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nless you were alive during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, the events of the past couple weeks have been unparalleled in our lifetime. In order to contain the spread of COVID-19, all Tri-State governors — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and Indiana Gov. Eric J. Holcomb — have ordered the closure of bars and restaurants to the public (carry-out and delivery are OK and encouraged), and issued orders limiting the number of people that can gather in one place. Basically, day-to-day life has changed drastically as schools, museums, theaters and other institutions close, events are canceled or rescheduled and people continue to freak out about toilet paper. We’ve also all learned to embrace the term “social distancing” and count to 20 — or hum the chorus of “Jolene” — while washing our hands. (You can read all about the reasons for the closures and why social distancing is important in our News features this week.) All that being said, the content in the next few issues of CityBeat is going to look a little different than usual. Our typical coverage of upcoming cultural events, concerts and things to do is going to adapt — just like we’re all adapting to the constantly updating best practices surrounding the coronavirus pandemic — and focus on providing information and resources for those affected (aka all of us). Look for stories on ways to support small businesses, to volunteer, to find carry-out and delivery food, and to locate resources for kids and parents while schools are shuttered, among other things. We’re a community and we’re all in this together. We’re also going to be relying on citybeat.com to provide the most up-to-date news and information as we get it. We’ll still be doing our job regardless of where we’re working from (for most of us, that’s our couches), so share your hoarded hand sanitizer with those in need and bookmark citybeat.com. Stay safe and stay healthy!

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NEWS

Health experts from Cincinnati’s hospitals brief media March 12 about COVID-19 preparations P H OTO : N I C K S WA RT S E L L

Are Cincinnati’s Hospitals and Other Key Systems Ready for COVID-19? Health officials and elected leaders say the new virus will cause a wave of sick people to miss work and seek medical treatment. Here is how they are preparing. BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L

hio’s top health official says as many as 100,000 people may have an undiagnosed case of novel coronavirus, or COVID-19 — a figure that could put strain on a number of the state’s vital systems soon. As Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton made that stunning announcement on March 12, executives and physicians from five area hospital systems said they’ve been working to prepare for the outbreak that is likely coming to Greater Cincinnati. CEOs from Bon Secours Mercy Health, UC Health, TriHealth, The

Christ Hospital and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital spoke on their efforts through a collective group called the Health Collaborative to make sure the area’s medical systems have enough capacity to handle those who may get the sickest from the virus. Mayor John Cranley and Hamilton County Commission President Denise Driehaus were also at the briefing. The group of local health leaders and medical experts faced some tough questions about what is to come. But they say they’re working together and preparing for a coming

surge in demand, especially if Greater Cincinnati residents take proper steps to keep from getting the virus and avoid going to the hospital if they don’t need urgent, life-saving care. Hospitals aren’t the only ones taking extraordinary measures: On March 15, shortly after Ohio confirmed its 37th case of COVID-19, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine ordered all restaurants and bars cease dine-in service for an indeterminate amount of time. He said the move could save many lives. “If we don’t take these actions now, it will be too late,” DeWine said at a March 15 briefing. “This is a matter of life and death. We’re very mindful of the economic hurt for individuals who will lose their jobs. Look, this is brutally tough. And my heart goes out to them. But we have to do what we have to do to save their lives. And not just their lives but the lives of others.” The closures come with an executive order from the governor extending unemployment benefits for displaced workers, as well as potential federal loans to small businesses.

What is COVID-19? COVID-19 is a new variant of coronavirus that emerged late last year around Wuhan, China. The U.S. had seen roughly 3,200 cases and 60 deaths so far

at press time. (This number is always being updated and you can find the most recent information on the CDC website at cdc.gov.) Most cases of the virus — about eight in 10 — are mild enough they won’t require hospitalization, especially among the young and healthy. Others will be moderate cases, but about 5 percent will be serious. “I recognize that this is a significant health challenge for our communities,” UC Health CEO Dr. Rick Lofgren said. “What I want to say is that we’re prepared. This is a community that has had to take time to think well in advance in cases like this about how we would respond. I have great confidence in the fact that we’ve been working among all the health systems to make sure we’re prepared.” Ohio Department of Health Director Acton said at a news conference in Columbus that, due to signs of socalled “community spread” of the virus presented in some of Ohio’s cases, 1 percent of the state’s population — more than 100,000 people — could have the disease but be undiagnosed. Acton also said 40 percent or more of Ohio’s population could end up contracting the virus over time. If the percentage of serious cases holds in

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that scenario, there could be as many as 14 patients needing hospitalization for each hospital bed in the state. “This is certainly an unprecedented time,” she said. “It is this one in 50 years pandemic that we have been planning for that we talk a lot about in my over 30 years in public health. We have never seen a situation exactly like this.” There are some things individuals can do to prevent stressing hospitals, of course — washing your hands often, keeping a distance of at least six feet from other people whenever possible, avoiding large gatherings and staying home if you feel sick. But even then, it seems likely a wave of COVID-19 cases is coming to Greater Cincinnati.

Is There Enough Capacity? The potential surge of patients to come is the crucial test, experts say. That surge has overwhelmed hospital capacity in other countries, including Iran and Italy, the latter of which has seen more than 15,000 cases and more than 1,000 deaths. One point of worry nationally is that the U.S. has fewer hospital beds per capita — roughly 2.8 per 1,000 people — than Italy’s 3.2 beds. Some estimates suggest COVID-19 could cause millions of hospital visits here. Local health care leaders say there is a shared network that assesses on a daily basis the number of empty beds as well as other resources like ventilators — the Health Collaborative has about an extra 100 of those right now. In addition, hospitals are reassessing their staff rotations to make sure there are enough health care workers to go around. Dr. Dustin Calhoun of UC Health says area hospitals collaborate at least once a year on a test of extra capacity. The last test, performed earlier this year, found that hospitals had between 20 percent to 50 percent extra capacity each. The exact number of extra hospital beds that represents is complicated, he says, because personnel must also be considered, and some beds best serve specific purposes. But generally, hospitals in the area have in the “high three digits or low four digits” of extra beds collectively. That doesn’t include other locations that could be used to house and care for less-severe cases, including a large, tent-based triage site the Health Collaborative could set up in an emergency. The main challenge, local medical leaders say, is reserving that extra space for those who are truly sick while helping people with less-severe cases care for themselves. “Eighty percent will have a simple cold,” Calhoun says of those who contract COVID-19. “The important thing is that we manage to maintain the functionality of our health care system during that so that the sicker amongst us can get the care that they need, and so that those who are affected by medical conditions that they deal with every day…can get the health care that they need in a system that isn’t overwhelmed with people who don’t

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Rendering of the COVID-19 virus P H OTO : C E N T E RS F O R D I S E AS E C O N T RO L A N D P R E V E N T I O N

necessarily have to be in the middle of other patients.” TriHealth CEO Mark Clement says that comes down to communicating with patients and making sure they don’t panic. “We’re actively communicating with more than 500,000 members of our community to advise them on what to do if they’re exhibiting symptoms,” he said. “What we’re advising them is don’t present to one of our emergency departments or urgent care facilities or primary care practices. Rather, call your physician or our call center and we will provide direction on how to be assessed in a way that ensures your safety and minimizes the spread of this disease.”

How Will People Be Tested for The Virus? Part of the strategy is making sure a greater level of testing is accomplished without intake into the traditional medical system. To that end, multiple hospitals are working on temporary sites to assess patients’ conditions and administer COVID-19 tests. Medical leaders agreed that testing capacity so far has been less-than-ideal, but that changed this week as private companies came online with tests for the virus. TriHealth plans to have testing centers at its hospital campuses. Those facilities will be separate from other hospital functions and will require a physician referral. Christ Hospital will open a testing site at a location to be determined. That site will test for COVID-19 but will require a physician referral for patients experiencing symptoms that may be

MARCH 18-31, 2020

from the virus. Those testing facilities — as well as ramped-up testing at other sites — will add a new dimension to our understanding of the virus’ likely presence in the area.

COVID-19 Is Coming — Or May Already Be Here As of press time, four cases were confirmed in West Chester and 37 throughout Ohio, but hospital leaders say it’s just a matter of time before more are diagnosed. Part of the lack of cases may come from strict limitations on testing brought about by lack of supplies. Ohio currently has the capacity to test about 1,000 people, and in early March, that number was much lower. One local woman who self-quarantined after a family member visited two cities in Kentucky with confirmed cases found it difficult to get a test, despite the fact she was exhibiting symptoms. The woman’s employer, Cincinnati Public school the Academy of World Languages, closed for two days due to her status and deep-cleaned the school. As cases come to light, Bon Secours Mercy Health’s Dr. Steve Feagins said cooperation among hospitals will be the biggest part of addressing the upcoming challenge. “The coordination of care is key,” he said. “We’re ready to know who is coming where and when they’re coming so we can prepare for them and so we can have protocol in place to care for them.”

City, State Responses The hospital response is just one part

of a larger picture, Mayor Cranley acknowledged at the briefing. He said new measures are being assessed daily to slow the spread of the virus, including the cancellation of many public gatherings, a three-week shutdown of Cincinnati Public Schools that started March 17 and other efforts. Cranley also said the city will work to enforce DeWine’s order shuttering dine-in service at local bars and restaurants. “This isn’t about stopping work, it’s about working differently,” Cranley said. Workplace closures and business slow-downs could be “devastating” for the local economy, the mayor said. DeWine’s executive order expanding unemployment benefits will allow displaced workers to begin receiving them without the usual one-week waiting period. Workers who have been quarantined will not have to show proof they are seeking work. Ohio has also applied for federal loans that could go to small businesses — up to $2 million per business — to help with debt payments, payroll and other expenses. Meanwhile, Cincinnati officials were gearing up for big changes. Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac said March 15 that those calling CPD should be prepared to meet officers outside their homes whenever possible, and that some non-emergency calls might not get immediate response. Preserving the city’s capacity for basic services could mean a slow down on some city functions, Cranley said, including police and fire response. “It’s going to be difficult for all of us,” he said.

CITY DESK

Officials Seek to Head Off Coronavirus with Widespread Closures BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L

By now, you’ve likely heard a million things about COVID-19 — a new virus that started in Wuhan, China late last year and has swept across the globe since. The virus has been confirmed in more than 170,000 people across the globe and killed more than 6,500 at a minimum, the World Health Organization reported March 15. At press time, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had called for an end to dine-in service at restaurants and bars after health officials confirmed at least 37 cases of the virus in Ohio, including four in Butler County. Ohio Health Department Director Amy Acton estimates more than 100,000 people in the state could have and be undiagnosed. (For the most recent numbers, visit coronavirus.ohio. gov.) At this point, there have been no confirmed cases in Hamilton County — but experts say that will very likely change soon. That has triggered the cancellation of a number of beloved Cincinnati traditions, including the Findlay Market Opening Day Parade, the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and other large gatherings.

More cancellations or suspensions are likely. Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley on March 11 declared a state of emergency, which makes it easier for the city to cancel other events, restrict travel and take other measures to slow the spread of the virus. With no confirmed cases in Hamilton County at the time, some are asking — why cancel everything? The answer is that a big surge of COVID-19 could very well be coming. Those cancellations and personal behaviors like washing your hands, avoiding close proximity to others and staying home if you’re feeling sick are important not because they will necessarily outright stop the spread of the disease, experts say, but because they could slow it down when it arrives in Hamilton County. That could keep its spread from overwhelming hospitals, making large parts of the workforce sick all at once and endangering very vulnerable parts of the population. If you’re young and healthy, you will most likely not get very sick from the virus, at least going by how it has

behaved so far. But robust preventative measures will protect those for whom the individual stakes are much higher. Coronaviruses are a broad category of virus that cause the common cold, among other illnesses. COVID-19 is what scientists call a new, or “novel,” form of the virus Crowds at the 2019 Cincinnati Reds Opening Day celebration — one for which P H O T O : R O N VA L L E humans haven’t developed antipregnant women and children seem to bodies and one which epidemiologists be less vulnerable, Calhoun said. do not yet know how to combat. Those most at risk are the elderly — UC Health’s Dr. Dustin J. Calhoun mortality rates for those above 70 shoot told attendees at a March 10 city sumup to 8 percent or higher, some studies mit that 80 percent of people infected suggest, while those under 40 have an will experience a mild cold. The majorestimated mortality rate of about .2 ity who experience more severe symptoms will also recover. At this early stage, CONTINUES ON PAGE 09

The Cincinnati Health Department Wants to Bridge a 25-Year Life Expectancy Gap BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L The average person in Cincinnati lives to be more than 76 years old. But there are some big differences in how that number actually shakes out depending on where in the city you live. And, troublingly, the city’s life expectancy has dropped slightly in the last decade. In Lower Price Hill, the average life expectancy is 63 years — the lowest in the city and 25 years shorter than in Mount Adams, the neighborhood just a couple of miles away with the highest life expectancy at 88 years. That isn’t the only place where big disparities exist. In Avondale, one of the city’s largest predominantly African-American neighborhoods, life expectancy is just 69 years. Next door, in predominantly white Clifton, it’s almost 81 years. There are complex reasons for that huge gap — economics, environmental factors, racial segregation, access to fresh food and other issues. “These gaps can mean people in one neighborhood live 20 to 30 years longer than those just a couple blocks away — and the inequalities are prevalent in neighborhoods with high levels of racial and ethnic segregation,” Cincinnati Health Commissioner Dr. Melba R. Moore says. CityBeat explored many of those issues in a 2015 deep dive on the city’s socioeconomic segregation.

That investigation found that of the city’s 10 neighborhoods with the lowest median household incomes, nine are more than 70-percent black. Six of those neighborhoods with considerable populations — The Villages at Roll Hill, Winton Hills, West End, Millvale, South Cumminsville and Avondale — are more than 90-percent black. Each of these neighborhoods has a median household income around half, or less, than the city’s median of about $34,000 a year. In these places, life expectancies are five to 10 years lower than in the city as a whole. Meanwhile, the 10 wealthiest Cincinnati neighborhoods by median household income are the demographic flipside. Mount Lookout, Columbia Tusculum, Mount Adams, Hyde Park, California, Mount Washington and Sayler Park, for instance, are all more than 90-percent white and have median household incomes between $48,000 and $115,000 a year. Moore says factors including obesity, smoking and lack of exercise also play a role. But systemic issues are a big part of the problem. “The inequality in health in the United States — a country that spends more on health care than any other — is unacceptable,” she says. “Every American, regardless of where they live or their background, deserves

to live a long and healthy life. If we allow trends to continue as they are, the gap will only widen between neighborhoods.” The Cincinnati Health Department has been holding community information sessions about the data it has collected around life expectancy in the city. It held one Feb. 29 at Westwood Town Hall, another March 4 at the College Hill Recreation Center and a third March 9 at the Hirsch Recreation Center in Avondale. Another session was planned in Madisonville March 12 at the Madisonville Recreation Center, but that session was postponed. Madisonville experienced the largest drop in life expectancy of any Cincinnati neighborhood measured. A previous analysis of data between 2001 and 2009 showed that Madisonville had an average life expectancy of 83 years. The newer analysis, done on data between 2007 and 2015, shows that life expectancy there dipped 11 years to 72 years on average. It wasn’t the only neighborhood to lose ground. Overall, the city’s average life expectancy ticked down slightly, from 76.7 years to 76.1 years — three years less than the national average. Some neighborhoods did increase, though. The East End, for example,

had the largest rise in life expectancy, going from 73 years to 76 years on average. Addressing the issues that cause residents of some Cincinnati neighborhoods to live shorter lives than their fellow city dwellers just a couple miles away will be complicated, health officials say, and will likely take a huge collaborative effort. “There are a lot of moving parts, and the fact that it’s so expansive and involves so many factors and causes of death, means we need to examine root causes and possible contributing trends to the change,” Cincinnati Health Department Supervising Epidemiologist Dr. Maryse Amin says. “We want to utilize this data to guide the health of the community and lead to a call to action.” Amin points to the city’s Community Health Improvement Plan, a strategy to push toward better health outcomes in the city’s lower-income neighborhoods. The 2020 plan was released in February. It focuses on four priorities: behavioral and mental health, food and nutrition access, infant mortality and access to health care. “This plan is a long-term, systematic effort to address public health problems based on the results of community health assessment activities and the community health improvement process,” he says.

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CITY DESK

New Cincinnati City Council Appointee Announced BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L

Cincinnati City Council is back up to nine members. Council member P.G. Sittenfeld March 11 announced Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney as his pick to replace Tamaya Dennard, who resigned March 2 after she was arraigned on federal bribery and extortion charges. At a news conference in Avondale, Sittenfeld announced he had selected the Cincinnati Herald publisher for the temporary role, which runs until Dec. 31, 2021. Kearney will likely be sworn in at council’s March 18 meeting. Kearney owns the 65-year-old newspaper focused on the black community with her husband, former state senator and African American Chamber of Commerce President Eric Kearney. Council appointee Kearney grew up in Avondale, attended Walnut Hills

High School, Dartmouth College and Harvard Law School. She got a job at local law firm Taft Stettinius & Hollister after returning to Cincinnati. She, her husband and other partners started a publishing company called Sesh Media, which purchased The Cincinnati Herald in 1996. “I learned the values that I have from Avondale,” Kearney said at the announcement. “The three that are most important to me are hard work, service and tenacity.” Kearney said that tenacity served her well during a fight with breast cancer, that hard work has been a lesson passed down from her father, physician Dr. Luther Lemon, and that public service is something those around her have encouraged her to pursue. During the event, Kearney directly addressed some turbulence The Herald

experienced when the paper fell short of payment of payroll taxes to the IRS. “The Herald went through two recessions,” she said. “We had cashflow problems. We talked to the IRS. We made a plan.” The tax debt was paid off in 2015, she said. Kearney has said she will step aside as publisher of The Herald if she is appointed to council. The new appointment comes after almost unprecedented turbulence at City Hall — much of it not completely settled yet. Dennard is charged with accepting $15,000 from an attorney representing a developer — Tom Gabelman, who represents Hamilton County on The Banks riverfront development project — in exchange for votes in favor of the county. An FBI affidavit

alleges Dennard discussed that exchange in text messages and recorded conversations. Dennard has maintained her innocence and says she will fight the charges, but stepped down as she does so. Cincinnati’s charter requires council members to pick one of their colleagues to appoint their replacement, and Dennard, a former Sittenfeld aid and campaign staffer, chose him. Kearney won’t be the only new council member at City Hall. Earlier this month, council approved the appointment of Betsy Sundermann, a Hamilton County Probate Court magistrate, to replace fellow Republican Amy Murray. Murray left council to take a job in the Department of Defense for the Trump administration.

Legislation Seeking to End Ohio’s Death Penalty Coming to State Senate BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L A bipartisan group of state senators is sponsoring legislation seeking to end Ohio’s death penalty, supporters announced at a news conference earlier this month. State Sens. Nickie J. Antonio, a Democrat, and Peggy Lehner, a Republican, are joint sponsors of the legislation. Republican State Sen. Kristina Roegner will be a co-sponsor. Antonio says she and others have been working for almost a decade to abolish the death penalty in the state. “It’s time for the state of Ohio to take the compassionate, pragmatic and economically prudent step to abolish the death penalty, which has been found to be expensive, impractical, unjust, inhumane and frankly, often erroneous,” Antonio said at a March 3 news conference. “It’s a punishment that has been shown to be administered with disparities across economic and racial lines, as well as failing to be a deterrent to violent crime.” Former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, a Democrat, supports the measure. He said disparities he saw during his time as governor have stuck with him. “It’s final,” Strickland said. “You can’t correct a mistake. I am convinced that if we continue to impose this penalty, we will at some point, at some place, at some time take the life of an innocent person. Our criminal justice system is not perfect. That means we should never impose this penalty on one of our fellow human beings.” Roegner, a conservative, says she was “out of her comfort zone,” but that her faith has changed her

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position on the issue of capital punishment. Though she stressed those convicted of crimes like murder should be punished, she said her pro-life beliefs mean she can no longer support executions. “When I came to the General Assembly, I was for the death penalty,” she said. “I supported capital punishment. I believed that if you committed a heinous crime and were guilty beyond the shadow of a doubt, you deserve to die. But here I am…it was my heart that changed. We are all sinners and we all fall short of the glory of God and we all are in need of redemption.” Other conservatives, including a new group calling itself Ohio Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, have also spoken up about capital punishment. Cincinnati-based Ohio Justice & Policy Center also supports the legislation. The group’s policy director, Kevin Werner, pointed out data he said show flaws in the system. Death penalty cases cost taxpayers 10 times the amount non-capital cases cost, he said at the news conference. Most convicted of capital crimes have long experiences with trauma, poverty abuse and addiction. Werner said nine inmates on death row have been exonerated after spending a collective 200 years in prison. “I doubt that those nine individuals are a full accounting of people who we have wrongfully convicted and sent to death,” Werner said. Antonio says she’s working with House Republicans and Democrats

MARCH 18-31, 2020

on companion legislation in that body. The legislation comes as state elected officials find themselves at an impasse as it relates to the death penalty — and as some Republicans in the Ohio House express openness to at least considering repealing the punishment. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced in late January that the state will delay three more executions originally set for this year — yet another set of reprieves as the state searches for a solution to problems with its lethal injection execution methods.

cocktail of lethal drugs that is more humane. But the choice it settled on — which still contains the controversial drug midazolam — is now being questioned. Midazolam can cause sensations similar to drowning, triggering an inmate’s lungs to fill with fluid, a federal judge in Dayton pointed out earlier this year while expressing concerns the execution method could be unconstitutional.

Six years ago, Ohio prison employees injected convicted killer Dennis McGuire with a two-drug cocktail that was supposed to end his life quickly and painlessly.

Ohio officials are unable to secure the drugs necessary to put inmates to death via lethal injection, DeWine announced last August, and must cease using them or risk being unable to buy the drugs for other purposes. Companies that sell the drugs have balked at the state using them for executions without telling them they were doing so and have threatened to cut off all sales to Ohio if executions using the substances continue. That could impact entities such as the Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, the Department of Youth Services, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and others.

It took 26 minutes for the mixture of hydromorphone and midazolam to kill McGuire — the longest execution since Ohio resumed capital punishment in 1999 — and witnesses reported the condemned man loudly gasping for air.

As the state struggles to find drugs for lethal executions, Republicans in the Ohio House of Representatives are discussing an end to the state’s death penalty laws, Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder said late last year.

DeWine’s office acknowledged that difficulty obtaining a controversial execution drug contributed to the reprieves. In October last year, DeWine delayed two other executions. Ohio still has two-dozen executions scheduled through 2024 — though there is no clear path forward for carrying them out as of now.

The incident sparked court challenges claiming the drug cocktail constitutes cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the U.S. Constitution and eventually led the state to issue a moratorium on executions until it could find a new

“We have been talking about, you know, is there support today to get rid of the death penalty or not,” Householder told media outlets at the capital in December. “We’ve been having those discussions.”

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percent so far. The takeaway — if you’re healthy and under the age of 60, you shouldn’t be too panicked about getting sick. But you should be very worried about the collective impact COVID-19 could have here. The slower the virus spreads, the easier it will be to keep truly vulnerable people — those over the age of 60 or with chronic health problems — from catching it, and the more likely they’ll be able to receive full-capacity, lifesaving care at a hospital if they do. In other places like China, Iran and Italy, where the entire country has been on a near-total lockdown, the number of cases of COVID-19 began doubling every six days shortly after it was detected. That exponential growth is how viruses operate — hence the term “going viral.” That incredibly rapid spread has caused all kinds of problems, even though not everyone gets very sick from the virus. Ohio is still in the early stages of the virus’ spread here. But there are troubling signs it could intensify soon. The state’s first three confirmed cases were in Cuyahoga County. Two of the folks infected there had been to a conference with someone with a confirmed case in Washington, D.C. The third came back from a cruise where other cases were confirmed. The fourth case confirmed in the state, however, was a man in Stark

County who had not traveled any place with the virus or come in contact with someone confirmed to have COVID-19. That’s what epidemiologists call “community spread” — a sign that transmission of the disease is picking up its pace. Ohio Department of Health Director Acton called that case “a game changer.” Local officials aren’t taking chances. Cincinnati Public School the Academy of World Languages was closed for two days after a staff member there selfquarantined because they were experiencing symptoms of illness. Janitorial staff worked to deep-clean the school’s Evanston building while it was closed. CPS subsequently curtailed inperson instruction at the district until at least April 3 — something the area’s universities have also done per instructions from Ohio Gov. DeWine. Expect the closures and suspensions to keep coming. Major League Soccer announced it was suspending its 2020 season for 30 days — just two days before FC Cincinnati’s home opener. The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County announced it would close for an indefinite period of time on March 13. City officials, too, are mulling bigger moves, with the aim of being safer now rather than sorry later. “We’re going to take actions in next few days, next few weeks, hopefully not next few months that we hope people look back and say we were too reactionary,” Cincinnati City Manager Patrick Duhaney said at the announcement of the city’s state of emergency March 11.

Former Cincinnati City Council Member Tamaya Dennard Indicted by Grand Jury BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L

A federal grand jury indicted former Cincinnati City Council member Tamaya Dennard on wire fraud, bribery and attempted extortion charges, U.S. attorneys announced March 11. Dennard has denied wrongdoing and her attorneys say she will fight the charges. She pleaded not guilty to the charges March 16. The grand jury approved charges that are identical to those on which Dennard was arraigned on Feb. 25, after federal agents arrested her outside a downtown Starbucks. She subsequently resigned from council March 4. An affidavit by an FBI agent alleges that between August and December last year, Dennard solicited $15,000 from an unnamed source — later revealed to be Frost Brown Todd attorney Tom Gabelman, who represents Hamilton County on The Banks development on Cincinnati’s riverfront. The city and county were locked in a complex battle over a land swap seen as necessary at the time to clear the way for a music venue at the

development. Dennard allegedly asked Gabelman for a $10,000 payment and subsequent $5,000 payment in exchange for two votes in favor of the land swap, which would have benefited the county. Dennard voted in favor of the deal, though it did not pass council. The affidavit says Gabelman declined Dennard’s request and went to federal officials. They encouraged him to keep text messages from Dennard and record conversations about the exchange. Gabelman allegedly provided Dennard with the money on the advice of the FBI. The three counts of wire fraud carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. The two counts of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds could result in another 10 years, while the attempted extortion charges could carry up to 20 years.

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The KidsAre Alright At local nonprofit Transformâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free clothing closet, transgender youth find new wardrobes and a sanctuary of acceptance and community support

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y all accounts, Elliott Reed is a pretty typical 17-year-old. A high school senior, his days are occupied with school, friends, dating, working a part-time job at the mall and making plans for college. He wears band tees, black boots and a curly, more-on-top haircut synonymous with contemporary teenage boydom. Like generations of teens before him, his hair has been nearly more colors than he can name: black, blond, silver, pink, red. “I’m about to dye it back to blue for senior pictures,” he says. Reed is also transgender — one of the roughly 150,000 transgender teenagers in the United States, according to a 2017 study by The Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law. And unlike other teens, he was the first of a quickly growing number of young people to visit Transform, a Cincinnati nonprofit that provides clothing and individualized styling services to trans and gender nonconforming youth. So far Transform has met with more than 30 kids and teens ages 6 to 18, with equally as many on a waitlist for appointments. Reed left his first appointment with not only bags of new outfits, but also having gained mentors, friends and an eagerness to continue a cycle of community and compassion. While some nonprofits require months of planning before work can begin, Transform was born rapidfire last September when Nancy Dawson and Tristan Vaught connected in the comments of a Facebook post about gender reveal parties. It’s a familiar concept, but there are plenty of viral videos across social media to introduce the uninitiated. Surrounded by family and friends, expecting parents reveal the gender of their new child in various forms — cakes are cut, piñatas broken, balloons dropped — typically unveiling something pink for a girl and blue for a boy. The party antics also have a tendency to go awry: balloons float away, people are hit in the head by falling boxes and older siblings devolve into hysterics when the gender of the baby-to-be isn’t what they’d hoped. In 2018, one such party in Arizona even started a 47,000-acre wildfire when explosives meant to release colored smoke ignited. Silly at least and outright dangerous at worst, Vaught — who is the director of training and education at Living With Change, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting transgender youth and their families at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital — shared a circulating post with an alternative for the infamous gender reveal: giving clothes to people undergoing gender transitions.

Elliott Reed

Two of Tranform's founders, Nancy Dawson (left) and daughter Ella Dastillung

A Transform client

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Dawson commented in agreement — one of her children is trans, and she’d already played with the idea of starting a clothing closet herself. Within the hour she was on FaceTime showing Vaught the space at her makeup boutique, BRIDEface. The back room previously rented out to another business was empty and there was plenty of space in the basement for clothing storage. It was settled. Joined by Dawson’s 17-year-old daughter, Ella Dastillung, the Transform team got to work making their idea a reality. They took to Facebook to ask for donations of clothing, racks, storage bins and more necessary supplies, writing, “Let’s face it-when a kid transitions they need support, understanding, AND probably a new wardrobe that better fits their identity. Transform is a shop where kids can drop off their old stuff and swap it for new-with the help of teen stylists. We need a lot of stuff to get started!” “Within a couple days people were just bringing bags and bags of stuff,” Dawson says. “People got it. They understood.” Soon, that empty back room became a dressing room complete with a vanity, wall of wigs and clothing racks to be personalized to the tastes of each client. The basement quickly filled with floor-toceiling stacks of donations: everything from casual jeans to sparkly formal dresses to a cool shiny pair of red oxfords. “We grew out of the space in like a week when we got so many donations,” Dastillung says. “We did not understand how big this was going to get so quickly.” With Transform well underway, its co-founders and dedicated groups of volunteers are hard at work sorting donations, organizing appointments and devising plans for the organization’s progress — not least of all Dawson, who is managing a terminal cancer diagnosis on top of running a nonprofit (she recently sold BRIDEface to a friend). Still, she keeps Transform in focus. In early January, the group launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for a new, dedicated location, which they found just up the block from BRIDEface on West McMicken Avenue in late February. The campaign raised more than $47,000 in over 500 individual donations in its first week and a half, partially boosted by some high-profile names including Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, director Ava DuVernay and late-night host Seth Meyers after Dawson’s husband, Matt Zoller Seitz, a film and TV journalist, wrote about the fundraiser on a Twitter thread documenting Dawson’s cancer diagnosis. Support flooded in, and Transform’s vision for its future — and those of the youth they support — morphing from possibility to reality with each donation.

Self Expression

Lifelines

Growing up is not without its own challenges, especially when your gender identity doesn’t match how the rest of the world sees you. While kids can come out at younger ages, Reed didn’t realize he was trans until he had started high school. “Looking back, I can see like, the little things that I did when I was younger that might have suggested it,” he says, citing his early insistence to use men’s deodorant and a scene involving a pair of scissors and the long, shiny hair of an American Girl Doll subsequently renamed from Emily to Luke. It wasn’t until he was apparently “misgendered” at a restaurant that his perception of himself began to shift. “I had this big hoodie on. We were in a Red Robin — me, my brother and my grandparents — and this waiter walked up to me and said ‘What can I get for you, sir?’ I was just literally blown out of the water. I was so excited. I was like, ‘Why am I so happy about this? Why am I happy that they just called me sir?’ As soon as my brother corrected them, my heart sunk.” He suppressed the feeling until he first came out to a classmate nearly a year ago. Speaking it out loud for the first time — that no, he wasn’t a girl — was “terrifying,” he says. Still, it was true. He’s not a girl. With parental support, he began wearing a chest binder and started testosterone replacement therapy, a masculinizing hormone treatment. In October, Transform took Reed’s journey of gender expression another step forward, outfitting him with a new wardrobe and sending him on his way to Bishops unisex hair shop in Clifton, where the shop had offered free haircuts to Transform clients. (Bishops says on their Facebook page they will also offer $5 off any service when you donate $10 to Transform). Within a single day, he had a brand-new look. He says he needed the new clothes, but more importantly the sense of confidence and empowerment in seeing himself as normal, accepted and supported, which he got and more. “I kind of stared at myself in the mirror for way too long. It was like my self-esteem went up so far,” he says. “I couldn’t thank them enough.”

For trans and gender nonconforming youth, there are more barriers to self and societal acceptance than just clothing. Increasingly, Ohio state legislature threatens to limit gender expression and transition for minors. In February, conservative lawmakers in the Ohio House of Representatives introduced a bill that would impose legal penalties on doctors who prescribe hormones or perform gender confirming surgery on trans minors, as well as one that would bar transgender students from participating on sports teams that match their gender. Everyday struggles in schools are prevalent, too. According to the GLSEN 2017 National School Climate Survey, more than half of students reported being verbally harassed for their gender expression, and nearly a quarter were physically harassed because of their gender expression. Reed himself has transferred high schools more than once, all the while dealing with bullying and mental health issues. He cites Transform not only for its inclusivity and empowerment, but also for saving his life. “Transgender youth and transgender individuals in general are a very high-risk population,” says Sarah World, a licensed independent social worker specializing in clinical assessment and evaluation for gender dysphoria. The clients she sees at Find Your Way Counseling & Consulting LLC, her private practice in Blue Ash, tend to struggle with dual anxieties: both about outward gender expression, including the perceptions of others, and the inner distress of having their identity not align with their body or the gender they were assigned at birth. That brain-body incongruence, she says, tends to increase mental health concerns including anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. “For trans youth and young adults, the suicide attempt rate — the most prominent and wellresearched data — is around 41 percent,” she says, citing a 2018 study conducted by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Data published by GLSEN also suggests that the lifetime suicide attempt rate for transgender people is up to 50 percent. Comparatively, the rate for the general U.S. population is roughly 4.5 percent, according to the 2018 National Survey of Drug Use and Health. “That suicide attempt rate, depression and anxiety are most commonly directly linked to perceived levels of acceptance, predominately from family,” she says.

In 2014, the death by suicide of Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year-old girl transgender girl from Kings Mills, Ohio caught international attention after a note written on her Tumblr blog went viral. In it, she cited disapproval from her parents and explained she’d been sent to conversion therapy — a largely discredited and allegedly abusive practice aimed at changing an individual’s sexuality or gender identity that is now banned in Cincinnati and in 20 states. “When I was 14, I learned what transgender meant and cried of happiness,” Alcorn wrote in the post. “After 10 years of confusion I finally understood who I was. I immediately told my mom, and she reacted extremely negatively, telling me that it was a phase, that I would never truly be a girl, that God doesn’t make mistakes, that I am wrong. If you are reading this, parents, please don’t tell this to your kids...That won’t do anything but make them hate them self. That’s exactly what it did to me.” Alcorn’s death was marked by candlelight vigils and calls for more bans on conversion therapy across the U.S. Though her life ended tragically short, she was far from alone in her experiences with gender. “In today’s society we have more young people coming out as transgender, and so there is a concern that it is trendy or that it’s a phase,” World says. “The teenage years are characterized by identity development. Right now, in our world, young people are more and more exploring their gender identity as part of their overall identity. It is a really normal, common variant of development to do that. Teenagers do go through phases. That doesn’t mean their gender identity is a phase.” When Reed began his transition, he also began a happier, more authentic life. He chose a new name for himself and started using the correct pronouns. “The first time I heard someone talk about me and use ‘he,’ it was amazing,” he says. Despite the statistics, “a lot of trans people are really happy, well-adjusted humans,” says World. “What we don’t talk a lot about is gender euphoria... we all feel more confident and more comfortable when we can present ourselves outwardly in a way that feels authentic to us. That is a really human quality.”

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The Power of a Thread

A Transform client

(L to R): Transform's founders, Nancy Dawson, Ella Dastillung and Tristan Vaught

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At the heart of Transform is a single, uncomplicated goal: give clothes to kids who need them. Dawson, whose youngest daughter Phoebe came out as trans when she was 10, knows the unique ordeal of trying to secure an entirely new wardrobe on a family budget. “She still doesn’t know her style,” Dawson says of her daughter, who is now 15. “Teenagers alone go through many style evolutions. So you’re already flighty as hell, ‘cause you’re teenagers and you’ve been in the closet for 11 years.” Plus, “you’re like fully programmed to hate whatever your mom likes.” Luckily, older sister Ella has plenty of clothes to steal while she figures out her fashion sensibilities — likely evidence that teenage sisters are about the same everywhere, cis or transgender be damned. Not all kids can snag shirts from siblings’ closets, of course. That’s where Transform steps in. “For these trans kids, (Transform has) a wardrobe full of clothes that match their assigned sex,” World says. “Even if their parents are supportive, most people don’t have the income to be able to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe.” The clothing and styling sessions are free, which means that Transform relies entirely on donations and volunteer help to stock their shelves. Weekly volunteer sessions are reserved for organizing donations. Some arrive as deliveries of gently used clothing, while other supplies come from donated purchases off their Amazon wishlist and special buying trips for items in greater demand like binders and new, gender-neutral shoes. Luckily, the number of donations is in no short supply; Transform has even had to temporarily close donations for certain items due to the surplus, but they regularly post about what they’re currently accepting on Facebook. Prospective clients fill out a form detailing everything from their gender expression to style preferences and clothing sizes. Then, a teenage stylist or two (frequently Dastillung or Reed, but there are a handful of other teens who volunteer their services) will hand-select items from Transform’s vast collection for clients to try out at their appointment.

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Wren, a Transform volunteer

After Reed, Transform’s second client was a teenager who drove three hours with her mom to make her appointment. Neither of them had ever met another trans person before. Most clients are 13 or above, although the youngest so far was 8. The younger kids are some of Dastillung’s favorites. Unlike the mellow, mild-mannered teens, the little ones rush in with unbridled enthusiasm, cycling through quick changes fashion-show style. Transform also offers a relief from the anxietyinducing experience that is shopping in public. When Reed first transitioned, he had fears about shopping in the men’s section at stores. Vaught, who is nonbinary and identifies as genderqueer, shares the same concerns as an adult. “I hate to go shopping,” they say, “because I’m like, ‘Do I go in the men’s changing room? Do I go in the women’s changing room? Do I drag all of these clothes that I’ve just gotten in the men’s section over to the women’s changing room just so someone can harass me while I’m in there?' ” With a private changing area and individualized styling — where there are no gendered sections or prying eyes — clients can “shop” free of judgement and limitations, while also getting clothing advice and learning what cuts and styles of clothing look best on them, a task that takes a fair amount of time for anyone, no matter their gender. Vaught has particularly good intel on where to get men’s pants for wider hips (Old Navy’s men’s jeans and the Goodfellow & Co brand at Target are the best) and Reed created a guide for first-time binder wearers (make sure it’s not too small and don’t sleep in it unless you want to risk cracked ribs). The styling appointments are intertwined with vital support and affirmation for the young people who step through Transform’s doors. “Transgender teens need some type of support system, some type of adult guidance, whether it be a teacher or parent or somebody who accepts and supports them,” Reed says. “That’s so controversial. It shouldn’t be but it is.”

A Lasting Legacy Flourishing faster than its co-founders ever could have ever guessed, Transform is already well-rooted in fertile soil. Come what may, Dawson is securing plans for the future. She recently sold BRIDEface to a longtime friend and is still at work laying the foundation for her nonprofit to change the lives of youth in Cincinnati and beyond, long after it’s out of her hands. In January, she wrote of her community’s support for the project: “Every puzzle piece almost effortlessly fell into place because the project spoke to people. People were just coming to me and dropping things in my lap before I had the chance to ask, and volunteers showed up in droves and stayed...we are dreaming big big.” Those big, big dreams began to take effect when Transform moved into a new, 1,500 square foot space in Over-the-Rhine, which will serve as the organization’s temporary hub until they find a permanent, forever home for exponential growth. Much more than just a clothing closet — although that will always remain Transform’s top priority — Dawson imagines a haven with room for a storefront and styling appointments, hangout spaces for LGBTQ youth, offices and room to host education, counseling and community. While many colleges have dedicated LGBTQ centers, there aren’t many options for kids and teenagers outside of youth groups. These groups can be “lovely” and “super fun,” says Reed, but also “just a mess of everybody dating everybody,” he adds with a laugh. Regional organizations like Kaleidoscope Youth Center in Columbus and Indiana Youth Group in Indianapolis offer more resources: sewing clubs, tutoring sessions, movie marathons, HIV and STI testing and karaoke nights are all on the calendar along with opportunities for identity-based support. There’s a gap for something similar in Cincinnati that Transform aims to fill. “There’s no space just to hang out and be like, ‘I’m going to do my homework in a space where there are people that look like me,’ ” Vaught says. “I used to work with college kids. They’re like, ‘I feel like I’m wearing armor all day long, and when I get to the (LGBTQ) center I’m able to take it all off and just be.’ High school kids are going through the same thing, middle school kids are going through the same thing, but they don’t have those spaces.”

A Transform client

Securing greater funding is also on the docket. Transform is currently a charitable organization with Community Shares of Greater Cincinnati’s Workplace Giving program, which allows employees to make donations through their employer. Their ultimate goal is to earn a corporate philanthropic sponsorship or grant from the likes of Western & Southern Financial Group, the Fifth Third Foundation or The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation, which fund other charitable organizations in Cincinnati. As for the youth themselves? They have big plans, too. Reed is working on graduating early and enrolling at the University of Cincinnati as soon as possible. He’s staying close, opting for UC over Miami University for its proximity to his newfound community at Transform. Long-term, he’d like to work as a history teacher in rural communities and set a positive example for other LGBTQ and minority kids. “(Transform has) made me realize that I want to be able to help people and support LGBTQ teens, no matter where they are, no matter what kind of stage they’re in and just be a supporting role for them.” A high school senior herself, Dastillung plans on taking a gap year after graduation with her sights set on continuing her mother’s work through Transform and reaching as many young people as possible. The team has gotten plenty of comments and questions about expanding the nonprofit in other cities. While they’re still getting off the ground in Cincinnati, they’re not ruling it out for down the road. “The exciting thing about Transform is that it’s not that hard to start one,” Dawson says. “If you’ve got the donations, it can be totally self-sustained.” The truth of it is undeniable: with a simple idea, some community support and a bit of ingenuity, Dawson, Dastillung and Vaught were able to start their own small project that will continue to thrive for the foreseeable future. “I absolutely see Transform as being one of my legacies, along with my children,” Dawson told TODAY in a news segment about the nonprofit. “There’s a line from Hamilton that is about planting seeds in a garden you never get to see. That’s kind of what I see for Transform.”

A Transform client

For more information about Transform, including how to donate, volunteer or support the mission, as well as become a client, visit transformcincy.org.

A Transform client and family

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n a press briefing on Thursday, March 12, Gov. Mike DeWine announced an executive order prohibiting mass gatherings in Ohio with more than 100 people. And on Sunday, March 15, he announced that all restaurants and bars would be closed — except for carry-out and delivery. Gov. Andy Beshear announced a similar order on Monday, March 16. This is all to help curb the spread of COVID-19. (For the latest Ohio updates, visit coronavirus.ohio.gov and for the latest in Kentucky, visit chfs. ky.gov.) So, obviously, many Cincinnati events, concerts, parties and parades have been canceled or rescheduled. Generally this section lists Stuff To Do, but since there isn’t a ton, here’s a list of some of the bigger cancelations or event suspensions, as well as venues offering digital ways to connect.

Fiona was the first featured animal in the zoo’s Facebook Live home safari.

Visit citybeat.com for the most up-to-date news on closings, reschedulings, reopenings and digital things to do.

P H O T O : LY N N S M A R T

DIGITAL THINGS TO DO CINCINNATI ZOO & BOTANICAL GARDEN While the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden will be closed to the public until further notice (don’t worry: zookeepers and personnel are there to make sure the animals well taken care of), they are offering special “Home Safari Facebook Live” sessions, which will feature online animal encounters and an activity you can do at home. The zoos first safari featured Fiona the hippo. Safaris will be offered 3 p.m. weekdays. facebook.com/cincinnatizoo. CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM The Cincinnati Art Museum, Taft Museum of Art and Contemporary Arts Center announced in a joint statement that they’d be closing their doors until April 3. The CAM, Taft and CAC said in the release, “While our doors may be closed, we won’t let that keep us from our mission to inspire, challenge and delight you...Please check our website(s) and social media channels for daily updates and additional digital offerings to bring the arts, artists of today and the creative process to you at home or wherever you may be.” Currently, you can view exhibits including Frida Kahlo: Photographic Portraits by Bernard Silberstein, The Art Academy of Cincinnati and World War I and Mementos of Affection, a collection of ornamental hairwork, on the CAM website. cincinnatiartmuseum.org/art/ exhibitions/online-exhibitions.

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CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER Like the city’s other two major art museums, the CAC is closed until April 3. Until then, take an “Audio Tour” of the museum, voiced by local artist Britni Bicknaver. You can stream the tour online, which is described as, “Under the guise of an audio guide museums typically employ to present references and objective information to visitors, Bicknaver presents a surreal hybrid that lyrically blends fact and fantasy. In concert with self-composed music, song, meandering meditations, obscure chronicles, mathematical formulae and wordplay, she weaves a surreal map of this center and its colorful history.” contemporaryartscenter.org/ exhibitions/2017/12/audio-tour. TAFT MUSEUM OF ART The Taft has launched a new hashtag — #TaftMusuemDiscovered — to view works from the museum on their social media feeds from the comfort of your own home. You can also check out highlights from their permanent collection on their website. taftmuseum.org. WAVE POOL Camp Washington gallery and contemporary art fulfillment center Wave Pool has created a COVIDeo YouTube channel where they will be hosting and live streaming all major gallery events and exhibit openings. wavepoolgallery.org. DANCEFIX BY HBDC This super popular local dance class/

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workout DANCEFIX is offering select classes streaming online. You can access the workouts through the mindbodyonline.com digital platform and pay with a current class pass or via drop-in rates. “You will however have to stream the video on your computers (phones unfortunately do not work),” says the DANCEFIX Facebook page. “We know this will be a work in progress and there might be a few bumps along the way but we wanted to provide solutions to our current situation ASAP!” Full instructions are available on Facebook page, with helpful hints on how to stream. facebook.com/ dancefixbyhbdc. SOCIAL DISTANCE GALLERY Cincinnati painter and Art Academy adjunct professor Benjamin Cook has launched an online gallery called Social Distance Gallery. The project posts BFA and MFA thesis exhibitions that have been canceled or had public access limited due to COVID-19. Digital exhibitions are available to view on Instagram @socialdistancegallery. And visit socialdistancegall.wixsite.com/ socialdistance for information on how to submit a show/artwork for inclusion. THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY Although all 41 public library locations have closed as of Friday, March 13, the closures will be reassessed on a weekly basis. Until then, you can borrow books, audiobooks and

magazines and stream music and TV online at cincinnatilibrary.org/eBranch. That link also offers eLearning connections if you’re perhaps practicing some type of homeschooling at the moment. The library’s digital collection at digital.cincinnatilibrary.org also features links to historical Cincinnati lantern slides, photos from the Ohio River floods, a collection about local brewing history, 19th-century posters from the local Strobridge Lithographing Company and more. cincinnatilibrary.org. FOREVERLAND FARM Though you can’t visit Amelia, Ohio’s Foreverland Farm until further notice, the nonprofit animal sanctuary will post live videos throughout the month of founders Brittney and Leann Kane sharing the story of how Foreverland started and their favorite rescue stories, along with virtual tours of the farm and its adorable inhabitants. Prizes from Kind Style Shop will be given away during the livestreams. foreverlandfarm.org CINCINNATI PARKS Cincinnati Parks has announced that their parks will remain open so you can get outside. They note that “all general rules, including social distancing, apply.” All restrooms are also open (they usually don’t open until April) so people can wash their hands. cincinnatiparks.com.

MAJOR CLOSINGS AND CANCELLATIONS FINDLAY MARKET OPENING DAY PARADE The 101st Findlay Market Opening Day parade was scheduled to take place at noon on Thursday, March 26. That is no longer happening. The website says the procession has been “canceled/ postponed” because of the coronavirus, indicating that while it won’t take place Thursday, it might take place in the future. The last time the parade didn’t happen on Opening Day was in 2018, when it was held four days after the Reds’ home opener thanks to MLB scheduling changes that moved the season’s start date up a week. Neil Luken, the chairman of the parade committee, said the decision not to change the event’s date that year was made in the best interest of Findlay’s food vendors, whose business would take a major hit if the market was closed before the Easter holiday. (The market closes for parade festivities.) findlaymarketparade.com. REDS HOME OPENER Two weeks before 30 teams were to play on Opening Day, the MLB announced that the 2020 season’s start will be delayed by at least two weeks. With DeWine’s earlier announcement prohibiting mass gatherings of more than 100 people, the Reds would have been unable to play in front of fans anyway. reds.com. BEST OF CINCINNATI CityBeat Events’ Best of Cincinnati celebration on March 25 at The Phoenix has been postponed. Stay tuned for a new date. CityBeat’s Best of Cincinnati magazine will still be on the streets and online March 25. CINCINNATI CYCLONES The AA hockey league, in which the Cincinnati Cyclones play, has suspended its 2019-2020 season. The ECHL says it’s “for the safety of our Fans, Players and Employees.” The team’s final two regular-season home games at the Heritage Bank Center were scheduled for the first weekend in April. cycloneshockey.com. CINCINNATI MUSEUM CENTER The CMC is temporarily closed and is scheduled to tentatively reopen on April 4. The museum said in a statement, “As a leading educational institution, we are exploring ways Cincinnati Museum Center can continue to be a resource for those with an innate curiosity and a desire for lifelong learning. We are creating online resources, including exhibits, videos and activities that guests can use to keep their minds active during the closure.” cincymuseum.org. CINCINNATI ROLLERGIRLS The Cincinnati Rollergirls have canceled their March 21 home opener against the Appalachian Roller Derby

(Boone, North Carolina) amid current coronavirus concerns. It would have been the team’s first game at their new home: the Cintas Center at Xavier University. In a release, the team said, “While CRG is devastated that the first game of its inaugural season at the Cintas Center cannot go on as planned, the team understands that public health must take priority during this unprecedented situation.” The status of Cincinnati Rollergirls remaining home games on April 11, May 9 and June 6 is currently unknown, says the release. If you have already purchased a ticket to the home opener, Xavier University will be sending out an email regarding refunds. cincinnatirollergirls.com. CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA A press release from the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra stated: “All Scheduled Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Vocal Arts Ensemble and May Festival Performances and Events are Cancelled through at least April 5, 2020.” cincinnatisymphony.org.

PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK All shows at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park have been canceled, including Destiny of Desire. Ticketholders will receive further information regarding tickets via email or phone. “While it breaks our heart to shorten the run of this joyous production, we take very seriously the health and well-being of our community,” the theater notes in a statement. Off the Grid performances have also been canceled. cincyplay.com. TAFT THEATRE All Taft Theatre events have been postponed through April 5. This includes performances by Tab Benoit (which has been moved to June 5), Dave Simonett, Colin Hay, Bill Maher and Brit Floyd. Ticket-holders will be contacted with rescheduling/ cancelation details. tafttheatre.org.

TO DO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County closed all 41 locations on Friday, March 13, in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus COVID-19. The library will reassess its closure on a weekly basis. “The latest information from the governor’s office, which indicates that aggressive early social distancing can stop COVID19 from exponentially spreading, helped us make this decision,” Library Director Paula Brehm-Heeger said in a statement. “Declarations of city-wide

ENSEMBLE THEATRE All shows at the Ensemble Theatre have been suspended indefinitely. In an email, the theater asks patrons not to call the box office about ticket exchanges until they’re able to announce rescheduled dates: “All accounts with tickets to upcoming performances will be credited and ETC will be relaxing its exchange policies and waive all fees to find suitable solutions for our patrons.” ensemblecincinnati.org. FC CINCINNATI Major League Soccer announced that it will suspend its 2020 season for 30 days due to concerns over COVID-19. The suspension announcement came just days before FC Cincinnati’s home opener at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium. fccincinnati.com. HERITAGE BANK CENTER Cancelations of events at Cincinnati’s major riverfront arena began trickling out after Gov. Mike DeWine’s order to prohibit public assembly of more than 100 people. The Disney on Ice performances March 19-22 have been canceled. The April 7 Cher concert has been rescheduled for Sept. 14. heritagebankcenter.com. KROHN CONSERVATORY Krohn Conservatory is closed until further notice. They said in a release that also means that the opening of their 25th-annual butterfly show, Butterflies of Bali, is postponed. It was slated to open March 21. “This is an unfortunate necessity as the City responds to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Krohn Conservatory will re-open and we hope this day comes sooner than later,” said a press release. cincinnatiparks.com.

The 2019 Findlay Market Opening Day Parade P H O T O : PA I G E D E G L O W

MEMORIAL HALL “In an effort to minimize the spread of coronavirus,” all performances at Memorial Hall scheduled before Sunday, April 5 have been “suspended,” according to the venue’s website. This includes concerts by Jimmy Webb, Aoife O’Donovan and Graham Nash. memorialhallotr.com. 20TH CENTURY THEATER According to its website, the 20th Century Theater in Oakley is postponing concerts through April 1, including sold-out shows by Cal Scruby and Black Pumas, as well as the March 22 Bob Mould concert. The site says all postponed shows will “not be offering refunds until the new date is announced.” the20thcenturytheater.com.

and county-wide states of emergency, as well as the voluntary self-quarantine of a staff member, also convinced us that this closure is in the best interest of public safety. This was a very difficult decision that we did not make without much careful deliberation.” cincinnatilibrary.org. NATIONAL UNDERGROUND RAILROAD FREEDOM CENTER The Freedom Center closed on Saturday, March 14 and is evaluating a “prudent date to reopen.” freedomcenter.org.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Mystery P H OTO : TO N Y ARRASMITH/ARRASMITH & A S S O C I AT E S

Playhouse Announces 2020-21 Season From Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical to Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Mystery, here’s what’s coming to Playhouse in the park; plus, a peek at Broadway in Cincinnati’s season BY R I C K P E N D E R

rtistic director Blake Robison’s ninth season at Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park presents another fine balancing act, satisfying both theatergoers with an appetite for new material as well as those who love to see favorites returned to our city’s Tony Award-winning regional theater. Robison says that the forthcoming season has “dexterity” and points to his “great love for family-friendly works.” The latter is evidenced in the Marx Theatre mainstage opener: The Wizard of Oz (Aug. 29-Oct. 4). “We’re not trying to be a children’s theater, and we’re not just aiming to put the film onstage,” Robison says. “What we’ll offer will be freshened up.” Audience members with long memories often recall Worth Gardner’s riotous 1982 rendition of the classic story based on L. Frank Baum’s novel; Robison’s production will use John Kane’s 1987 adaptation for the Royal Shakespeare Company with all the film’s familiar songs.

After Wizard of Oz, the next Marx mainstage show will be a world premiere by a Cincinnati-native playwright. That is, Keith Josef Adkins’ The West End (Oct. 17-Nov. 14). His Safe House was commissioned and launched by the Playhouse in 2014. Set in 1941, his new show tells an authentically Cincinnati story in its portrayal of a neighborhood populated by longtime descendants of German families intersecting with African-Americans migrating from the Deep South. The mainstage will kick off the New Year with British actor/playwright David Haig’s Pressure (Jan. 23-Feb. 20, 2021). Set on D-Day — June 6,1944 — it follows a clash between a pair of meteorologists regarding the weather prospects for the historic invasion. The Playhouse’s production marks the first in the U.S. for this big hit from London. Two crowd-pleasers round out the Marx season: Steel Magnolias (March 6-Apr. 3, 2021), Roger Harling’s beautysalon tear-jerker with lots of humor,

chatter and repartée. Robison calls it “theatrical comfort food” and suggests bringing “a box of hankies.” Audiences loved the Playhouse production back in 1989, and I bet it will repeat that success. The mainstage season concludes with another likely hit: Ken Ludwig’s Moriarty: A New Sherlock Holmes Mystery (April 17-May 16, 2021). His Baskerville was a best-seller in 2017, and this new tale of the famed British sleuth, another co-production with the Cleveland Playhouse, will appeal to families. The Playhouse’s recently renamed Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre stage will host more new works and a few classics. Up first is Tiny Beautiful Things (Sept. 12-Oct. 25). Based on Cheryl Strayed’s bestseller of the same title, it’s a one-woman show adapted by Nia Vardalos (writer and star of My Big Fat Greek Wedding). Using real-life letters and heartfelt responses from Strayed’s column, “Dear Sugar,” the show offers empathetic guidance about love and loss. Robison calls it a story about taking care of oneself that is “open, honest and sincere.” Katie Forgette’s Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Nov. 7, 2020Jan. 3, 2021), which Robison calls “the best title of the bunch,” will be the holiday Shelterhouse offering opposite A Christmas Carol (Nov. 25-Dec. 27). Set in 1973, it follows a middle-class Irish Catholic family who are striving to maintain their reputation. With a nearly two-month run, it’s intended to

offer some chaotic hilarity for seasonal theatergoers. Another reprised favorite lands on the Shelterhouse stage next via Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill (Jan. 16-March 7, 2021), the story of singer Billie Holiday’s life (1915-1959). Told with honesty and salty humor, it was a popular production at the Playhouse in 1992, and the show has seen a resurgence of interest thanks to an awardwinning 2016 Broadway production with Audra McDonald. With piano accompaniment, it features more than a dozen iconic Jazz standards that Holiday regularly performed. Deborah Zoe Laufer’s world premieres at the Playhouse (Leveling Up, Be Here Now) have been well received, and Robison is excited to produce another one of her scripts that he commissioned: Rooted (March 20-April 25, 2021). A woman, seeking escape from society, lives in a treehouse (she’s named Mabel); she researches plants and posts information on a YouTube channel. Things change, however, when she is surprisingly deemed a “New Age messiah.” The Shelterhouse’s final production might qualify as a summation of old and new, nostalgic and familyfriendly: Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical (May 8-June 27, 2021). It’s brought back by popular demand, according to Robison, who recounts many queries about “When is she coming back?” after the show’s successful production in late 2014.

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VISUAL ART

The Night the Art Shook the Walls BY ST E V E K E M P L E

Joe Civitello moves quickly down the long sloping stairs at downtown’s Contemporary Arts Center. It’s after 10 p.m. on a Thursday in early February, and the day’s visitors have long gone home. As the CAC’s installations director, Civitello generally deals with a range of material like wood and drywall. But tonight, he’s checking in on staff strategically positioned throughout the building to ensure no one wanders too close to where a team of artists and technicians will detonate more than 100 explosives embedded in a wall. “I’ve seen things come and go,” Civitello later told me at the Fausto cafe in the museum’s lobby, “but this was one of the more interesting things I’ve been a part of.” The explosions were conceived by Portuguese street artist Alexandre Farto, better known as Vhils, and filmed in slow motion to create “Identity,” the installation that forms the centerpiece of his current exhibition Haze. Vhils is famous for his use of implements like power drills, acid and explosives to carve monumental portraits on the side of buildings, such as his mural of John Mercer Langston on Over-the-Rhine’s Logan Street. Haze, which runs through July 6, is the artist’s first large-scale exhibition in the United States. This is also the first time he and his team have used explosives inside a museum. Civitello punches a button on the freight elevator. Building sensors are all operational. Everyone is in their assigned locations. When the elevator closes behind him, it will be taken offline. He listens to the soft crackling of Portuguese from his walkie talkie. Five floors up, in a makeshift command center in a women’s restroom, Michael Lutz hunches over a pair of computer monitors. A fire marshal looks on as Vhils and his crew adjust video equipment. From a controller box, wires stretch down a short hallway and around a corner where they connect to more than 100 “air burst” charges. “It was definitely a different application than what we’re used to,” Lutz later tells me over the phone. You wouldn’t know from his calm and deliberate manner of speaking that he’s one of the wizards behind the annual Western & Southern WEBN Riverfest fireworks, along with his uncle, Joe Rozzi. They’re part of the Loveland-based Rozzi Fireworks, which was founded in 1895 by Lutz’s great grandfather Paolo Rozzi. Lutz had arrived several hours early in order to double and triple check each of the charge connections. Growing up around fireworks taught him a healthy respect for their power. Over the preceding weeks, he gathered the necessary permits and coordinated with the Cincinnati Fire Department. He worked with the CAC staff to verify that sprinklers, fire detection and airhandling systems were working, as well as to ensure the blast would present no

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“Identity,” by Vhils, is part of his exhibition Haze at the Contemporary Arts Center P H O T O : K A I T LY N H A N D E L

danger to the building’s structure or the art within. On the night of the blast, he was confident everything would go as planned. Later, Civitello steps out of the freight elevator onto the fifth floor and watches Vhils’ studio assistants make last-minute adjustments to the camera and lighting. Weighted down with sandbags, safely behind a shield of Plexiglas, the camera points to a wall where, just below view, wires dangle like nodes from a cybernetic porcupine. It had taken Civitello and his team more than a week to build. They began with a freestanding brick wall half an inch away from the gallery’s real wall. They covered this in layers of plasterlike coating to match the surrounding drywall. Vhils’ studio then used drills and chisels to carve out the word the blast would reveal, and the charges were placed. Civitello makes his way to the CAC’s Contemplation Room. Here, another group of assistants and museum staff wait with dust masks, goggles and ear protection. Vhils began incorporating explosives in his work after seeing the devastating effects of the global financial crisis in his home city of Lisbon, Portugal. He had already received international attention for his monumental bas-relief portraits, through which he sought to call attention to the struggles of working people. “I really try to capture the everyday hero,” Farto later tells me. “We’re

MARCH 18-31, 2020

humanizing public space, and we’re creating a connection with everyone through the city without needing someone that is iconic or well-known.” His method of carving into the walls shows how things build over time, unnoticed, like rings in the cross section of a tree, and how events like a global financial crisis leave their mark on the built environment. The blasts were his response to the economic violence this crisis had made visible. Civitello adjusts his ear protection and straightens his back against the Contemplation Room’s outer wall. His walkie talkie crackles: “Three… Two… One…” Fast forward three weeks. Haze is slated to open in just a few hours, and Vhils has agreed to a short interview. My hope is to peel back a layer to show a portrait of Farto, but the soft-spoken 33-year-old encourages me instead to focus on his team’s work and impact. We walk through the exhibition, starting at the end where faces are carved into weathered freestanding doors. I admire his “Spectrum” series when a peal of thunder billowed through the galleries. Vhils flashes a grin. “We did the explosion. Want to see it?” “It rattled the walls,” Lutz says later. It hurled debris across the gallery and jolted tiles in the women’s restroom. Civitello describes how he almost lost his balance as the shockwave ripped through the Contemplation Room’s walls. “You could definitely feel it in your chest,” he says.

I follow Vhils around a corner to the gallery where the blast had occurred. On the far wall the word “Identity” looms above a pile of debris. On a screen, the blast replays in extreme slow motion, chunks of brick and plaster floating across the room. Four speakers convey a subsonic rumble. In the clearing dust, what was there all along becomes visible. “We wanted the museum to be a place where you can go really deep into the concepts of the work,” Vhils said earlier, “and to really challenge the concept of (a) museum.” What is there within a museum’s white walls that might be revealed with an explosion? “Art has the power to bring attention,” Vhils told me. “Not just visual attention, but eventually media attention.” It occurred to me later, while talking with Civitello, and again with Lutz, that here are two of Vhils’ “everyday heroes.” Along with dozens of others who came together on this chilly February night, this blast made them visible. As the video loops back to the beginning, Vhils strides to an area of wall that looks like it had been hit with a shotgun blast. Grazing his fingers along the damaged surface, Alexandre Farto’s eyes twinkle in the video’s light. Haze runs through July 6 at the Contemporary Arts Center (44 E. Sixth St., Downtown), despite its current closure. More info: cincycac.org.

Streaming Recommendations from CityBeat Editors BY C IT Y B E AT STA F F

The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization. Not unique to Cincinnati are cancelations and the postponement of events, with experts recommending the practice of social distancing in order to slow its spread. For many of us, this means working remotely (if able) and staying home for the time being. What better time than now to catch up on streaming? Here are a few recommendations for what to watch via our editors.

Love is Blind Practicing social distancing? Here, have some reality TV about potential couples who are…practicing social distancing? Love is Blind sets up romance-ready singles for a week of literal blind dating as they get to know each other from separate rooms opposite a dividing wall called the “pods,” which sounds like it was pulled straight from Black Mirror. Love is declared within days and the question is popped within the week, all without the contestants ever meeting face-to-face. Once blissfully engaged, couples meet for the first time, take off for a beach vacation, move in together and plan their impending wedding within a month. Hometown hero Nick Lachey and his wife Vanessa host, if you can call appearing every third episode to scare the couples with a dramatic speech before disappearing again before hosting. (If nothing else, Love is Blind is solely worth watching for Nick introducing himself as “obviously Nick Lachey.”) — MORGAN ZUMBIEL

McMillions I have many memories of rolling up McDonald’s in my mom’s minivan per the request of my older sister, who was hellbent on collecting winning Monopoly property spaces. Unbeknownst to us, it was all tied to a massive criminal conspiracy. With six recently wrapped episodes, HBO’s McMillions takes viewers back to 1989-2001 to McDonald’s most successful promo, which just happened to be rigged by an ever-expanding network of crooks...and normal people who were manipulated into the act. Starting with the FBI agents — shout-out to Agent Doug Matthews, an absolute joy — who cracked the case, the docuseries unravels the tale slowly, taking us through individual characters and motives. — MACKENZIE MANLEY

Sex Education British teen dramedy Sex Education released its second season on Netflix this January, and it’s just as good as the first, if not better. It follows Otis Milburn (Asa Butterfield), a teenage boy who, despite his mom being a sex therapist, is incredibly awkward about, well, sex. Surprisingly, he’s pretty good at doling out advice. Alongside Maeve (Emma Mackey), an angsty classmate who befriends Otis, he opens a “sex clinic” to help students navigate a number of

problems. It’s cheeky, endearing, sensitive and validating. With an incredible cast playing characters (mostly) worth rooting for, Sex Education may ruin other teen dramas for you — because it’s just that damn good. — MM

I Am Not Okay With This Teenage angst kills in I Am Not Okay With This — and it begins with 17-yearold Sydney Novak running down a road at night splattered in blood a la Carrie. But mostly it’s a charming sevenepisode Netflix series. Sophia Lillis takes the role of Novak, who discovers that she has telekinetic powers. She navigates this new ability while grappling with growing up, leg acne, having a crush on her best friend (Dina, played by Sofia Bryant) and parental relationships. Down the road is the quirky Stanley Barber — essentially Sixteen Candles’ Ducky — played by Wyatt Oleff. If Oleff and Lillis seem familiar, that’s because both starred in 2017’s It. On that note, though set presentday, I Am Not Okay With This drips in 1980s nostalgia, from their retro outfit choices to Stanley’s VHS collection to the characters hanging out at diners. At 20-minutes an episode, it’s also a breeze to binge. If you dig Stranger Things or The End of the F***ing World, this is for you. Season 2 has yet to be announced. — MM

Pandemic Want to escape talk of COVID-19 by binging Netflix’s Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak? I mean, weird, but you do you. Released in January, this six-part docuseries explores the spread of viral illness throughout history. Maybe it doesn’t ease the mind, but you’ll come away with a better understanding of how viruses spread around the globe. — MM

The Magicians This sexy SyFy millennial drama — like Harry Potter with more cleavage and guys in eyeliner wearing shirtless vests — is about students at Brakebills College for Magical Pedagogy. The magicians use their powers to fight demons; summon old gods; uncover a parallel realm similar to the Chronicles of Narnia but with more murder and talking rabbits; and also sing top Broadway hits. There are very adult themes like drug use, sexual assault, pedophilia, cancer and possession, but if you’re looking to escape by watching a group of attractive people cast spells with stupid hand gestures while suffering through their own personal trials, The Magicians is quite a bingeable option. I watched all four seasons on Netflix, in a row, while recovering from a surgery and on several pain pills, which may have influenced why I think this show is so good. (A fifth season is airing now.) — MAIJA ZUMMO

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Works Examine the Personal and Popular R E V I E W S BY ST E V E K E M P L E

“Something Over Something Else”: Romare Bearden’s Profile Series at the Cincinnati Art Museum It would have been near the end of summer in 1927, boarding a train to Pittsburgh, when a young Romare Bearden last waved goodbye to Romare Bearden’s “School Bell Time” his friend Liza. I imagine P H O T O : R O M A R E B E A R D E N F O U N D AT I O N him watching her on the platform, shrinking in the distance as the train Todd Pavlisko: Pop pulls away, then shifting his gaze to the Supernatural at the Weston fields and houses sliding past. It would Art Gallery be five decades before he returned to On the Weston Art Gallery’s street level, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. Cincinnati native and New York-based Well into his 60s, Bearden must have artist Todd Pavlisko presents ornately recalled that day as bittersweet. In three carved violins that appear to be melting collages — “Daybreak Express,” “Sunset over basketballs. But let’s consider Limited” and “Moonlight Express” — the symbolism of this soft collision: trains move along the horizon, marking basketballs and violins are each loaded the space between an unclouded sky with cultural meaning. A wall text and a landscape dense with scenery. tells me Pavlisko is interested in “a These are part of Bearden’s autoconfluence of high and popular media.” biographical Profile Series, which was That’s a fairly problematic thing to say, undertaken by the late-career Amerigiven its inferences. can master not long after his return Vintage NBA posters are framed visit to Mecklenburg County in 1976. on a nearby wall. Athletes’ bodies are Traveling from the High Museum of Art, covered by photographs by inventor Atlanta and on view at the Cincinnati Harold Edgerton, who pioneered a Art Museum through May 24, “Somemethod to capture extremely fast things thing Over Something Else” marks the like bullets flying through the air. There first time so many of the works from are striking similarities between the this groundbreaking series have been paired images, like a water droplet shown together since they were first that looks like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar exhibited nearly 40 years ago. reaching for a slam dunk. The 33 pieces are arranged by place But the fact that this white artist and decade. Each is accompanied by has covered black bodies with photos a short evocative statement written of objects is inescapable. His intent by Bearden with his friend, author seems to have been for Edgerton’s Albert Murray. The exhibition leads us photographs to act as windows through through the artist’s firsthand recolwhich we can see athletes as beautiful lections: From his earliest memories forms and the passage of time writ with in North Carolina and growing up in the drama of a slam dunk. Harlem in the 1920s — where W.E.B. But maybe Pavlisko could have Dubois and Duke Ellington were freexplored other ways of saying this? quent guests in his parents’ living room Instead, we have a white artist — to school in Pittsburgh in the 1930s inviting us to aestheticize black bodies and finally to 1940s Manhattan, where by comparing them to objects. In doing we see the artist as a young man. so, he objectifies those bodies and Using cut and torn magazine photocoerces the viewer into complicity. graphs, often with layers of paint, these Spanning both gallery levels, the collages are visually and emotionwork comes across as desperate to be ally vibrant. Despite the reliance on taken seriously. The artist (who once memory, it’s worth noting they never nailed his own foot to a gallery floor) veer into nostalgia. Instead, they form asks us to trust that it has meaning. The a powerful coming-of-age story that work does have meaning, it just doesn’t transcends the autobiographical. On mean what he says it does. my first visit to this show, I lost track of time looking at the details. When I Todd Pavlisko: Pop Supernatural, left nearly two hours later, it was like is scheduled to run through April 5 waking up from a dream in which I had at the Weston Art Gallery, which is lived an entire lifetime. closed until further notice. More info: cincinnatiarts.org. “Something Over Something Else” runs through May 24 at the currently closed Cincinnati Art Museum. More info: cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

FILM

Adaptating Novels for Film, Streaming and Series BY T T ST E R N - E N Z I

The new media landscape expands the possibilities of translating a story from the page into a more life-like form in intriguing ways. Once upon a time, live theater ushered words and characters to eager audiences. Then film captured motion. Television brought narratives more directly into Spenser Confidential homes, making for P H O T O : D A N I E L M C FA D D E N / N E T F L I X an individualized, personal experience. And now streaming A&E with Joe Mantegna as the private adds immediacy to the mix. investigator. But the real challenge for storytellers Now Netflix has entered the game and the producers of these works now with a movie — Spenser Confidential — goes back to the original question of from the dynamic duo of director Peter how best to translate narratives. For Berg and actor Mark Wahlberg, loosely instance, popular fiction genres like based on the 2013 novel Wonderland espionage or crime thrillers offer from Atkins. The recent release alluring characters and enough source certainly seeks to set up a streaming material for franchise-frenzied viewers franchise with individual novels serving and the options must seem truly vexing as one-off film narratives. to the studios seeking to back projects Almost a decade ago, during my early caught up in debates over financial gain days at the Toronto International Film versus format potential. Festival, I snagged a public screening Consider James Bond. Ian Fleming’s ticket to Morten Tyldum’s Headhuntsuper spy is the godfather of this ers, an adaptation of a Jo Nesbø novel, translation discussion, having made the about a headhunter named Roger leap from page to screen back in 1962 Brown (Aksel Hennie) who embarks with Dr. No. Audiences are intimately on an impossibly risky plan to secure a familiar with all of the Bond actors priceless painting in the possession of over the years (Sean Connery, George a former mercenary (Nikolaj CosterLazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Waldau). The film led down the rabbit Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig) and hole of Scandinavian crime fiction, everyone has their favorite. Without starting with Nesbø’s own collection of getting into the complicated film rights, thrillers featuring the detective Harry the year 1983 gave audiences two Bond Hole, an investigator with first-rate films — the official Moore installment emotional and psychological baggage; Octopussy and a non-canon return to there are currently a dozen intricately the role for an aging Connery in Never plotted novels centered on him. Say Never Again. Sadly, a bungled film adaptation of From the start, the character always The Snowman with Michael Fassbender had the kind of larger-than-life persona has deep-sixed any hopes for a film destined for the big screen and it franchise, but my search for a native could be argued that Bond’s mature compatriot of Nesbø’s led me to adventures weren’t television-friendly Michael Connelly, whose ongoing L.A. like in the serialized show Mission: crime series focuses on the exploits Impossible, which eventually crossed of homicide detective Hieronymus over from television to feature films. “Harry” Bosch. With Titus Welliver as Or for a character like Tom Clancy’s the lead, Amazon Prime has found the Jack Ryan, who has enjoyed several sweet spot in updating a rich history of big-screen iterations (Alec Baldwin, source material in clever ways, playing Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris to the strengths of the streaming series Pine), as well as a current Amazon format. Episodes unfold like chapters in Prime series with John Krasinski. the novels, opening up the neo-noirish While Bond has always been a film aspects of the city and its ensemble franchise, Robert Parker’s Spenser of supporting characters in ways that series, which features 40 novels from would be unlikely in a two-hour film. Parker as well as eight from Ace Atkins With over 20 Bosch novels and an and one from Helen Brann, has always even larger interconnected world been a television mainstay. The books with other characters taking the lead served as inspiration for Spenser: For in works of their own, Connelly has Hire, an ABC series in the mid 1980s produced the perfect blueprint for how with Robert Urich as the titular hero, narratives can and should dictate the before transitioning into the madeterms in the format debate. for-TV movie world of Lifetime in the Keep watching. mid-90s, again with Urich. A second Contact tt stern-enzi: collection of television movies were request@citybeat.com made in the late-90s/early aughts for

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Cincinnati-based composing and playwriting team Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman have had considerable success with this show, and they have continued to refine it, now employing several different songs by “America’s familiar girl singer,” a native of Maysville, Kentucky, and a singer on radio station WLW before she rose to movie stardom. Robison calls her “an old friend who we can warmly embrace again.” Based on audience affection for this show, it could run beyond the listed closing date, since no further productions happen there until the fall. For more info/tickets visit cincyplay. com.

Three Cheers for Broadway in Cincinnati in 2020-2021 Broadway in Cincinnati recently announced its 2020-2021 season, one of the best in recent memory. Hamilton is coming back for four weeks in March 2021. The season features more musicals, as usual, but also a hit play, some classics and productions for families. Here’s the complete run-down: Pretty Woman: The Musical (Nov. 10-22): A 2018 adaptation of the 1990 movie that weaves a story of a starcrossed meeting between a sex worker and a disillusioned businessman. My Fair Lady (Dec. 1-13): The story of an arrogant linguistics professor who sets out to remake a Cockney flower seller into a refined lady. This 1956 classic was revived in 2018 and nominated

for 10 Tony Awards. Frozen (Jan. 6-24, 2021): This Disney animated blockbuster is a familyfriendly Broadway hit. Frozen is about Elsa and Anna, a pair of sisters who are princesses, with songs from the film and a dozen new numbers. The Band’s Visit (Feb. 9-14, 2021): The Best Musical of 2018 is the redemptive story of a band of Arab musicians lost in the desert who must spend the night in a remote Israeli settlement. One-week run. Hamilton (March 2-28, 2021): LinManuel Miranda’s revolutionary musical about Founding Father Alexander Hamilton has impacted culture, politics, and education. It won the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Four-week run. To Kill a Mockingbird (April 6-18, 2021): The 2018 adaptation of the 1961 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been a Broadway hit that’s still selling out performances there. Well-known actor Richard Thomas will star as Atticus Finch in the touring production. Hairspray (May 4-9, 2021): A new revival of this 2002 Tony Award winner about 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad, who yearns to dance on TV’s most popular show. One-week run. Ain’t Too Proud (May 25-June 6, 2021): Still a Broadway hit, “The Life and Times of the Temptations” portrays the iconic Motown group as it evolved from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. For more info and tickets, visit cincinnati.broadway.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

The bar and tasting room at Brain Brew P H O T O : K A I T LY N H A N D E L

DIY Distillery Newtown’s Brain Brew lets drinkers customize their own bottle of whiskey in about an hour, using science and taste-testing technology BY S E A N M . P E T E RS

rain Brew CEO Doug Hall says he doesn’t want you to buy his line of whiskey, which is now available at The Party Source. Believe me, you’ll want to — it’s some of the best whiskey I’ve had in years and sells for a fraction of top-shelf prices thanks to a new aging process he and his team developed called WoodCraft Finishing. Hall claims he doesn’t want you to buy what he’s made simply because he wants you to make your own blend at the Brain Brew distillery in Newtown. Brain Brew is an intriguing service and brand that allows you to customize your own whiskey to such a refined point that you’re likely to come home with a completely unique bottle. Make my own whiskey? I’m quite good at drinking it, but I’ve never made it myself; I’ve always left that to the experts. But Hall’s team came up with a process to blend whiskeys to your exact desired outcome. Hall’s not only a whiskey maker and inventor, he also enables the creative genius in us all, a task that’s in line with

his other venture at Eureka! Ranch (where the distillery is located), which provides research and development and innovation strategies for companies looking for a creative edge in the market. “Life is too short to not do stuff you love. I happen to love inventing, I love teaching people and I love whiskey,” he says. “Now, to be fair, this is a hobby that got out of control. If you’d have told me I’d have a million-case bottling plant on my front lawn, I’d tell you you’ve got to be out of your mind. But we do and we’re shipping it all over the world.” After a short drive to Newtown, I found myself at Brain Brew HQ, right next to Hall’s home. This rustic wooden ranch is the perfect destination for whiskey aficionados. Enter through the front door and you face a grand bar resplendent with a wall of whiskey bottles, their contents catching the light like an amber kaleidoscope. It’s a beautiful sight if you’ve got a thirst. A bust of Benjamin Franklin, Hall’s obvious hero

given his 40-year career as an inventor, sits at the end of the bar, a constant reminder of how far your creativity and work ethic can take you. Turns out Franklin made his own rye whiskey, too. Hall sat me down at the bar and began our interview with a history of whiskey’s role in America. Cincinnati was just as vital to whiskey’s national propagation as it was to beer preProhibition. Don’t let anyone tell you Cincinnati is just another Midwestern city — we hold a prominent role in the nation’s economic and cultural history, especially if you like to drink. Hall worked for Scottish distillery Macallan for 20 years on the innovation side of the business and really knows the intricacies of whiskey, specifically bourbon. Prior to barrel aging, whiskey is nothing like what we’re served at the bar. Around 70 percent of whiskey’s color, flavor and body comes from the barrel’s wood. (Sometimes that clear, unaged corn whiskey is referred to as “white dog” and it tastes a little bit like moonshine.) “Distilling is not where the magic is, that’s controlled by computer,” Hall says. “The magic is in knowing how to make it work with the wood — that’s the key to whiskey.” The new WoodCraft Finishing technique is why Brain Brew is able to offer award-winning whiskey at such a fair price. It cuts down on the aging process, producing the spirit in just 45 minutes

versus the traditional four to six (or many more) years. Yes, 45 minutes. Brain Brew sources its young bourbon, rye and grain whiskey — which has been aged in a barrel for a year or less — from a number of distillers in the region. Traditionally, this harsh, young whiskey develops its intricacies while aging in a wooden barrel. Shifting temperatures affect the process: warm weather allows the whiskey to seep more into the wood, while cold temperatures cause it to leech back out, infused with the barrel’s essence. WoodCraft Finishing is an all-natural process that uses science to control the wood and temperature in such a way that significantly expedites that. (Think of it kind of like an Instant Pot.) Instead of finishing the whiskey in a barrel and aging it in a rickhouse, WoodCraft places the wood directly into the whiskey and then mimics the seasons with technology. Hall has developed chambers that allow the spirit to reach the desired temperatures within a 10th of a degree. In addition to oak, WoodCraft also uses cherry, maple or chestnut — really any wood — according to the website, to expand its range of flavor and complexity. “WoodCraft changes the time continuum. It gives you a finish and a flavor; it doesn’t make it older, it just develops flavor and smoothness. It goes

MARCH 18-31, 2020

CONTINUES ON PAGE 29

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

THE DISH

Boombox Buns Walk-Up Opens Brick and Mortar in OTR BY SA M I ST E WA RT

Nathan Friday is the man behind Boombox Buns, Over-the-Rhine’s source for homemade Chinese-style steamed buns, also known as baozi or bao. Boombox is the first brand within Friday’s company, Together We Eat, and it likely won’t be the last. He made his debut as a restaurateur when he opened Boombox Buns for weekendonly, walk-up-window business on Woodward Street in an empty space behind The Takeaway Deli and Grocery in the fall of 2018. And in a few weeks, Boombox will reopen in a new, bigger space at 1400 Republic St. as a full-fledged, four-walled eatery. (They ceased window operations at the end of January to prep for the relocation.) Like the walk-up on Woodward, the Republic location — formerly home to Injoy Street Food — will also be carry-out only. There are only four seats, if you’re lucky enough to snag one, and drinks are self-serve. Expect the same in-and-out service you got on Woodward. As Friday puts it, “No (table)service, not my problem; no silverware, not my problem;” only this time, you don’t have to wait outside for your order. The space on Republic has been a long time coming. Friday dropped out of the culinary school at Sullivan University and it was for the better, he says. When he got serious about his dream to cook, he took to teaching himself and learning everything he needed to know to advance his career. Ten years in the industry and several restaurant gigs later, he’s fulfilled his dream of opening his own restaurant. Two years of weekend service and sticking to a very tight budget got him to where he is now. “What people don’t realize is that Boombox was an entire life change. I started a window-painting business to save money for the original window. I stopped spending money and I just saved,” he says. “I wanted to come up with $10,000 to invest and I got halfway. I started the window with $4,500.” The walk-up was neither a pop-up nor did it operate around normal business hours, opening 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday until the last bun went out the window. Prepping for a weekend-only restaurant with minimal space wasn’t ideal. After selling out on Friday night, Friday would go home and have a quick nap only to rise an hour later and begin prep for Saturday’s service. He worked out of the Incubator Kitchen Collective in Newport, which is a shared space with limited access to outlets and counterspace, so cranking out buns during the day just wasn’t practical. But version one of Boombox was a stepping-stone for version two. Like most folks who grew up in the 1990s, Friday has a particular fondness for Chinese takeout. Before he ventured to Cincinnati, he single-handedly ran the steamed bun and dumpling

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

The bun menu at the new Republic Street location will include the customer-favorite beef bun and sweet potato bun P H OTO : L AU R E N K R E M E R

station at Rook in Indianapolis, a contemporary Asian street food spot (he also did a stint as a sous chef at local OTR eatery Please). He said the restaurant opted to skip the prep process and used premade, frozen buns. Not many people make buns from scratch these days, Friday says. Any recipe dug up will likely be in Chinese and buns are time consuming and environmentally sensitive — they require a certain level of humidity during the proofing process, which is essential to their texture. A lot of people take the processed route because dough proofing sounds intimidating. In his quest to know more about homemade buns, he stumbled across a textbook about steamed breads, which is where he gained the know-how to start dabbling in baking science. Finding the balance and being able to produce a consistent product was integral. Friday says it took him about nine months to really lean into his bun recipe and fully understand what was happening at each stage of the process. “I have this curiosity about things and I learn everything I can about something until I understand it, and then I move on to something else,” he says. You can count on the beef and sweet potato buns from the walk-up being on the new menu. They were winners on Woodward. The beef bun is reminiscent of black pepper beef — spicy enough to keep you on your toes and umami enough to keep you coming back for

MARCH 18-31, 2020

Boombox Buns is the first restaurant in Nathan Friday’s company, Together We Eat P H O T O : L AU R E N K R E M E R

seconds. As for the vegetarian sweet potato bun, Friday says he nailed it on the first try. “Since the first time I tested it, it’s been the same. It was salty, sweet, crispy, crunchy; it’s exactly what I want.” And while the menu at the new spot won’t be as limited as it was on Woodward, it won’t exactly be extensive. Expect another veggie bun as well as a second meat-based choice and a fifth bun option that will change seasonally. Opening a restaurant has been on Friday’s mind for the past five years. In fact, it’s been part of the plan. Boombox is the first in a series of unforetold

future achievements. Since he learned about the big names like Eleven Madison Park and Alinea and the endless possibilities in the world of food, he’s wanted to venture into tasting menus and fine dining restaurants. For now, he’s created a brand that’s simple and wonderfully approachable with plenty of room to grow. “Boombox represents a time, a place; it represents me; it represents a whole culture of people,” he says. Boombox Buns, 1400 Republic St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook.com/ boomboxbuns.

THE DISH

Cincinnati Area Restaurants Offering Carry-Out, Delivery BY C IT Y B E AT STA F F

We put a call out on our website and social media asking restaurants to share with us their different carry-out, delivery and pick-up options going into effect after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear issued orders to close all bars and restaurants to the public to stem the spread of COVID-19. “We are literally at a crucial, crucial, crucial stage,” DeWine said in a press conference, emphasizing that the order was designed to save lives. That closure applies to dine-in situations only — you cannot sit and eat or drink in an establishment — but it does not ban carry-out service or delivery. “You can walk in, buy a donut, buy a coffee, that’s fine,” DeWine said. “But we can’t have people sitting and congregating. Carry-out is fine, delivery is fine. I have some idea of what this will do... there are small business owners this will hurt greatly.” Here are some (not all) restaurants offering various carry-out and delivery services (also, obviously, check delivery sites like Grubhub, DoorDash or Uber Eats, plus local 53T Courier). And check each restaurant’s hours on their social media or websites as they may have changed. This list is being updated all the time at citybeat.com. Aladdin’s Eatery — All three of the local Aladdin’s Eatery locations will be offering carry-out and curbside pick-up as well as DoorDash delivery. Find hours online. 1203 Main St., Over-the-Rhine; 3664 Edwards Road, Hyde Park; 9344 Union Centre Blvd., West Chester, aladdins.com. Branch/The Littlefield — The team behind Branch/Nightdrop in East Walnut Hills and The Littlefield/Second Place in Northside will be offering a to go and delivery menu which will include food, beer and wine. Delivery will cost $10 and $1 from every order will be donated to a local nonprofit food bank. Call Branch at 513-221-2702 to place an order. Orders will soon be available at The Littlefield by calling 513-386-7570. Branch, 1535 Madison Road, East Walnut Hills, eatatbranch.com; The Littlefield, 3934 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, littlefieldns.com. Camp Washington Chili — The Camp Washington chili joint will continue to serve via carry-out orders and their drive-thru window. 3005 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington, campwashingtonchili.com. Crown Republic Gastropub — Crown Republic Gastropub is offering DIY pasta dinners: with red sauce ($22), with bolognese ($25), kale or Caesar salad ($10), minestrone soup ($9) and pints of cookie dough ($8). The meals feed 2 to 4 people and can be preordered by calling 513246-4272. 720 Sycamore St., Downtown, crownrepublicgastropub.com. Django Western Taco — Northside’s Django will be adjusting their menu to offer meals for families and meals to enjoy throughout the week, available for both

carry-out and delivery. 4172 Hamilton Ave., Northside, djangonorthside.com. Empanadas Aquí — The restaurant, which just opened a few weeks ago in Mason, will be offering carry-out available to pick up through their drive-thru window. The menu is online and you can call 513701-9500 to place your order. 322 Reading Road, Mason, empanadasaqui.com. e+o New Asian/e+o Kitchen — e+o is offering curbside pick-up and delivery, depending on your location — for both the Hyde Park e+o and downtown e+o. Call to place an order: e+o New Asian at 513632-9181 or e+o Kitchen in Hyde Park at 513-832-1023. e+o New Asian, 645 Walnut St., Downtown, eonewasian.com; e+o Kitchen, 3520 Edwards Road, Hyde Park, eokitchen.com. Fibonacci Brewing Co. — The brewery says on their Facebook page, “We will be open 7 days a week from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. for online orders for drive thru, carry-out, and delivery. We will be servicing ALL of Hamilton County and 45014 in Butler County.” 1445 Compton Road, Mount Healthy, fibbrew.com. Golden Lamb — Lebanon’s historic Golden Lamb is offering curbside pick-up and delivery from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. “We are featuring our regular All-Day Dining Menu with 20% off all bottled wine from our wine list and $8 four packs of Black Horse Tavern Lager,” says the restaurant in an email. 27 S. Broadway St., Lebanon, goldenlamb.com. Gomez Salsa Cantina — Gomez will be offering carry-out and online/app orders and is planning to put together family taco night packages; details on those coming soon. 2437 Gilbert Ave., Walnut Hills, facebook.com/gomezwalnut. Green Papaya — Hyde Park’s Green papaya says it will begin offering a delivery option for customers within a 5-mile radius. Call 513-731-0107 to place an order. 2942 Wasson Road, Hyde Park, greenpapayacincinnati.com. The Gruff — The Gruff in Covington is offering a full-service drive-thru window during regular business hours as well as DoorDash and local 53T Courier delivery. Call 859-581-0040. 129 E. Second St., Covington, atthegruff.com. HighGrain Brewing — This Silverton brewery and restaurant is open for carryout and call-ahead orders via 513-7917000. They are also offering crowler and Joey & Heaven’s Acer four-packs delivery. 6860 Plainfield Road, Silverton, highgrainbrewing.com. Jag’s Steak & Seafood — This West Chester eatery says it will be transitioning to curbside pick-up. Call 513-860-5353 to order from a special curbside menu and then drive to the valet station to pick it up. 5980 West Chester Road, West Chester, jags.com. Jeff Ruby’s Steakhouse — The downtown steakhouse is now offering curbside

pick-up. Orders can be made online and can be picked up at the restaurant’s valet stand. 700 Walnut St., Downtown, jeffruby. com. Jim and Jack’s on the River — Jim and Jack’s is offering delivery, carry-out and curbside pick-up from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily. Place an order by calling 513-2517977. 3456 River Road, Delhi, jimandjacks.net. Joe’s Pizza Napoli — Joe’s Pizza Napoli will be open for carry-out, offering woodfired pizzas, salads, appetizers, wine, beer and sodas. Place your order at 513-2480082. 507 Chamber Drive, Milford, joespizzanapoli.com. Karrikin Spirits Company — Karrikin will offer both carry-out and delivery for their food menu, spirits, sparkling spirits and craft beer. They will also be giving away housemade sanitizer with each order (and selling it, with proceeds benefitting restaurant industry folks). Place your order at 513-561-5000. 3717 Jonlen Drive, Fairfax, karrikinspirits.com. Kinneret Grill — This Kosher meat and Mediterranean restaurant is offering daily curbside pick-up as well as delivery via DoorDash and Grubhub. They are also creating family meal specials. 4068 E. Galbraith Road, Deer Park, kinneretgrill.com. MadTree/Catch-A-Fire Pizza — MadTree’s taproom is temporarily closed, but carry-out beer will be available as well as pizza from Catch-A-Fire Pizza. Orders can be made online and will be available from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. daily. 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, catchafirepizza.alohaorderonline.com. The Original Pancake House — Michael Schnee, owner of The Original Pancake House in Montgomery, says “We are implementing Curbside Carryout and local delivery beginning immediately.” New menu additions will also be added this week. 9977 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, originalpancakehouse.com. Pho Lang Thang — The Vietnamese favorite will be open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily for carry-out and delivery. Pho Lang Thang also says it has increased its menu offerings. You can order online or by calling 513-376-9177. 1828 Race St., Over-theRhine, pholangthang.com. The Pickled Pig — Their full menu is available for carry-out. 645 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, smokedandpickled.com. Red Rose Jems — Red Rose Jems in College Hill will offer carry-out and delivery. Call 513-620-7673 to place an order. 5915 Hamilton Ave., College Hill, redrosecollegehill.com. The Rhined/Oakley Wines — The Rhined and Oakley Wines are consolidating into one shop at The Rhined in Findlay Market. An online shop will be going live and all inventory will be available for curbside pick-up and delivery (at The Rhined). 1737 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, therhined.com. Saigon Noodle Bar — Saigon Noodle

Bar will offer carry-out and delivery as well through DoorDash and Grubhub. Taylor Le of the noodle bar says, “We will now also have curbside pick-up available.” 9220 Allen Road, West Chester, facebook.com/ saigonnoodlebarcincinnati. Share: Cheesebar — Share will be open 4-8 p.m. for carryout through Thursday, with weekend hours TBD. Call 513-3513063 to order. Share owner Emily Frank says, “Share: Cheesebar went to carry-out Saturday…have no fear, you can still get the cheesy goodness!!” 6105 Ridge Ave., Pleasant Ridge, sharecheesebar.com. Silver Spring House — This cult-favorite chicken eatery will be open for carry-out, catering and gift cards. Please call 513489-7044. Curbside carry-out is also available. 8322 E. Kemper Road, Hazelwood, thesilverspringhouse.com. Streetside Brewery — On its social media, Streetside says, “Streetside Brewery will remain open daily from 3-8 p.m. for carry-out orders. We will offer a drive-through option with details coming.” Street Chef Brigade will remain open daily. 4003 Eastern Ave., Columbia Tusculum, facebook.com/streetsidebrewery. Strong’s Brick Oven Pizzeria — All Strong’s locations will be open for carry-out and delivery. 336 Monmouth St., Newport; 1990d Northbend Road, Hebron; 1 E. High St., Lawrenceburg; 8794 Reading Road, Reading, strongsbrickovenpizza.com. Sugar n’ Spice Diner — The restaurant is taking carry-out orders with the option of curbside pick-up. They are also working on adding an online ordering system. 4381 Reading Road, Paddock Hills, facebook. com/eatsugarnspice. Taglio — Taglio will be open normal hours for carry-out and delivery. “We will be implementing new carry out and delivery procedures to ensure a contact free transaction for our staff and customers,” they say. Order the Detroit-style pizza and alcohol online or via their app. 3531 Columbia Parkway, Columbia Tusculum; 56 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, eattaglio.com. Unataza Coffee — The Northern Kentucky coffee shop will be offering their full menu via curbside pick-up or carry-out from their shop. To place an order, call 859261-8292. They will soon offer delivery via Grubhub. 620 Sixth Ave., Dayton, Kentucky, facebook.com/unataza.coffee. Via Vite — Offering curbside carry-out daily. They are also creating a special half-pan of their five-layer lasagna for $60. 520 Vine St., Downtown, viaviterestaurant.com. Werkhaus Pizza — This pizza joint will be open for carry-out and delivery (including wine and beer) during normal hours. Call 513-451-9911. 3637 Werk Road, Cheviot, werkhauspizza.com. Yat Ka Mein Noodle House — This Chinese and noodle-fusion joint is offering pick-up through its drive-thru window plus local delivery. Call 513-321-2028. 2974 Madison Road, Oakley, yatkamein.biz.

MARCH 18-31, 2020

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FROM PAGE 25

from harsh to smooth,” Hall says. When you go to create your own whiskey, six samples of Brain Brew’s different whiskey varieties will be laid out in front of you. Their flavors run the gamut in terms of smoothness and flavor: sweet, smoky, spicy, lots of notes to consider, but well explained. Even though I was given a lot of inforBrain Brew CEO Doug Hall (right) and Global Head of mation, it was never Operations Joe Girgash overwhelming. P H O T O : K A I T LY N H A N D E L Brain Brew has also made a program on Brain Brew is expanding and has a touch-screen tablet that asks you opened a custom blending house in simple questions about your whiskey Windsor & Eton Brewery in the U.K. to preferences. I was asked questions like share Hall’s spirit of invention with a if I like sweet or spicy more, if I like a whole new market of whiskey lovers. quick finish or a lingering taste. Do I To know that Cincinnati still serves like my whiskey neat, on the rocks or as an important global influence in in a cocktail? After a few short minutes something as important as whiskey? it determined what my ideal whiskey That goes down nicely. And the line of would be based on the data it gathered. whiskeys on retail shelves? Definitely Hall then mixes a glass of whiskey using worth purchasing, even if Hall would the proper ratios with a small ladle technically rather you stop in to make he invented. You can order a bottle of your own. Visit Brain Brew’s website your custom whiskey for $45, using the to learn about scheduling your own recipe determined by the program. whiskey-making session. “We define an innovation as ‘meanBrain Brew Distillery, 3849 ingfully unique’: meaningful, as it Edwards Road, Newtown, makes a difference and unique that it’s brainbrewwhiskey.com. never been done before,” Hall says.

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MUSIC

Bob Mould P H OTO : A L I C I A J. RO S E

Sunshine State of Mind After two albums about loss, Alternative Rock legend Bob Mould tries optimism on for size on his latest album, Sunshine Rock I N T E RV I E W BY JAS O N GA R GA N O

inger, songwriter and singular guitarist Bob Mould needs little introduction. The upstate New York native has been making music for four decades. He began with the influential 1980s Minneapolis Punk/ Indie Rock trio Hüsker Dü, then enjoyed a fruitful two-album run in the early ’90s with Sugar. As a solo artist, he has released a string of fuzzed-out Rock & Roll records driven by visceral guitar riffage and a jaundiced worldview often critical of conventional culture. Now 59, Mould shows no signs of slowing down, capping an especially strong quartet of recent records — all backed by the stellar rhythm section of bassist Jason Narducy and drummer Jon Wurster — with 2019’s Sunshine Rock, as varied, urgent and (somewhat surprisingly) upbeat as any effort in

Mould’s long discography. CityBeat recently connected with Mould, who currently splits time between homes in San Francisco and Berlin, Germany, to discuss everything from the nexus of Sunshine Rock to the importance of playing live. CityBeat: I read that you wrote the new record almost entirely in Berlin. What impact did that have on the process and the final result? Bob Mould: I feel like I’m free floating at times when I’m there because I don’t understand everything that’s happening around me. I don’t speak the language. It was funny, I felt like I was completely in observation mode. Obviously, I have a lot of friends there and it’s a good life and (I’m) participating in a lot of things, but still it’s almost

childlike because I’m just not processing everything that is happening around me with a critical eye. Living in that kind of state of being was pretty curious. I hope that it shows up in the work. I think the work is a lot more optimistic than the two records prior: Patch the Sky and Beauty & Ruin were both records about loss, and I did not want to write that record again. So being in Berlin, having these naïve experiences and this simple life, combining all that with trying to consciously have an optimistic outlook and write optimistic songs as best I could, that was the vista I had in front of me. CB: You’ve also talked about how the music of your youth, stuff like early Beach Boys and Beatles singles, influenced Sunshine Rock. Why were you drawn to that particular period for inspiration this time? BM: I often go back to that point in time when I’m stuck on an idea because when I listen to that era of music it’s so rich in melody and it’s so simplistic. I mean, America was so different then and Pop music was so different then. Sometimes in a world where I feel like I have the heavy weight of information

and technology and immediacy and convenience, when all of that weighs me down, even if it’s 30 minutes with my stupid little record player and those stupid singles, it can really lift all of that away. It’s like going into a different world, and sometimes that’s the answer for why I’m stuck on something. I can sort of un-stick it really quickly. Music is great for that. CB: You’ve been playing with Jason (Narducy) and Jon (Wurster) for almost as long as you were in Hüsker Dü. How have they impacted what you do? BM: Jason and Jon are very familiar with my entire songbook and the three of us share a lot of similar favorite musicians and albums. We have a pretty big shared vocabulary around this one specific style of music. When you have that with people, and you don’t have to be in a band with them every day for seven years straight, that’s the best of all possible worlds. We’re like the tightest band that never rehearses. We love hanging out but we don’t have to do it every day for seven years with no money, so it cuts down on all that

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CONTINUES ON PAGE 33

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SPILL IT

Cincinnati ElectroPop Band Passeport Releases Debut EP BY M I K E B R E E N

Note: In light of Ohio and Kentucky mandates to close bars and restaurants amid coronavirus concerns, all in-person live music events have been postponed or canceled. The local releases mentioned below are still out or coming out, but the associated release parties will not happen as scheduled. If you were placing bets on the next band out of Cincinnati headed toward breakout national success, you’d be wise to put some money on Passeport. Though the local ElectroPop foursome only released their first official singles last year, Passeport’s fully realized sound is the result of six years’ worth of experience and development together. Synth player Brian Davis, guitarist Benjamin Hines and singer Mia Carruthers — along with original drummer Sebastien Schultz (ex-Bad Veins) — formed the band after their previous project, Multimagic, ground to a halt in 2016 due to frontman Coran Stetter’s health issues (Stetter has since rebuilt the band with new members). In 2017, Passeport made a fairly high-profile recorded debut on a track collaborating with producer/DJ NGHTMRE; the song “On the Run” was the lead-off song on his NGHTMRE, Pt. II EP, which came out on Mad Decent, the label founded by Diplo. Schultz left the band shortly after to join Scottish Indie Rock group The Twilight Sad. Tony Kuchma (Gold Shoes, Lightwash) is Passeport’s current drummer. Last year, in association with the label Modern Outsider, Passeport released a pair of singles — “Bengal Light” and “Blood,” a track that was initially shared in 2017 with an accompanying music video that was nominated for a 2018 Cincinnati Entertainment Award (the group was also up for New Artist and Electronic awards at that year’s CEAs). Both of those tracks are featured on Passeport’s debut EP, the five-song Aren’t We All, which came out in late February. The EP’s songs are pulsing, lush and evocative, slathered in a warm glaze of ethereal electronics and guitar textures, with Carruthers’ magnetic voice and melodies punching through the haze. Fans of the band’s avowed influences — like M83, Hot Chip and CHVRCHES — will find lots to love in Passeport, who bring to mind a wide range of other ElectroPop heroes, from the Eurythmics (“The Holler”) to Angel Olsen (“Words”), while retaining their own distinct and entrancing mystique and aura. Passeport’s release party scheduled for Friday, March 20 at Over-theRhine’s Woodward Theater is being rescheduled. Visit passeportmusic.com for updates.

Submissions Open for 2020 Tiny Desk Contest Now that you likely have a little more indoor time on your hands: NPR

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Music’s Tiny Desk Contest is now taking submissions for its 2020 competition. The annual contest (now in its sixth year) is an offshoot of NPR’s popular Tiny Desk Concert series, for which an eclectic array of artists perform intimate sets in the network’s offices for their long-running video series. For the contest, unsigned musical acts from across the country submit videos and the chosen winner (picked by a committee of artists and music professionals) gets their own Tiny Desk Concert, a sponsored national tour and a considerable career boost from all of the exposure. The winners of the contest Passeport over the past P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY PA S S E P O R T five years have experienced More Local Notes major success • Roots ensemble Harlot & the Hounds after their victories. The first year’s Tiny are gearing up to release their debut Desk Contest winner, Fantastic Negrito, album, Fireflies. The band grew out of has won multiple Grammys, while the Harlot, singer/guitarist Molly Morris 2018 winner, Naia Izumi, toured with and singer/banjo player Ellie Mae The Lone Bellow and earned a record Mitchell’s Americana duo project deal with Sony Masterworks. Last year’s in which they first showcased their Tiny Desk winner was Alaskan singer/ remarkable vocal harmonies. Fleshing songwriter Quinn Christopherson, who out the project, The Hounds are flutist toured North America in 2019 with Gwyneth Ravenscraft and trumpet Indie fave Lucy Dacus and also did player Gregory Morris, plus Derek shows with Courtney Barnett (includGartiez and Mason Denver-Thomas, ing at Covington’s Madison Theater). percussionists who give the band Artists can submit their videos up its rhythms on an array of unique until 11:59 p.m. on March 30. The instruments, including washboards, tin contest is open to unsigned acts from cans and djembes. the United States whose members Harlot & the Hounds were are 18 or older. The video must be slated to host an album release specifically made for the contest and, party on Friday, March 27 at the of course, feature a desk. The single Southgate House Revival in Newport. song performed in the video must be Visit southgatehouse.com for an original composition and feature no rescheduling updates. More info: samples of other works. harlotandthehounds.com. Even if you’re just a casual hobbyist, • Veteran Cincinnati music promoter there are no experience requirements, and Blues/R&B singer/saxophonist so why not grab your phone, find a desk Leroy Ellington and his band Sacred and sing a song if you’re stuck in the Hearts are releasing a new live album, house for a while? You never know… the follow-up to last year’s studio effort More info: tinydeskcontest.npr.org.

MARCH 18-31, 2020

Sanctified. Live and Kickin’ It will be released March 20 through the new Blues label Infiniti Group Records. Musicians featured alongside Ellington on the album include longtime local greats like Marcos Sastre, Charlie Fletcher and Max Gise. Recorded over two 2019 nights, Live and Kickin’ It includes original tracks like “Heaven Don’t Want Me” and “I Wanna Tickle Your Fancy,” plus covers of John Mayer’s “Gravity,” Robert Cray’s “The Forecast Calls for Pain” and “Why Me?” by Delbert McClinton. Ellington calls McClinton “one of my idols,” and he’s opened for the legendary Blues/Roots rocker in the past. He was to join McClinton again Friday, March 20 to help celebrate the new album’s release, but the McClinton concert at the Ludlow Garage in Clifton (which at press time was close to selling out) has been rescheduled for Oct. 2. Visit ludlowgaragecincinnati.com for show details. More info: leroysacredhearts.com. Contact Mike Breen: mbreen@citybeat.com

FROM PAGE 31

friction that eventually happens when you are in that other situation. CB: The other constant over that period is your collaboration with Merge Records. How has that relationship evolved over the years? BM: It’s a great relationship. I get the freedom to make the records that I want to make. I get to present them to the world the way that I’d like people to see them and hear them. Merge being an independent label is more comfortable than working with bigger labels. I had my time at Warner Bros. I had my time a Virgin. Both labels were great to me and did everything that they could but I don’t know if I’m a corporate guy. I look to Merge to see how we can best fit my difficult reputation as being stubborn and independent and contrary, how we can fit that in the current landscape? It’s a really crowded field. It’s a difficult field. The people who hold the master keys to the biosphere are not the same ones that I remember in 1985. CB: What can we expect from your current solo electric tour? Will you be playing mostly new stuff? BM: I try to keep a decent balance of what I call the “hits” mixed with the current stuff from the last decade, which are the songs that are still really exciting for me to play. In January, I was trying out a lot of new stuff, five songs maybe. It’s a little hotter in content than

the last four records. It’s a little more pointed. It’s a little more current. It’s maybe a little more political, so that’s in the mix, too. The Hüsker stuff is always fun and I know people love to hear those songs, so I’m happy to play a handful of those. It’s a pretty good set. People loved those January shows. That was one of the most fun runs of dates that I’ve done ages. People were just really receptive. There were also moments of talking about the world as it is right now and sort of trying to take the temperature of the room and see if everybody’s going to go vote, because they have to. It’s not really an option at this point. You have to do it. CB: You’ve talked about the importance of touring and building community, which you’ve been doing pretty much your entire career. Why is playing live so important to you? BM: In a year like 2020, it’s imperative that we build community, because if we don’t, we will have no communities left. It’s the communal aspect of people getting together in a room to have this shared experience where everybody is there because they love live music. There’s nothing like live music. That’s what we all live for. Bob Mould’s “solo electric” show at 20th Century Theater on Sunday, March 22 has been postponed. Show/ticket info: the20thcenturytheater.com.

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