flock Trio. Acoustic. Free. Peecox Erlanger — ESP. Rock. Cover. Peecox Independence — Bottoms Up. Rock. Free. Play by Play Rock Cafe — Kevin Fox Band. Rock. Cover. Putters Tavern & Grill West Chester Township — Rich Nesbitt and

the Metro City Allstars. Rock/R&B. Cover.

R.P. McMurphy’s — Ten Foot Big. Rock. $3. The Redmoor — Mt. Pleasant String Band | Tupelo Honey | Magnolia

Inner Circle Entertainment Complex — Chili Dogs | 16 South. Rock. Cover.

Jefferson Hall — Lt. Dan’s New Legs. Rock. Cover. Jim and Jack’s on the River — Blue Stone Ivory. Oldies. Cover. Jim Dandy’s Family BBQ — The Tempted Souls. Blues. Free. Kaza’s — Wade Baker Jazz Collaboration. Jazz. Free. Knotty Pine — Under the Sun. Rock. Cover. Mad Frog — Incline District | The Bohannians | Smitten Hicks. Rock.

Mountain. Americana/Bluegrass/Folk. $5.

Cover.

Rick’s Tavern & Grille — The Rusty Griswolds. Rock/Pop/80s. Cover. Shimmers Tavern and Ballroom — Saving Stimpy. Rock. $3. Southgate House (Lounge) — Joshua Black Wilkins. Rock/Country. Free. Southgate House (Parlour) — Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights |

Mad Hatter — Loudmouth | Situation Red | De Los Muertos | The

Grooveshire. Rock/Jam. Cover.

Stanley’s Pub — Lucky & the Magic | Mr. Creeper. R&B/Reggae/Soul.

Cover.

Stockyard Cafe — Rocky Cash. Rock/Folk. Free. Terry’s Turf Club — Eric Campbell & The Bevadors. Jazz. Free. Underground — Irela | Lee Roessler Band | A Wayward Heart | Static

Vessels | As Day Ends. Rock. Cover.

Wine Cellar — F-Holes. Acoustic. Free. Woodies Tavern — Delirious. Rock. Cover. York Street Cafe — Rebecca Williams & Company. Singer/Songwriter. Cover.

Saturday February 13

Weakness. Rock/Punk. Cover.

Mainstay Rock Bar — Funk Nasty | Lunchbox | The Mad Hatters. Rock. Cover.

Mansion Hill Tavern — The Dukes. Blues. Cover. Mayday — “Fabricate After-Party” with The Seedy Seeds and DJ Yusef

Quotah. Dance/Electronic/Indie. Free.

Mecklenburg Gardens — “Bier Dinner” with Alpen Echos. German. $20.

Northside Tavern — The Fairmount Girls | The Harlequins. Rock/

Indie. Free.

Peecox Erlanger — ETC. Rock. Cover. Peecox Independence — Last Call. Rock. Free. Play by Play Rock Cafe — Noctaluca | Bosley. Rock. Cover. Poppy’s Tavern — Chuck Brisbin & the Tuna Project. Blues. Free. R.P. McMurphy’s — The Flight Station. Rock. $3. The Redmoor — “Q102 Little Red Dress Party” with The Naked Karate Girls. Rock/Pop. $15, $20 at the door.

Arnold’s Bar and Grill — Sol Driven Train. Rock/Jam. Free. Baba Budan’s — Acoustic Aroma. Acoustic. Free. Beer Sellar — Nine Story Plunge. Rock. Cover. Bella Luna — Blue Birds Trio. R&B/Soft Rock. Free. Blue Rock Tavern & Speakeasy — “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”

Rick’s Tavern & Grille — “Valentine’s Day Party” with Dangerous Jim

Blue Wisp Jazz Club — John McNeil. Jazz. Cover. Chez Nora — Vicki D’Salle & Her Perfect Gentlemen. Blues. Free. Dee Felice Cafe — The “New” Sleepcat Band. Jazz/Swing. Free. Dirty Jack’s — Paradice Ent. R&B Showcase. R&B. Cover. The Greenwich — “From Brazil...with Love” with Rafael Soares. Jazz/

H with Angels of Meth, Mala in Se, The Strongest Proof, Black Signal, Oso Bear, The Brothers and the Sisters, De Los Muertos, Mad Anthony

H with SS-20, CDP, Pumpkin Slut and Pedro-X. Punk (see Spill It, page 21). Free.

Latin. $5.

Havana Martini Club — Leroy Ellington & E Funk Band . Rock/R&B. $5. InCahoots — Kevin Fox. Rock/Pop. Free.

and the Slims. Rock. Cover.

Roswell’s Bar — Bob Cushing. Acoustic. Free. Sabor Peruano — “Valentine’s Latin Dance” with Son del Caribe . Dance/Latin/Salsa. Cover.

Shimmers Tavern and Ballroom — Saving Stimpy. Rock. $3. Silverton Cafe — Marsha Brady. Rock/Pop. Free. Southgate House — “The Covington Insurance Plan” benefit and more. Various. Cover.

Stanley’s Pub — Super-Massive. Reggae. Cover. Terry’s Turf Club — Eric Campbell & The Bevadors. Jazz. Free. Underground — Harmon | Delta Delta | Same as Sunday | The

CONTINUES ON PAGE 244

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Internationally Acclaimed Vocalist

Kevin Mahogony | Sun, Feb 14

National Recording Artist-Vocalist

Sachal Vasandani Quartet | Sun, Feb 20 Blue Wisp Big Band High School Jazz 8:15pm • $5 Wade Baker Quintet

Every Wed

Biggest EFFEN Snuggie Party Friday, February 12th @ 10pm

Dress to Impress

in your Finest Snuggie NO COVER b4 Midnight with a Snuggie

EFFEN

Drink Specials til Midnight

Fri 2/12 4:30-7:30pm • Free Happy Hour w/Hammond B3 Organist Jack Doll; Steve Barone (gtr) and Al Beasley (drums) 8:30pm • $10/$5 Students John McNeil (Trumpeter and New England Conservatory Faculty Member) with CCM Faculty Jazztet feat/Rick VanMatre-sax; Phil DeGreg-pno; Art Gore-drums; Chris Berg-bass 11:59pm • No Cover Blues with Delbert Williams Sat 2/13 6:00pm • $5 Suggested Donation

Blue Wisp High School All Star Jazz Band 8:30pm • $10/$5 Students John McNeil (Trumpeter and New England Conservatory Faculty Member) with CCM Faculty Jazztet feat/Rick VanMatre-sax; Phil DeGreg-pno; Art Gore-drums; Chris Berg-bass 11:59pm • Free

with Steve

Wind Down Softly Jazz

Barone guitar, Ed Felson bass

Sun 2/14 7pm & 9pm •2 SHOWS• $20/show or $30 both; +$10 to reserve front row seats

Celebrate Valentine’s Day w/ Internationally Acclaimed Vocalist Kevin Mahogony. Don’t miss this great vocalist. One night only! Mon 2/15 7:00pm • $10 Haiti Relief Fundraiser presented by Omni Works Music & Blue Wisp Jazz Jam Session hosted by Bruce Menefield Tue 2/16 8:00pm • $8 Brasilia

120 E. 3rd Street, Newport, KY 41071 | 859.431.4340 | arniesonthelevee.com

318 E 8th St • 513-241-9477

thebluewisp.com

february 10-16, 2010

NO CHARGE for Upgrading to

8:30pm • $10

Thu 2/11 7:00pm • $5

4HOME STRIPPED HOME: FROM PAGE 21

4 club directory 20th Century Theatre — 3021 Madison Road, Oakley. 513-731-8000. Allyn’s Cafe — 3538 Columbia Parkway, Columbia-Tusculum.

513-871-5779.

Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill & Bar — 9595 Colerain Ave., Northgate. 513-385-0400.

Arnold’s Bar and Grill — 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown. 513-421-6234. Baba Budan’s — 239 W. McMillan Ave., Clifton. 513-221-1911. Beer Sellar — 301 Riverboat Row, Newport. 859-431-6969. Bella Luna — 4632 Eastern Ave., Linwood. 513-871-5862. Black Angus Burgers & Brew — 10575 Chester Road,

513-772-1500.

Blue Rock Tavern & Speakeasy — 4114 Hamilton Ave., Northside.

The Mockbee — 2260 Central Parkway, Brighton. 513-929-9463. Mulligan’s — 701 Main St., Covington. 859-431-0142. Northside Tavern — 4163 Hamilton Ave., Northside. 513-5423603.

Paxton’s Grill — 126 W. Loveland Ave., Loveland. 513-583-1717. Peecox Erlanger — 635 Donaldson Hwy., Erlanger. 859-342-7000. Peecox Independence — 12200 Madison Pike, Independence. 859-356-1440.

Play by Play Rock Cafe — 6923 Plainfield Road, Silverton. 513-793-3360.

Poppy’s Tavern — 5510 Rybolt Road, Dent. 513-574-6333. Putters Tavern & Grill West Chester Township — 6575

513-542-6644.

Cincinnati-Dayton Rd., West Chester. 513-755-0222.

Blue Wisp Jazz Club — 318 E. 8th St., Downtown. 513-241-9477. Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center — 1028 Scott Blvd.,

R.P. McMurphy’s Irish Pub & Coffee House — 2910 Wasson

Covington. 859-491-2030.

Charlie’s Throttle Stop — 7121 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield. 513-874-6111. Chez Nora — 530 Main St., Covington. 859-491-8027. Claddagh Irish Pub — 1 Levee Way,Newport on the Levee, Newport. 859-581-8888.

College Hill Coffee Co. — 6128 Hamilton Ave., College Hill.

513-542-2739.

Crow’s Nest — 4544 W. 8th St., Price Hill. 513-921-2980. Dee Felice Cafe — 529 Main St., Covington. 859-261-2365. Dirty Jack’s — 5912 Vine St., Elmwood Place. 513-242-2800. Doc’s Place — 12 W Mulberry St , Lebanon. 513-932-0287. The Greenwich — 2442 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills. 513-221-1151. Gus’s Sports Bar — 24071 Stateline Road, Bright, Ind. 812-637-5888. Havana Martini Club — 441 Vine St., Downtown. 513-651-2800.

Rd., Oakley. 513-531-3300.

The Redmoor — 3187 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout. 513-871-6789. Rick’s Tavern & Grille — 5955-5 Boymel Dr., Fairfield.

513-874-1992.

Roswell’s Bar — 3735 Glenmore Ave., Western Hills. 513-661-9679. Sabor Peruano — 7105 Dixie Hwy, Springdale. 513-772-5503. Shimmers Tavern and Ballroom — 1939 Dixie Highway, Fort

Wright. 859-426-0490. Sidebar — 322 Greenup St., Covington. 859-431-3456. Silverton Cafe — 7203 Montgomery Road, Silverton. 513-791-2922. Sitwell’s — 324 Ludlow Ave., Clifton. 513-281-7487. Sonny’s All Blues Lounge — 4040 Reading Road, North Avondale. 513-281-0410. Southgate House — 24 E. Third St., Newport. 859-431-2201.

Relating these issues to the region’s musical heritage in ways both subtle and direct is at the heart of Sollee and Moore’s work on Dear Companion. “ ‘Flyrock Blues’ is a pretty straightforward song,” Moore says. “Flyrock is a term used on mine sites during big explosions for the stuff that goes shooting through the air. Sometimes it ends up down in the hollers where people live and it ends up in people’s homes and destroys property and it’s killed people before.” MTR and its rippling effects rarely get any media exposure because it’s a less than sexy news story (“You say ‘Exxon Valdez’ and everyone knows what you’re talking about,” Moore notes), so any kind of heightened attention is helpful. Dear Companion is just such a high profile event, but having James attached to the project gives it an even greater cachet. “I know, it’s very true,” says Moore. “And to be frank, it’s something we were all very aware of. (James) believes in the project and he believes in the goal. It’s about getting the word out. He realized that his involvement would bring more attention to it.” When Moore and Sollee first contemplated doing an EP, they discussed bringing in outside musicians to elevate the proceedings and Sollee suggested James, who he was long acquainted with in the Louisville scene, as producer. It was a natural fit; MTR

is an issue close to James’ heart as well. But James’ most important contribution was in convincing Sollee and Moore that they should expand their concept. “We had six songs done and we were having a cup of tea on the last night and Jim looked over and said, ‘So do you guys want this to come out and really connect with people and really matter to them and have it be something they cherish over time or do you want them to just forget about it?’ ” Moore says with a laugh. “And we were like, ‘Uh … ‘A’ — first choice, right?’ And he said, ‘Then we need to make this a full-length album. Nobody remembers EPs. What’s your favorite EP?’ We each had a few other tunes and we wrote ‘Dear Companion’ after the first session and ‘Needn’t Say a Thing’ came later, after the first half of the record. Poof, it turned into an album.” Part of Dear Companion’s proceeds will benefit Appalachian Voices, an advocacy group working to stop MTR. Moore is confident that with the right exposure the proper end will be achieved. “Once people get the whole scope — and especially if they’ve visited an MTR site, five or six square miles of devastation -— awareness will ultimately turn the tide,” Moore says. “Appalachian Voices runs a Web site called ilovemountains.org and that’s the most succinct resource for raising awareness about MTR. We’ve partnered with them and they’re helping us with logistics and making sure we’re not flying off the handle and saying something silly.” ©

presents HD Beans And Bottles — 6721 Montgomery Road, 513-793-6036. InCahoots — 4110 Hunt Road, Blue Ash. 513-793-2600. Inner Circle Entertainment Complex — 4343 Kellogg Ave., East

End. 513-321-0220. Jefferson Hall — 1 Levee Way, Newport on the Levee, Newport. 859-491-6200. Jim and Jack’s on the River — 3456 River Road, Riverside. 513-251-7977. Jim Dandy’s Family BBQ — 2343 E. Sharon Road, Sharonville. 513-771-4888. Kaza’s — 6 W Pike St., Covington. 859-431-5292. Knotty Pine — 6947 Cheviot Road, White Oak. 513-741-3900. Mad Frog — 1 E. McMillan St., Corryville. 513-784-9119. Mad Hatter — 620 Scott St., Covington. 859-291-2233. Mahogany’s Coffeehouse & Bar — 3715 Winston Ave., Latonia. 859-261-1029. Mainstay Rock Bar — 301 W 5th St., Downtown. 513-721-7625. Mansion Hill Tavern — 502 Washington St., Newport. 859-581-0100. Mayday — 4227-4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside. 513-541-0999. Mecklenburg Gardens — 302 E. University Ave., Corryville. 513-221-5353. Mixx Ultra Lounge — 1203 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 513-621-6499.

february 10-16, 2010

music

Paramedic | To Kill a Monster. Rock. Cover.

Win Place or Show — Josh Pilot Band. Rock. Cover.

Sunday February 14 Allyn’s Cafe — Blue Birds Big Band. Classic Rock/R&B. $3. Arnold’s Bar and Grill — Matt “The Cincinnati Sinatra” Snow (6 p.m.).

Southgate House (Lounge) — 24 E. Third St., Newport.

859-431-2201.

Southgate House (Parlour) — 24 E. Third St., Newport.

859-431-2201.

Stanley’s Pub — 323 Stanley Ave., Columbia-Tusculum. 513-871-6249.

Stockyard Cafe — 3112 Spring Grove Ave., Camp Washington.

513-591-2233.

POCO

Terry’s Turf Club — 4618 Eastern Ave., Linwood. 513-533-4222. Underground — 1140 Smiley Ave., Forest Park. 513-825-8200. Waterfront/South Beach Grill — 14 Pete Rose Pier, 859-581-1414.

WIllie’s Sports Cafe (Hidden Valley) — 19325 Schmarr Dr.,

Lawrenceburg. 812-537-0512. Win Place or Show — 9933 Cincinnati-Columbus Road, West Chester. 513-777-2920. Wine Cellar — 1101 Saint Gregory St., Mount Adams. 513-241-9009. Woodies Tavern — 10020 Demia Way, Florence. 859-282-1264. York Street Cafe — 738 York St., Newport. 859-261-9675. Zion United Church of Christ Norwood — 2332 Sherwood Lane, Norwood. 513-531-5400.

Blue Wisp Jazz Club — Kevin Mahogany. Jazz/Soul. Cover. Mad Hatter — The Burning Season | Four Letter Lie | Make this Your

Saturday, February 27 • 8:00pm

Zion United Church of Christ Norwood — Leo Coffeehouse” with Lagniappe, Dave Gilligan and Cheryl McKinney. Acoustic. Cover.

St Xavier Performance Center

Jazz/Standards. Free.

Summer | Lights Down Low. Rock. Cover.

Monday February 15 Baba Budan’s — Steven Mullen | Caleb Lovely | Patrick Hagan.

Acoustic. Free.

600 W North Bend Rd

Tickets and Information: 513-484-0157 or www.gcparts.org

4the hip-hop (un)scene

Online Etiquette

Fri., February 12th Doors @ 8pm | Music @ 9pm

CROOKED ROOK

When on the ’Net, promote as you would in real life — be coy, don’t annoy

with One Day Alive, Circus Asylum & Art of Failure

Sat., February 13th Doors @ 8pm | Music @ 9pm

CHILI DOGS with 16 South

4by ill poetic

Sun., February 14th Doors @ 9pm

FUZZION LATINO MIX

Sun., February 21st Doors @ 7pm | Music @ 8pm

OTEP

with Bury Your Dead, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, Destrophy, Superkreep, Death Broker & Vicariously Indecisive

Fri., February 26th Doors @ 8pm | Music @ 9pm

ROOTBOUND

with Brood XIII, Hot Rod, Session9 & Arlington

NOW BOOKING LOCAL BANDS

4343 Kellogg Avenue 513.321.0220

www.innercirclecincy.com • www.myspace.com/innercirclecincy

illustration: matthew hamby

Internet was really popping, Jill Scott was that girl that you just kept hearing about from other people. She didn’t even have a video out, but everyone kept saying, “This girl is the truth.” She wasn’t the truth because she manufactured some false hype about herself. She was the truth because she stayed in the cut, perfected her craft, learned her talent, built herself a team and created a sound. Self-manufactured hype is X-Ray see-through and it never lasts a career. I’ll give you one song, but career? Not so much. Treat the digital world exactly how you would treat the real world. Everyone on these sites is a real person, so act accordingly. For example, if you wanted to holler at a DJ about some business in a club, you wouldn’t put everything out there in the middle of the club. You’d wait until after he finished spinning and talk to him on the side of the booth or backstage. Same with online interactions. Don’t leave comments and tweets that everyone can see just to “up your status” because you’re seen talking with “Famous DJ So-and-So.” Inbox the person directly and ask for their e-mail. Hit them privately with a business matter if you

want to actually handle business. If you notice that force-feeding CDs to people with no sales etiquette in front of a club gets you annoyed looks, you would stop doing it. Same with online marketing. If no one is responding to your constant promotional messages and invites to buy music, then stop doing it. Let them come to you. Treat people like human beings and not potential money. Treat people like human beings and not “someone who can do something for you.” It’s not sexy, and they know the difference. I’d like to delve deeper into some of these ideas, but my man Hubert over at www.thefryingvein.com does a much better job and he doesn’t have a word-limit. So I would advise going over there to research further. (P.S. — see how I did that? That’s crosspromotion. He holds me down on advice and ideas, so I bring folks over to his advice. It helps everyone communally.) ILL POETIC is a multi-tasking Hip Hop producer/performer. Check out his latest activities at illpoetic.com.

february 10-16, 2010

appers killed MySpace. So did producers. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think MySpace was the digital manifestation of the dude every gangsta rapper in the ’90s talked about killing. That’s how bad we killed MySpace. We killed MySpace like it was a club full of fine women; and we just had to run up in there 30 deep, full of testosterone and CDRs of us rapping over Jay-Z instrumentals. If you’ve gotten spam in your junk mail folder offering you sex pills and the money of a rich Nigerian prince, it ain’t got shit on the type of spam a rapper, producer or promoter will hit you with on any given day of your ancient MySpace account. You don’t know spam until you get 30 messages a day telling you why you should buy some guy’s beats, mixtapes, show tickets, verses, old video games or whatever the hell he’s trying to sell you. You don’t know spam until a random rapper from 15 states away is demanding you to “support his movement.” That’s a lot of pressure for someone who can barely support himself. I know MySpace is old news, so I’m not going to waste a whole column on it. The reason I bring it up is to discuss the mentality behind this type of shameless promotion. Unfortunately, it’s got to be working at least a little bit or artists would’ve stopped by now. My fear is that I start seeing folks move from MySpace over to Twitter and Facebook, doing the same thing. Don’t. The reason regular people moved out of the MySpace neighborhood is because there were door-to-door salesmen peddling music and events 200 miles away every hour of every day. So before all the “Needle-Nose Ned” (see Groundhog’s Day for reference) insurance salesmen-ass artists venture over to the new popular social networking arenas, please adjust your sales pitch just a little. I’m not going to give off some arbitrary list of rules artists should follow. It’s all in the mentality of how you approach these sites and opportunities in the first place. One thing I’ve learned to be careful of is killing an opportunity before you’ve even studied and realized exactly what it is. Social networking promotions and building is a chess game, not checkers: It’s not about the immediate victory as much as it is the one three steps ahead. Whereas sending massive tweets and messages about what you are doing and your shows and your music seems like you’ve promoted and “done your job,” it won’t work. People don’t like to have an artist bombard them. It’s annoying. The most successful artists and entrepreneurs succeed off of word of mouth from other folks. I always think of Jill Scott as one of the best examples of this technique. Even before the

4 sound advice music news tid-bits and other morsels of relative insignificance

Respect the Kazoo! Did you know that this year is the 160th anniversary of the kazoo, that little cheaply made “wind instrument” that everyone masters when they’re about 2? Did you know there are kazoo enthusiasts? How about professional kazoo players? Claiming to be “America’s only full-time kazoo player” (a distinction akin to be the country’s only full-time toast maker), Rick Hubbard says he wants Congress to make the kazoo “America’s official musical instrument,” according to an AOL news report. Though somewhat fitting (Americans love things that require no effort or talent, like watching TV or being governor of Alaska), it is still a futile effort, as everyone knows the most American musical instrument is that cow toy that goes “Mooooo” when you turn it upside down.

february 10-16, 2010

Bowl Movements There were a lot of music-y things surrounding the most recent Super Bowl, The Who offered up a Vegas revue-style medley at halftime, with awkward time concessions and abrupt edits, but that was nothing compared to the aw.ful and o.ffen.sive will.i.am “remix” charity single basically chopping the balls off of one of the greatest anti-establishment songs ever written. Changing the “My Generation” line “Hope I die before I get old” to “Don’t wanna die young, I want to get old” is like changing “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah” to “She despises you, asshole, asshole, asshole.” Also, an almost exact re-recording of The White Stripes first big hit, “Fell In Love With A Girl,” was used without permission or credit, by the U.S. Air Force Reserve in its Super Bowl ad. Jack White was so pissed he wrote a typo-laden, ALL CAPS response on the band’s Web site saying the band would never have anything to do with recruiting fans to fight in a war they don’t support. Ad execs should just stick with what viewers love in their Super Bowl commercials — degradation of women, dogs doing impossible tricks and abortion.

All You Need is Gov Government interference is affecting the music of two different countries. In Australia, in an effort to curb alcohol abuse and regulate the alcohol industry without taxpayer money, clubs are being charged increasingly high “licensing” fees and forced to follow other strict rules if they serve alcohol past 1 a.m. Many smaller clubs that support up-and-coming artists have been hit hard. Meanwhile, officials in Mexico want to regulate “narcocorridos,” tribute songs dedicated to drug dealers and cartel leaders. The concerns were raised with the rise on YouTube of memorial videos and songs celebrating Arturo Beltran Leyva, a cartel leader gunned down late last year by the Mexican Navy. Officials want warning labels on songs that specifically call for the commitment of a crime. And after the U.S. Senate takes on the vitally important work of fixing college football’s BCS system, look for anti-Auto Tune legislation to come up next, assuming senators can convince huge T-Pain fan Lindsey Graham (R–South Carolina) to drop his threat of an Auto-Tuned filibuster.

CBrecomMends

Two Gentlemen Band

Fucked Up

PHOTO: david waldman

PHOTO: charisma artist agency

TWO MAN GENTLEMEN BAND Thursday • Southgate House (Parlour) In 2005, Andy Bean and Fuller Condon abandoned their college Rock band grind, shifting gears toward old-time Bluegrass, Country and hot Jazz music. The duo whipped up some authentically twisted tunes embracing bygone traditions and tested them in New York’s Central Park. “People threw money at us and we got hooked pretty fast,” says Bean. “For two years, we were making most of our living street performing. It wasn’t much of a living, but it was great.” Thus was born the Two Man Gentlemen Band, hybridizing the Squirrel Nut Zippers, R. Crumb’s Cheap Suit Serenaders, They Might Be Giants and a three-card vaudeville show. With Bean on banjo, Condon on stand-up bass and both on vocals and kazoos, they found an eager yet rotating street audience; after two years of busking, the pair wearied of their outdoor schedule. “We got frustrated with inclement weather and having to get up early to get a good spot in the park,” Bean recalls. “I think we’re the only band who ever hit the road to get more stability.” There’s a big difference between stage and street and TMGB had to adapt, eliminating their normal six-hour set. That was just the beginning. “We had to adjust our show for people paying attention the whole time,” Bean says. “We haven’t street-performed at all in a couple of years because we’re used to people looking at us.” In the past two years, TMGB has steered in a decidedly Jazz direction, as evidenced by the swinging rumpus on the their fourth CD, Drip Dryin’, featuring the 23 skidoo of “Fancy Beer,” the stay-out-of-jail two step of “Hey Officer!” and the red hot stomp of “Croquet Playing Girl.” (The duo’s newly released fifth album, The Two Man Gentlemen Band: Live in New York, can be heard in its entirety at www.thetwogentlemen.com.) “It was the first record we’d written that was informed by playing for rowdy crowds in bars every night,” says Bean. “It’s more of what we are now, which is a good-time party band. And we got free drinks every night for the last two years. That probably has something to do with it.” (Brian Baker)

FUCKED UP AND KURT VILE WITH IRON AGE AND TILL PLAINS Monday • Southgate House • What’s up, Canada? How do you keep spawning really good bands? The latest northern export to make its mark down here is Fucked Up, a mysterious, constantly evolving 7-year-old outfit that often lives up to its name. FU’s 2008 breakthrough album, The Chemistry of Common Life, is a dense, epic slab of Hardcore Rock that is both heavier and more complex than the genre’s typical output. The Toronto sextet — whose performing aliases include immense frontdude Pink Eyes, guitarist 10,000 Marbles and bassist Mustard Gas — takes subversive glee in tweaking the playbook: How many Hardcore bands would open an album with the sound of a single flute floating innocently through the air? FU knows the value of dynamics, and the moment when said opening track, “Son the Father,” moves from a slow build to the outright chaos of Pink Eyes’ piercing scream amid slashing, corrosive guitars will have less adventurous listeners running for the hills. The rest of Chemistry kicks nearly as much ass, shifting from the throbbing “Magic Word,” which brings to mind Les Savvy Fav on a Jäger bender, to “Looking for God,” a moody, stripped-down instrumental that wouldn’t be out of place on the soundtrack to Jim Jarumsch’s existential western Dead Man. The band’s stream-of-consciousness lyrical concerns are just as varied, running from elemental stuff like bones and milk and stones to scathing critiques of organized religion (“It’s hard enough being born in the first place — who would want to be born again?”). Pink Eyes — whose bald head, near-300-pound frame and gruff, ozone-penetrating voice brings to mind the love child of Tim Harrington and King Kong Bundy — often dominates the band’s live shows with a genial, audience-engaging demeanor that belies his appearance. And while he’s likely to again be the center of attention when FU takes over the Southgate House on Monday, don’t overlook the impressive rumble conjured by his banal-by-comparison bandmates — even if they make it all look so effortless. (Jason Gargano) • When Saturday Night Live was new, Chevy Chase took to wearing a T-shirt that said, “Yes, that’s my real name.” That’s because everyone thought it was a goof on the Maryland city of the same name. Kurt Vile hasn’t yet resorted to that, but the moody, Post Punk/Neo Garage Rock retromodernist sure has answered a lot of questions

about his name since his first major-label release, Childish Prodigy, came out last year on Matador. (He had two previous releases.) It’s just too close a surly twist on Kurt Weill — the German composer of toughly political musicals like The Threepenny Opera — for coincidence. “My parents didn’t even know when they named me about Kurt Weill,” Vile says, by phone. “But I’m stoked about my real name. It has a, quoteunquote, ‘Punk Rock vibe.’ ” Vile — with some form of his back-up band, The Violators — will open for Fucked Up Monday night. His album has received wide praise for its dense, textured production and for the spookily hypnotic vibe of songs like “Freak Train” and “Hunchback.” His voice has traces of Tom Petty or Mick Jagger, but the tone is darker and more febrile, like Roky Erickson or The Cramps. As his solo career has taken off, Vile has had to cut back on his activities with the Philadelphia band The War on Drugs, for which he was the lead guitarist. He took part in that band’s label debut, 2008’s Wagonwheel Blues on Secretly Canadian, and is best friends with its leader, Adam Granduciel. “Once that album came out, I went on the first tour to Europe and then they went along without me for awhile,” he says. “Adam has been on most of my Violators tours as well, but he’s working on a new record. As far as my own time, basically I’m working on my own thing.” (Steven Rosen)

Kurt Vile

PHOTO courtesy ground control touring

Where: oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;bryonville When: wednesday, february 3rd What: Xu Hoops Ticket Giveaway!

february 10-16, 2010

ARTS

BIG PICTURE BY STEVEN ROSEN

How Should Museums Display Film/Video Art?

CONTACT STEVEN ROSEN: srosen@citybeat.com

PHOTO courtesy cheim & read, new york

William Eggleston’s 1970 photo “Sumner, Mississippi” is part of the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Starburst exhibition.

When Color was Controversial A pivotal decade in photography explodes in Starburst 4REVIEW BY TAMERA LENZ MUENTE

t’s hard for our generation to imagine controversy over color photography. In a day and age when many art schools have shut down their traditional black-and-white darkrooms in favor of going digital, color is simply taken for granted. Audiences had been accusWASSUP tomed to color in film since the STARBURST opens at the Cincin1930s and television since the nati Art Museum on Friday and runs 1950s. Color photography, howthrough May 9. For more information, ever, was reserved mostly for commercial advertising, family visit www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org. portraits and snapshots until the 1970s. The Cincinnati Art Museum’s Starburst: Color Photography in America, 1970–1980, which opens Friday, explores that groundbreaking decade, when landmark exhibitions by several artists changed the face of art photography forever. Don’t worry if you’re not up on photo history — the exhibition begins with a gallery featuring pre-1970s photographs representing the establishment of the day. These predecessors leaned towards modernist abstraction (Aaron Siskind), austere beauty (Eliot Porter) or social documentary (Diane Arbus). While mostly in

black-and-white, there are a few examples of early color works. According to Kevin Moore, guest curator who organized the show with CAM’s photography curator James Crump, “There were occurrences of color photographs being shown before 1970, at the Museum of Modern Art, for example, and there were people working since the 1940s. But they were isolated instances and still following the rules of what was considered an art photograph at that time.” The show then launches chronologically into a series of sections devoted to individual photographers. Several galleries recreate the spirit of the original 1970s shows with either vintage or more recent prints. “Color had a fading problem in the 1970s,” Moore says. “I think one of the reasons some of these prints are not as famous as they should be is that they simply did not hold up well. The show represents a lot of different processes, and some held up better than others. In every instance, we sought out images that look just as they did in the ’70s, meaning as vibrant as they were then, and in the same format. In some cases, it meant CONTINUES ON PAGE 324

february 10-16, 2010

As contemporary visual artists increasingly turn to video, film and projected images of all type, it becomes interesting to see how museums display their work. Are they like movies, deserving of a theater-like space where viewers can sit down and passively watch? Or are they more like performance art, encouraging viewers to walk amongst the moving images and become part of their environments? It’s an issue I’ve been thinking about lately, seeing such art at Cincinnati Art Museum, the Contemporary Arts Center and other venues. The Art Museum right now is showing Doug Aitken’s electric earth, a relatively short but hypnotic video about a young man who imagines himself — possibly correctly — as the last man on earth. It’s a temporary exhibition, on view through April 11. Aitken created electric earth for the 1999 Venice Biennale, where it won the International Prize. Aitken, an artist based in California and New York, has worked in still photography, sculpture and elaborate film/video installations. He’s coming to CAM on Feb. 17 to give a 2010 Lightborne Lecture, co-sponsored by the museum and Art Academy of Cincinnati. Admission is free; for more information call 562-6262. In a twist on the notion of “I Sing the Body Electric,” the young man’s body in electric earth responds to the humming and clicking of his depopulated, industrial environment. (The soundtrack features an appropriate “musique concrete” score.) As he walks, jerkily and trance-like, through the city he experiences a loss of self that may well be metaphoric. The film ends with a haunting image of the young man walking into a tunnel as its distorted fluorescent lighting seems to form the image of a hovering angel above him. The art museum treats the experience of watching this piece like seeing a short film. It is projected on a large screen in a darkened gallery and there are two benches to sit and watch. It does not encourage active engagement; it is meant to be watched by folks who then go on to the rest of the museum. But video art can also be part of group shows, as is the case with Cincinnati artist Charles Woodman’s five-screen “American Diorama,” part of Charlotte’s Light Factory Contemporary Museum of Photography and Film’s current Romance of the Road photography show. (I have not seen it.) For a far different experience, head up to Art Institute of Chicago’s new Modern Wing, into the heart of the contemporary galleries, where Bruce Nauman’s 1987 “Clown Torture” holds forth as part of the permanent collection. Yes, this video installation has its own space, but you can hear the intentionally obnoxious whoops and screams of the soundtrack as you approach. It permeates the nearby space — on purpose. Deal with it. (It’s also funny in a darkly satiric way.) At the CAC, Marilyn Minter’s “Green Pink Caviar” video — in which a model licks bright candy on a glass sheet while the artist films the process from the other side — has been encouraged to get out and about. It has even screened on the Jumbotron TV screen on Fountain Square. The CAC’s upcoming Shilpa Gupta show, which runs Feb. 20-May 2 and is the first solo museum show for the Indian artist, will have one piece, 2006’s “Half Widows,” that is a video projection onto the gallery floor. Such a piece demands the viewer be right there with the image, which can have a sculptural presence. Someday, maybe, every city will have film/video (and photography) museums to work out all the issues with presentation and to meet the growing demand from audiences to see such art.

4arts

The Women in the Mirror A first-hand account of MUSE’s visit to an area women’s prison

4calendar listings To be included: Submit information for CityBeat calendar listings in writing by noon Wednesday, seven days before publication. Mail to: Maija Zummo, Listings Editor, CityBeat, 811 Race St., Fifth Floor, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Phone: 513-665-4700, ext. 145 Fax: 513-665-4369. e-mail calendar@citybeat.com Please include a contact name and daytime phone number. Due to space considerations, we cannot guarantee that all submitted information will make it to print. H is CityBeat staff’s stamp of approval.

4by anne arenstein

february 10-16, 2010

o get to Marysville, you travel northeast from Dayton, easing off the interstates onto a highway that becomes a two-lane road, traversing acres of farmland, fields of grey-brown corn stubble punctuated by occasional homes and outbuildings. I am on a bus with 46 other members of MUSE, Cincinnati’s Women’s Choir, and we are headed for prison: the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. We are singing for the inmates and a current of unease runs underneath the animated chatter and the snacks passed up and down the aisles. Like all MUSE run-outs, this one is grounded in the choir’s philosophy to “strive for a concert experience that entertains, inspires, motivates, heals and creates a feeling of community with our audience.” MUSE has not performed for prison audiences since 1993. Even though it’s been 17 years, the intensity of that experience continues to resonate for MUSE veterans and especially our director, Dr. Catherine Roma. At that time, the Ohio Unity Choir, directed by Bishop Todd O’Neal from the House of Joy, joined MUSE for performances at Marysville and the Franklin Pre-Release Center in what Roma describes as “an explosive, volatile, exciting and unforgettable experience.” The Marysville audience was wall-to-wall and “85 percent African American,” she recalls. When O’Neal led a series of Gospel numbers, the inmates responded with a fervor that was by turns inspiring and unsettling. It must have been. Seventeen years later, Gospel music is on our program, along with a directive that emotional fervor on our part won’t be allowed. The entire program — music, lyrics and introductions — has to be approved by the deputy warden. There are other directives: no suggestive clothing (as if, on a freezing cold day), no socializing other than shaking hands. “It looks like a college campus,” I think, as the bus enters the parking lot. A large grey stone building with a white cupola, smaller red brick buildings, all surrounded by razor wire. According to the prison’s Web site, 1,753 inmates are white and 746 are African Americans. More than 1,000 women are listed as “level one” security. One woman is on death row. We line up for security checks and the personnel are pleasant and friendly as we surrender our licenses for badges. Five at a time, we’re sent through a door leading to the main yard and told to “turn left.” We go out, turn left and look at each other. There’s no one in sight. We find the gym at the end of a beige-tiled hallway that houses classrooms and looks like 30 a 60’s elementary school. A cheerful young

woman greets us, offering to help, apologizing for the stifling heat. She’s an inmate. Sound equipment is plugged in, accompanists Rachel Kramer and Steve Milloy unpack the piano, risers are set up and just as we’re arranging ourselves, there they are. About 60 women are led in, all wearing green-collared denim shirts beneath blue parkas, accompanied by half a dozen staff, including Deputy Warden Becky Hoffman. We warm up. When Donna Tramell begins one of her solos, faces come alive at the sound her rich, velvety alto. Dr. Roma only takes a few measures but that’s enough to bring on an ovation. As the program starts, I look at these women, our audience. I am struck by their ordinariness. They look like the women I see downtown, in the grocery, in my neighborhood. Many are chomping gum — the prison is a non-smoking facility. They could be my daughters and my grandmothers. The first two numbers are well received and then Roma quickly confers with Hoffman, who OKs a sing-along. They join us for Bernice Johnson Reagon’s setting of civil rights pioneer Ella Baker’s words: “We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it come.” “I wonder how the warden felt about those lyrics,” a choir sister wrote in an e-mail. Throughout the concert, women come and go without guards, who lounge on the bleachers. The Gospel numbers and spirituals get rousing responses, but what brings down the house is an old-school rap by Sweet Honey in the Rock’s Nitanju Casel and Aisha Kahlil: Women…should be a priority. Respected and upheld in society Given all the proper notoriety, Never used or abused by authority. They are all on their feet, stomping and cheering. We’re thrilled and scared that those authorities will call a halt. But they don’t. We end with India Arie’s “There’s Hope” and they give us a standing ovation. They start to file out and suddenly, a chorus of “Thank yous” pours out. One woman calls, “Have a safe trip home.” There’s still one more song — as they’re heading for the doors, we sing, I feel like going on I feel like going on Though trials mount on every hand, I feel like going on. For more on MUSE, CINCINNATI’S WOMEN’S CHOIR, go to www.musechoir.org.

4art Openings 5th Street Gallery — Pastel X Three features the work of three premiere

Ohio pastelists: Brian Burt, Kay Hurley, and Jay Wilford. Burt exhibits humorous still-life images, Hurley shows luminous landscapes and Wilford exhibits moody impressionistic scenes. Opening reception: 5:30-10 p.m. Feb. 12. Through March 12. 5th Street Gallery, 55 W. Fifth St., Downtown, 513-579-9333.

Anderson Center — Summerfair Cincinnati’s Emerging Artist Exhibit

features work from junior and senior level fine art students from five local colleges and universities. Opening reception: 6-8 p.m. Feb. 12. Through Feb. 21. Anderson Center, 7850 Five Mile Road, Anderson Twp., 513-688-8400.

Art Beyond Boundaries — Art Beyond Boundaries Gallery celebrates

its third anniversary of exhibiting the artwork of artists with disabilities with the show 3 PEAT...and it’s Fun Now!. The opening will feature wine and hors d’ouevres, compelling original art, and the artists. Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. Feb. 12. Through March 26. Art Beyond Boundaries , 1410 Main St. , Over-theRhine, 513-421-8726.

Cincinnati Art Club — The Signature Member Winter Show features the

newest works in all media by Cincinnati Art Club Signature Members. Opening reception: 6-9 p.m. Feb. 12. Through Feb. 21. Cincinnati Art Club, 1021 Parkside Place, Mount Adams, 513-241-4591.

Fabricate — Looking Glass features illustrations by Julie Hill, an artist and interactive designer who draws, paints, designs and regularly works on projects with the creative collective PROJECTMILL. Opening reception: 7-11 p.m. Feb. 13. Fabricate , 4012 Hamilton Ave.,Enter through Red Polly Northside, 513541-2394. NVISION — Nuclear Winter features recent work by Jeff Stout, including a suggested reading list. Books will be available to read at NVISION, where you can enjoy a free cup of coffee while you peruse the exhibit and books. Opening reception: 6-10 p.m. Feb. 12. Through March 21. NVISION, 4577 Hamilton Ave., Northside, 513-542-4577.

Museums Cincinnati Art Museum — Martin Puryear Prints features prints from this sculptor who is also a printmaker. Referencing his areas of H personal interest, Puryear’s prints are inspired by furniture design, basketry and

international travel. Free. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Through June 13. ... Starburst: Color Photography in America 1970-1980 offers the first historical survey of what critics of the 1970s called “The New Color Photography,” a loose artistic movement that generated much controversy and excitement. The exhibition explores color’s role in the transition between modern and contemporary approaches to art photography during the 1970s. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. TuesdaySunday. Through May 9. ... electric earth is a story concerning a young man Doug Aitken envisioned as the last person on Earth. $4 parking. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Through April 4. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, 513-721-2787.

Contemporary Arts Center — Soul Within Structure, this H UnMuseum installation, is by local artist Cedric Michael Cox, who uses the historic Cincinnati neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine as inspiration. $.4.50-

$7.50. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Through March 8. ... Marilyn Minter: Chewing Color is a solo exhibition of recent paintings and photographs that reveal the sometimes flawed side of glamour. $7.50 adults; $6.50 seniors; $5.50 students. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.Through May 2. Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, 513-345-8400.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center — Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America depict — in graphic detail — the brutal murders by lynching of thousands of individuals including white, black, old and young, men and women, Jews, gentiles, immigrants and aliens. The majority of those lynched were African Americans. Photographs taken at some of these horrible incidents were turned into mass-produced post cards that were distributed in the mail and shared among friends. $12; $10 seniors; $8 children. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. Through May 31. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown, 513-333-7500.

Taft Museum of Art — Dutch Utopia: American Artists in Holland, H1880-1914 explores the little-known but fascinating phenomenon of American artists settling or working in the Netherlands at the turn of the last

century. $8; $6 students/seniors. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Through May 2. ... Small Paintings features a group of diminutive oil paintings by 18thand 19th-century artists from France, Holland, Belgium and the United States. $8; $6 students/seniors. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. Through May 23. Taft Museum of Art , 316 Pike St. , Downtown, 513-241-0343.

4attractions Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal — Directed by

Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Howard Hall and narrated by Golden Globe winner Jim Carrey, Under the Sea invites you down deep into the depths of some of Earth’s most exotic, isolated undersea locales. $7-$9. Daily. Through July 4. ... Queen City Gold: Out of the Vault features a collection of artifacts rarely seeCincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave., West End, 513-287-7000.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — Penguin Days offers half price admission and cool-weather entertainment like “fishing” penguins, elephants breaking frozen blocks of fruit, polar bears and seal lions eating fish-cicles and snow monkeys snacking on delicious frozen treats. $7 adults; $4.50 children. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Through Feb. 28. Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, 513-281-4700. Krohn Conservatory & Botanical Garden — The Early Spring Floral Show’s theme, “Discovering the Plants of the Americas,” allows visitors to learn about the North, Central and South American plant communities and their botanical explorers. As well as being beautiful, the show is an excellent opportunity for teachers and students to study biomes and plants. Donations accepted. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Through March 7. ... The Krohn Conservatory features more than 3,500 plant species from around the world in their Palm House, Desert House and Tropical House. Guided tours are available upon request and during special exhibits. $25 for tours. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Krohn Conservatory & Botanical Garden, 1501 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, 513-421-4086. Newport Aquarium — During Winter Family Days two children (ages 2-12) will be admitted free with each adult paying full price. $20 adults. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. daily. Through Feb. 28. Newport Aquarium, One Aquarium Way, Newport, 859-261-7444. William Howard Taft National Historic Site — The Taft Site will celebrate President’s day by offering free junior ranger activities. Visitors of all ages will be rewarded with junior ranger badges and patches for participating in activities that focus on William Howard Taft, Ohio Presidents and Presidential History. Free. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 15. William Howard Taft National Historic Site, 2038 Auburn Ave., Mount Auburn, 513-684-3262.

4events Arnold’s Fat Tuesday/ Mardi Gras Party — Cincinnati’s most authentic Mardi gras celebration offers specials on Miller Lite, free throw beads, three different kinds of hurricanes, a full menu of Cajun specialties, and Cincinnati’s only traditional Cajun band, Lagniappe. 9 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Feb. 16. Arnold’s Bar and Grill, 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown, 513-421-6234.

Art for Autism — This is a fun and informal happy-hour type of event, and there will be modeling of faux furs, food, and fun raffle items, including a faux fur throw donated by Fabulous Furs. It’s a great opportunity to get that lastminute Valentine gift as all attendees will receive 15 percent off purchases and a free pair of fur-trimmed gloves. Tickets are $25, and proceeds will support programs for youth with autism and their families at Rising Star Studios. 6-8 p.m. Feb. 13. Fabulous Furs , 25 W. Robbins St., Covington, info

Cincy World Cinema’s Lunafest — Selected from roughly 800 H entries, the 10 LunaFest short film winners offer exceptional storytelling with universal themes that deal with love, relationships, family, self-perception, citizenship, health and survival in tough times. This year’s mix of comedy, drama, documentary and animation is the work of accomplished women filmmakers with roots in Australia, Bulgaria, Brazil, China, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, the UK and the U.S. $8 in advance; $10 at the door. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9 and 10. Carnegie Visual & Performing Arts Center, 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington, 859-491-2030.

Fat Tuesday/Fastnacht Celebration — Sponsored by the H German-American Citizens League, this year features the Enzian Dancers with a special Fat Tuesday dance presentation and prizes for the best cos-

tumes. Plans this year call for a special guest: Christian Uhde, the Lord Mayor of Munich, Germany, who will be visiting the area. 6 p.m. Feb. 16. Hofbrauhaus, 200 E. Third St., , 859-491-7200.

Flick My Clip Short Film Festival — Organized by Cincinnati/ Dayton-area comics Ryan Singer, Alex Stone and Mike Cody, the event will feature short films made by not only Tristate comics, but from around the country. $5. 8 p.m. Feb. 16. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Blue Ash, 513-984-9288.

Heart-to-Heart Racial Justice Breakfast — Keynote speaker Charles Ogletree, Jr. and Jesse Climenko, Professor of Law, Harvard Law School, lead the 10th annual breakfast. 7:30-9:30 a.m. Feb. 16. National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown, 513-333-7500. Love is a Drag — A variety of drag performances that reinterpret the music (and gender image) of contemporary Pop icons like Pink and Beyonc’, as well as older ones like Billie Holliday. 8 p.m. Feb. 13. CS13, 1219 Sycamore St., Over-the-Rhine, www.cs13gallery.com. MainStrasse Mardi Gras — The Big Head Parade takes place on Friday and the Grande Parade on Saturday. Robin Lacy & DeZydeco play Friday and 4th Day Echo play Saturday. Music begins following the parade both nights. Entertainment Tent and Cajun Food booths open at 8 p.m. There will be a Dunk-a-Cop booth both nights to raise money for the Police Unity Tour, which honors fallen policemen and aids their families. $15 in advance for both nights; $10 a piece. 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Feb. 12 and 13. Mainstrasse Village, Sixth Street area, Covington, 859-491-0458.

Mardi Gras at Findlay Market — Sample traditional lowland seafood boil, taste wine, have a beer, watch a parade, get your face painted and grab some beads. Live music will be performed by Lagnaippe, Robin Lacy & DeZydeco, Ricky Nye Inc. and the Jon Justice Band. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 14. Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-665-4839.

MoBo Winter Workshop Series — MoBo is hosting a series of workshops to keep members and the public engaged in bicycle maintenance and advocacy throughout the winter. This week learn about Derailleurs. Donations encouraged. 6 p.m. Mondays. Through March 8. MoBo Bicycle Co-op, 1415 Knowlton Ave. , Northside, Learn more and RSVP at www. mobobicyclecoop.org.

Sunday Jazz Brunches in the Park — At the Stonewood Banquet

Center listen to swinging Jazz piano by the Chris Comer Trio and enjoy a buffet with over 25 items, a carving station and an omelette bar as well as fresh salads, pastries, desserts and other Sunday favorites. $13.95 adults; $6.95 children. 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Jan. 10, 24, Feb. 14, March 7 and 21. Sharon Woods, 11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville, 513-563-4513.

Taste of Kentucky for Chocolate, Tea and Coffee Lovers —

Stop-in and sample Ruth Hunt chocolate candies, Weisenberger Mills chocolate nut pie, Dixie Dew’s Harry’s Choice chocolate toppings, and Elmwood Inn teas and coffees from Maker’s Mark and John Conti. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays. Through February. Kentucky Haus Artisan Center, 411 E. 10th St., Newport, 859-261-4287.

Tuesday Night at the Movies — Each Tuesday the bar screens two cult classic movies with all the free popcorn you can eat. 10 p.m. Tuesdays. Grammer’s, 1440 Walnut Street, Over-the-Rhine, 513-421-8300.

4get involved Art OpportunitieS Manifest Creative Research Gallery — The gallery is currently

accepting submissions for Rites of Passage. Students and recent graduates of art and design programs from regional and national college programs are invite to participate. All entrants must have received or be scheduled to receive a college degree in 2009, 2010, or 2011, and provide an academic reference’s contact info. Postmark deadline is March 5. ... Currently accepting submissions for TEMPO, an international competitive exhibit of works exploring time. Professionals as well as students are encouraged to enter. All traditional and non-traditional genre and media, including but not limited to: sculpture, video, painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, collage, ceramics, etc. will be accepted. The postmark deadline is March 5. Manifest Creative Research Gallery, 2727 Woodburn Ave., Walnut Hills, 513-861-3638.

4literary Readings, Signings & Events Wayne B. Bowman — Discusses and signs Hidden in Plain Sight (Catechism Versus the Bible). 2-4 p.m. Feb. 13. Barnes & Noble Newport, Newport on the Levee, Newport, 513-245-9898. Dream Work Retreat for Women — Dream Work Retreat for Women: Dreams as a Resource for your Writing and your Life is for women interested in using the wisdom and symbolism of dreams as inspiration for poetry. No experience with poetry necessary&#151;only a love of language and an eagerness to write. Feb. 12-14. Grailville, 932 O’Bannonville Road, Loveland, 513-683-2340. Friends of the Public Library Used Book Sale — Gently used fic-

tion and nonfiction books will be offered, as well as LP records and audiovisual items that include CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes. Prices start at fifty cents for paperbacks, and range up to $4 for other items. VHS tapes and records are priced at one dollar, with DVDs and CDs at $3. Noon-6 p.m. Feb. 12 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Feb. 13. Sharonville Branch Library, 10980 Thornview Drive, Sharonville, 513-369-6049.

Local History Night — Authors Dann Woellert, Allen Singer, Earl Clark

and Liz Tilton will be discussing and signing Cincinnati’s Northside Neighborhood, Beverly Hills Country Club and Cincinnati’s Historic Findlay Market. 7 p.m. Feb. 11. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, 2692 Madison Road, Norwood, 513-396-8960.

The Abiding Image: Crafting Poetry from your Life — The

Abiding Image Workshop provides guidance in using life material to create poetry. 9:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 15. Grailville, 932 O’Bannonville Road, Loveland, 513-683-2340.

Walnut Street Poetry Society Kickoff — Join Thayne Maynard, Director of the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Kathrine Nero, WCPO television anchor, for an hour of poetry to kick off the sixth year of the Walnut Street Poetry Society. Noon Feb. 10. Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St., Downtown, 513-621-0717.

4onstage Classical Music Music Live at Lunch — Tenor Jeffrey Stivers performs with Rodney Stucky, who plays flute and Baroque guitar. Free; $5 for lunch. 12:10 p.m. Feb. 16. Christ Church Cathedral, 318 E. Fourth St., Downtown, 513-621-1817.

Radu Lupu with the CSO — Before the Orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall for the 47th time, Paavo J&#228;rvi and the CSO will welcome back legendary pianist Radu Lupu. $10. 8 p.m. Feb. 12 and 13. Music Hall, 1243 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-744-3344. The Brass Fellowship — Come experience the beauty of St. William

as this 20 piece brass ensemble performs selections by Beethoven, Gabrielli, Faure and other composers. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 10. Saint William Church, 4108 W. Eighth St., Downtown, 513-921-0247.

Zili Misik — This eight-piece World music band with fierce skills just happens to consist of women. Zili draws heavily on sunny Afrobeat and Brazilian rhythms, bridging cultures and continents. $15; $12 seniors. 8 p.m. Feb. 13. Fairfield Community Arts Center, 411 Wessel Drive, Fairfield, 513-867-5348.

Comedy Fifth Annual Laugh-a-Thon with Sheryl Underwood — The host

of Black Entertainment Television’s ComicView uses a down-to-earth, humorous

Alex Reymundo — Alex is a member of The Original Latin Kings of Comedy. $15-$18. 8 p.m. Feb. 11; 8 and 10:15 p.m. Feb. 12; 10:15 p.m. Feb. 13. Funny Bone on the Levee, One Levee Way ,Suite 3124 Newport, 859-957-2000. Josh Sneed — Cincinnati’s own Josh Sneed is quickly making his

mark as one of the top young comics in the business. $10-$15. 8 p.m. Thursday-Sunday; 10:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Go Bananas Comedy Club, 8410 Market Place Lane, Blue Ash, 513-984-9288.

Dance Cinderella — During Valentine’s weekend, what could be more H romantic than a magical transformation, enabling a young girl with a vivid imagination who proves her worth with caring deeds to unexpectedly find true love? Cincinnati Ballet’s Cinderella features a delightful children’s cast, fairies weaving spells of wonderment, and riotous bumbling characters. $25-$80. 8 p.m. Feb. 12, 2 and 8 p.m. Feb. 13 and 2 p.m. Feb. 14. Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown, 513-721-3344.

Talking Eggs — ballet tech cincinnati premieres the “Leaping for Literacy” production, Talking Eggs, the traditional Louisiana Creole Cinderella-esque fairy tale. Free. 12:30 p.m. Feb. 13. Cincinnati Public Library, Pleasant Ridge Branch, 6233 Montgomery Road, , 513-369-6045.

Mixed Media Murder Mystery Dinner — These dinners combine food and suspense. With outrageous storylines, plenty of laughs and audience participation, enjoy themed nights and foods like chef-carved prime rib, beef au jus, marinated herb-roasted chicken breast and vegetable lasagna. This week’s theme is Death By Chocolate. Will Olaf Magnussen’s newest taste sensation be the talk of the town or the death of him? $33.50 plus tax. 7 p.m. Saturdays. Through March 20. Winton Woods, 10245 Winton Road, Winton Woods, 513-931-1849. Shadowbox After Dark — Inventive, original sketch comedy pokes fun at the world of dating and relationships and house band Billwho? turns up the voltage with sexy Rock music. $30; $20 students/seniors. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Through March 13. Shadowbox Cabaret, 1 Levee Way, Newport, 859-957-7625.

Theater Adding Machine: A Musical Opening Party — Celebrate the opening of this musical, based on a 1923 play about Mr. Zero, who is replaced at his job by an adding machine. The party features food by Mixx Ultra Lounge, gelato by Madisono’s and beer by Christian Moerlein. $12. 7 p.m. Feb. 13. Know Theatre of Cincinnati, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine, 513-300-5669.

Cyrano — The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park brings Cyrano “off the hill” to

area theaters. This plays tells the story of the famously large-nosed Cyrano who is in love with Roxanne. She, in turn, adores Christian. What Cyrano lacks in beauty he makes up for with his artful words and their effect on the heart of the woman he loves. Noon Feb. 14. Wyoming Fine Arts Center, 322 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming, 513-651-9220.

Cyrano — The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park brings Cyrano “off the hill”

to area theaters. This plays tells the story of the famously large-nosed Cyrano who is in love with Roxanne. She, in turn, adores Christian. What Cyrano lacks in beauty he makes up for with his artful words and their effect on the heart of the woman he loves. 7:30 p.m. Feb. 13. Evendale Cultural Arts Center, 10500 Reading Road, Evendale, 513-651-9220.

The Fall of Heaven — Based on Walter Mosley’s novel The Tempest H Tales, The Fall of Heaven is about Tempest Landry, a street-wise young man living in Harlem who gets shot and unexpectedly finds himself at the

Pearly Gates. $28-$61. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 4 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Through Feb. 20. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mt. Adams Circle, Mount Adams, 513-421-3888.

How? How? Why? Why? Why? — NPR humorist Kevin Kling performs his play exploring the difference between the trip you plan and the trip you take in life. $45-$61. 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays; 8 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 4 and 8 p.m. on Saturdays; 2 and 7 p.m. Sundays.Through March 14. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, 962 Mt. Adams Circle, Mount Adams, 513-421-3888. In Love with Shakespeare — Presented by Cincinnati Shakespeare,

this comedic showcase features some of Shakespeare’s most famous love scenes and sonnets. $5. 3-4 p.m. Feb. 14. Mayerson JCC, 8485 Ridge Road, Amberley, 513-761-7500.

Krapp’s Last Tape and Hughie — In Krapp’s Last Tape, watch as obsessive Krapp relives his life in repetition, with new experiences revealed to be eerily similar to those of days gone by. Then join Erie Smith, the invariably tipsy everyman, as he confronts old pains and finds new hopes in Hughie. $26; $22 seniors; $20 students. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Through Feb. 14. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 719 Race St., Downtown, 513-381-2273.

Miss Julie — When blue-blooded Miss Julie steps down to seduce H blue-collared Jean, her father’s valet, the two engage in a cat-and-mouse game of lust, ambition and control. $26; $22 seniors; $20 students. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays and Saturdays. Through Feb. 13. Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, 719 Race St., Downtown, 513-381-2273.

My Name Is Asher Lev — Adapted from Chaim Potok’s novel of the same name, this play follows young artist Asher Lev as he is torn between his observant Hassidic Jewish community and his need to create. $30-$40. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 2 p.m. Sunday; 7:30 p.m. Feb. 9. Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St.,Over-the-Rhine Over-the-Rhine, 513-421-3555.

My Name Is Asher Lev — Adapted from Chaim Potok’s novel of the H same name, this play follows young artist Asher Lev as he is torn between his observant Hassidic Jewish community and his need to create. $30-$40. 2 p.m. Feb. 6 and Feb. 13. Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati, 1127 Vine St.,Overthe-Rhine Over-the-Rhine, 513-421-3555.

The Miracle Worker — This Tony Award-winning play recounts Helen

MORE ON PAGE 384

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restaurants chocolate — always something special that’s delicious and interesting. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Entrees: $17-$26. Dinner: 5:30-9:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 5:30-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; brunch: 10 a.m-2 p.m. Sunday. 1000 Delta Ave., Mount Lookout, 513929-0525.

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Teller’s of Hyde Park — Serves up an eclectic mix of contemporary American cuisine. Appetizers include the popular Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls (stuffed with chicken, zucchini, pepperoni and mozzarella) to salads, pastas, pizzas and sandwiches as well as substantive fare like steaks and Eggplant Cannelloni. Fifty bottled and 30 draught beers, 23 wines by the glass and a colorful martini menu make this a great place to drink and eat. A perennial favorite with the Hyde Park set, Teller’s is a place to see and be seen. Located in a former bank building, Teller’s recently remodeled decor is historic-contemporary with big columns, 35-foot ceilings and a skylight running the length of the building. Entrees: $10-$30. 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Thurday; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Saturday; 10 a.m.-midnight Sunday. 2710 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, 513-321-4721. Terry’s Turf Club — The menu is short but sweet and centered

on burgers — if you use the term loosely. Top of the list is a hamburger, but there’s also a filet mignon with béarnaise sauce. There are ample non-beef options including grilled chicken and portabella or seafood offerings. The sauces for the “burgers” reveal a little bit about the owner’s background: At some point in his past, he did some time at the five-star Maisonette. His nephew makes the sauces now, but Terry ensures that standards are held; in fact, they grow their own tarragon for the béarnaise. What a simple concept: Taking a seven-item menu and adding enough sauce and topping choices to have something for everyone. There are no bad combinations when the starting points are this good. Seating capacity is 49 people, so I imagine there’s a full house most nights (AM 8-20-08). Entrees: $6.50-$26. 4 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 4 p.m.2:30 a.m. Friday; noon-2:30 a.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. 4618 Eastern Ave., Linwood, 513-533-4222.

Vineyard Cafe and Wine Room — The Vineyard strives to bring its customers something familiar yet different. Take, for instance, the ordinary chicken breast: At The Vineyard it becomes Artichoke-Crusted Chicken, pounded out chicken breast with pureed artichokes, parmigiano-reggiano and panko bread crumbs, flash-fried and finished with roasted Yukon potatoes, shallots and lemon beurre blanc.Wine and food pairings are what The Vineyard is all about. The candlelit dining room is often filled with couples sharing a bottle over dinner or tables of people conducting a private little tasting of their own. The service staff is wine savvy and polite. The Wine Room, two doors up, is one of those little secret gems you might miss if we didn’t tell you. Entrees: $16-$30. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. MondayThursday, 1-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. 2653 Erie Ave., Hyde Park, 513-871-6167. Wooster Tavern — When you go visit a neighborhood tavern known for its cheeseburgers and wings, that¬ís probably what you should order. The sports bar atmosphere inside reinforced the ¬ìlocal favorite¬î image I had begun to conjure. The bar was both warm and welcoming on a chilly autumn night. Appetizers are standard pub fare: nachos, Buffalo wings, onion rings. Entrees: $6.49-$13. 11 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Monday-Friday; noon-2:30 a.m. Saturday; and noon-9 p.m. Sunday. 6309 Wooster Pike, Mariemont, 513-271-8616.

Northern Kentucky Aoi — Along with the clean flavors and soft, velvety texture of the beautiful sushi and sashimi, the menu features traditional Japanese cold and

hot appetizers, noodle soups and entrees such as Steamed Pork with Sesame Sauce and Beef or Chicken Teriyaki. An elegant, uncluttered dining space with a semi-circular sushi bar dropped into the center of an otherwise angular room. Dramatic tones of deep red, bronze, gold and orange bleed down the wall of the booths which are separated by frosted panels that give you a delicious sense of privacy. From the time you’re seated and your server provides a warm washcloth to clean your hands, you can relax in their care. Entrees: $5-$21. Lunch: noon-1:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. Dinner: 5:30-10:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; noon-10 p.m. Saturday; 4-10 p.m. Sunday. 1 Levee Way,Newport on the Levee Newport, 859-431-9400.

Brio Tuscan Grille — Upscale Tuscan-inspired dining featuring Mama’s

Lasagna Bolognese made from the founder’s original recipe. Give them a try for Saturday and Sunday Bellini Brunch, featuring Frittata al Forno, Tuscan French Toast with marscapone cheese and more. Great date place, as it’s not terribly loud and there are lots of things to split. The al fresco area is nice, but you sometimes feel forgotten out there if they’re not fully staffed. Entrees: $15-$22. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 1 Levee Way,Newport on the Levee Newport, 859-431-0900.

La Cherie Bakery and Bistro — La Cherie focuses on something its

comfy. Entrees: $5-$14. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-10 p.m. Sunday. 6383 Glenway Ave., Western Hills, 513-574-1639.

Chung Ching — The amount of food and variety of Chinese dishes here makes sharing easy, and the menu offers plenty of unusual dishes as well as classic Chinese. With a decidedly Asian decor, Chung Ching boasts a healthy number of regulars. The mom-and-pop atmosphere makes you feel like you’re eating at someone’s home rather than in a restaurant. Entrees: $7-$10. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 p.m. Saturday, 5-9 p.m. Sunday. 5842 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, 513-541-1243. Goodie’s Barbecue — Mr. Goodie sure knows his pork butt- pork pit-

smoked slowly ‘til the fat has completely dissolved and a crunch caramelized crust has formed on the outside, resulting in a deep but delicate smoked flavor. For those now tempted by the sauce, there are more standard items like the fish sandwich or fried okra. And we’ll eat the chess pie until we’re as plump as a tick. Complete with neon signs, this down-home restaurant screams good eatin’ at reasonable prices. The waitstaff is always friendly, making each trip here feel like eating at home. Winner of “Best Soul Food.” Entrees: $5-$18. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday. 5841 Hamilton Ave, College Hill, 513-542-4663.

owners felt was missing on the south side of the Ohio River: simple, healthy, home-cooked food. They make all their food from scratch including their French bread and bakery goods like the Cranberry Almond scones. One of our favorite things about the bistro is that breakfast never ends — we can get quiche Lorraine, French toast with baked apple slices and a side of Glier’s goetta, and time we want. Try the new made-from-scratch Blueberry Belgian waffles. Service is as charming and personal as the space, which includes a larger table in the front window with a crotchet tablecloth, both heirlooms from coowner Susan Burnett’s family. Entrees: $4-$8. 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. 522 Main St. , Covington, 859-261-8889.

J&J’s Restaurant — One of those comforting, back-in-the-day family restaurants that serves breakfast anytime and the best two-fisted doubledeckers going. The home fries are a must — weighing in at a pound, one order could easily serve four. J&J’s has a staunch stable of regulars to fill its booths. You might not get much small talk out of the waitresses who fly through the dining room like whirling dervishes, but you’ll get a smile and fast, efficient service. Entrees: $6-$8. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 6159 Glenway Ave., Westwood, 513-661-2260.

Martha Jeanne’s Eatery — Simple, homemade food without frills,

Pit to Plate — The Plate’s mouth-watering pork and brisket are hickory

flavored with affection. Traditional breakfast with biscuits and gravy, eggs and hash browns, pancakes and French toast. For lunch, soups, salads and sandwiches, as well as a blue-plate special. The desserts are homemade, too, and half-portions are available. Perfect — a sliver of pie is just what we wanted! Clean and cozy with bright vinyl tablecloths, unmatched chairs and the unbreakable Corel plates our grandma used to have. There are no strangers here. Entrees: $3-$8. 6:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday; 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Saturday. 511 Fairfield Drive, Bellevue, 859-491-9258.

Pompilio’s — The tomato sauce that memories are made of and the sausage that would make Junior Soprano proud. Homemade pasta, veal parmigiana, meatballs, minestrone — whatsa matter f’you? Eat! Traditional Italian in the heart of Newport, and we do mean heart. This is old school — no shiny Levee chain stuff here. Winner of “Best Italian.” Entrees: $8-$13. Entrees: $8-$13. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday. 600 Washington Ave., Newport, 859-581-3065. Rio Grande — Tucked into an unassuming strip mall in Newport is one of the most popular restaurants in the area, Rio Grande. Rio Grande needs no review. And no introduction. Apparently it just kind of exists. The best fajitas in town. (HS 10-14-09). Entrees: $6.99-$11.49. 11a.m.-9:30 p.m. MondayThursday; 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Friday; 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. 34 Carothers Road, Newport, 859-525-8222.

West Cancun Mexican Restaurant, Western Hills — Cancun is great for

a large appetite and a small budget, offering inexpensive authentic Mexican dishes. Homemade guacamole, queso dip and Jalapeno Bean Soup provide all you need to warm up with one of the best margaritas in town. Lunch specials are ridiculously cheap, and dinners are well portioned. One of the most popular entrees is the Fajitas Mexicanas, with your choice of chicken or steak, served with grilled peppers, onions and tomatoes. The original location in Forest Park recently expanded, and the restaurant next to Western Bowl is spacious and

smoked for eight hours and the ribs for four to eight hours. Sides might not be the main focus here, but you won’t go wrong with the mac and cheese, the vinegary hot slaw topped with bacon, jalapeno-spiked cornbread and garlic butter potatoes. Check them out when you plan a pig roast or Thanksgiving &#151; they make a mean smoked turkey breast.The new digs, just around the corner from the old Compton location, still feature retro Western kitsch decor. Entrees: $5-$18. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. 8021 Hamilton Ave, Mount Healthy, 513-931-9100.

Queen Mary Family Restaurant — The Queen serves breakfast, lunch

and dinner in a space that might have once held a Denny’s, but it is nicely refurnished with white tablecloths, candles and fresh flowers. Dinners (none cost more than $9.50) range from a selection of grilled entrees to Eastern European dishes like goulash to 3-ways and hamburgers.The restaurant is owned by Tase Palitov and his wife Mary. According to the blurb on the menu, the restaurant is named for her. What the restaurant lacks in terms of a food experience, it certainly makes up for as an interesting dining experience. (LA 9-30-09). Entrees: $5.99-$9.50. 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday; 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday 4050 North Bend Road, Cheviot, 513-661-8400.

Vitor’s Bistro — Vitor’s, now serving breakfast, lunch and dinner regularly, has moved up and “grown up,” as co-owner Gina Valerius put it the night we stopped. Located in the former Rondo’s space, a quaint 1864 Europeanlooking building complete with an outside terrace, the space is divided into cozy smaller rooms and achieves what chef and co-owner Vitor Abreu calls their goal: a laid-back atmosphere with good food. Being of Portuguese descent, Vitor tries to offer a mix of things on the menu. There are Italian dishes such as well as classically influenced dishes. With great attention to detail from the napkins to the music, he has an honorable goal of giving the West Side something it’s been missing- a fine dining establishment (LA 3-11-09). Entrees: $15-$31. Breakfast/lunch: 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday; Dinner: 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday. 3232 Harrison Ave., Westwood, 513-481-5333.

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february 10-16, 2010

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FILM

4OPENING FILM By JASON GARGaNO

Blu-ray, Here I Come Being a guy who prefers vinyl records to CDs or, worse, MP3s and who still has a LaserDisc player (remember those?), I put off upgrading from DVD to Blu-ray for more than a year. I rationalized this fact in a variety of ways: • It’s not as radical as the jump from VHS to DVD. • Beyond the new crop of tech-geek, CGI-pimping directors and their followers, who wants movies to be presented in super-enhanced, crystal-clear images? (Of course, I’m the same guy who loves Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mr. Miller precisely because of its foggy, grime-encrusted visual aesthetic.) • It’s just another ploy from an ailing movie industry to milk as much money as possible from consumers who have to perpetually upgrade to the newest, shiniest technical advancements. • I’m already averse to the various suspension-of-disbeliefbusting “behind the scenes” of this and “making of” that featurettes that bog down regular DVD releases, so why would I want even more largely useless, Internet-aided “bonus features” so prominently pimped on Blu-ray discs? • That stupid HDMI cable is too expensive. All of the above faded away when the latest Blu-ray players allowed viewers to download Netflix movies via wireless Internet connections. A couple of weeks ago — after being rebuffed by Santa Claus yet again — I broke down and bought a sweet Samsung 3600. The result? The thing is even better than I expected. Not in the sense that Blu-ray picture and sound quality is a nice leap (though it is) but rather that it upgrades the quality of my regular, luxuriously stocked DVD collection so significantly in terms of picture ratio. (My HD TV is only 32 inches, thus every inch counts.) Couple that with the Netflix (I downloaded and watched five films, none of which had a Cincinnati theatrical release, the first weekend) and YouTube (I lost three hours surfing various Sonic Youth live performances and Lady Gaga videos) options, and I’m now worried that I’ll never turn off my TV ever again. Now on to this week’s theatrical releases, the only one of which that seems even remotely intriguing is The Wolfman. MOTHERHOOD — This under-the-radar comedy (which comes out on DVD next week) finds Uma Thurman in the role of a middleclass Manhattan mother trying to plan her daughter’s sixth birthday party, which is apparently a much tougher endeavor than one might think. Anthony Edwards plays her unreliable husband, and Minnie CONTINUES ON PAGE 404

Boozin’ & Brawlin’ Country singers often make compelling movie subjects 4By steven rosen

eff Bridges’ Best Actor Oscar nomination recognizes more than just his nuanced, sensitive portrayal of down-on-his-luck Country singer Bad Blake in the film Crazy Heart. It also acknowledges that actors and actresses give some of their finest performances when playing Country/Roots musicians. It might be because they — WASSUP and their movies — are able to draw on all the colorful meloGo to citybeat.com for drama that fuels classic Councomprehensive times and reviews, try songs. And it might also be including our take on The Wolfman. that the romanticized Countrymusic lifestyle — Nudie outfits, heartland road trips, small-town honkytonks with their boozin’ and brawlin’ — is just great material for actors to draw on. Especially when the musicians can’t live up to the pressures of their careers. That’s what fuels Bridges’ turn in Crazy Heart, and it also fuels Robert Duvall’s Oscar-winning performance in 1983’s Tender Mercies, a Bruce Beresford film with which it shares many similarities. Duvall offers a sense of troubled quietude and edgy decency that never turns ostentatious or showy as Mac Sledge, a Country singer/ songwriter who has retreated from the life because of

the toll the booze has taken on him. He also leaves behind an ex-wife who hates him — Dixie, a Country diva played very well by Broadway singer Betty Buckley — and a confused daughter (Ellen Barkin). As a work-for-hire drifter, he meets and marries a hard-working, Christian widow (Tess Harper) tending to a lonely roadside gas station in west Texas. The movie’s spare, almost-minimalist screenplay from Horton Foote won an Oscar. I’d say Duvall gives the best performance ever as a roughed-up Country singer, but that would diminish the impact of Rip Torn’s fantastically bravura turn in Daryl Duke’s 1973 Payday. He’s hard-livin’, manipulative, charming but dangerous Maury Dann, on the road and on his last legs — though he doesn’t know it yet. Sadly, judging from recent news articles about Torn’s legal problems, it wasn’t all acting. Country, more than any other music, is built on folksy pieties and demands blind patriotism from its superstars. That’s a surefire recipe for hypocrisy. Thus, the Country-music world is ripe for films that use it as a base for social and political critiques. CONTINUES ON PAGE 414

february 10-16, 2010

PHOTO courtesy universal

Emily Blunt in The Wolfman

PHOTO courtesy fox searchlight

Jeff Bridges is Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, the latest in a long line of strong, Country-music-centered movies.

opening film Driver, long gone from the spotlight, has a supporting role. Katherine Dieckmann writes and directs. (Opens Friday at Mariemont Theatre.) — Jason Gargano (Rated PG-13.) Not screened for review PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS — Aside from some non-PG-rated emphasis on an abusive home life and a lot of underwhelming CGI, Percy Jackson is a well-paced kids’ action picture that flirts with Greek mythology to create its otherworldly spectacle. Rising child star Logan Lerman plays Percy, a Manhattan teenager living with his mom, Sally (Catherine Keener), and her less-than-desirable boyfriend, Gabe (Joe Pantoliano). During a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art Percy discovers that he is the demigod son of Poseidon (Kevin McKidd). It seems that the Lord of the Seas had a fling with Percy’s mortal mother. Someone has made off with the lightening rod that Zeus uses to control the heavens. Needless to say, the King of Olympus is plenty steamed about it. Believing Percy to be the thief, Zeus dictates that the bolt must be returned before the approaching solstice if an apocalyptic war with Hades (Steve Coogan) is to be avoided. Percy’s wheelchair-bound teacher Chiron (Pierce Brosnan) accompanies him to a camp for demigods where Percy hones his fighting skills. Director Chris Columbus and his crew take a literal approach to spectacle that denies the magnificent use of weirdness and scale that famed stop-action animator Ray Harryhausen brought to such myth-inspired classics as Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and Clash of the Titans (1981). To think that child audiences in 1963 had a far more earth-shattering theater experience than today’s young viewers will have with “Percy Jackson” speaks to the effect that “Harry Potter” films have had on reconfiguring what is expected of this kind of picture. (Opens wide Friday.) — Cole Smithey (Rated PG.) Grade: BVALENTINE’S DAY — Longtime Hollywood director Garry Marshall’s latest is yet another date movie that’s less than the sum of its parts. The sheer number of A-list actors involved spells trouble. Jessica Biel, Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx and Anne Hathaway provide cast padding for the likes of B-listers Taylor Swift, George Lopez and Emma Roberts. Intertwining romantic threads weave a haphazard pattern in the City of Angels where Ashton Kutcher plays Reed, a pink-shirt-wearing flower shop owner who prematurely proposes to Jessica Alba, playing a typecast role as Morley, a snooty little minx who rejects his offer. Reed’s platonic gal-pal-since-childhood, Julia (Jennifer Garner), is dating a doctor with big secrets and has her own love lessons to learn. Hathaway falls on her actor’s sword as Liz, a temp office receptionist who has a sideline as a phone-sex entertainer when she isn’t pursuing a “simple” relationship with Topher Grace as her doormat-to-be. With half as many subplots the filmmakers might have been able to keep the plates of passion spinning atop their spindly knees. As it stands, by the time Liz’s office boss Queen Latifah experiments with some off-hours phone sex as an African dominatrix, there’s far too much broken china for anyone to escape without bloody feet. Screenwriter Katherine Fugate, whose credits include Xena: Warrior Princess and Max Steel, should stick to her day job as a TV writer. Hollywood is already full of hacks as it is. (Opens wide Friday.) — CS (PG-13.) Grade: C THE WOLFMAN — Benicio Del Toro follows up his little-seen pet project — Steven Soderbergh’s two-part Che quasi-biopic — with a remake of a studio genre flick about a Victorian-era Brit (Del Toro) who is bitten by a werewolf. Del Toro as a rabid werewolf? That sounds about right. Joe Johnston (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jurassic Park III) directs a cast that also includes Anthony Hopkins and Emily Blunt, a gifted actress who seems to pop up everywhere these days. (Opens wide Friday.) — JG (Rated R.) Not screened for review

continuing film ALVIN AND THE CHIPMUNKS: THE SQUEAKQUEL — (Grade: D) This sequel to the update of the singing cartoon chipsters picks up right where the first installment left off — with Alvin and the boys smart-alecking their way through the new millennium (and apparently into school) until they meet their match: the Beyonce-inspired Chipettes. David Cross returns as the shady manager intent on creating and exploiting the latest and greatest trend — the next generation of helium-voiced singing chipmunks covering Pop tunes like “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” It’s time to restore some sense of order in the world, which means we need an executive command halting all uses and variations of this song in the media (followed close behind by a similar ban on Jay-Z’s “Empire State”). (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tt stern-enzi (Rated PG.) AVATAR — (Grade: C+) For all his gee-whizzery, James Cameron’s really an old-school melodramatist at heart, so it’s no surprise that he’d crib from something as sweeping as Dances With Wolves. It’s a bit more perplexing to realize that whatever monetary sum he spent on Avatar, he’s using it to rejigger the plot of FernGully. That latter part is bound to get folks on the righthand side of the political spectrum lathered up, because Avatar turns into about as clumsily obvious an analogy for rapacious Western imperialism as you could possibly imagine. But as long as no one in Avatar is talking, it’s a thoroughly mind-blowing experience. Never has the creation of an alien world felt this comprehensive. And even after a 12-year layoff, Cameron still knows how to put together an action sequence with genuinely cinematic pop. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — Scott Renshaw (Rated PG-13.) BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS — (Grade: A-) German wild-man Werner Herzog blissfully resurrects old-school Nicolas Cage in this hilarious, noir-infested tale about a drug-addled homicide detective whose disintegration (both moral and physical) coincides with that of his hurricane-ravaged hometown. Only loosely related to Abel Ferrara’s 1992 original, Herzog’s clunkily titled ode to B-level crime movies follows the exploits of Terence McDonagh (Cage) as he cruises post-Katrina New Orleans while popping prescription pills (as well as a panoply of illegal drugs) to alleviate his aching back. As is the case in many a Herzog fictional effort, the narrative takes a backseat to the director’s unique, often surreal touches and his obvious nurturing of Cage’s gonzo portrayal of a man on the edge of madness (not since Wild at Heart has Cage been as deliriously over the top). Bad Lieutenant is a skuzzy, go-for-broke gem in a sea of play-it-safe mediocrity. (Esquire Theatre.) — Jason Gargano (Rated R.)

february 10-16, 2010

THE BLIND SIDE — (Grade: B) The true story of Baltimore Ravens rookie Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) gets the big-screen treatment from writer/ director John Lee Hancock (The Rookie), who at this stage appears to be the only filmmaker in Hollywood who understands that in real-life dramas about athletics, sometimes there is no big game moment that changes lives forever. Oher’s a project kid with no one looking out for him until Leigh Anne Touhy (Sandra Bullock) and her family offer a helping hand. Hancock soft-pedals the whys of such assistance, teasing us with the notion that everyone wants to turn Oher into a game-changing offensive lineman, but it is that light touch that lets us know Hancock believes there’s more to this story than a winning season or even a bright future on the field. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG-13.)

THE BOOK OF ELI — (Grade: C) Survivalist extraordinaire Eli (Denzel Washington) has spent the last 30 years — since the world’s final war — walking. Eli lies in wait to kill his dinner when he isn’t reading from the Bible that he lugs around with a giant knife and a sawed-off shotgun. Eli eventually comes face to face with a criminal kingpin and book-fanatic Carnegie (Gary Oldman), but the story never allows for any kind of unity of opposites to develop between them. The Hughes brothers directing team are more interested in firing Gatlin guns than imparting thematic logic or character development. Eli is a loner badass with a Bible, and if that isn’t good enough for an audience to empathize with, then the exit doors are located at the front and rear of the cinema. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — Cole Smithey (Rated R.) CRAZY HEART — (Grade: B+) — Country singer-songwriter Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges) in rookie director Scott Cooper’s Crazy Heart is a lone loose twister on an abandoned prairie with nothing in its way. We are privy to this display because Cooper’s effort feels like that of a storm tracker who has isolated this singular event for study. And yet at that key moment, all of a sudden something — in this case, a small-town journalist (Maggie Gyllenhaal) with a young child — stumbles into the path. Life on the back-roads has wearied Blake, but it’s the only life he knows, so he trudges on, singing in bowling alleys, sometimes leaving the stage to puke away the night’s take. Country music is his heart and soul, and Bridges, performing onstage like a guitar-slinging road warrior, takes us down the dark alleyways and makes us pray for the light at the end of the road. (AMC, Esquire Theatre, Mariemont Theatre.) — tts (Rated PG-13.)

DEAR JOHN — (Grade: D-) Lasse Hallström’s adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel Dear John places the director’s usual relationship melodrama against the topical backdrop of wartime service. John (Channing Tatum) and Savannah (Amanda Seyfried) meet and fall in love quickly despite the fact John’s military

4BOOZIN’ & BRAWLIN’: FROM PAGE 39

One such movie contains an unforgettable performance — director Elia Kazan and writer Budd Schulberg’s 1957 A Face in the Crowd. It features Andy Griffith, in his motion-picture debut, as Lonesome Rhodes, a forcefully personable Country/Folk picker with a drinking problem, a leering attitude toward the opposite sex and a maniacal laugh. Patricia Neal’s Marcia Jeffries discovers him in a small-town jail in Arkansas. She puts him on her morning radio show, “A Face in the Crowd,” and the audience response is immediate. He mixes songs with down-home charm, even though inside he’s vicious. Armed with a beat-up guitar and a few ditties like “A Free Man” and “A Mama Guitar Beats a Woman Any Time,” the cynical fauxpopulist moves from radio to TV, Arkansas to New York and entertainer to political force — a “demagogue in denim,” as a writer played by Walter Matthau calls him. Powerful advertisers and politicians flock to him. It all leads to a fi-

status (he decides to re-up after 9/11, which occurs as the lovers begin making plans for the future) and Savannah’s commitment to finish her degree, prompting a long-distance relationship through letters that reaches the inevitable breaking point — over a surprise plot twist guaranteed to tug the heartstrings. The ending delivers on the worst promises and impulses of weepy tear-jerking movies aimed squarely at women. Hallström has liberally dipped into the schmaltz in the past, but here he proves that he has no shame. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG-13.) EDGE OF DARKNESS — (Grade: C-) Acting in his first film since 2003, Mel Gibson is a bit rusty as retiring Boston homicide detective Thomas Craven in a part corporate thriller, part old-school revenge fantasy that feels dated from the start. A gratuitously bloody murder sets up a gauntlet of corporate espionage Craven must navigate to investigate murder of his political-activist daughter Emma (Bojana Novakovic). Danny Huston delivers some enjoyable scene-chewing as corporate baddie Jack Bennett, but Ray Winstone seems to have been cast in a role cut-andpasted from a different film. Similar to last year’s State of Play, Edge of Darkness is based on a six-part, 1985 British miniseries. And like State of Play, this attempt at condensing six hours of narrative into 100 minutes results in underdeveloped characters overstating their positions in scenes that beg more questions than they address. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — Cole Smithey (Rated R.) EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES — (Grade: D+) Portland pharmaceutical executive John Crowley (Brendan Fraser) faces the reality of the need for new medicines daily, with two of his three children suffering from a rare muscular dystrophy called Pompe disease. A death sentence likely hovering over his kids in a matter of months, Crowley seeks out the aid of pioneering — but eccentric! — researcher Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), and the two form a race-against-the-clock partnership to find a cure and save Crowley’s kids. Director Tom Vaughan (What Happens in Vegas) does what he can with the perfunctory comic relief and the few moments of actual tension, but he’s merely grinding his way through a script that does nothing but occupy 105 minutes of your life and leave you feeling vaguely more uplifted afterwards. (Multiple Danbarry Cinemas.) — Scott Renshaw (Rated PG-13.) FROM PARIS WITH LOVE — (Grade: D) As the special assistant to the U.S. Ambassador in France, James Reece (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) also doubles as a low-level secret agent, presumably for the CIA, handling menial tasks while hoping for an upgrade that will earn him more active duty. Of course, the old adage to be careful what you wish for catches up with Reece in a flash when he’s enlisted to support live-wire special operative Charlie Wax (John Travolta) on an undisclosed assignment. Wax is the stereotypical punch-shoot-blow up the joint first kind of all-American rogue who thinks intel is for wimps and style is signified by the size of your gun. Which sets up parallels between Wax and producer/co-writer Luc Besson, who here serves up his own version of Jerry Bruckheimer with a broad, dumb mismatched buddy picture. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated R.) THE IMAGINARIUM OF DOCTOR PARNASSUS — (Grade: B) The H Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus automatically receives the status of a notable film as the late Heath Ledger’s final performance. That this trippy movie

THE LOVELY BONES — (Grade: B-) Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) narrates the story of ... what exactly? She tells us almost from the start that she died at 14 years old. And it is not simply that she died — she was murdered by a neighbor (Stanley Tucci), an evil serial molester all the more sinister in skewed feverish angles. Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) and his writing and producing partners Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens were obviously drawn to the fantastic elements in Alice Sebold’s best-selling novel, and on some level this is part of what works best in the film. Yet during much of The Lovely Bones, I found myself

Gibson as a still-powerful aging singing icon; Ronee Blakley as a fragile singer struggling with a breakdown; and Karen Black as her mean, tough-as-nails rival. The Movie Guide says Hank Snow, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette/Lynn Anderson inspired the roles. Whatever the case, they seem real — as does this epic about Music City, one of the best American movies ever. After Nashville came a series of Country/ Roots-music biopics with dazzling star turns. Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for playing Loretta Lynn — and singing Lynn’s songs — in Michael Apted’s 1980 Coal Miner’s Daughter. Spacek is always believable playing Lynn as her character ages from a shy, 13-year-old mountain girl who marries too young into the older, headstrong Country superstar. In a smaller role, Beverly D’Angelo exuberantly plays Patsy Cline — who befriends Lynn — and also sings the Cline songs herself. Jessica Lange is sassy and sexy as Cline in 1985’s Sweet Dreams, for which she received an Oscar nomination. But director Karel Reisz

and writer Robert Getchell almost forsake interest in Cline’s career as a groundbreaking female singer in Nashville to concentrate on an exhaustingly soap-opera-ish depiction of her abusive relationship with husband Charlie Dick, played with oily, repulsive charm by Ed Harris. Lange lip-synchs to Cline’s recordings. The 2005 Walk the Line, a biopic by James Mangold about Johnny Cash and wife June Carter, itself walks a line between its excellent performances and music and its predictable story arc (fame leads to substance abuse). Still, Reese Witherspoon — who won an Oscar — and Joaquin Phoenix, who was nominated, are electrifying in their roles and in their singing. One thing is for certain — given Crazy Heart’s success, there will be more films that mine the world of Country music for material. (And some already made but currently hard to see will get new life.) Let’s hope among the new ones will be some as good as what already is out there. ©

wishing that Jackson had passed this project on to Sofia Coppola, whose take on The Virgin Suicides was more in tune with the magic of female adolescence (and early teenage male longing) in the 1970s. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG-13.)

a British-born, Los Angeles-based English professor mourning the loss of his longtime boyfriend (Matthew Goode). Ford uses a variety of cinematic techniques to convey the fleeting memories of a man devastated by the loss of his lover and shunned by a society that isn’t yet ready for him to emerge from the closet. But his debut is more than just a technical achievement. Anchored by Firth’s performance, A Single Man is an eloquent and moving story that feels infected by personal experience. (Esquire Theatre.) — JG (Rated R.)

be firing up a long-distance fling with another frequent flyer (Vera Farmiga). The performances are so strong and the socio-political context so hard to ignore that Reitman’s direction is likely to lurk in the background of most discussion about the movie. But his work is terrific here, and not just with his actors. — Scott Renshaw (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.)

NINE — (Grade: B) Academy Award-winning director Rob Marshall (Chicago) H presents his version of the Tony Award-winning adaptation of Federico Fellini’s 1963 film 8 1/2 about a film director suffering from an artistic block stemming from the multiple and conflicting female muses in his life. Marshall’s director Guido Contini (Daniel Day-Lewis) certainly has his share of problems ranging from his suffering wife Luisa (Marion Cotillard) to the ravishing Carla (Penelope Cruz), Guido’s mistress eager to take on a more prominent and public role in his life. Among the multiple levels of viewing taking place in the proceedings, for Guido and Marshall, is how to frame or “stage” the musical elements, and it is here that Marshall makes the most wise and assured choices. Yet he also unfortunately continues to succumb to the influences of the cut-and-paste aesthetic of music videos. (Multiple Danbarry Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG-13.)

PLANET 51 — (Grade: C+) Many of the comparisons that will be made about this animated tale will focus primarily on the space-age science-fiction variety because it is packed to the gills with references to everything from The Day the Earth Stood Still, Aliens, Wall-E, Star Wars and ET. But at its rather sweet core, Planet 51, despite all of the who’s-an-alien jokes being bandied about, the most appropriate and loving homage in the movie is towards the Back to the Future series. The human space captain (voiced by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) might be from another world, but he’s really dragging these little green men and women into a brave new future. It’s just too bad we’ve already been there and done that (with more style). (Multiple Danbarry Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG.) PRECIOUS — (Grade: A) Lee Daniels, in adapting Sapphire’s decade-old novel about a Harlem-bred, barely functioning illiterate teenage mother (Gabourey “Gabby” Sidibe) of two children by her own father living under the thumb of her own frying-pan-wielding mother (Mo’Nique), sharply — and some would say uncomfortably — focuses on the girl and her struggle to achieve some semblance of self-realization. She is big. She is black. She has been abused by life since life entered her. The film manipulates us, but what film doesn’t? It makes us look at this girl and her dreams and the forces that defer those dreams every second of every minute of every day. Daniels has crafted an urban fairy tale, and a far more cohesive narrative than the book, which was, by design, hemmed in by its illiterate narrator. (AMC, Multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated R.)

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG — (Grade: B) Disney seeks to right a social wrong by adding an African-American princess to its hallowed galley of snow white maidens. Anika Noni Rose gives voice to Tiana, a New Orleans girl with dreams of opening her own restaurant in the Big Easy, but like most of the female heroines in the line, she’s not really the center of attention, nor for that matter is her charming cad Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) despite his best efforts to dance and sing his way into our hearts. Usually it’s the villains or the magical creatures that have all the charisma, and sadly, The Princess and the Frog, while full of magic and mild mayhem, lacks that full-bodied focal point. (Multiple Danbarry Cinemas.) — tts (Rated G.)

THE TOOTH FAIRY — (Grade: D-) Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson continues to mine the kid-friendly project pool with this lightweight pitch about an arrogant, aging hockey star busted into the ranks of the tooth fairies. The Tooth Fairy, despite its somewhat infantile sense of magic and imagination, mines similar territory as The Game Plan, another Johnson sports-themed family-friendly project. While such efforts might be necessary at the start of one’s career — especially for a performer like Johnson, who as part of his transition from the world of wrestling displayed charismatic appeal across all demographics — if the desire is to earn more challenging roles and critical acclaim, there’s a need to join the ranks of the grown-ups. It seems though that he’s eager to duke it out against Ice Cube and Eddie Murphy for the squandered credibility crown. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG.) 2012 — (Grade: F) Roland Emmerich, the doomsayer to end all doomsayers, gives us the end of the world, using the Mayan calendar as his compass. But somehow John Cusack outruns, out-drives and out-flies the cracks and crevices seeking to swallow him up, and I couldn’t for the life of me escape the sense that this horrific disaster of a film might actually keep going on forever. The effects lose all sense of speciality and finesse because Emmerich uses them as blunt instruments to batter our sensibilities. He wants to destroy things in ways that we haven’t seen before, but I think he’s forgotten that during his illustrious career (Independence Day, Godzilla) he’s already depleted his CGI landmark toolbox. (Multiple Danbarry Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG-13.) UP IN THE AIR — (Grade: A-) Even when the narrative loses it’s footing in the third act, Up in the Air remains charming in a way that far too few contemporary films manage to be. “Charming” certainly isn’t a way to describe the professional life of Ryan Bingham (George Clooney), who makes his living as a hired-gun deliverer of bad news to companies’ laid-off employees. He also spends most of his days traveling from city to city, and that life-on-the-go seems to suit Ryan just fine — so fine, in fact, that he’s rocked by his employer’s new go-getter hire, Natalie Keener (Anna Kendrick. In attempt to show Natalie how it’s really done, Ryan takes her on the road with him, at the same time that he happens to

WHEN IN ROME — (Grade: F) The severity of this grade is by no means an attempt to leave a searing scarlet brand marking it as the worst film ever made, but it does signify that the filmmakers (writers David Diamond and David Weissman and director Mark Steven Johnson) committed the unforgivable sin of taking a premise that could be magical — of an overachieving and slightly clumsy woman (Kristen Bell) who can’t find love and filches a few coins (and the wishful hearts of the coin’s depositors including Bell’s now real-life fiancé Dax Shepard) from the fountain of love in Rome — and rendering it in the most inept and mundane fashion. Bell and Josh Duhamel, as her main suitor, waste what little charm they are able to muster in the service of broad overworked affair. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG-13.) WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE — (Grade: B) To say that Spike Jonze’s adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are sometimes plays like a wrenchingly melancholy, Bergman-esque domestic drama with furry creatures isn’t much help to people who want to know if children will like it. The answer to that is, “Got me.” It’s not much like current children’s movies. There are no cutesy, funny pop-culture references a la Shrek, and it’s not about delivering an uplifting life lesson on the order of Up!. It’s also basically not an animated film — the creatures are actors in vividly expressive Jim Henson Creature Shop-designed costumes, though the facial movements are computer-generated. All I can say is that it’s a very interesting movie for adults in the way it uses childhood fantasy to explore issues of loneliness, sadness, alienation and forgiveness. (Multiple Danbarry Cinemas.) — Steven Rosen (Rated PG-13.)

THE YOUNG VICTORIA — (Grade: B) The secret to any period romance drama H lies in making it seem effortless. Without emitting so much as a sigh, Emily Blunt owns the role of Britain’s young Queen Victoria. Looking suspiciously like Orlando Bloom’s evil (and more compelling) twin, Rupert Friend eventually hits his stride in the supporting part as Prince Albert, the love of Victoria’s life. Director Jean-Marc Vallee renders screenwriter Julian Fellowes’ meticulous script with an open approach reflected by the film’s framing (courtesy of Hagen Bogdanski) and vibrant dramatic tone. Young Victoria is a well-crafted period romance made personal by Blunt’s disarming performance. (AMC, Esquire Theatre.) — CS (Rated PG.)

SHERLOCK HOLMES — (Grade: B-) Bromance is alive and well in Guy Ritchie’s rather popular adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved detective Sherlock Holmes. This is a big, slick studio production with its mind on franchise potential, and Ritchie (Snatch) remains one of the few head-banging hipsters in the Quentin Tarantino mold still skulking around the dark alleys of pulpy neo-noirville. And, yes, Robert Downey, Jr. trades quips and quibbles with an astute and reliable Jude Law, so there are levels of intrigue beyond the shiny surface. Lest we forget, though, Holmes and Watson could be considered a pair of bromantic forefathers. Granted, in the past the high-octane violence might not have been a staple of the genre, but these two were as close as close could be. (AMC, multiple Showcase Cinemas.) — tts (Rated PG-13.) A SINGLE MAN — (Grade: A-) Tom Ford’s adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel benefits from strong performances, evocative production design and an effectively melancholy mood that only occasionally drifts into slick stylization. Co-adapted by Ford and David Scearce, A Single Man unfolds over the course of a day in the life of George Falconer (Colin Firth),

february 10-16, 2010

opens with Ledger’s character hanging by a noose from a London bridge inevitably lends a ghostly air to the proceedings, which center on Christopher Plummer’s titular character, the age, magic-wielding leader of a small traveling performance troupe. For the first time in a decade, since 1998’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Gilliam has made a film that delivers on his reputation as a master of cinematic fantasy. And while he hasn’t made a flawless film, Gilliam manages to preserve the memory of Ledger in an appropriate and inspired way. He takes us on a journey we’re happy to take for every surprise, large and small, that the film has in store. (Esquire Theatre.) — CS (Rated R.)

nal scene steeped in gothic noir — part Sunset Boulevard and part All the King’s Men — in which ol’ Lonesome goes mad in his penthouse as a crony manipulates an applause machine. The film, meant as an attack on how television’s cult of personality feeds know-nothingness, still seems relevant today. In a scene where Lonesome encourages a presidential candidate to rail that big government “weakens the moral fiber,” you can see today’s Tea Party movement and FOX News all too clearly. Borrowing a page from A Face in the Crowd, Robert Altman and screenwriter Joan Tewksbury return to the theme of Country music’s relationship to right-wing populism in 1975’s Nashville. But while Face is written in the style of 1950s issue movies, where the characters tell you what they’re thinking, Nashville is a superlative Altman-esque organic mood piece — overlapping dialogue, ensemble cast, underplayed message, a feel for Americana and an eye for the complexity of relationships. Among the many fine performances are several by actors playing Country stars: Henry

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Inner Peace Holistic Center Come meet Kathleen, stylist with over 10 years experience. Let her pamper you with a fabulous cut and style!

20% OFF Kathleen’s Services

innerpeacecenter.net | 513.784.0403

4 adult 1-800-GAY-LIVE Call now! Hook up with hot local guys. Talk to Gay, Str8, Curious and Bi men in hundreds of cities across the country. Fast, Discreet, and Easy! Premium FREE trial use promo code: NEWS3 (AAN CAN) 100s of SEXY LATINO SINGLES are waiting to chat with you. Only the Sexiest Latinos call Axxess NOW! It’s FREE to try! 513-773-0000 330-593-0000

ALL KINDS OF SINGLES Browse & Respond FREE! 513-821-5050 Straight. 513-821-4500 Gay & Bi. Use Free Code 7563. Visit MegaMates.com, 18+ ASTONISHING & VOLUPTUOUS BLONDE A desirable full body rub that will leave you amazed. Tall, very attractive female. Call 513652-1081. BRUNETTE Come and relax with my head-to-toe body rub. Serving the Northern Kentucky area. No blocked calls or text messages. 859-307-6136

DOMINANT SHEMALE ENJOYS INDIANA Curvy, aggressive shemale model. Body rubs. 513545-2644.

FUN FLIRTY CHAT! Try Free! Use Code 5230 513-587-6012 or call 800-210-1010 www.LiveLinks.com

ECSTATIC REIKI/TANTRA M for M Gay/Bi male ADULT oriented FULL BODY WORK. Discretion Paramount. Home Studio 513509-9385 Kevin. Photos available on backpage.com. Explore your desires! - Adult Entertainment and/or Body Rubs

LAVALIFE VOICE Talk to 1000s of singles in Cincinnati! Free to browse and listen to profiles. CALL NOW! 513.322.2386 Must be 18+.

ATTENTION ADULT ADVERTISERS!

MAKE A BI-CURIOUS CONNECTION. Call 513-766-6006 or 800-777-8000 FREE w/code 6696 InteractiveMale.com OUTCALL PUSSYCAT BABES! High Class Professional exotic ladies, 2U in 60 minutes. Full fantasy body rubs. Young, Clean & Fit, Blondes, Brunettes. Freecall 1-888-951-1555 www.relax2u. com Hiring!

PAMPER YOURSELF Times are tough. Come and enjoy a relaxing body rub from head to toe. The ladies are ready to fulfill your every fantasy. 859-957-5368 SNOW BUNNY Secret touch. Come in and unwrap your surprise gift and indulge in a full body rub of your dreams. Call 859409-1080.

*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.

www.CITYBEAT.com

february 10-16, 2010

BODY JEWEL TATTOO & PIERCING

Located in 2 malls close to you

Tri-County Mall

Lower Level in Macys Wing

513-671-4925 Dayton Mall Food Court Area

937-567-7971

4 backbeat

Roses From Thorn

ACTING CLASS

Weds 7-9pm Discover & develop your talents. Acting techniques, Improv, Scene Study & more. Dwntwn Studio. Contact: Bob Elkins, www.bobelkinsactor.com, 859-468-3115 or Jay Goldfarb, jgoldfarb@cinci.rr.com, 513-213-4579.

ATTENTION: SMOKERS WITH ASTHMA Paid research study on emotions & health ($30) 2 hr study visit for questionnaires & interview Confidential U of Cincinnati study. Call: 556-5127

Pinnokios Hair Studio [pi-nö-kë-yos]

4179 Hamilton Ave., 45223 - 513.541.4668 Home of: Tina, Ashley, & Megan Hours: Mon. 12-5, Tues.-Fri. 11-7, & Sat. 11-4 Bring this ad! $5 off salon services! (only 1 coupon per visit)

PLAY ON WORDS

1st Corth 14:27 - If anyone speaks in a tongue let there be two or a least three, each in turn, and let one interpret. Katrina Labayo Omoyosi

ATTN: Current Ecstasy & Marijuana Users!!

PAID (up to $160) brain imaging and genetics study NEED 18-25 yr olds, right-handed, no braces/body metal CONFIDENTIAL UC study by Dr. Medina, CALL 556-5524

DISSOLVE YOUR MARRIAGE

1199 W Galbraith Rd. • Cincinnati, OH 45231 Funerals, Weddings, Exotic Plants & Tropical Arrangements “Multi-Award winner of the Cincinnati Flowers Show” Specializing in Weddings, Events, Funeral & High-Style with 15 years of designing experience

TRY THIS STUDIO - $25

2” Analog, Cubase/Nuendo, Adat-Vintage console, Urei, Avalon, Vintech, Foucusrite & Joe Meek hardware preamps, Great mic selection. 1000 square ft. studio. For more info, go to http://www.myspace.com/srastudios

Dissolution: An amicable end to marriage. Easier on your heart. Easier on your wallet. Starting at $500+court costs. 12-Hr Turnaround. Bertha Helmick, Esq 651-9666

Steve’s Recording & Audio

WANTED: CLUNKERS, JUNKERS, MOTORCYCLES, CARS NEEDING REPAIR

www.premiumtickets.net

$125 - $200 or more CASH PAID for Junk Cars. Beautify the Earth! 513-257-8373

Valentines Day!

513.522.1719 • FlowersByThorn.com

15% OFF with ad expires 2/15/10

(513) 368-7770 - (513) 729-2786 sfstevemusic@aol.com

The BEST seats @ the BEST price

Premium Tickets, 317 W. 4th, Downtown. 513-241-3301

PHANTASY EMPORIUM

“Slither, slither went the tongue.”

CityLiving

Local’s Guide to Metro Living

Aubrey is now in Hyde Park!

Bipolar Disorder

Specializing in Cut, Color, Styling, Texture Services, and Updos

IS YOUR CHILD TAKING MEDICATION FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER, BUT STILL SUFFERING FROM SYMPTOMS?

Featured in 2008 Cincinnati Magazine

Best Updos

A clinical research study in your area is testing the safety and effectiveness of an investigational medication for bipolar I disorder in children and teens. An investigational medication is one that is not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Children and teens enrolled in this clinical study may continue on their current prescribed medications in addition to receiving the investigational study medication.

3423 Erie Avenue, 45208

513-560-6965 DO YOU LIKE TO EAT OUT?

february 10-16, 2010

We’ve Got Your Stimulus Package! Save 40% When You Dine Out

For Example: Load $12 onto your Best of Cincinnati® Card using your Visa/MC/Amex and get $20 in credit to enjoy at any participating restaurant!

44 Check out BestOfCincinnatiCard.com for all the details.

Color me in Full y o C s d a ll a on gloSS & printed Stock! Magazine

iSSue DateS: March 03 | august 25 SpaCe & art DeaDline: February 19 | august 14 Call your CityBeat aCCount Manager or Brian KitzMiller, SaleS Manager, ext. 101

513.665.4700

STUDY PARTICIPANTS MUST BE: • 10 -17 years old. • Diagnosed with bipolar I disorder. • Currently on a stable dose of a bipolar medication but still experiencing symptoms. STUDY PARTICIPANTS MAY RECEIVE, AT NO COST: • Comprehensive study-related psychiatric evaluation. • Investigational study medication. • Compensation for time and travel. At all times your child’s information is treated confidentially. Please Contact: Jennifer Daniels at 513-558-0956