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THE JAPANESE HOUSE

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NEWS

After the Stadium, Starting Over Monica Williams looks to build Just Cookin’ anew as the soul food restaurant relocates to Bond Hill after moving for the coming soccer stadium in the West End

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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onica Williams is standing in the warm light streaming through the blinds of her bittersweet future — an empty restaurant she is trying to figure out how to fill with food and people.

As she does, she’ll carry on multiple traditions.

It’s been a long ride since Williams’ soul food restaurant had to relocate due to the coming FC Cincinnati soccer stadium in the West End, but Just Cookin’ looks to have found a new home.

Williams recently purchased a building in Bond Hill at 1142 California Ave., near the intersection with Paddock Road formerly occupied by long-standing soul food caterer Roper’s.

The Roper family operated restaurant, catering or pick-up food service from that location for almost two decades, Bond Hill Community Council President Vickie Jackson says.

Bond Hill feels welcoming, but Williams says the move from the West End is “bittersweet.”

“They need representation like me in the West End,” she says. “I’m going to be honest. I’m a West End native. People there need something different — they need to see people making money in a positive way.”

Despite that, Williams says she’s looking forward to building a new customer base — and community — in the neighborhood.

She says she’s aiming for a Jan. 1 opening date. Unlike her previous location, which was carryout only, there is a small space for seating in the Bond Hill spot.

“I’m going to make a lot of family around here,” Williams says of Bond Hill. “I think I’m going to do good here. I hope so. I’m ready to get back into the kitchen. I felt like I was shut out for a minute. But now I’m back, and I love it.”

Until last year, Just Cookin’ was serving more than 100 customers a day from her

Monica Williams in Bond Hill PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

location on the south side of the State Theater on West 15th St. in the West End. But that building stood in the footprint of the coming 26,000-seat Major League Soccer stadium and was demolished early this year.

Williams grew up in the neighborhood’s Lincoln Court, a Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority project, but moved to Westwood after a program called Hope VI was launched in 1999 and resulted in the apartment complex’s removal. Years later, she returned to live in a townhouse in City West, the mixed-income development built as part of the Hope VI project.

Fueled by her love for the neighborhood, Williams started Just Cookin’ seven years ago. At first, she did her favorites — lasagna, hot wings, salads. Those didn’t take off as she wanted them to, but the neighborhood spoke and, as she says, designed the menu for her.

Just Cookin’ was a family affair: Williams’ grandmother, Ossie Mae Stewart, worked at the West End location, as did Williams’ mother, father, niece and nephew. Some of the crew will return to

the location in Bond Hill — though others have found cooking jobs in some popular Over-the-Rhine eateries.

Williams credits Stewart, her other grandmother Lula Watson, her mother and aunts with teaching her how to cook, especially when it comes to Southern favorites like yams and greens. It’s that down-home spirit that she says she’d like to bring back in Bond Hill.

Stewart came to Cincinnati in her early 20s from Troy, Alabama, and Watson came from Little Rock, Arkansas. Stewart’s mother died young, and the tasks of supporting her brothers and sisters fell to her — including the cooking. She got a job at Lazarus downtown, where she sharpened her skills in the department store’s cafeteria kitchen.

“That’s where all this food originated from — Troy, Alabama,” Williams said last year. “My food doesn’t compare to her cooking. I’ve got it a little bit, but I can’t touch her.”

Williams, FC Cincinnati, the City of Cincinnati and The Port went back and forth on the best solution for Just Cookin’.

At first, that seemed like a relocation to another spot in the West End. But prices were prohibitive there, Williams says, and she yearned to get back in the kitchen.

Initially, FC Cincinnati offered Williams $20,000 for the relocation of her business.

Now, she’s getting $250,000 in help altogether from the city, the Port and the team. The Hamilton County Auditor’s site shows she paid $85,000 for the building, leaving some money for renovations, marketing and other expenses related to the relocation.

That’s security, she says — before, she rented her space in the West End. “She could have never re-established her business for $20,000,” supporter Brian Garry says.

She’ll also get use of a food truck until her new location opens up thanks to a proposal by Cincinnati City Councilman Greg Landsman and help from the Port.

That food truck will be stationary and likely located at Wade Street and Central Avenue in the West End. Williams would like to be able to use that truck for two years, but that CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

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CITY DESK

Port Releases Finalized West End Housing Study

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

Cincinnati’s The Port has released a finalized version of a long-awaited housing study for the West End as the neighborhood prepares for FC Cincinnati’s coming 26,000-seat West End Major League Soccer stadium.

CityBeat reported on takeaways from the study by APD Urban Planning and Management last month. Among them: some 44 percent of residents in the West End are at significant risk of displacement, researchers suggest.

The report, which uses Census data, a parcel-by-parcel survey of the neighborhood’s housing stock and a separate qualitative data gathering effort by Design Impact, shows that more than a quarter of the West End’s 6,650 residents are “extremely threatened” by the prospect of displacement due to low or fixed incomes.

Another 17 percent are significantly threatened, though to a lesser degree.

According to surveys, more than 60 percent of residents in the West End have been there more than six years and 80 percent of residents want to stay there.

“Overall, this new study shows that, if the West End is going to retain its cultural legacy as a thriving center of economic and ethnic diversity, there is clear need to keep people involved and continued community engagement, and that requires all stake-holders at the table,” Seven Hills Neighborhood Housing Executive Director Alexis Kidd-Zaffer said. “That intentional outreach to residents will go a long way in making sure all are engaged in the work ahead.”

Roughly 87 percent of the

neighborhood’s residents are renters, Census data reveals. Subsidized housing — either in the form of housing projects or landlords accepting housing choice vouchers — makes up about 1,700 units of the community’s housing, making its residents somewhat less vulnerable to displacement than market-rate housing.

APD’s finished study provides nine recommendations. Among them: build housing for those making between zero and 30 percent of area median income (about $18,000 a year) and those making more than $50,000 a year. The study also suggests which parts of the neighborhood could best handle new development.

APD assessed vacant parcels in the West End and found four areas with lots of land in which new development could occur with minimal direct displacement.

If those developments included affordable housing, that could help existing residents struggling to find or keep homes in the neighborhood.

“We got a lot of information from Design Impact, we got existing conditions data, we used Census data,” APD Chief Operations Officer Bridget Wiles said at an Aug. 21 presentation for residents about the report.

“We took all that data and came up with actual areas where you could price-appropriate housing that would result in the least amount of displacement possible. We think that’s going to be very valuable, and once we move into implementation, those things are going to be very important.”

The Port is also stressing the need for higher-income housing development to soak up demand from families making

more than area median income.

“The West End Housing Study findings underscore the concerns in the West End, which include an urgency to protect low- and moderate-income residents from displacement; stabilize existing housing; proactively create opportunity for economic mobility; and attract new capital investment and financing sources into the neighborhood from missionaligned community finance institutions and developers,” Port Executive Director Laura Brunner said in a statement. “At The Port, we’ve been putting these principles to work in neighborhoods like Evanston and Bond Hill and have already initiated similar efforts to address these concerns in the West End.” Among efforts the Port is making currently: • Stabilization of six single-family homes for sale as market-rate housing • Renovation with Seven Hills of four buildings providing 18 units of housing affordable to families making less than $65,000 a year • Working to gather enough property to allow Seven Hills to undertake a LowIncome Housing Tax Credits project that would create up to 50 units of affordable housing for those making $40,000 or less a year.

In the meantime, Seven Hills is working to mitigate immediate needs from residents, including providing an eviction prevention program and a fund for home rehabilitation for those facing building code issues.

Cincinnati City Council Approves First Steps in Streetcar ‘Divorce’

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L On Sept. 18, Cincinnati City Council approved an ordinance that will begin the process of transitioning the streetcar from the control of the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority to the city.

“The project needs to be reorganized,” Landsman said.

Pastor, along with Chris Seelbach and Tamaya Dennard, voted against the ordinance.

Seelbach said he opposed the ordinance due to the political subtext for the divorce: a

Seelbach said council should be making decisions based on what will work best, not what will win over voters deciding on a separate matter.

More votes will be necessary to complete the split from SORTA, and the transition is expected to cost more than $536,000 overall — a large chunk of the streetcar’s remaining $822,000 surplus.

You’ll get a say on the proposal made

by Hamilton County administration to help balance the county’s strained $276 million budget.

The county could be as much as $20 million short next year without the extended tax, which would keep the county’s overall sales tax rate at 7 percent.

The so-called “icon tax” is set to expire in April next year. Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto says extending the tax would raise $60 million through 2021. Continued collection of the tax would be sufficient to close the upcoming funding gap, Aluotto says.

The county has struggled with increasing costs and a sales-taxrevenue-sapping deal for Cincinnati’s two riverfront stadiums, as well as dwindling revenues from the state’s local government fund. Hamilton County lost $66 million in state funding between 2011 and 2017, Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes has said.

A move last year to boost the county’s sales tax by .2 percent met with strong resistance from conservatives, who mounted a petition drive to repeal the hike.

County commissioners rescinded the proposed increase.

Tax opponents would need roughly 23,000 signatures to get a tax repeal referendum on the ballot this time around.

Hamilton County’s three Democratic commission members must vote to approve the tax extension.

Before they do that, however, they’re asking for public input. They’ll hold three public hearings at the dates and times below: • Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m at the Sharonville Convention Center, 11355 Chester Road • Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Silverton Town Hall, 6943 Montgomery Road • Thursday, Oct. 10 at 1:15 p.m. at the Hamilton County Administration Building, 138 E. Court St., Room 605 in downtown Cincinnati

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

“I voted No to this appropriations ordinance because I believe the taxpayers would be best served if a nonprofit board and a true CEO managed the city-owned streetcar,” Pastor tweeted. “We should learn from @kcstreetcar.

The streetcar should not be managed out of City Hall permanently.”

countywide sales tax levy ask SORTA’s board is expected to approve this month. Distancing the bus service from the politically contentious streetcar is seen by some elected officials, members of the business community and others as a necessity to win over county voters.

Should a .25 percent sales tax voters approved in 2014 to shore up Cincinnati landmark Union Terminal continue so that Hamilton County can make ends meet?

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The ordinance also contains a clause directing city administration to study the possibility of a nonprofit entity managing the streetcar in the future — an idea floated by council member Jeff Pastor.

Streetcars in Portland and Kansas City are managed by separate nonprofits, but some

council members and Mayor John Cranley have expressed skepticism about the benefits of such an arrangement in Cincinnati.

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

The ordinance, introduced by council member Greg Landsman, allows the city to create a new position called Chief Safety Officer of Streetcar Services at a cost of $100,000 from the streetcar fund’s surplus. It also approves another $230,000 from that surplus to go to outside legal counsel for the streetcar and authorizes Cincinnati City Manager Patrick Duhaney to “do all things necessary” to transition management from SORTA to the city.

Currently, the city contracts SORTA to manage the streetcar, which pays a private company called Transdev to oversee daily operations.

That’s led to assertions by council members like Landsman that the transit system’s organization structure is too complicated for real accountability.

Where and When You Can Weigh in on a Proposed County Sales Tax Measure

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CITY DESK

Attorney Files Ohio Supreme Court Complaint Against Prosecutors

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

A Cincinnati attorney who says she was raped by a former pro-bono client more than seven years ago filed an ethics complaint with the Ohio Supreme Court earlier this month accusing a local prosecutor of not taking her allegations seriously.

Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters’ office was originally handling the case but named Butler County Prosecutor Michael Gmoser’s office special prosecutor on the matter in May. Attorney Jennifer Kinsley says both have dropped the ball on the case. Both Deters and Gmoser strongly dispute that, however.

Deters says two female prosecutors working on Kinsley’s case found that it wasn’t strong, while Gmoser told The Cincinnati Enquirer that Kinsley “has a perceptual defect,” and “doesn’t know her ass from a hole in the ground.” Both stand by their offices’ treatment of the case and say no final decisions have been made about plea deals.

Kinsley is seeking to get Gmoser’s office removed from her case.

She says activist Aaron Roco raped her in April 2012 after inviting her over to his house for dinner, ostensibly to thank her for winning a First Amendment case related to Roco’s activism with Occupy Cincinnati in 2011. While at his house, Kinsley says in her complaint that the two drank wine and kissed, but that Roco then “forced Kinsley to have sex with him in vulgar and disgusting ways,” slammed her into a wall, pinned her down, strangled her and covered her mouth.

According to Kinsley, Roco then blocked her from leaving his house until the next morning. Kinsley says she went immediately to University of Cincinnati Hospital

after leaving his house and says medical examinations performed there support her story.

Roco has denied the allegations. He faces similar allegations from another woman, according to Kinsley’s filing, and was recently convicted on a separate domestic violence charge for punching a former girlfriend.

Kinsley waited until 2018 to press charges against Roco, she says mostly she did not want to damage her career as a criminal defense attorney. A job as a professor at Northern Kentucky University’s Chase School of Law made her feel able to pursue the allegations. A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Roco in January this year.

Deters says Kinsley should not have socialized with Roco in the first place.

“She decided to celebrate with her client, to fraternize with her client,” Deters told Bill Cunningham on Cunningham’s 700WLW radio show Sept. 16. “She said she had voluntarily consented to making out with him, brought a bottle of wine and things of that nature. She reported it to law enforcement seven years later. Now, I’m going to be the last person to criticize someone for failure to report right away. It happens. My problem is, as an officer of the court, you shouldn’t be fraternizing with your clients.”

Kinsley sparred with Deters publicly on Twitter this spring about an unrelated matter and disagreed with a proposal from prosecutors that would have had Roco pleading to the lesser charge of sexual battery and facing six months in jail, with a requirement that he register as a sex offender. Kinsley wanted a jury trial, even

writing Hamilton County Judge Patrick Dinkelacker a letter urging him to reject the plea deal.

That letter was “unethical,” Deters says.

Dinkelacker then removed himself from the case.

Citing those factors, Deters turned the case over to Gmoser’s office as a special prosecutor.

“Hamilton County Prosecutor Joseph (‘Joe’) Deters has abdicated his statutory obligation to prosecute a dangerous man currently under indictment for multiple counts of rape and has instead outsourced his duties to the Butler County Prosecutor without following the required procedures for the appointment of special prosecutors,” Kinsley wrote in her complaint. “The Butler County Prosecutor has in turn assumed prosecutorial authority over a case which was indicted and charged in Hamilton County without judicial appointment.”

Kinsley has also dinged Deters for a $2,500 campaign contribution he received earlier this year from Roco’s attorney, supporter R. Scott Croswell.

“Both prosecutors have agreed to an unprecedented plea bargain with an indicted rapist that ironically coincided with a major campaign contribution from defense counsel,” Kinsley wrote in her complaint.

Deters and Croswell both deny politics and the contribution played any role in the plea deal.

“She’s got some issues, I’ll tell you that, pal,” Deters told Cunningham. “She clearly doesn’t know much.”

A hearing regarding the ethics complaint is scheduled for Oct. 4.

Have a Low-Level Marijuana Conviction in Cincinnati? New Ordinance Could Help

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

“People are going to be shocked by a lawyer proactively calling them about expunging their records,” Smitherman

The city manager would be responsible for identifying and notifying those who have been convicted of non-violent, lowlevel marijuana charges and would oversee the hiring of third-party attorneys to represent them. The city manager would also report to council about the program’s progress after the first year and every two years after that.

“What we’re doing here is facilitating our citizens who have these convictions to have access to the judicial system,” Mann said. “In the end, the judge decides whether a conviction will be expunged.

The prosecutor’s office will get an opportunity to weigh in, the probation department will get a chance to weigh in... Somebody who has been convicted of an offense involving a small quantity of marijuana shouldn’t have to carry this stain the rest of their life and have difficulties with employment and who knows what else.”

Smitherman said it wasn’t clear what the CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

According to a complaint filed in U.S. District Court in June, Savard approached an unnamed CPD sergeant pursuing a promotion to lieutenant with an offer: if the sergeant paid Savard $5,000, he would retire before the end of the month. That, in turn, would open up the lieutenant position.

CPD promotes based on a list that is compiled from scores on a civil service test. That list was set to expire at the end of this month, meaning the sergeant in question would have had to take the test over again and may not have ended up in the same position on the list.

Federal law stipulates that it is a crime to receive $5,000 or more in exchange for affecting the outcome of a public hiring process for an agency that receives more than $10,000 in federal funding.

Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Special Agent in Charge William Cheung revealed the charges at a news conference in June.

“If you think about it, if you have somebody who was out there selling a position, if you would pay a certain amount of money to someone from the Cincinnati Police who would guarantee you a certain position, I don’t think anyone would question that that is misconduct,” Glassman said at the news conference. “Savard was, in essence, shaking down a sergeant for cash in order to guarantee him a promotion to a higher rank.”

The IRS was already investigating Savard regarding charges that he did not report his full income from off-duty security assignments on his 2015 tax return. He pleaded guilty to those charges as well.

Savard, who had his police powers suspended in January and retired from CPD June 9, allegedly indicated to the sergeant that he was aware of the IRS investigation and was hoping to cut a deal with prosecutors.

The sergeant told CPD and federal investigators about the bribery offer in May and in June delivered the money to Savard, who was promptly arrested.

Savard still awaits a sentencing hearing.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

The legislation by council member David Mann and Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman passed 8-1, with Republican Amy Murray as the sole “no” vote.

Under the ordinance, the city would provide a fund for three years starting in July 2021 to pay for representation for those eligible for expungement and to hire a full-time employee to oversee the expungement effort.

The ordinance cites barriers to housing, employment and education that those with such convictions often face.

Former Cincinnati Police Captain Michael Savard pleaded guilty to bribery and tax charges in federal court on Sept. 17.

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Council has passed an ordinance that directs the city’s administration to begin identifying and reaching out to those who have been convicted of nonviolent possession charges for having less than 100 grams (two ounces) of marijuana and helping them get their records expunged.

said. “To be clear, this has nothing to do with gun convictions or cocaine convictions. This is specifically about low levels of marijuana.”

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

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If you’ve had a low-level marijuana possession charge brought by the City of Cincinnati, you may be getting a phone call from the city soon. But Cincinnati City Council members hope it is a helpful one.

Former Cincinnati Police Captain Pleads Guilty to Bribery, Other Charges

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FROM PAGE 04

Construction to Start Next Month on Northside Transit Center

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L Construction of the new Northside transit center will begin next month after the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority board approved a contract on Sept. 17 with Cincinnati-based Graybach, LLC to build the $3.7 million project.

Neighborhood groups in Northside have been asking for a bus transfer hub near Knowlton’s Corner for almost two decades. The area near the bustling intersection is the second-busiest transfer location in the city behind downtown’s Government Square, according to SORTA, with routes 15X, 16, 17, 19, 20, 23X, 27 and 51 all flowing through the area.

“This is something that the Northside community has been very supportive of and very interested in coming to their community for quite some time,” City of Cincinnati Planning Director Katherine Keough-Jurs said in April.

Currently, the bus stops near the intersection don’t have shelters, and many don’t even have bus benches. SORTA wants to oblige the neighborhood’s long-standing requests by building eight platforms with open-air shelters, a small rest station for Metro drivers and nine parking spaces for parkand-ride bus riders to serve Metro riders waiting on those buses.

The transit center would have another benefit: taking stops off busy Hamilton Avenue and moving them to nearby parcels of land on the corner of Spring Grove Avenue and Blue Rock Street, easing traffic congestion and perhaps pedestrian safety concerns on a street that has seen a number of pedestrians hit by cars.

SORTA acquired some of the needed parcels several years ago. Another is occupied by a parking lot owned by the Northside Business Association.

Cincinnati City Council in April approved necessary zoning changes for the transit center, removing one of the last hurdles for the long-awaited hub.

Federal grants fund about 80 percent of the project, which SORTA says should be done by summer 2020.

is still under negotiation.

Williams took a third-shift job at Kroger to support herself and her family after Just Cookin’ closed. She also took some time off as she tended to a family emergency.

“For a minute I kind of backed away from everything,” she says. “But at some point you have to do what’s best for you. I went out and found my spot with a realtor, but I kept it low-key because some of the spots I found in the West End, people snapped them up.

I said this time, that won’t happen.”

Her realtor introduced her to the Ropers, who were ready to retire.

“Me and the Ropers… we sat there for more than an hour talking about soul food,” she says. “And I felt that feeling.”

But it wasn’t just about the feeling — the building is more or less turnkey, Williams says, minus a complete aesthetic makeover she is excited to get started on next week. The Ropers left two deep fryers, two convection ovens, catering gear and a lot of other equipment. Williams will augment that with some equipment from her old location.

“This place was ready to go,” she says.

“It’s such an amazing opportunity.”

FROM PAGE 09

ultimate cost of the ordinance would be.

Earlier this year, council passed legislation directing Cincinnati Police and city prosecutors not to pursue criminal penalties for those caught with less than 100 grams of marijuana. It is still illegal to smoke marijuana in public, however.

Smitherman pointed to statistics showing that 86 percent of the more than 16,000 citations issued by the city for marijuana possession between 2004 and 2019 went to black residents, most of them black men. The vast majority of the citations issued took place under a harsher city anti-marijuana ordinance that was repealed in 2010.

State laws against marijuana still exist.

Almost 84 percent of those cited for marijuana under Ohio Revised Code in Cincinnati over the past 15 years have been black.

The story titled "Youth. Trauma.

Trials. Time." in the Sept. 18 issue of CityBeat included data about arrests in Cincinnati Public Schools. That data showed charges leading to arrests, not simply unique students arrested. In some situations, students received multiple charges for the same incident.

TAPROOM HOURS TUESDAY - THURSDAY: 3PM - 11PM FRIDAY - SATURDAY: 11AM - 12AM S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

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recommended

fall fall reading reading Cincinnati literary authorities and book geeks list what they’re most excited to read this season by citybeat staff

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all is the perfect time to curl up with a good book — something about the season calls for comfy socks, a warm beverage and extended time spent lounging on the couch with a new novel. As such, we have asked a handful of local literary authorities — librarians, advocates and alternative book purveyors — for their top newish fall reading recommendations. The options range from true-crime thrillers and lusty retellings of classic tales to trippy time travel page-turners and cross-country memoirs. There are nostalgic graphic novels to capture that childhood feeling of fall and lyrical literary selections that will break your heart. Whether you’re reading alone or with a book club, here are 24 options to pique your interest.

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13 just a photo of books | photo: unsplash

Samantha Evans, Under Cover Book Club Samantha Evans founded Under Cover Book Club, a sort of literary scavenger hunt, in 2018. “I just the love the idea that at any moment you can just be surprised with something, just a gift,” she told CityBeat in an interview last year. “(People might say), ‘What’s the angle, what are you trying to achieve with this?’ It’s like, ‘I just really want you to read.’ ” Each month she chooses books to hide around the city and posts clues to find them on social media. “That being said, you do not have to be active online to find a copy, though it certainly helps,” she says. Finders get to keep any book they discover and each includes an official bookmark with info about the club. Evans also hosts monthly book discussions, interviews with authors and offers a membership club (with a cute official membership card). She says her hope is “that you get to explore the Queen City as you look for books and engage with your community through a love and passion for all things literary.”

Visit undercover513.com for info about hidden books, author interviews, upcoming events and how to become an official Under Cover member. samantha evans | photo: hailey bollinger

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Reading Recommendations

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Disappearing Earth: A Novel by Julia Phillips I’m a sucker for true crime, a statement that — thankfully — doesn’t seem to be as ostracizing these days. So, I can tell you unequivocally that Julia Phillips’ novel has been one of the best I’ve read all year. Set in modernday Russia, it is about two sisters who go missing, and how the mystery surrounding them touches those in different parts of the world. I will be hiding copies of this book this month, and it is also September’s book discussion pick!

The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish by Katya Apekina I was stunned and astounded by this story, not only because of the bold originality of its title, but also the unique and unforgettable prose. Told from multiple perspectives, it is a story about two sisters trying to find their own identities among the wreckage of their parents.

Everything Under by Daisy Johnson I remember the first time I saw this book. It was love at first sight, which like most situations described as such, I was purely lusting after the cover

(but who among us could deny falling prey to that?). Little did I know that the story would ensnare me and elevate my adoration to soulmate-level status. Though the story is a delicate retelling of Oedipus (and Homer’s) The Odyssey, it bursts with originality.

Fake Like Me by Barbara Bourland This is definitely a, “I’ll have this book finished in 24 hours because I need to know what happens ASAP” kind of read. Now, every time I pass a warehouse, I think it’d be a perfect place for the protagonist, Carey Logan, to create some massive works of art. Throughout the novel’s quick pace, Carey is submerged in a world that does not belong to her, but that she cannot simply walk away from. I don’t typically re-read stories, but I kind of want to keep living in its contents for the next few millennia.

Optic Nerve by Maria Gainza This story is for anyone who loves art as it relates to life. The unnamed narrator describes various paintings, all while illuminating facets of her own life like some sort of myopic art critic.

Melanie Moore, the cincy book bus After 25 years of teaching in various schools across the country, Melanie Moore rerouted her career to focus on inspiring a passion for reading by delivering the joy of books to cafés, flea markets and nonprofit events all from the bed of a vintage Volkswagen pickup truck. Moore handpicks each title on the bus and hopes her rolling library will inspire people to enthusiastically partake in the thrill books have to offer. “I think the book bus does just that,” she told CityBeat in an interview earlier this year. “It brings smiles to people’s faces.” Moore also uses profits from the bus to buy children’s books to build classroom libraries for schools in low-income neighborhoods to “give students the opportunity to experience the joy of reading for themselves,” she says. Find where the Book Bus will be next by following @cincybookbus on Instagram and Facebook.

Melanie Moore | photo: Lance Adkins/provided by cincy book bus

Reading Recommendations

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The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Loss, Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees

by Meredith May If it’s a memoir you are looking for, then I highly suggest that you get your hands on this one. I’m a bee lover so I was immediately drawn to the title.

Not only will you learn a lot about beekeeping, but you will be swept into a beautiful story of a grandpa’s love and how he impacted Meredith’s life with gentle storytelling and the healing power of beekeeping. It’s a captivating memoir that at times will break your heart but will also fill you with hope and grace.

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Recursion by Blake Crouch This book is one trippy ride! At times this sci-fi thriller is a true mindbender as the author bounces the reader through time travel using advanced memory technology. You’re already scratching your head, aren’t you? It’s a page-turner and you don’t have to have a degree in science to understand it. I’m still wondering how Crouch came up with this out-of-the box plot and it still blows my mind.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson I am constantly drawn to books about books; go figure. This one takes place in Appalachian Kentucky during the 1930s. The main character, Cussy, is one of the last of her kind — the blue-skinned people of Kentucky. There actually was a family in Troublesome Creek that had a genetic disease that made their skin look blue. More importantly, Cussy is part of Roosevelt’s Pack Horse Library Project. I was completely drawn to Cussy’s strong spirit and her love of books. Like me, she has a passion for getting the right book into the right hands.

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This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger I have no doubt that this new release that just came out in September will become a favorite to many. It’s storytelling at its best. I was immediately sucked in with the opening words,”‘I am a storyteller. I live in a house in the shade of a sycamore tree on the banks of the Gilead River. My grandchildren call me a liar but I remind them, ‘Not a liar. A storyteller’.

There will be courage in this story and cowardice. There will be love and betrayal. And, of course, there will be hope. In the end, isn’t that what every good story is about?” Oh my heart! This beautifully written tale that takes place during the summer of 1932 is the epic journey of four orphans searching for a place called home.

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hillary copsey, book advisor at the mercantile library and founder and publisher of make america read Hillary Copsey does double duty as the book advisor at downtown’s membership library The Mercantile Library, where she leads and helps organize books discussions and offers book recommendations, and as the mind behind Make America Read, a newsletter that provides choice literary picks and thoughtful ruminations on not only books but also the act of reading itself. Her stated goal is to “make Americans read more — more books, more often, about more diverse topics — to encourage compassion, critical thinking and civil discourse.”

Sign up and learn more at makeamericaread.com and mercantilelibrary.com. hillary copsey | photo: provided

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Reading Recommendations

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Frankissstein by Jeanette Winterson I am a sucker for a retelling, and two decades after reading Written on The Body, I’m convinced no one writes as well as Jeannette Winterson about love, lust and longing. So yes, I’m very eager to read this 21st-century update of Frankenstein, exploring gender and artificial intelligence, and billed as a love story.

Where The Light Falls: Selected Stories of Nancy Hale edited by Lauren Groff Hale was a prolific and acclaimed writer in the middle of the 20th century — 80 of her stories were published in The New Yorker! — but her work has been largely forgotten. This collection, edited by Lauren Groff (an

author whose work I never miss), aims to remedy that. If you like these stories, The Mercantile has a slew of Hale’s books, including her most acclaimed novel, The Prodigal Women, in its stacks, just waiting to be checked out.

Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke These Highway 59 mysteries — this is the second in a series — are some of the best I’ve read. Each follows Ranger Darren Mathews as he solves crimes in East Texas, sorting through tangles of family history, racial tensions and small-town connections, and wrestles with his own complicated family. Everything is messy and gray and real.

Reading Recommendations Copsey collected from the rest of The Mercantile Staff

Top 11 Challenged

Books of 2018

l to r: Chris Messick, business and membership manager; Al Lloyd, assistant collector; John Faherty, executive director; Jasmine Griffin, membership coordinator; Cedric Rose, librarian and collector; and Amy Hunter, programs and marketing manager

The final week in September is Banned Books Week (Sept. 22-28 this year). And to raise awareness for the event, the American Library Association publishes an annual list of the most challenged books from the previous year, compiled by the Office for Intellectual Freedom, “in order to inform the public about censorship in libraries and schools.”

However, these top 10 lists — the list for 2018 actually features 11 books — are not a comprehensive report of the actual extent of challenged books. According to the ALA, 82 to 97 percent of requests to remove books and materials from schools and libraries go unreported or are reported later.

The goal of the week — launched after the 1982 Island Trees School District v.

Pico Supreme Court case, which ruled

photo: Provided

The Water Dancer

by Ta-Nehisi Coates With most debut novels, the question is: Can this author write? Thanks to his essays, journalism and acclaimed memoir, Between The World and Me, we know — beyond doubt — that Coates can write, that he has a strong, lyrical style, thoughtful and innovative structuring, and a definite point of view.

The question, then, is: How does all of that translate into fiction?

8. Skippyjon Jones series written and illustrated by Judy Schachne Challenged for “depicting stereotypes of Mexican culture.”

5. Drama written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier Banned/challenged because it includes “LGBTQIA+ characters and themes.”

9. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie Banned/challenged because of its “sexual references, profanity, violence, gambling, and underage drinking, and for its religious viewpoint.”

6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher Banned/challenged/ restricted because it addresses teen suicide.

7. This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki, Illustrated by Jillian Tamaki Banned/challenged for “profanity, sexual references, and certain illustrations.”

10. This Day in June by Gayle E. Pitman, Illustrated by Kristyna Litten Challenged and burned for its LGBTQIA+ content.

11. Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan Challenged and burned for its LGBTQIA+ content.

If you’d like to confidentially report a challenge to a book, movie, music, magazine or other content — or issues with additional services, hate crimes and access at libraries or schools — you can visit ala.org/challengereporting.

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A Fortune for Your Disaster

by Hanif Abdurraqib Abdurraqib is from Columbus. He’s a poet, essayist, and music critic. We loved his essay collection, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us; reading it is like being transported into someone else’s music-fueled memories. This poetry collection considers grief, family, love, race and politics.

3. Captain Underpants series written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey Challenged because “it was perceived as encouraging disruptive behavior, while Captain Underpants and the Sensational Saga of Sir Stinks-A-Lot was challenged for including a same-sex couple.”

4. The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Banned/challenged because “ it was deemed ‘anti-cop,’ and for profanity, drug use, and sexual references.

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Make It Scream, Make It Burn

by Leslie Jamison You probably know this author, often compared to Joan Didion and Susan Sontag, from her memoir of alcohol

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Following two siblings mourning the loss of their family and family home, The Dutch House is really a story about the kind of stepmother (an awful one) she was afraid of becoming. Even without that little bit of insight, we were excited to dive into another of Patchett’s gorgeously written family dramas.

2. A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, Illustrated by EG Keller Banned/challenged for “including LGBTQIA+ content, and for political and religious viewpoints”

The most challenged books list from 2018 distilled challenges to 483 materials in libraries, schools and universities to the following books and reasons why.

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The Year of The Monkey

by Patti Smith Smith is both a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and a National Book Award winner. She is unique, and so is this memoir, which chronicles a crosscountry trip taken in 2016, her 70th year, and blends facts with dreams, all of it illustrated by Polaroids.

addiction, The Recovering, and several of our librarians were impressed by her other essay collection, The Empathy Exams. This collection explores everything from becoming a stepmother to the world of Second Life.

1. George by Alex Gino Challenged/banned/ removed because “it was believed to encourage children to clear browser history and change their bodies using hormones, and for mentioning ‘dirty magazines,’ describing male anatomy, ‘creating confusion’ and including a transgender character.”

that school officials cannot ban books in school libraries just because of their content — is to raise awareness and support “of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.” That same year (1982), the American Booksellers Association displayed 500 challenged books stacked inside of cages at their BookExpo America trade show with a label cautioning attendees that some considered these tomes “dangerous.” That exhibit prompted the ABA to join forces with the OIF to launch Banned Books Week, which has been reporting the top 10 most challenged books each year since 2001.

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marissa clarDy, tween librarian at the public Library of Cincinnati and hamilton county Marissa Clardy is a tween librarian at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. She loves many things fall, coffee, and/or book-related.

Here she gives her favorite graphic novel recommendations.

Reading Recommendations

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Grimoire Noir by Vera Greentea and Yana Bogatch This book is worth picking up just for the illustrations, which are rich and gorgeous and perfectly noir. However, I also loved the story that magically wrapped up mystery, witches and ghosts all in one. I think that it is a perfect concoction for fall.

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Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell If you are like me and love absolutely everything about fall, from candied apples to the chill in the air, you cannot miss this book. It is a story about two friends who have worked at the same pumpkin patch for all their high school years. But now they are headed out into the wide world, and this is their last day working together. I sat down with this book and did not stop until I finished it. It is a feels-inducing story about friendship and romance that is also a love letter to fall itself.

Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu Bitty might be the most charming protagonist that I have ever read. I wish he was real so that we could be friends. This story follows Bitty through his freshman year of college, filled with hockey, lots of baking, shenanigans, romance mishaps and far too much fun. I read this and immediately wanted to start it again.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang A story that can break your heart and put it back together again. This is the story of Sebastian — a prince with a secret. At night, the prince takes the fashion world by storm as Lady Crystallia, and the only other person that knows is his best friend and seamstress, Frances. But Sebastian’s secret could cost Frances the opportunity of a lifetime. I love this story because it has so much to say about loving others and loving yourself.

And the fashion is to die for.

john callon, popular library team leader at the public library of cincinnati and hamilton county John Callon is the Popular Library Team Leader at the downtown Main Library branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

L to R: Marissa clardy and john callon | photo: public library

The Overstory by Richard Powers Nature’s first green is gold and so is The Overstory by Richard Powers.

This nuanced epic weaves together the stories of nine very different people whose lives become intertwined by the majesty and mystery of trees. In a time when we worship the colors of autumn but ignore deforestation, Powers reminds us just how critically important the delicate balance of nature is to our future. A love story mixing history, mystery and science, this sprawling novel is a must-read for fall.

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The Ghosts of Eden Park by Karen Abbott If you’re looking for a tale of intrigue, fortune, disgrace and murder with a Cincinnati twist, look no further than The Ghosts of Eden Park. A triumph of impeccable research and attention to detail, this New York

Times bestseller feels like a Gatsby-era novel mixed with The Devil in the White City. It chronicles the rise and fall of the Bootleg King of Cincinnati, George Remus, and the women who helped him to the top — and brought him down. Karen Abbott will be appearing at this year’s Books by the Banks Festival on Oct. 26 at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

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The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead Sometimes reality is far more frightening than fiction. Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead’s newest novel is a little bit of both. Inspired by the terribly true story of the Dozier School for Boys, the book follows the plight of Elwood Curtis and his fellow inmates of Nickel Academy in Jim Crow-era Florida. Victimized by a racist judicial system and the sadistic staff of the reform school, the boys do what they can to survive. Not your typical book for the spooky season, this suspenseful read showcases the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable horror.

Reading Recommendations

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Alfio’s Buon Cibo Basil’s on Marke t BrewRiver Creole Kit chen Brown Dog Café Butcher and Barrel Capital Grille Chart House Ché Cooper’s Hawk Coppin’s Cozy’s Cafe + Pub D. Burnham’s at The Renaissance Eighteen at the Radis son Embers Firebirds Golden Lamb Indian Spice Train Jags Steak and Seafo od LouVino Matt The Miller ’s Tav ern Mc Cormick and Sc hm ick ’s Meritage Restaurant Me tropole Mita’s Mitchell’s Fish Marke t Morton’s Steakhouse Muse Mt. Lookout National Exemplar Nicola’s Parker ’s Blue Ash Tav ern Pleasantr y OTR Primavis ta Pompilios Prime Quarter Bis tro Ruth’s Chris Salazar Sartre OTR Somm Wine Bar Sorrento’s Street Cit y Pub Tas te of Belgium The Mercer The View at Shires Ga rden Trio Bis tro Via Vite

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BASIL’S ON MARKET

5650 Tylersville Road | 513-445-4637 basilsonmarket.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

$36 Dinner

Spinach and Cheese Empanada Cup of Smoked Filet Mignon Chili Spiced Goat Cheese & Apple Salad

FIR ST COUR SE

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House Salad

Veal Short Rib Ravioli Harvest Duck Ravioli 4 oz. Filet Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Boneless Short Rib Mushroom Zusketti Pesto Chicken

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Seasonal Crisp House Crème Brûlée Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding

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Brown Sugar Goat Cheese Cheesecake Frangelico Toffee Tiramisu Cinnamon Apple Bread Pudding

BREWRIVER CREOLE KITCHEN

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$36 Dinner

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Smoked Gouda Pimento Cheese Gumbo BrewRiver Salad SECOND COUR SE

Creole Jambalaya Pasta Monica Buttermilk Crispy Chicken SAM’ich Streetcar Burger THIR D COUR SE

Dark Chococlate “Beer”Brownie Bananas Foster Bread Pudding

CHART HOUSE

405 Riverboat Row | 859-261-0300 chart-house.com

$36 Dinner

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Prime Rib Grilled Pork Ribeye Shrimp Fresca Pasta Cedar-Wrapped Salmon THIR D COUR SE

Soup du Jour Buffalo Shrimp Cocktail Game Slider Local Wild Mushroom Turnover SECOND COUR SE

Soup du Jour Bacon Tomato Caesar Salad Brown Dog House Salad Ceviche Taco Salad THIR D COUR SE

Caribbean Grouper Grilled Loin of Lamb Wild Boar Scallopini

CHÉ

3821 Edwards Road | 513-351-0814 thecapitalgrille.com

FIR ST COUR SE

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$36 Dinner

Crab Cake Empanada Goat Cheese Bruschetta Mixed Greens Salad Roasted Tomatoes and Marinated Eggplant Provoleta SECOND COUR SE

Grilled 5 oz. Prime New York Strip Grilled 4 oz. Bacon-Wrapped Filet Braised Lamb Shank Grilled Lamb Chops THIR D COUR SE

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Chocolate Old Fashioned Cake Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

COOPER’S HAWK WINERY AND RESTAURANT

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8080 Montgomery Road | 513-488-1110 7490 Bales St. | 513-463-9463 coopershawkwinery.com

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$36 Dinner

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Fig and Herbed Goat Cheese Empanada Mandy’s Ché Chili Honey Mascarpone and Roasted Fall Veggie Bruschetta

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Old World Slow-Braised Short Rib Lamb Skewers Ché Grill Trio

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S’more Budino Cooper’s Hawk Chocolate Cake Salted Caramel Crème Brûlée

$36 Dinner

Wedge Salad Field Greens Salad New England Clam Chowder SECOND COUR SE

8 oz. Filet Mignon, Bone-In Dry Aged 14 oz. New York Strip Herb-Roasted Chicken TA B L E A C C O M PA N I M E N T S

Sam’s Mashed Potatoes French Beans with Heirloom Tomatoes THIR D COUR SE

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake Crème Brûlée

COPPIN’S

638 Madison Ave. | 859-905-6800 hotelcovington.com/dining/coppins

$26 Lunch / $36 Dinner FIR ST COUR SE

Crawfish Hushpuppies Crab and Corn Bisque Mirliton Salad SECOND COUR SE

Blackened Catfish Red Beans & Rice Fried Green Tomato Po’Boy THIR D COUR SE

Café Au Lait Cheesecake Beignets Blueberry Bread Pudding

Restaurants with more than one option in the courses listed will give guests a choice on selection. Menus are subject to change.

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Raspberry Cheesecake Housemade Cinnamon Donut

CAPITAL GRILLE

700 Race St. | 513-954-8974 thebutcherbarrel.com

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Chocolate Lava Cake Strawberry Sundae

$36 Dinner

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BUTCHER AND BARREL

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Caesar Salad New England Clam Chowder

BROWN DOG CAFÉ

1000 Summit Place | 513-794-1610 browndogcafe.com

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EIGHTEEN AT THE RADISSON

COZY’S CAFE + PUB

6440 Cincinnati Dayton Road 513-644-9365 | cozyscafeandpub.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Choice of Soup or Salad SECOND COUR SE

Miso Soy Seabass Chimichurri Bison Strip Steak Chipotle Pesto Pasta THIR D COUR SE

Lemon Raspberry Cheesecake Gluten-Free Mocha Torte

D BURNHAM’S AT THE RENAISSANCE 36 E. Fourth St. | 513-455-6406 dburnhams.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Late Summer Gazpacho Baby Greens SECOND COUR SE

Chili-Rubbed Flat Iron Steak Potato-Wrapped Norwegian Salmon THIR D COUR SE

Madagascar Vanilla Gelato “S’more” Dulce de Leche Crème Brûlée

FIREBIRDS WOOD FIRED GRILL 5075 Deerfield Blvd. | 513-234-9032 mason.firebirdsrestaurants.com

$26 Lunch

FIR ST COUR SE

Soup of the Day, Chicken Tortilla Soup, BLT Salad, Mixed Green Salad or Caesar Salad SECOND COUR SE

Grilled Peruvian Pesto Salmon, Grilled Steak Tacos or Crispy Bourbon Chicken Sandwich THIR D COUR SE

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Squares, Warm Carrot Cake, Chocolate Brownie or Lemon Cake

$36 Lunch

GOLDEN LAMB

27 S. Broadway St. | 513-932-5065 goldenlamb.com

$36 Lunch & Dinner FIR ST COUR SE

Grilled Warren County Honeycrisp Apple Salad Golden Lamb Farms Butternut Squash Bisque SECOND COUR SE

Honey-Jalapeño Smoked Chicken Wings, Soup of the Day, Chicken Tortilla Soup, BLT Salad, Mixed Green Salad or Caesar Salad

Crispy Jumbo Lump Crap Cakes Carved Certified Angus Beef Tenderloin Berkshire French-Cut Pork Chop

SECOND COUR SE

THIR D COUR SE

THIR D COUR SE

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Tomato Bisque Fresh Greens Salad Caesar Salad SECOND COUR SE

Penne Carbonara Atlantic Salmon 1/2 Rack Baby Back Ribs 10 oz. Angus Reserve New York Strip S E C O N D C O U R S E A C C O M PA N I M E N T S

Brussels Sprouts Broccolini Whipped Potatoes Steak Fries THIR D COUR SE

7165 Liberty Centre Drive | 513-777-7800 indianspicetrain.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Paneer Afghani or Chicken Afghani Pappadi Chaat Potato Cheese Cakes SECOND COUR SE All entrées are paired with rice and plain or garlic naan

Chicken Makhani Shrimp Chili Saag Paneer Lamb Rogan Josh THIR D COUR SE

Shaker-Style Apple Crumb Cobbler Crème Brûlée

Gulab Jamun Cheesecake Mango Mint Ice Cream Pistachio Ice Cream

MATT THE MILLER’S TAVERN

MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S

Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Squares, Warm Carrot Cake, Chocolate Brownie or Lemon Cake

LOUVINO

1142 Main St. | 513-813-3350 louvino.com/otr

$36 Dinner

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FIR ST COUR SE: CHOOSE THR EE

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Warm Brussels Sprouts Salad Loaded Baked Potato Tots Buttermilk Drop Biscuits Fried Chicken Tacos Caprese (GF) Seared Scallops Steak Frites Risotto (GF) Bison Stuffed Peppers SECOND COUR SE

Chocolate-Chip-Cookie-Dough-Stuffed Beignets

5901 E. Galbraith Road | 513-914-4903 9558 Civic Centre Blvd. | 513-298-4050 mtmtavern.com

$26 Lunch & Dinner FIR ST COUR SE

The Miller Salad Bowl Of Soup Bavarian Pretzel Bites Loaded Tavern Chips SECOND COUR SE

8 oz. Top Sirloin Asian Salmon Chicken Banh Mi Flatbread Shrimp Buddha Bowl THIR D COUR SE

Chocolate Mousse Mini Carrot Cake Mini

EMBERS

8170 Montgomery Road | 513-984-8090 embersrestaurant.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Spicy Tuna Maki Roll Caesar Salad SECOND COUR SE

Braised Short Ribs Amish Chicken Breast Scottish Salmon THIR D COUR SE

Crème Brûlée Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake Bourbon Butter Cake NY Cheese Cake

INDIAN SPICE TRAIN

FIR ST COUR SE

Slow-Roasted Prime Rib, Grilled Chairman’s Reserve Prime Pork Chop or Grilled Striped Bass

668 W. Fifth St. | 859-491-5300 restaurantcovingtonky.com

21 E. Fifth St. | 513-721-9339 mccormickandschmicks.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Baby Spinach Salad Chef’s Garden Gazpacho Hawaiian Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl SECOND COUR SE

Grilled Salmon Succotash BBQ-Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp & Grits Ancho Chile Beef Medallions Chicken Francaise THIR D COUR SE

Peanut Butter Pie Peach Cobbler

JAG’S STEAK & SEAFOOD 5980 West Chester Road 513-860-5353 | jags.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Delicata Squash East Coast Oysters Gnocchi and Creamed Chard Camelot Chicken SECOND COUR SE

Harvest Salad Cranberry Walnut Salad Sweet Potato Soup THIR D COUR SE

Filet Mignon Pecan Scallops Grilled Pork Chop

MERITAGE RESTAURANT 40 Village Square | 513-376-8134 meritagecincy.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Brussels Sprouts Meritage Salad Baked Brie French Onion Soup SECOND COUR SE

Asian Glazed Salmon Braised Lamb Shank 8 oz. Prime Rib THIR D COUR SE

Blueberry New York Cheesecake Vanilla Bourbon Crème Brûlée Dark Chocolate Ganache Torte

VISIT GREATERCINCINNATIRESTAURANTWEEK.COM

Restaurants with more than one option in the courses listed will give guests a choice on selection. Menus are subject to change.

METROPOLE

609 Walnut St. | 513-578-6660 metropoleonwalnut.com

$36 Dinner

MITA’S

501 Race St. | 513-421-6482 mitas.co

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

FIR ST COUR SE

Tostones y Guacamole Ensalada de Jicama y Mango

SECOND COUR SE

Tacos de Calamares Ceviches de Camarones

Burnt Carrot Salad Mushroom Soup Vegetable Dumplings Confit Chicken Thighs Tomato Braised Shortrib THIR D COUR SE

Gingerbread Semifreddo Metropole Candy Bar

MUSE MT. LOOKOUT 1000 Delta Ave. | 513-620-8777 musemtlookout.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Cyprus Grain Salad (V/GF) Confit Chicken Wings (GF) Heirloom Tomato Toast (VGT) SECOND COUR SE

SECOND COUR SE

THIR D COUR SE

Arepa con Queso Fresco y Chorizo Empanadas de Res con Pique FOURTH COUR SE

Seasonal Sorbet Panna Cotta de Vanilla

THE NATIONAL EXEMPLAR 6880 Wooster Pike | 513-271-2103 nationalexemplar.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Smoked Salmon Nicoise French “Five Onion” Soup Grilled Caesar Salad

Vegan Mac and Cheese (V) Shrimp and Grits (GF) Roasted Chicken Sea Bass (GF)

Shrimp & Polenta Shepard’s Pie Butternut Squash Ravioli

THIR D COUR SE

THIR D COUR SE

Vegan Donuts (V) Pot de Creme (GF) Warm Banana Pudding

SECOND COUR SE

MITCHELL’S FISH MARKET

MORTON’S THE STEAKHOUSE

9456 Water Front Drive | 513-779-5292 mitchellsfishmarket.com

441 Vine St. | 513-621-3111 | mortons.com

FIR ST COUR SE

FIR ST COUR SE

$26 Lunch & $36 Dinner

Mitchell’s House Salad Classic Caesar New England Clam Chowder SECOND COUR SE

Lobster + Shrimp Stuffed Cod Seafood Paella Blacked Chicken Pasta (Lunch) Crab Cake + Shrimp (Lunch) Bourbon Glazed Pork Chop (Dinner) Salmon Crab Oscar (Dinner) THIR D COUR SE

Mini Sharkfin Pie Crème Brûlée

NICOLA’S

1420 Sycamore St. | 513-721-6200 nicolasotr.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Caesar Salad Prosciutto Salad Rhubarb Salad SECOND COUR SE

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese Crispy Potato Gnocchi Spaghetti alla Chitarra THIR D COUR SE

NE Carrot Cake Chocolate Pots de Creme

Arctic Char Pork Tenderloin Chicken Saltimbocca

PRIMAVISTA

580 Walnut St., Suite 100 513-579-0720 | primecincinnati.com

$36 Dinner

Beefsteak Tomato & Mozzarella Salad Onion Soup Chopped House Salad Caesar Salad

SECOND COUR SE

Chicken Piccata Grilled Bistro Filet Pork Chop Atlantic Broiled Salmon Shrimp Scampi Capellini

THIR D COUR SE

Cheesecake Chocolate Mousse Mixed Berries & Whipped Cream Crème Brûlée

PARKERS BLUE ASH TAVERN

4200 Cooper Road | 513-891-8300 parkersblueash.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Firecracker Shrimp Crab Cake Garlic Cheese Bread SECOND COUR SE

Amish Airline Chicken Breast 12 oz. Slow Roasted Prime Rib or Beef 7 oz. Filet Mignon Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops THIR D COUR SE

Brûlée Cheesecake Godiva Chocolate Ganache Cake

PRIME

PLEASANTRY OTR 118 W. 15th St. | 513-381-1969 pleasantryotr.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

SECOND COUR SE

Pan Seared Ora King Salmon Cacio e Pepe Pork Tenderloin THIR D COUR SE

Bruschetta Arugula Salad Potato Gnocchi SECOND COUR SE

Grilled Pork Chop Seared Sea Scallops Crab and Fettuccine THIR D COUR SE

Bread Pudding Tiramisu Cannoli’s

FIR ST COUR SE

POMPILIO’S

600 Washington Ave. | 859-581-3065 pompilios.com

$36 Dinner For Two

Hazelnut Salad Fall Apple Salad Deviled Eggs

F I R ST COU R SE : I NCLU DE S T WO

SECOND COUR SE

SECON D COU R SE : CHOOSE T WO

6 oz. Certified Angus Beef Filet Oscar Loch Duart Scottish Salmon Seafood Pappardelle Joyce Farms Chicken THIR D COUR SE

Key Lime Pie Deconstructed Banana Cream Pie Fretboard Peanut-Butter-Cup Chocolate Cake

Meat Lasagna Chicken Alfredo Meat or Cheese Ravioli Eggplant Parmigiana Italian Sampler

THIR D COUR SE : CHOOSE ONE

Cannoli Sea Salt and Caramel Cheesecake Tiramisu

Restaurants with more than one option in the courses listed will give guests a choice on selection. Menus are subject to change.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

FOR DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS AND SPECIAL OFFERS

Tossed Salad

|

Olivie Oil Cake Chocolate Buttermilk Truffles

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

$36 Lunch & Dinner

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

Chicory Salad Fried Rice Beef Tartare

810 Matson Place | 513-251-6467 pvista.com

25

QUARTER BISTRO

6904 Wooster Pike | 513-271-5400 thequarterbistro.com

100 E. Freedom Way | 513-381-0491 ruthschris.com

SALAZAR

F I R ST COU R SE : SH A R A BL E FOR T WO

FIR ST COUR SE

1401 Republic St. | 513-621-7000 salazarcincinnati.com

SECOND COUR SE

FIR ST COUR SE

$36 Dinner

SECOND COUR SE

Petite Filet 8 oz.

Atlantic Salmon Filet Stuffed Chicken Breast

Mixed Apple Salad

Curried Watermelon & Fennel Salad

SECOND COUR SE

S E C O N D C O U R S E A C C O M PA N I M E N T S

Cornmeal Cavatelli

Short Rib Lasagna Warm Salad of Vegetables

THIR D COUR SE

THIR D COUR SE

Horseradish-Dijon-Encrusted Scottish Salmon Ancho Maple Glazed Gerber Chicken 8 oz. House Cut Wagyu Sirloin

SOMM WINE BAR

3105 Price Ave. | 513-244-5843 sommwinebarcincinnati.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Inslata Caprese Black Bean Chorizo Soup House-Cured Salmon SECOND COUR SE

Coq Au Vin Grilled Mahi-Mahi Beef Tenderloin THIR D COUR SE

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

THE MERCER

1324 Vine St. | 513-421-5111 themercerotr.com

$36 Dinner

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

FIR ST COUR SE

|

SARTRE OTR

1910 Elm St. | 513-579-1910 sartreotr.com

Caesar Salad Steakhouse Salad

THIR D COUR SE

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

$36 Dinner

Guacamole Calamari Fritto Mac & Cheese

Tomato Basil Bisque Quarter Salad Caesar Salad

26

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE

Grilled Peach Salad Carpaccio Carrot Gazpacho SECOND COUR SE

Mashed Potatoes Creamed Spinach Sweet Potato Casserole | $5 Upgrade Grilled Asparagus | $5 Upgrade

Cider Poached Pear

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

SECOND COUR SE

Eclair

THIR D COUR SE

Mini Cheesecake Upgrade Your Dessert | $4 Upgrade

SORRENTO’S

5143 Montgomery Road | 513-531-5070 sorrentosnorwood.com

$36 Dinner for Two FIR ST COUR SE

Mama T’s Italian Sausage Dip Crispy Ravioli SECOND COUR SE

House Salad Caesar Salad

STREET CITY PUB

580 Walnut St. | 513-873-7529 streetcity.pub

$26 Lunch & Dinner FIR ST COUR SE

309 Vine St. | 513-407-7501 theviewatshiresgarden.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Cup of Roasted Corn Veloute Heirloom Carrot Salad Vegetarian Kibbeh SECOND COUR SE

THIR D COUR SE

THIR D COUR SE

Tuna Nicoise Roasted Chicken Porkopolis

Spice Cake Flourless Chocolate Torte Trio of Beignets

FIR ST COUR SE

SECOND COUR SE

FOURTH COUR SE

THE VIEW AT SHIRES’ GARDEN

$26 Lunch & Dinner

SECOND COUR SE

Irish Bread Pudding Molten Chocolate Cake Irish Cream Cheesecake

Cannoli

1135 Vine St. | 2845 Vine St. 3825 Edwards Road | 16 W. Freedom Way 513-396-5800 | authenticwaffle.com

Beer Cheese & Housemade Pretzels Mac & Cheese Liégeoise Escargots

THIR D COUR SE

Spaghetti and Meatballs Chicken Alfredo One Large Pizza

TASTE OF BELGIUM

Reuben Roll Cheese Curds Soup of the Day Casablanca Street Corn 10 oz. C.A.B. New York Strip Scottish Salmon Fretboard Beer Battered Cod Shepard’s Pie

Chicken Risotto Porchetta Spaghetti

Assorted Gelatos and Sorbets Budino Apple Crostata

$36 Dinner

THIR D COUR SE

TRIO BISTRO

7565 Kenwood Road | 513-984-1905 triobistro.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Caesar Salad Chopped House Salad Lobster Bisque SECOND COUR SE

6 oz. Filet Mignon Lemon Chicken Miso Glazed Halibut Truffled Potato Ravioli THIR D COUR SE

Molten Chocolate Cake Lemon Cheesecake Vanilla Ice Cream “Sundae”

Mussels & Frites B3 Burger & Frites Meatballs Carbonnades Poutine Mushroom Galette THIR D COUR SE

Strawberries & Creme Waffle Seasonal Waffle Banana & Nutella Crêpe Blueberry Ricotta Cheesecake Crêpe

VIA VITE

502 Vine St. | 513-721-8483 viaviterestaurant.com

$36 Dinner

FIR ST COUR SE

Potato Mascarpone Ricotta Sformato Burrata & Prosciutto SECOND COUR SE

Handmade Crispy Gnocchi Farfalle Smoked Salmon & Mascarpone THIR D COUR SE

Lamb Shank Atlantic Cod

Restaurants with more than one option in the courses listed will give guests a choice on selection. Menus are subject to change.

STUFF TO DO

Ongoing Shows ONSTAGE: Come From Away Aronoff Center, Downtown (through Sept. 29)

WEDNESDAY 25

MUSIC: Power Pop legend Ken Stringfellow plays Christ Church Cathedral.

See Sound Advice on page 44.

MUSIC: Andy Grammer brings positive Pop to Bogart’s. See an interview on page 41.

mystery about a 16-yearold charged with murder, is onstage at the Playhouse.

See review on page 33.

ONSTAGE: The Playhouse presents Once on This Island, a Caribbeaninfused musical about love and privilege, on the Marx Theatre stage. See review on page 34.

MUSIC: Jazz bassist Felix Pastorius brings his band Hipster Assassins to Ludlow Garage. See Sound Advice on page 45.

EVENT: Improv Festival of Cincinnati More than 35 improv comedy troupes from across the United States and Greater Cincinnati are descending on Memorial Hall for three days of long-form and shortform improv shows, informative workshops and after parties. Troupes include headliners GREEN from Chicago, featuring Emily Fightmaster, a Cincinnati native who has toured with

The Second City and can be seen onstage a UCB in Los Angeles; Sweater Puppies, an all-female troupe from Atlanta who asks the crowd to bring old items of clothing to donate and to inspire shows; The Local Option, from Missoula, Montana, featuring the founding members of L.A.-based HeyDay; and Broke Gravy from Portland, Oregon, which mixes audience interaction with narrative. Local troupes including Not My Boyfriend, Highly Improvable and War Candy are also performing.

For those wanting to learn in addition to being entertained, there are plenty of workshops throughout the weekend like “Let’s Get Freaky with Emily Fightmaster,” “Physical Characters with Whitney Millsap” and “Not Always Black and White with Broke Gravy.” ThursdaySaturday. $15 show; $40 workshop; $100 eight shows.

Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, ifcincy.com.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

FRIDAY 27

EVENT: Art After Dark: Get Into the Groove The Cincinnati Art Museum takes it back to the 1980s for a silent disco. Decadeappropriate costuming is encouraged; think Jazzercise. Along with aerobic dancing, there will be docent-led tours of the collection and current exhibits, food for purchase from FUSIAN and Busken and specialty cocktails. 5-9 p.m. Friday. Free admission. Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org. — MAIJA ZUMMO COMEDY: Dave Attell Dave Attell is not only an influential stand-up comic, he’s also hosted hilarious TV shows like Insomniac with Dave Attell, Comedy Underground and Dave’s Old Porn and was a writer on the Daily Show, where he did commentaries. The years have been good to

him, but he’s feeling his age.

“The days of booze and strippers are over,” he told Conan O’Brien after hitting his 50s a few years back. However, he continues to keep it off-color. “My ballsack looks like a tent that no one knows how to fold up,” he notes on how his body has been changing. Lately he’s been mining material by observing friends, particularly those who have pets. “Cats are a gateway to hoarding,” he says. It’s dogs though, especially his roommate’s, that fascinate him. “His dog is on Ambien because he has nightmares,” he says. “How does that happen?.” 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday; 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday. $30-$60.

Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone.com.

— P.F. WILSON EVENT: Halloween Haunt Kings Island’s annual Halloween Haunt turns the family-friendly park into a fear fest after dark. Named

the “Best Theme Park Halloween Event” in the country by readers of USA Today, KI spaces transform into seven outdoor scare zones — Pumpkin Eater, Coney Maul, Dance of the Macabre, International Street Fear, Rivertown Reaping, Zombie Mall and Shipwrecked — with bonus spine-tingling live shows and freaky haunted mazes. In addition to weird costumed characters and Halloween-themed music, guests can also experience select rides. Before the sun sets on Saturdays, the ghouls stay in their graves and kids can play at the Great Pumpkin Fest (noon-6 p.m.). New this year is HalloTween, a slightly less scary and abbreviated version of Halloween Haunt attractions. 6 p.m.-1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 26. Starts at $33.99. Kings Island, 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason, visitkingsisland.com. — MAIJA ZUMMO CONTINUES ON PAGE 28

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

ONSTAGE: Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace, based on a real-life 1840s

PHOTO: PROVIDED

BY KINGS ISL AND

|

THURSDAY 26

Halloween Haunt

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

MUSIC: Terri Lyne Carrington For almost three decades, drummer, composer and bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington has been tearing it up on stages with artists including Herbie Hancock, Cassandra Wilson, Clark Terry and others. And she’s recorded and performed with luminaries across Jazz and Rock. Carrington is a forceful advocate for women in Jazz, and produced The Mosaic Project in 2011 featuring Dee Dee Bridgewater, Esperanza Spalding, Nona Hendryx and many more. In 2014, Carrington became the first woman to receive a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Album for Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue. For her stop at Xavier University’s Jazz series, she’ll be joined by Takeshi Obayashi on piano, Mark Shim on sax and Benjamin Jephta on bass for an evening of music from Money Jungle, a tribute to Duke Ellington, Max Roach and Charles Mingus’ 1963 collaboration. It’s a rare opportunity to hear this dynamo, one of the most sought-after drummers of the day. 8 p.m. Wednesday. $30-$40. Gallagher Student Center Theater, 3800 Victory Parkway, Evanston, xavier. edu/musicseries. — ANNE ARENSTEIN

27

FROM PAGE 27

SATURDAY 28

MUSIC: Industrial rockers Filter play a free show at Hollywood Casino. See Sound Advice on page 45.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 MEMORIAL HALL WWW.CINCINNATIENTERTAINMENTAWARDS.COM

CBD

BEST SELECTION OF CBD

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

|

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

Discover. Shop. Learn.

28

JUST ASK OUR !

EXPERTS

Junglejims.com

EVENT: Queen of the Wing: Cincinnati’s Wing Fest There will be many flightless chickens bumping around Cincinnati come Saturday when the inaugural Queen of the Wing festival takes over Washington Park. More than 30 area vendors and restaurants will be hawking their best chicken wings in a battle for poultry supremacy; one talented wing-maker will be crowned Queen of the Wing. Wing slingers include Eli’s BBQ, Joella’s Hot Chicken, Bones Brothers, Mahope, Wicked Hickory, Fiery Hen and plenty more, including non-chicken vendors Graeter’s, The Cheesecakery and Vegan Street.

There will also be live music, alcohol and contests. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday. Free to attend; wings available for purchase. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-theRhine, queenofthewing.com.

— MAIJA ZUMMO MUSIC: Tommy Davidson Actor/comedian Tommy Davidson is coming to Cincinnati’s Ludlow Garage this weekend for a rare one-off show (most of his

engagements are multi-night comedy club residencies).

Davidson was a standout on the ground-breaking sketch comedy series In Living Color in the ’90s, going on to star in such films as Strictly Business, Bamboozled and Black Dynamite. He was featured in the 2011 documentary I Am Comic and has had several comedy specials on Showtime over the years. Davidson was recently at the Tribeca Film Festival to talk about the legacy of In Living Color alongside Keenen Ivory Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Kim Wayans and David Alan Grier. 8:30 p.m.

Saturday. $35-$65.

Ludlow Garage, 342 Ludlow Ave., Clifton, ludlowgaragecincinnati. com. — MIKE BREEN EVENT: Country Applefest Lebanon’s 37th-annual Country Applefest is getting the two-day treatment as the event expands to Saturday and Sunday for the first time. As the name would have you believe, this wholesome festival is dedicated to all-things apple, with almost three-fourths of vendors coming to the

P H O T O : E R I C L O N G / N AT I O N A L A I R A N D S P A C E M U S E U M

show from within a 30-miles radius. Think local arts, crafts and caramel apples.

There will be apple fritters, bags of orchard-fresh apples, apple pies, apple

SATURDAY 28

ATTRACTION: Destination Moon: The Apollo 11 Mission This year marks the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing and this exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum Center will celebrate that landmark achievement, featuring the Command Module Columbia, the only portion of the spacecraft that survived the journey. (This will be the first time since 1976 that the module has been on display outside the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.) Visitors can also catch a glimpse of Buzz Aldrin’s gold-plated extravehicular helmet visor and thermal-insulated gloves; the star chart that helped guide Aldrin, Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins on their travels; the survival kit that was onboard; and more.

Fun fact: Armstrong was born a Buckeye and later taught at the University of Cincinnati. Through Feb. 17. $16.50 adults; $15.50 seniors; $10.50 children; member discounts. Cincinnati Museum Center, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, cincymuseum.org.

— MACKENZIE MANLEY

Oct. 12th 9am-5pm

P H O T O : R YA N B L A C K

SATURDAY 28

MUSIC: WHY? If you are a fan of Art Pop juggernaut WHY? and for some reason need more initiative to go see Cincinnatian Yoni Wolf and his globally acclaimed bandmates play a free, outdoor, hometown show, consider what Wolf wrote on Twitter recently. Ahead of an L.A. concert earlier this month, Wolf tweeted about how many have told him the group was the best it’s ever been — “our final form perhaps,” he added — before urging followers to attend because they wouldn’t be back for a while: “Could be a last hurrah of sorts.” It seems highly unlikely that Wolf would be retiring WHY? at this moment, considering he just released the most impressive and engaging artistic statement of his career. After releasing chunks of it in installments over the summer, in early August, WHY? dropped AOKOHIO, a remarkable album that brilliantly spins together ear-worm melodies and slanted experimentalism. Adding to the allure of the project was the full AOKOHIO “visual album.” The film — like the music, an artful collage of styles and tones — was directed by Miles Joris-Peyrafitte and James Siewert and features Wolf, his bandmates (brother Josiah and Doug McDiarmid) and Emmy-winning actress Tatiana Maslany from the show Orphan Black. So while WHY?’s appearance in the heart of downtown this weekend might not be your last chance to see them, given the power and magnetism of AOKOHIO, it may well be your best chance. 7 p.m. Saturday. Free. Fountain Square, 520 Vine St., Downtown, myfountainsquare.com. — MIKE BREEN

SUNDAY 29

YOUR WEEKEND TO DO LIST: LOCAL.CITYBEAT.COM

enterprising ideas + meaningful support

Presenting Sponsors:

Festival Sponsor:

Festival Partners:

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

EVENT: Tea Dance at the American Sign Museum Cincinnati’s LGBTQ Tea Dance takes over the American Sign Museum for a Sunday afternoon of cocktails and neon. There

will be music from DJs Ben and Milkshake, drinks for purchase and a glowing wonderland of signs from the 1800s to the 1970s at the largest public sign museum in the United States. The museum features a mockedup Main Street with faux storefronts and giant logos from Howard Johnson, McDonald’s and Marshall Field. The flashing lights, buzzing electricity and rotating wonders illuminate and preserve the past. 4-7 p.m.

Sunday. Free admission.

American Sign Museum 1330 Monmouth Ave., Camp Washington, facebook.com/ teadancecinci. — MAIJA ZUMMO

YELLOW SPRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

|

EVENT: Great Outdoor Weekend Feel that brisk breeze with Green Umbrella’s annual outdoor events sampler. The Great Outdoor Weekend offers myriad opportunities for children and adults to try different outdoor activities and nature awareness programs available across the Greater Cincinnati area.

There are more than 100 events — free and open to the public — including things

like primitive fire starting and marshmallow roasting at the Cincinnati Nature Center, a Mill Creek Urban Hike, Hoppy Horticulture and Yoga at the Civic Garden Center with Rhinegeist, a birds of prey open house at RAPTOR Inc. and a tag a monarch event at the Fernald Preserve. Saturday and Sunday. Free. Various locations, greatoutdoorweekend. org. — MAIJA ZUMMO

YSCHAMBER

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

cider and more, including live entertainment and other non-apple foods. Held rain or shine. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Saturday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sunday. Free admission.

Warren County Fairgrounds, 665 N. Broadway St., Lebanon, countryapplefest.com.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

250+ Arts, Crafts & Food Vendors 65 Local Shops & Eateries Performers & a Colorful Crowd

29

Louisville, Kentucky

PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS . GWAR . THE CRYSTAL METHOD GRAVEYARD . FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES . NEW YEARS DAY ALL THEM WITCHES . CROWN LANDS . WILSON . DEAD POSEY SANTA CRUZ . AND MORE

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES . MELVINS . ANDREW W.K. . BADFLOWER . KNOCKED LOOSE ANTI-FLAG . REDD KROSS . PARLOR MOB . LIKE A STORM . JELLY ROLL

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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DIRTY HONEY . AMIGO THE DEVIL . THE PINK SLIPS . JUNKBUNNY . AND MORE

30

DEADLAND RITUAL . WHITE REAPER . DEMON HUNTER . HO99O9 ANGEL DU$T . SICK PUPPIES . DED . FIRE FROM THE GODS ANEMIC ROYALTY . AND MORE WWW. LOUDERTHANLIFEFESTIVAL .COM

The Poetics of AI

ARTS & CULTURE

To review FotoFocus’s AutoUpdate: Photography in the Electronic Age, we enlisted an artificial intelligence algorithm. The average result: “75 percent aesthetic, really good”

BY S T E V E K E M PL E

I

Juan Si Gonzalez’s “The Preacher” PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE ARTIST

result: “parrot,” which it defined as “a copycat who does not understand the words or acts being imitated.” I assume the AI does not grasp the irony here.

AIs like EyeEm, ImageNet Roulette and the one employed by Zeller function like lenses. Through them, we can see the world — and ourselves — in different ways.

The human-image relationship reflexively points to the human-technology relationship.

In front of Britni Bicknaver’s “After Hours (The Carnegie Gallery, Covington, Kentucky),” I caught Maghathe’s reflection in the glossy video screen. Holding their phone at eye level, its edges disappeared inside their reflection. It’s strange, seeing myself in someone else’s body, a phantom superimposed on shaky horror-movie footage. I had a similar feeling looking at Valerie Sullivan Fuchs’ video, Floating City.

Here, skyscrapers loom above their reflection in an uncanny symmetry. The absence of ground flattens the pictorial space, tilting the structures in an abyss of sky.

AutoUpdate set out to explore technology’s impact on lens-based practice. But it uncovered something deeper. The exhibition itself functions like an algorithm, asking us: How has technology redefined what it means to be human?

AutoUpdate: Photography in the Electronic Age is on view at The Carnegie (1028 Scott Blvd., Covington) through Nov. 16 with a 5-8 p.m. reception Oct. 4 and symposium Oct. 5. More info: fotofocus.org.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

exactly one piece of art received a perfect 100 percent: Emily Zeller’s inscrutable nightmare “Bow Tie, 46.28%,” depicting what seems to be a deformed fungal dog.

EyeEm’s caption reads: “close-up portrait of a dog” alongside generated tag descriptors “domestic,” “canine,” “vertebrate,” “animal body part,” and others.

It’s interesting that EyeEm chose to lavish praise on this particular image. To create it, Zeller employed a Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). “The work is largely a collaboration between human and machine,” Zeller explains on her website. “I control these ratios, editing the ‘genes’ of my pieces, and then allow the GAN to generate what it believes is the resultant image.”

Maybe EyeEm recognized something of its own essence in “Bow Tie, 46.28%”?

It’s worth pointing out that such “machine vision” processes aren’t magic. They’re designed to simulate how a human would rate or describe an image, usually trained on millions of human-tagged images.

AI researcher Kate Crawford recently developed such a network for FotoFocus symposium keynote Paglen’s ImageNet Roulette, which uses AI to “classify” uploaded selfies, attempting to guess “what kind” of person is shown. The project’s goal is to demystify AI and expose its frequently problematic human biases.

Maybe it’s not surprising that human flaws are replicated in AI. Even so, I wanted to see how ImageNet Roulette would categorize “Bow Tie, 46.28%.” The

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the surface of an interior window with printed snapshots. According to Exhibition Director Matt Distel, these photos were similarly installed in the artist’s streetlevel apartment.

Anyone who turned to look at the building triggered a surveillance camera. Eight of the resulting photos are neatly framed a few feet away.

Mass surveillance is among the topics slated for the symposium, alongside “deepfakes” and post-truth, the fate of documentary filmmaking and others. The event’s keynote speaker is celebrated artist, author and MacArthur Fellowship recipient Trevor Paglen, whose multidisciplinary practice establishes a kind of poetics of mass surveillance. Other panelists and speakers include artist and filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson, artist Nancy Burson and microbiologist Dr. Elisabeth Bik. “Where’d you go?” Maghathe asks. “Is there something wrong with the feed?” At first, I didn’t realize they were holding their phone up to Tina Gutierrez’s “Seascape,” which resembles the glitchy blocks of an over-compressed jpeg file. “I’m joking, it’s only the art.”

Glitches show something of the dataessence of digital media, the poetry of which is explored elsewhere, too, in videos

by Anna Christine Sands and images by Juan Si Gonzalez. These works aestheticize the truism that underlying all our digital representation are machines talking to each other. This made me wonder: How would artificial intelligence trained to “see” images review AutoUpdate?

I uploaded 46 images from the press packet to an experimental service called EyeEm Vision, which uses an AI machine learning to quantify and rank images’ aesthetic value. While the average aesthetic ranking was 75 percent (“really good”),

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ncoming video chat. I swipe to answer.

“Hey, Steve!” Noel Maghathe — a local artist who I enlisted to help view the show remotely — stands in the main gallery of The Carnegie in Covington, the site of FotoFocus’s new exhibition, AutoUpdate: Photography in the Electronic Age. AutoUpdate is an ambitious undertaking, featuring 44 regional artists. It accompanies a full-day symposium, held Oct. 5 at the gallery, exploring the impact of digital technologies on lens-based media.

Across the first floor, works communicate in a secret language. Heat-map chromatics in Gary Mesa-Gaido’s “String Theory Series #1-9a” mirror a rotating 3D grid in D Brand’s “Speech and Peanut Butter.” Two spoons behind its angled screen gesture toward Julie Jones’s saturated backyard photographs. Installations by Joshua Kessler and Joshua Penrose relate textile to images — for Kessler, ornamental pattern resolves into a grid of yearbook photos, while Penrose uses stretched linen as a kind of mesh filter to transform rearprojected video. Lori Kella’s “Rising to the Surface” depicts what I imagine it would look like to send fish encased in an ice block through an airport baggage scanner.

Like many of the works in the show, the strangeness of these images takes time to unfurl.

“Some scholars have argued that the latest crisis in the world of photography comes from ‘massification,’ referring to the sheer number of photographic images that are now made and disseminated,” Geoffrey Batchen says via email.

An academic who specializes in the history of photography, Batchen wrote the essay “Phantasm: Digital Imaging and the Death of Photography” in the 1994 monograph Metamorphoses: Photography in the Electronic Age, from which The Carnegie exhibit and symposium takes its name.

In it, he described the technological and epistemological crises facing photography in the 1990s. I asked if this has changed.

He explains how “massification” alters how we relate to images and, consequently, to the world. “These, rather than questions of photography’s capacity for truth or falsehood, are the terms of contemporary debate,” he says.

In a nearby hallway at The Carnegie, ¡Katie B. Funk!’s “profile/profile” covers

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CULTURE

Starring 2014 Tony Award-nominee Mary Bridget Davies

Tuesday, October 1, 2019 · 7:30 PM Aronoff Center · Procter & Gamble Hall · CincinnatiArts.org · (513) 621-ARTS (2787)

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Cincy Natives Embrace Lure of #VanLife

BY K AT I E G R I FFI T H

The pressure of a 40-hour workweek everything we need and nothing we don’t.” and the anticipation of holiday breaks The couple sold their house and pursuggest a need for something more and chased a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van and less: a simpler life, if you will. But the with the help of friends, remodeled the once-unconventional road less traveled is home on wheels for $90,000. Johnson notes becoming an approachable option. It’s one that the hardest part about the lifestyle with no roots, only flowering: van life. is when something goes wrong with the My first meeting with this concept was van. Recently, the couple was plagued with through Jon Krakauer’s account of engine problems, which halted their pace.

Christopher McCandless’ nomadic life in “You can’t close the door and ignore the Into the Wild, a non-fiction book published problem,” she says. “It’s your home and in 1996. His story, while dangerous and transportation. Everything you own is in it.” despairing, stirred something in me that never settled until recently.

I set off for Colorado in June to hike, camp, collect rocks and relax for three months. Though fueled with curiosity, I kept wondering how people do this for their entire existence — it was lonely but self-actualizing. What does it take to maintain this lifestyle?

Are there real people behind the social media glorification? Who are Emilie Johnson and Joe Neiheisel’s van they? And how do they PHOTO: COURTESY OF EMILIE JOHNSON financially sustain? #VanLife has upward of 5 million posts on Instagram. ScrollAnyone, including their nearly 62,000 ing through, you’ll find surreal vistas, Instagram followers @permanentroadtrip, tanned beach bums and vehicle interiors can keep up with their current romps. The transformed to the likes of five-star hotels; two mostly stay on public lands everyentire mountain ranges; and car doors where from Florida to Alaska and typically framing lush prairies and vast wildflower explore one place for a significant amount plains — all laced among (hashtag) inspiof time. rational quotes that find a number of ways When they decide to move — beloved to say “not all who wander are lost.” dog Alice along for the ride — it’s usually The explosion of the fad can be not more than two hours away. While attributed to Instagram, but not the actively managing investments and savinception or the soul of the idea. The reality ings, Johnson said their monthly expenses of van life is a subculture of adventurers are around $2,000, the majority of which is who are turning the “movement” into a spent on groceries and gas. It’s a lifestyle legitimate lifestyle. that, as long as they’re still enjoying themCincinnati natives Emilie Johnson and selves, they plan to keep up indefinitely. her husband Joe Neiheisel are a part of Of their posts, one depicts a foggy that community, having been on the road stretch of the Kennedy River in British for the better part of three years. Johnson, Columbia. “Finding places like this and via email, defines home as: “Synonymous taking the time to enjoy them is what with comfort. It’s where you can fully relax, makes vanlife magic,” the caption reads. entertain and surround yourself with “Do yourself a favor, forget about your family, friends and pups, etc.” bucket lists, stop rushing from place to A long time of using up every free place, tune out the digital panhandlers weekend and vacation they could for and rat race 2.0 van accounts. Just relax camping and exploring assured them that and enjoy the places you find.” they were ready for a more permanent From tiny houses to mobile homes, a adventure. Johnson worked in marketing slew of alternative living is redefining life. and communications and Neiheisel in Ahead of the curve, Johnson and Neiheisel finance before they decided to commit. have proclaimed catchy words of wisdom “Timing was right — we were both that need not be limited to van life: healthy, our parents were healthy, we #homeiswhereyouparkit. had been saving for years and were in a Follow Emilie Johnson and Joe Neiheisel position to head out on a journey while on Instagram @permanentroadtrip we could still physically do all the things we like to do to the extent we want to,” Johnson says. “With our van, we have

ONSTAGE

‘Alias Grace’ Offers No Easy Answers R E V I E W BY R I C K PEN D ER

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To kick off the 2019/2020 season on the Cincinnati Playhouse’s rebooted, smaller Rosenthal Shelterhouse Theatre stage — refurbished with new, more accommodating seats (capacity reduced from 225 to 172), better sightlines and a new name — Artistic Director Blake Robison has staged Jennifer Blackmer’s provocative Alias Grace, an adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s 1996 novel. It’s compelling, if not entirely The cast of Alias Grace at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park satisfying, theater.

PHOTO: MIKKI SCHAFFNER PHOTOGRAPHY Atwood — whose Handmaid’s Tale has become Grace. They become friends, but Mary’s a contemporary bellwether of feminist untimely demise following a botched resistance to male dominance — reframed abortion is offered as a possible factor in the true story of Grace Marks, a 16-year-old Grace’s eventual behavior. servant in Ontario, Canada, who was conThe tale’s title hints at an enigmatic victed in 1843 of murdering her employer mystery: Grace claims not to remember and his housekeeper. Atwood translated the heinous murders. Does “alias” imply the tale into a complex narrative exploring an actual erasure of recollection, a motives, fantasies and tragic outcomes. takeover by an alternate personality, or Playwright Blackmer has given Atwood’s simply a device to hide behind? All these story a surreal, psychological telling that possibilities are offered, and Hewitt’s presents multiple answers to complex wonderfully complex performance affords questions and leaves many mysteries for numerous options for consideration: somethe audience to wrestle with. times Grace is blank and forthcoming; The play is set in 1859. Dr. Simon Jordan sometimes hysterical, and perhaps even (Grant Goodman) is a serious-minded phymanipulative. She remains inscrutable. sician who today we’d call a psychiatrist.

Further complicating matters is the Fascinated with unbalanced minds and behavior of Jordan. He has his own past of eager to establish his reputation, he has questionable behavior with young women, come to a prison to unravel the motives and his obsession with Grace evolves into and actions of Grace (Caroline Hewitt) something beyond scientific. He hopes to with talking therapy, a notion received establish an asylum for further study, and skeptically at first by Mrs. Rachel Lavell his relationship with Mrs. Lavell promises (Annie Fitzpatrick), the meddlesome wife to open doors to private funding. But she of the prison director who has her own selfmanipulates him in several ways and his ish interests in delving into Grace’s case. professionalism becomes seriously erratic.

The story unfolds as Jordan interviews Atwood’s currency with stories of Grace, an Irish immigrant now over 30 women abused by dominant males years old, in sessions which become pervades Alias Grace. It concludes enacted episodes featuring characters mysteriously with a sense of female from her past. victory: Grace is exonerated and released She is hired by Nancy Montgomery from prison (with no explanation).

(Tess Talbot), a controlling housekeeper, Blackmer’s script and Robison’s direction as a housemaid for Thomas Kinnear (Nick lean hard on metaphor with evocative red Rose), an unmarried rogue of a man flowers and petals as recurrent images. with a reputation for taking advantage Alias Grace is staged simply on a of female employees. James McDermott wooden-floored set with Victorian detail(Damien Boykin) is a cocky stable hand ing, etched-glass, gas lighting fixtures and likely accomplice in the murders and furniture. Designer Jo Winiarski’s (the real McDermott was executed for his setting enhances an air of doomed mystery, involvement). We also meet Jeremiah (R. further amplified by Matthew M. Nielson’s Ward Duffy), a charming itinerant peddler; subtle sound design and Jaymi Lee Smith’s Duffy also plays Dr. Jerome Dupont, a moody lighting. Alias Grace leaves many smarmy “neuro-hypnotist” who competes issues open-ended and doesn’t offer a firm with Jordan to unlock Grace’s dark secrets. resolution.

A deeper memory involves Mary Whitney (Andrea San Miguel), another Alias Grace, presented by the Cincinnati servant in a household where Grace is Playhouse in the Park, continues through employed before the Kinnear farm. A Oct. 27 on the Rosenthal Shelterhouse sparky young woman affectingly played Theatre stage. More info: cincyplay.com.

by San Miguel, Mary is more worldly than

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ONSTAGE

‘Once on This Island’ is Vibrant, Joyous R E V I E W BY J EN I FER M O O R E

CRITIC’S PICK

Love, power and community reign and bass. On a midsize stage stacked with supreme in the Tony Award-winning props, the cast delivers these moments musical Once on This Island, currently with impressive ability. onstage at the Playhouse in the Park’s Marx Bre Jackson as Asaka gives a stellar Theatre. Set in the present-day Caribbean debut on the Playhouse stage, laying French Antilles, this 85-minute production everything on the floor with smooth flavor spins the enchanting story of a young and attitude. With sass in her stride, her peasant girl, Ti Moune, on a quest for love rendition of “Mama Will Provide” is a true as four competing gods use their forces to reflection of an island woman — confident, determine her fate. bold and vivacious.

The musical, based on Rosa Guy’s novel My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl (a retelling of classic folktale The Little Mermaid), opens on the island as a storm brews.

There are two entirely different worlds at play: the peasants and the privileged, better known as the haves and the havenots. At the center is Ti Moune (Lauren Chanel), a sweet, curious and adventurous orphan who is taken in by a peasant couple after the storm Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s Once on This Island destroys her community.

PHOTO: MIKKI SCHAFFNER PHOTOGRAPHY As she grows older, they shower her with love and teach her the principles of faith As the opener of Playhouse’s 60thand community, which eventually fuel anniversary season, Once on This Island is her relentless pursuit and not-so-realistic suitable for all audiences as it sheds light dream of marrying Daniel Beauxhomme, a on poverty, classism and the challenges of suitor from a prestigious family. parenthood.

In one moment, she asks the gods — The plight of the island’s impoverished is Agwe, God of Water; Asaka, Mother of shown on the set with thin American Red Earth; Papa Ge, Demon of Death; and Cross-blanketed cots and knickknacks, Erzulie, Goddess of Love — why they indicating that life has not been kind to the spared her from the storm only for her to peasants as they constantly battle storms. lead such a mundane existence.

Yet together they rebuild a community What follows is infatuation, classism, where love and happiness are the foundaheartbreak and betrayal. Though Ti tion. Classism goes hand in hand with Moune’s wonder and innocence are this ideology where “like” individuals are eventually lost, she never gives up hope. encouraged to marry or stay within their Chanel’s doe-eyed and sassy portrayal of own in an effort to maintain order. the orphaned girl is one that she delivers The struggles of Mama Euralie with ease. Her beautiful renditions of (Rheaume Crenshaw) and Tonton Julian songs “Waiting for Life” and “Pray” exhibit (Kenneth Robinson) as parents who are her high vocal range. And the tenderness concerned about their adopted child’s in which she displays Ti Moune’s ambitious, lofty dreams are all too familiar disappointment and ultimate fate leaves as they realize that they cannot shield Ti one to reflect about the importance of good Moune from the realities of the world. life choices.

The finale, “Why We Tell The Story,” The play’s strength and uniqueness closes with a sense of hope that, despite centers around vibrant and joyous musical differences, stories can still bring people numbers penned by the songwriting duo together.

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty. The In a display of solidarity, the Playhouse remarkable cast, many making their debut has partnered with the Greater Cincinnatiat the Playhouse, delivers each number Dayton Region American Red Cross to with voices gifted from the heavens. This donate funds to those in the Bahamas cast could cut a soundtrack recording impacted by Hurricane Dorian — a cause today and I would be the first to download that falls in line with Once on This Island’s and stream it a million times. ultimate message of shared community.

Robert Barry Fleming’s dual role as It’s an absolute must-see. director and choreographer shines in the Once on This Island runs through Oct. 6 at cast’s hip-shaking moves. Infused with the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. More rhythm and soul, Andrew Smithson’s info/tickets: cincyplay.com. musical direction is felt in every drum beat

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Aronoff Center - Procter & Gamble Hall

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Monday, October 7, 2019 - 7 PM

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Since 2009, Danny McBride, alongside Jody Hill, has been creating dark comedy masterpieces for TV with Eastbound & Down and Vice Principals (and before that, their debut film The Foot Fist Way). He brings his signature bombastic, bad boy humor to each of his roles, from washed-up pro baseball player Kenny Powers to power-hungry high school administrator Neal Gamby. Now, in The cast of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones The Righteous Gemstones P H O T O : R YA N G R E E N / H B O (10 p.m. Sundays, HBO) — apparently completing and the Gemstones are pushing out McBride and his collaborator’s trilogy of smaller local churches by opening annex comedy series — he brings that brand to locations in shopping malls. That hypocchurch as a filthy rich televangelist. risy is best represented by Jesse, while the Each of these shows have progressively others are (dare I say) more nuanced. featured more of an ensemble cast: I was expecting everyone in this family Eastbound & Down is synonymous with to be bad apples, but they’re not that cut Kenny Fuckin’ Powers; Vice Principals and dry. Eli is, at heart, a good guy, forever chronicled the feuding friendship of broken after losing his wife, just kind of two wildly different coworkers; here the floating through the life he created that scope widens even more to include an ended up spoiling his children. There’s entire dysfunctional family of damaged that latent sadness that always bubbles up demigods — and deservingly so. in McBride’s shows — an emotional gutA perfectly-cast John Goodman plays punch for every 10 belly laughs. patriarch Eli Gemstone, who built a Gemstones is not all fire and brimstone. ministry into a megachurch and is blessed There’s also a hilarious blackmail storyline with God’s bounty in the form of donations with bumbling criminals and a fantastic from legions of followers. When he’s not ’80s flashback episode delves into some of counting checks, he’s mediating squabbles the Gemstone family dynamics. The latter between his spoiled grown children. offers a glimpse at their late matriarch, Eli’s oldest, mutton-chopped son Jesse whom Eli loved so much (a fantastic one(McBride) is poised to take the family episode turn for Jennifer Nettles), and throne. He’s got the perfect family, includexplores Eli’s tumultuous relationship with ing a hot wife (Cassidy Freeman) who looks her brother Baby Billy. (And a not-to-bethe other way, minus one estranged son. A forgotten musical number that will have maverick minister, Jesse is set on growing you singing about running around with a the company’s, er, church’s reach, until pickle in your mouth.) he’s threatened with evidence of his sinful McBride has perfected playing the side, ready to be exposed. overly confident asshole with unmatched The much younger Kelvin (Adam delivery, so hateable and yet so hilarious.

DeVine) is a faux-hawk sporting, deep-V Beneath the bravado of all his characters wearing youth minister. He’s not a regular is a broken-down man, exposing the pastor, he’s a cool pastor, converting male fragility that belies toxic masculintroubled kids one at a time starting with ity. Kenny, Neal and Jesse are all the type oddball satanist-turned-right-hand-man of guy who complain that people are too Keefe (Tony Cavalero). Lastly (fittingly) sensitive today, but absolutely melt down is middle sister Judy (scene-stealing if someone disagrees with them or doesn’t Vice Principals alum Edi Patterson), a take them seriously. The fact that McBride perpetual Jan Brady relegated to menial can play these types of characters for a secretary work while the men enjoy church decade — during which political correctleadership roles. ness has supposedly become more imporThen there’s Baby Billy Freeman (Walton tant — while keeping the comedy firing on Goggins), Eli’s brother-in-law who’s been all cylinders is a testament to his talent. tapped to lead a new church location.

While The Righteous Gemstones may be When you’re dealing with a talent like the final chapter in McBride’s hilarious Goggins, you’ve got to give him a wild, unholy trinity, he has said he hopes this multifaceted, meaty role, and Baby Billy is series continues longer than either of the just that: charismatic, but conniving as the previous shows. For now, it’s just been snake in Eden. picked up for a second season. Hallelujah!

The Righteous Gemstones skewers the Osteen-esque religious zealots who preach Contact Jac Kern: @jackern the Good Word while stuffing their pockets,

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FOOD & DRINK

Braxton Keeps Expanding The brewery sets an opening date for its Fort Mitchell Barrel House on the heels of its new rooftop bar in Covington and increased distribution plan

BY L AU R A L E AV I T T

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A preview of Braxton’s new Barrel House PHOTO: ADAM DOT Y

seltzer line, Vive.

“Vive has completely changed our company, introducing a new demographic and new customer to the brewery,” Rouse says.

“The difference with Vive and hard seltzers is that you are going for a better-for-you product. It’s not that alcohol is ever ‘good’ for you, but many of us are trying to drink less, and we don’t want to feel hungover or bloated. The health and wellness and moderation trends are leading people to have just one or two of these hard seltzers.”

Through all the expansion, Rouse, his brother Evan and their team have felt privileged to get to watch their original garage-based home brewing projects become a massive force in the local craft alcohol scene.

“Experiencing exponential growth as we have over the past few years, we had to make some big decisions quickly,” Rouse says. “We learn a lot, take a ton of feedback and we have really hit a sweet spot in what people are looking for in craft beer.”

Braxton Brewing Co.’s flagship location is at 27 W. Seventh St., Covington. More

info: braxtonbrewing.com.

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storage for housing bourbon barrels and other assorted barrels to age beers.

Through the products that Braxton serves, the founders remain committed to their Kentucky connection, be it through the water they use or through their connection to bourbon production in their barrel aging. The Braxton Private Barrel program allows companies or groups of friends to create and follow their own barrel-aged beer from creation to packaging, resulting in a barrel (about 300 bottles) of one-of-a-kind brew. It lets customers go behind the scenes to learn about the process and sample barrels to get to exactly the flavor profile they want through the assistance of expert brewers. The private barrel program is considered the only one of its kind in the country.

“We realized with the popularity of Dark Charge that there was more to be done because we were a Kentucky brewery and Kentucky is known for bourbon,” Rouse says. “Just like bourbon, we’re aging beer for quite a long time.”

Many of the elements of Braxton’s success are driven by their bestsellers, and their expansion will allow them to now create up to 30,000 barrels of Braxton beer a year and expand distribution to all of Ohio and Tennessee.

All of this growth is on the heels of the early 2019 release of the brewery’s hard

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The intensive growth the brewery has recently experienced is part of a positive feedback loop that Rouse sees as being driven by three core values at the company: creating experiences, connecting to customers and innovating new products.

“We want to put our products in experiences where people are going to enjoy them and that might push them outside their comfort zone so they try something a little different,” he says “Second, we are completely dedicated to understanding what our customers want and what they are drinking. Lastly, we commit to innovation; Braxton Labs (experimental brewery inside The Party Source) has the ability to freely innovate without constraints on budget, time or production method, which means we really get to stay up to date on trends.”

On Sept. 27, another facet of Braxton Brewing Co. opens, building on the success of the yearly Dark Charge barrelaged beer program that regularly brings thousands of visitors to Covington in order to sample the signature flavor of a yearlong barrel-aging process.

The Braxton Barrel House in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky has taken over the former Remke Market building on Dixie Highway and will include a 20-tap taproom and a 2,000-square-foot patio on the former loading dock, plus 20,000 square feet of

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hen Braxton Brewing Co. opened on Seventh Street in Covington in 2015, the scenery was far different than if you stop by the taproom for a pint today.

“My brother and I took a risk at the beginning on the neighborhood, on the building,” says Jake Rouse, Braxton co-founder and CEO, of his brother and Braxton co-founder Evan. “People don’t remember what this street was like four years ago, how different it was. We had people laugh at us while we were raising money for the business. We’ve loved the fact that we have been able to lead the catalytic rebound of this neighborhood.”

But the brewery and taproom at 27 W. Seventh St. has paid off: the more than 130-year-old building, which has at various times been a Sears department store, architecture firm and an art gallery, now belongs to Braxton from top to bottom.

They have offices and a private taproom for events on the second floor, and in July they unveiled a 5,000-square-foot rooftop patio.

“Essentially, the rooftop came to be because we wanted to drink outside and we wanted to cement this as our forever home,” Rouse says. “We’d met the capacity of the brewery, both from a retail perspective, too. Adding the roof also made it a destination space.”

Rouse sees it as more than just another place to enjoy Braxton’s many beers and hard seltzer. It marks a choice that the company has made at a major crossroads in its existence to invest in Covington.

“We moved forward and we bought the building, and in buying this building, we made a $5 million expansion commitment,” he says. “We did a lot to make the roof feel still a part of Braxton, but it is also different.

It’s got a different vibe.”

The choice to use the rooftop space was motivated by the view and the chance to make a new atmosphere that still fit with Braxton’s “industrial chic” style.

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WHAT’S THE HOPS

Cincinnati’s Blossoming Apple Cider Scene

BY S E A N M . PE T ER S

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Autumn is harvest season, which means apple orchards are in full swing this time of year. As a result, you’ll see a lot of apple cider for sale. But people have differing views as to what apple cider actually is.

Apple cider is traditionally a fermented alcoholic beverage. In America, some call it “hard cider,” and if you were to search American cookbooks for an apple cider recipe, nine out of 10 times you’d be directed to make a kind of spiced apple punch with stewed fruits — the type typically served around Halloween.

In Europe, where the drink has ancient roots, if you ask for cider at a pub or café, it’ll be a crisp, light yellow drink that contains the alcoholic equivalent of beer, if not a bit higher.

This alcohol won’t come from the addition of spirits like whiskey or brandy to apple juice (another method of apple cider preparation in American homes) as the alcohol in traditional cider is fermented from apple juice’s natural sugars.

Order cider in a Cincinnati bar or restaurant and you’re likely to be served a Rhinegeist. Just as the brewery has established a huge presence in the region’s craft beer scene, Cidergeist, Rhinegeist’s cider alter-ego, has a proportionally strong hold on local cider options.

“We like cider — it’s like an extra area for us to play around and to explore,” says Chris Shields, Rhinegeist’s director of education. “It’s a fun challenge for our brewers. We don’t have any sort of dedicated cider staff. Our production team handles everything, so it keeps them really versatile and creative.”

Rhinegeist currently offers two ciders throughout the year: Semi-Dry, a tart and slightly sweet drink that fits in nicely with more traditional ciders; and Swizzle, a more adventurous and complex cider flavored with ginger and lemongrass.

Shields said he’s happy with the reception these ciders have had, though cider accounts for a small percentage of Rhinegeist sales. However, since they sell such a large quantity of beer, that means

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they still produce a lot of cider, including a couple of draft-only variations (like an Elderflower pear and Botanical gin-like cider). To keep up with demand, Rhinegeist buys apple juice from Washington state.

“We look at our ciders as one more option.

Are we grabbing wine and cider-drinkers and bringing them into our community? I hope so,” Shields says.

One drink on Rhinegeist’s menu that is often misidentified as cider is Bubbles, a rosé ale. Cider is legally distinguished as wine, so Rhinegeist had to acquire a wine license to produce their ciders. Wine is taxed in part according to its level of carbonation: the more bubbly, the higher the tax. (This is one reason champagne and other sparkling wines are often more expensive than still wines.)

The recipe for Bubbles rosé ale was made to be designated as a fruited ale rather than a cider, despite being made with fruit juices and no malts or hops. Shields explains that the taxation would be too high for the level of carbonation to make it a traditional cider, thus “fruited ale” was their way of crafting the drink they wanted without sacrificing carbonation. Cider fans will likely still enjoy Bubbles.

A rising tide of beer and cider lifts all breweries. Other local spots that have ciders include MadTree, March First and Braxton Brewing Co., to name a few.

“We love that MadTree has a cider the same way that we love how PsycHOPathy is a great beer,” Shields says. “If someone’s never had an IPA and they go to MadTree and try PsycHOPathy, they’re more likely to next try (Rhinegeist’s) Truth.”

MadTree introduced its 42 Mile cider last year — a partnership with Southern Indiana’s Beiersdorfer Orchard, located 42 miles away from the taproom.

“When we set out to make a hard cider, it was really important for us to know where the fruit came from and who the farmer was that grew it,” said MadTree head brewer Ryan Blevins, at the time. “Once I visited the Beiersdorfer farm and talked with (orchard general manager) Jeremy, I

MadTree’s 42 Mile cider PHOTO: PROVIDED BY MADTREE

knew his apple cider would be the right base to make a quality, delicious hard cider that we’d be proud of to represent MadTree.”

It balances sweet and dry and meets FDA guidelines for being gluten-free. It’s a taproom exclusive.

March First offers a wide variety of ciders, made with Ohio-grown apples — they even brand themselves as a brewery, distillery and cidery. They have a traditional flavor, a dry-limed flavor infused with lime peel and a collaboration with Holtman’s Donuts that’s supposed to taste like apple fritters, made with cinnamon, ginger and allspice. The Apple Fritter Cider is their fall flavor to replace the ubiquitous pumpkin spice. And they just released a Lemonade Cider to celebrate the end of summer.

Since 2018, Braxton has been offering two different ciders: Kickback and Kickback Rosé. Braxton’s brewmaster Richard Dubé, a 35-year industry veteran,

worked at the Boston Beer Company before making his way to Covington and brought with him his cider-making experience. That was applied to Kickback, crafted with McIntosh apples for a slightly sweet hard cider. The rosé version adds an “extra layer of aroma and flavor in a bright, beautiful pink hue,” according to Braxton.

In addition to those options, Fifty West’s Production Works has a dry cider on tap; the Listermann Fermatorium generally has a creative cider concoction on offer — a mixed berry or pear or something similar; and HighGrain Brewing in Silverton is fermenting a cranberry-apple cider.

Wooden Cask in Newport is also pouring WC Cider, a semi-dry with a “sweet apple aroma and a crisp, refreshing finish.”

Rest assured, if you’re looking for a cider alternative at a local taproom, there are plenty of options to choose from.

Contact Sean M. Peters: request@citybeat.com

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WHAT’S THE HOPS

Fall Brews, More Oktoberfests

BY G A R I N PI R N I A

It’s officially fall, which means it’s time for pumpkin beers, more Oktoberfests, scary movie nights, bowling, anniversary parties and the last glimpse of summer beers.

Braxton has re-released its popular Pumpkin Pie ale, a collaboration with Graeter’s that offers “rich, warm notes of pumpkin reminiscent of Graeter’s classic seasonal Pumpkin Ice Cream,” according to the brewery.

And Rivertown’s Pumpkin Ale is back on Braxton’s Pumpkin Pie ale collab with Graeter’s tap. If you head to the PHOTO: PROVIDED BY BR A X TON Monroe brewery and Barrel House, you can also Brewing Co. will host a stein-holding conorder a special Black Pumpkin: a half-andtest on Sept. 28 during which contestants half blend of their Pumpkin Ale and their must hold a one-liter beer stein. It costs $15, Roebling Vanilla Espresso Porter, brewed but contestants get to drink the beer and with La Terza espresso beans and vanilla. take home the stein; the winner gets a gift

New Beers

• In September, Urban Artifact released several new brews including Gramophone, their latest Midwest Fruit Tart, brewed with 3,000 pounds of nectarines. It is available in cans and on draft. Syrah, a brut fruit tart made with syrah grapes, is also available on tap and in cans. And a Bloody Mary Gose, brewed with tomato purée, black peppercorns, horseradish, vegan Worcestershire sauce, celery seed, lemon, lime and salt, is available on tap.

• March First released their final summery beer of the season, Lemonade Cider. Try it at the taproom.

•Rhinegeist released Penguin, a barrelaged blonde stout made with coffee and cacao nibs, which is available in bottles at the taproom. And on Sept. 20 they released the fruity IPA Lynx. It is available in cans at the taproom.

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• On Sept. 28, Urban Artifact will host The Extinction Event: Natural Wine & Spontaneous Beer Fest. The two-part fest features a non-ticketed morning bottle release and a ticketed natural wine and beer fest in the evening. Sample 18 wines and 45 beers, including Dimetrodon, a beer aged in oak with red raspberries, and Iguanodon, a beer aged in oak with black currants. Tickets are $85 for early access and $75 for general admission.

• On Sept. 28, Streetside will throw an all-day third anniversary bash. They’ll release new bottled beer J00S3Y, a double New England IPA which they describe as having “a light pop of dorm-room dank.”

They’ll also bring out some cellared beers and have food trucks.

• As part of Brinktoberfest, Brink

card. Also, kids get their own competition: a juice box hoisting contest.

• On Oct. 4 and 5, Paradise Brewing will host their first Oktoberfest with games, music and the release of Leapin’ Lederhosen Oktoberfest Lager.

• On Oct. 5, head to Alexandria Brewing Company for OctoBEERfest. They’ll have three beer releases, a special bratwurst from Four Mile Pig and live Polka music.

• Every Tuesday in October, Taft’s Brewpourium will screen a free horror movie.

They’ll provide unlimited candy and popcorn. On October 1, watch Split, followed

by The Purge: Election Year (Oct. 8), Get Out (Oct. 15), Saw (Oct. 22), and IT (Oct. 29).

• Do you like to bowl? Do you like craft beer? Then Hops & Strikes: Craft Beer League is for you. On Oct. 12, Gilmore Lanes in Fairfield will be the site for an every-other-week bowling league. Each time, a different local craft beer will be served. It costs $20 per person, and bowlers will receive up to two beers per meet, which are included in the fee.

• On Oct. 12, the Samuel Adams Cincinnati Taproom hosts Puppies & Pints with HART Animal Rescue. HART will have adoptable dogs on the patio and the taproom will be giving $1 from every pint sold to the rescue.

• On Oct. 19, compete in Brink’s annual chili-cook off. Make Cincinnati-style chili or a vegetarian one. All entrants are required to use Brink beer in their chili. If you don’t want to compete, stop by and taste some chili.

• On Oct. 26, Sonder will throw Sonderween with Halloween-costume yoga, Halloween-themed beer pong, a photo booth, Halloween trivia, a special drink, Halloween movies and a costume contest.

EST. 1933

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MUSIC

Head Still Up Positive-minded Pop singer/songwriter Andy Grammer returns with “recklessly optimistic” new album, Naive

BY A L A N S C U L L E Y

A

Andy Grammer PHOTO: JOSEPH LLANES

“My Own Hero”) and melodic ballads with a strong rhythmic presence and soaring choruses (“Some Girl” and “I Am Yours”). But Naive shifts the sound a bit away from the synthetic tones that punctuated the earlier albums toward a more organic feel.

“I think that I had fun experimenting a little bit more on previous albums with production and stuff,” Grammer says.

“This one, it just felt so sincere (and) the way to get that sincerity across sonically was to be more grounded in acoustic guitar.

“A lot of guitar, more live drums than normal, a lot of voices, live choir singers’ voices — to kind of get this authenticity across so the words can be surrounded by that type of a feeling.”

For the tour in support of Naive, Grammer says he’s going big.

“We’re going bigger than I’ve ever gone before,” he says. “I’ve got a big band, extra backup singers. I like to go big. I listen to this record, this most recent record has a lot of voices on it, a lot of anthemic, big stuff. It was important to bring the big machine that’s going to help make that work. It’s really exciting. When we come to town, we try to hit everybody in the heart.

Our main goal is to try to light people up.”

Andy Grammer plays Bogart’s on Wednesday, Sept. 25. Tickets/more info: bogarts.com.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

that I don’t know what I’m talking about, that going for the good is actually not realistic, or (that) to be optimistic or to have hope in the world that we live in might be simple minded.

“I love just throwing that out there and being like ‘I don’t care.’ ” That sort of statement runs counter to his nature, Grammer says. He usually tries to be in tune with what other people are thinking and feeling. But, as the above quote suggests, Grammer has worked on being less concerned with others’ opinions of his art. And that, he says, is making him a better songwriter and artist.

“I’m very aware of others and I care about how other people are doing,” he says. “If you walk into a room, I want to know how you’re doing and I want to take care of you and I want to make sure you’re doing good.”

“As an artist, that’s cool, but sometimes it’s more important to not care and go after whatever your heart feels like,” he continues. “I think that can get you to some of the good stuff… I’ve left caring so much about what people think (behind) and I think it’s taken me to cooler places (with the songs).”

Following his artistic impulses more affected the sound of Naive. Once again, the album offers a mix of upbeat tunes that feature sunny Folk-tinged Pop melodies, bouncy rhythms and big choruses (“I Found You,” “Don’t Give Up On Me” and

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Grammer felt over the death of his mother.

Featuring famed South African vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the song ponders what advice Grammer’s mother would have for his 2-year-old daughter if she were here to provide it.

On opener “My Own Hero,” Grammer sings about finding a sense of determination to persevere and even thrive despite the fear of facing a future alone. “Wish You Pain” isn’t a song of revenge or vindication as its title might suggest, but instead a reminder that bad things happen to make us stronger and better people.

From the outset of his career, Grammer’s positive attitude has been no secret. “Keep Your Head Up,” the Platinum-selling single from his 2011 self-titled debut that first put him on the map, seemed like a fitting introduction to the singer/songwriter, who reached even greater heights with his second album, 2014’s Magazines or Novels.

That album featured “Honey, I’m Good,” which was a Top 10 smash.

If anything, Grammer feels Naive pushes the positive tone of his music even further.

“Naive is even more, like, recklessly optimistic. It feels almost rebellious. I like that a lot,” he says. “I think the idea of calling the album Naive knowing that some people who don’t know me well enough will think that I’m naïve, thinking

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

ndy Grammer has earned a reputation since coming on the music scene in 2011 for being Mr. Positive, an artist who consistently builds optimism and sometimes downright happiness into his songs.

But he cautions that being upbeat does not mean being shallow when it comes to his music and the topics and situations he examines.

He has a podcast called The Good Parts (which shares a title with his third album) where Grammer, with some irreverence, delves into weightier waters with celebrity guests, discussing big questions like what they think happens when they die and the good and bad things about money.

“I like to try to take this thing deeper and remind people that there’s a lot going on here,” Grammer says of both his podcast and music. “For myself, with the art that I make, there are a bunch of levels to this.

It’s not just study hard and get a good job and then move on.”

Grammer says he’s getting the sense that his recently released fourth studio album, Naive, is really striking a nerve with some of his fans.

“It’s crazy because I don’t think this is a sappy album,” he says of Naive, which came out in July and cracked the Top 30 on the Billboard albums chart. “But one of the biggest comments I’m getting is people are like, ‘Ah man, you’re making me cry.’

What’s so interesting, I don’t think they’re sad songs, but there’s something about being overwhelmed with spirit that will make you tear up.”

The popular stereotype is that exploring darker subject matter inspires music with more depth. But Grammer certainly doesn’t struggle to find enough ideas that allow him to accentuate the positive in his lyrics. He penned 100 songs each ahead of putting together his most recent albums — Naive and 2017’s The Good Parts — to arrive at the 13 tracks that appear on each.

“You write so many to try and get it right,” he says. “I try to get to a place where there’s enough depth, but the depth doesn’t weigh it down.”

On Naive, Grammer often finds inspiration in people who work through difficulties and come out of the other side stronger and wiser.

One of the key songs on the album, “She’d Say,” was inspired by the loss

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Upcoming shows Sublime with Rome Tropidelic and The Expendables October 4 Anders Osborne October 11 Ballyhoo October 13 All That Remains & Lacuna Coil October 15 Michael Franti & Spearhead October 30 California Honeydrops November 6 Bone Thugs-NHarmony Novmeber 16 riverfrontlivecincy.com

AUTO//UPDATE: PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE ELECTRONIC AGE SYMPOSIUM

FOTOFOCUS SYMPOSIUM October 5, 2019, 9am–6pm The Carnegie, Covington, KY

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The FotoFocus day-long symposium will examine photography and film in today’s artistic and political climate. Participants will address digital technology’s impact on photography and video, and its disruption of art-making and news cycles in a media obsessed world.

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#FotoFocus #FFAutoUpdate

5pm Artist Keynote with Trevor Paglen MacArthur Genius Grant awardee Trevor Paglen investigates mass surveillance and data collection in an effort to see the historical moment we live in and imagine alternative futures.

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SPILL IT

Locals-Heavy Rhythm Brew Fest Returns

BY M I K E B R EEN

BY M I K E B R EE N

Protesting Spotify on Spotify

Canadian singer/songwriter Esthero found a creative way to protest what she and numerous other recording artists feel is an unfair pay-out system from streaming services — specifically, the leader of the streaming pack, Spotify. About 90 seconds into the Spotify stream of her ethereal Pop track “Gimme Some Time,” the music stops and the singer chimes in with a plea to purchase the song from her website. “It’s really hard as an independent artist to make money, and Spotify and other streaming services only pay about .003 to .008 cents per stream,” she says.

“It’s really not a livable income.”

Black Keys Scalper Tickets Invalid

There was a lot of finger-pointing going on after several fans were denied admission to a recent sold-out L.A. concert by The Black Keys.

Those fans had purchased tickets on the resale market from usually-reliable sellers like StubHub and Vivid Seats.

Because it was a smaller warm-up show for their tour — with $25 tickets “geared toward the fan club,” the band said in a statement — they made the tickets non-transferable to cut those third-party sellers out of the picture. Ticketmaster said it was made clear the tickets were nontransferable and fans reportedly were given screenshots of codes to use for admission. The Black Keys blamed the resellers, saying they “took this opportunity to defraud our fans and steal their money by selling tickets that were ineligible for transfer.” The major resale sites reportedly refunded all purchases.

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Kanye West’s odd relationship with Donald Trump seemed destined to lose the Hip Hop artist at least a few fans. But it wasn’t enough to hurt his bottom line — or perhaps a fresh influx of MAGA followers provided a new revenue stream — because West just topped Forbes’ “Highest-Paid Hip-Hop Acts 2019” list. West took the top spot for the first time, thanks largely to his Yeezy shoe line, which, according to Forbes, is expected to notch $1.5 billion in sales this year. That helped put West’s “pretax income” at $150 million for the year.

That nearly doubled the income of the runners-up — Jay-Z ($81 Million) and Drake ($75 million).

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S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

The Rhythm Brew Art & Music Festival began in 2017 as a free twoday event in Northern Kentucky that was heavy on Americana. In its second year, Rhythm Brew expanded greatly, adding several touring acts, a broader stylistic spectrum and an extra day of music.

The festival returns this weekend for its third annual event with another new wrinkle — Rhythm Brew has moved to Cincinnati proper and will Kate Wakefield of Lung unfold on three stages PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER Friday through Sunday at Riverfront Live (4343 wares and there will be food vendors on Kellogg Ave., East End, the premises if you get the munchies. riverfrontlivecincy.com).

Three-day tickets for Rhythm Brew are What hasn’t changed in the festival’s $40; single-day Friday and Sunday tickets three-year history is its dedication to are $25 and Saturday-only tickets are $20. spotlighting local art and music. This There are also special VIP tickets available year’s Rhythm Brew is dominated by some for $100. of the best acts from the Greater Cincinnati For more Rhythm Brew info and updates, music scene, representing everything from visit facebook.com/rhythmbrewfest and EDM, AltPop and Indie Rock to Americana, rhythmbrewfest.com.

Jamgrass and Funk.

On Friday, music begins at 5:30 p.m. and Rocktails and Fashion locals performing include Common CenHeavy Hinges singer Maya Banatwala and ter, Kaitlyn Peace & The Electric Generals, Kristen Kreft, leader of The Perfect ChilHighly Likely, Eyeris Wide, The Electric dren, are hosting a special event Friday to Indigo and Bangs. Area Electronic/Dance promote their Rocktails book series, which artists Paulk, Vusive and BRWN BEAR features original drink recipes inspired will perform late-night sets until 3 a.m. by and dedicated to a variety of local and Harbour, Lung, Sylmar, Frontier Folk international musical acts. Friday’s book Nebraska, Multimagic, Sundae Drives. signing/cocktail party/concert will take Abby Vice, Physco, Slow Glows, Coastal place at Urban Artifact (1660 Blue Rock St., Club, Moira and Mavenne are the area artNorthside, artifactbeer.com) and will take ists performing Saturday. Joining them will the pair’s creative music-inspired artistry be out-of-towners Jon Worthy & the Bends to another realm — fashion. (from Nashville), North Georgia’s Jacob The Cincinnati Rocktails Fashion Show Bryant and popular Indianapolis Gratewill showcase designs based on artists feaful Dead tribute outfit Hyryder. Paulk will tured in the latest Rocktails book. Kintimit again play a late-night DJ set on Saturday.

Costumes and Mitchell’s Salon will be On Sunday the headliners include helping 27 models show off the designs.

Sublime tribute act Badfish, Old Crow The event kicks off at 9 p.m. with a perMedicine Show’s Chance McCoy and formance from Cincinnati rockers Fickle Kansas Electronic duo The Floozies, as Hellcat, whose leader, Rachel Maxann, is well as nationally-renowned Cincinnati also modeling during the fashion show.

“Trashgrass” heroes Rumpke Mountain Fickle Hellcat’s self-titled debut is set for Boys. The rest of Sunday’s Rhythm Brew release early next month. The fashion show features Maria Carrelli, Ernie Johnson is slated to begin at 10 p.m. and will be folFrom Detroit, Motherfolk, Buffalo Wabs lowed by a set from Garage Pop newcomers & the Price Hill Hustle, Young Heirlooms, Isabelle Helle and the Hell’s Bells. Both Chelsea and John Ford, Anna Applegate, of the bands performing Friday will have Freak Mythology, Hayden Kaye and Harspecial cocktails in their honor — made lot and the Hounds. with Urban Artifact’s craft beer — that will With so much great music, you might be be served at the show. thinking, “I wish I could just set up camp For more on the Rocktails books — and at the venue all weekend long.” At this Kreft and Banatwala’s Rocktails pop-up year’s Rhythm Brew, you can do just that. events — visit americanrocktails.com.

Tickets for “Primitive Camping” spots — in areas just outside of the venue — are avail. able for $50 through ticketweb.com.

As the name of the event indicates, Contact Mike Breen: Rhythm Brew Art & Music Festival will mbreen@citybeat.com also include area artists hawking their

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Ken Stringfellow

Wednesday • Christ Church Cathedral Celebrated singer/songwriter Ken Stringfellow would be a Power Pop legend for his work with The Posies alone. Formed in the late ’80s in the Pacific Northwest with Jon Auer, The Posies had a Modern Rock hit with “Dream All Day,” but their debut, Failure, and subsequent ’90s albums for DGC Records are considered by many to be Power Pop masterworks.

Stringfellow and Auer received what was basically the Power Pop Presidential Medal of Honor when they were asked to join Alex Chilton and Jody Stephens for a Big Star reunion in 1993; the twosome continued their role as one-half of the third greatest Pop Rock band of all time until Chilton died in 2010. Stringfellow also toured and recorded with R.E.M. from the late ’90s through the mid-’00s.

Along with continued work with The Posies and production work, Stringfellow has done numerous session/sideman jobs and indulged in a variety of side projects.

He also has a strong solo discography that began with 1997’s This Sounds Like Goodbye.

Stringfellow’s sophomore solo album, Touched, had the unfortunate release date of Sept. 11, 2001, but its sublime mix of expected hook-heavy Pop Rock gems and more subtle and rootsier tracks was widely acclaimed by critics. The album also holds a special place in the hearts of many of his fans… and of Stringfellow himself. On this year’s anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., he wrote on social media about the profound experience of releasing the album and then beginning his tour for it on Sept. 20, 2001 in New York.

“The songs on Touched became much more than just my own story,” Stringfellow

Felix Pastorius and the Hipster Assassins PHOTO: GREG RHEIN PHOTOGRAPHY

wrote. “Grief, loss, religious divides that obscure our spiritual oneness… it almost seemed as if Touched was formulated in advance as a response to those times, impossible as it may seem.”

Stringfellow’s Cincinnati visit was booked by local singer/songwriter Kim Taylor, who hosts occasional concerts at Christ Church Cathedral. Taylor acted in an experimental film alongside Stringfellow based on his life (sorta) called Ken – The Movie. (Mike Breen)

Felix Pastorius and the Hipster Assassins Thursday • Ludlow Garage

Few shadows loom quite as large on a musical child as a parent’s success. And in the case of Felix Pastorius, the shadow is especially intimidating.

Not only did he follow his late father Jaco Pastorius into the family Jazz business, he even picked up his father’s instrument: the electric bass. Felix has differentiated himself, to be sure — he plays a six-string fretted bass; his iconic father earned his

MUSIC EDITOR MIKE BREEN KNOWS MUSIC. Filter

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reputation on a fretless four-string — but there’s no denying that Jaco developed a singular language on the electric bass and became a pioneering Jazz Fusion legend as a result.

Felix and his twin brother Julius were only 5 when their father was killed in a bar fight. Just six years later, the brothers played twin basses at a memorial concert for Jaco, known for his work with trailblazers Weather Report, as well as with Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny and as a solo artist.

At 15, Felix was playing in and around Miami with the Bermuda Triangle, featuring Weather Report percussionist Robert Thomas Jr., and while still in high school, Felix and Julius formed their own band, Way of the Groove.

At 19, Felix attended a music camp conducted by renowned bassist Victor Wooten, who immediately recognized the father’s influence in the son’s performance, and ultimately pointed Felix to his longstanding gig with Jeff Coffin’s Mu’tet.

Over the subsequent 18 years, Felix has worked in a variety of Jazz contexts.

Ten years ago, he moved to New York and formed a new band, the Hipster Assassins, and then became a touring bassist for Cindy Blackman Santana, Jam band Jazz is Phish and A$AP Rocky.

Along the way, he did a three-year run with Yellowjackets, which raised his profile substantially, and joined yet another quartet, Venture, which recorded Life Cycle, its studio debut, last year.

With this current tour, Felix and the Hipster Assassins are removing themselves from the safe confines of their New York residencies and hitting the wider road to exhibit their skills to the world at large.

Jaco remains a legend to this day, but Felix has proven that he possesses the talent and determination to run his family’s flag even further up the hill. (Brian Baker)

Filter was formed in Cleveland, Ohio in the early ’90s by guitarist Brian Liesegang and singer Richard Patrick after he left his gig as touring guitarist with Nine Inch Nails during the Pretty Hate Machine years.

The band’s sound — which was akin to NIN’s roaring Industrial angst — found an audience right off the bat. Filter’s 1995 album debut, Short Bus, featured the breakthrough single “Hey Man Nice Shot.”

The full-throttle rager was omnipotent in the mid-’90s and remains one of the defining songs of the era (as in, if they ever make a Forest Gump movie that takes place in the ’90s, “Hey Man” will play over the scene where Forest is hiding with OJ in the back of that white Ford Bronco).

“Hey Man” also holds the honor of having the most morbid origin story of any Top 40 hit from 1995. Though it came in the wake of Kurt Cobain’s death-byshotgun, the song was actually inspired by a different suicide. Patrick said the song was loosely based on R. Budd Dwyer; the Pennsylvania state treasurer shot himself during a public press conference as local news cameras were rolling. Footage of the suicide went “’90s viral” — it was widely circulated on VHS cassette. Watch the great documentary Honest Man: the Life of R. Budd Dwyer if you want to learn more about the politician’s tragic end.

Filter’s sophomore album, 1999’s Title of Record, produced a very different sounding hit — the poppy, dreamy “Take a Picture.”

Filter’s current tour is in honor of the recent 20th-anniversary expanded reissue of Title.

While Filter has never achieved the commercial success of their ’90s heyday, Patrick has kept the band alive with a revolving lineup, much to the delight of their hardcore fanbase. The group’s most recent album was 2016’s Crazy Eyes. Patrick had reportedly been working again with Liesegang, who left Filter in 1997, but plans for the new album fell through after the collapse of PledgeMusic, the crowdfunding site Patrick had used for some of the band’s more recent releases.

Filter will play a free show Saturday on the Roof at Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Standing-room general admission is free, but there are also VIP options. Visit hollywoodindiana. com for details. (MB)

45

LISTINGS

CityBeat’s music listings are free. Send info to Mike Breen at mbreen@citybeat.com. Listings are subject to change.

See citybeat.com for full music listings and all club locations. H is CityBeat staff’s stamp of approval.

WEDNESDAY 25

H H

BOGART’S - Andy Grammer. 8 p.m. Pop.

$33.

CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL - Ken Stringfellow. 7 p.m. Pop/ Rock. $25.

H

GALLAGHER STUDENT CENTER THEATRE - Terri Lyne Carrington’s Money Jungle. 8 p.m. Jazz. $30-$40.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Braza Trio.

6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

THE LISTING LOON Joel Ansett. 8 p.m. Indie/ Pop/R&B

H

MOTR PUB - Dressy Bessy, Melodk Eye and Boomerang Sky. 10 p.m.

Indie Pop. Free.

H

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Fun Isn’t Fair and Lashes. 9 p.m. Punk. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB - Drew Fahlbusch. 9 p.m. Acoustic/ Loops. Free.

H

U.S. BANK ARENA The Chainsmokers with 5 Seconds of Summer and Lennon Stella. 7 p.m. Pop. $49.50-$99.50.

VINOKLET WINERY AND RESTAURANT - Bluegrass Wednesdays with Vernon McIntyre’s Appalachian Grass. 6:30 p.m. Bluegrass.

Free.

THURSDAY 26

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

|

S E P T. 2 5 - O C T. 1, 2 0 19

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Philip Paul Trio.

7:30 p.m. Jazz. Free.

46

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Julia Higgins Quartet. 7:30 p.m. Jazz.

Cover.

PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Cull Hollow. 7:30 p.m. Acoustic/ Bluegrass. Free.

H

RIVERFRONT LIVE Slaughter to Prevail, Bodysnatcher, Orthodox, Deadculture and Coldcase.

7 p.m. Metal. $15.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT Society Jazz Orchestra. 8 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Nora Jane Struthers & The Party Line.

7:30 p.m. $10, $12 day of show.

STANLEY’S PUB - The Qtet.

9 p.m. Funk/Fusion. Free.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT - SeepeopleS with Playfully Yours and Jack Burton Overdrive. 8:30 p.m. Rock/ Alt/Various. $10.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Grassroots Ramble. 8 p.m.

Bluegrass. $10 (food/drink minimum).

MADISON LIVE - Stoney LaRue. 8 p.m. Country. $20.

MANSION HILL TAVERN Leroy Ellington Band. 9 p.m.

Blues/R&B. Cover.

H

MOTR PUB - Chelsea Ford and the Trouble, Nick Dittmeier and Warrick and Lowell. 10 p.m. Americana. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Metal Showcase. 9 p.m.

Metal. Free.

H

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - The Toasters with Scotch Bonnets. 9 p.m.

Ska. $13, $15 day of show.

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - Flying Underground. 8 p.m. Rock.

Free.

H

H

WOODWARD THEATER - DeVotchKa and The Joy Formidable Unplugged. 8 p.m. Alternative/World/Rock. $22, $25 day of show.

SATURDAY 28

H

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Arnold’s Bar and Grill Music Fest 2019 with Jake Speed and the Freddies, The Brothers Footman and Moonshine Drive. 7 a.m. Americana. Free.

BLIND LEMON - Will & Olivia. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - Open Mic Nite with The Inturns. 8 p.m.

Rock/Blues/Folk. Free.

THE REDMOOR - Mickey James & The Queen City Crew. 8 p.m. Jazz/Blues/ R&B/Various. $10.

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - Steve Schmidt Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free.

FRIDAY 27

RICK’S TAVERN - Cassette Era. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.

H

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Arnold’s Bar and Grill Music Fest 2019 with River City Roustabout, The Duo Jetts and The Cincy Brass. 7 p.m. Americana/ Pop/Dance/Funk/Various.

Free.

BLUE NOTE HARRISON Nightrain with Rapid Fire. 7 p.m. Guns ’N Roses/Judas Priest tributes. $10.

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - Mandy Gaines with The Steve Schmidt Trio.

9 p.m. Jazz. Free.

H

THE COMET - Zunis. 10 p.m.

Indie Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN City Silos and Sarah Dupee.

9 p.m. AltRock. Free.

LUDLOW GARAGE - Hollywood Nights. 8:30 p.m. Bob Seger tribute. $20-$40.

H

BOGART’S - Green Day vs. Blink 182 vs. The Killers Tribute Night. 6 p.m. AltRock. $10.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Phil DeGreg Trio. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

Cover.

MOTR PUB - Noah Smith’s Crooner Circus. 10 p.m.

Singer/Songwriter. Free.

KNOTTY PINE - Wayward Son. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Rusty Burge Trio. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

PIRATES COVE BAR & GRILLE - Basic Truth. 8 p.m.

R&B/Funk/Soul. Free.

FRETBOARD BREWING COMPANY - They Never Came Back. 6 p.m. Surf Rock. Free.

LUDLOW GARAGE Felix Pastorius’s Hipster Assassins. 8:30 p.m. Jazz. $15-$35.

p.m. Rock/Pop/Dance/Various. Cover.

H

RIVERFRONT LIVE Rhythm Brew Art & Music Festival with Chance McCoy, Common Center, Eyeris Wide, Paulk, Vusive, Highly Likely and more. 5:30 p.m. Various. $25; $40 for three-day pass.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT - Ron Enyard Quartet. 8:30 p.m.

Jazz. Cover.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Shawn James. 8 p.m.

Folk/Soul/Americana. $15, $18 day of show.

H

STANLEY’S PUB Stratoscope and Jameron. 10 p.m. Rock/Funk.

Cover.

H

FRETBOARD BREWING COMPANY - LITZ. 8 p.m. Funk/Rock/Jam. Free.

THOMPSON HOUSE Sleepers, Inertia, Veridian and more. 8 p.m. Deathcore.

Cover.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Ron Jones Quartet. 9 p.m. Jazz. Free.

H

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - The Sly Band. 9:30

URBAN ARTIFACT Rocktails Fashion Show with Isabelle Helle and the Hells Bells and Fickle Hellcat. 9 p.m. Rock/Various

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Mambo Combo. 8:30 p.m. Latin Jazz.

Cover.

THE COMET - OXX and Lashes. 10 p.m. Punk. Free.

FRETBOARD BREWING COMPANY - Doug Hart Band. 8 p.m. Blues. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Emily Jordan Quartet. 9 p.m. Jazz.

Free.

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - Brass Tracks. 9:30 p.m. Rock/Dance/Various.

Cover.

KNOTTY PINE - Top This Band. 10 p.m. R&B/Pop/ Dance/Various. Cover.

MANHATTAN HARBOUR MARINA - Trailer Park Floosies. 8 p.m. Dance/Pop/ Rock/Hip Hop/Country/Various. Cover.

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Johnny Fink and the Intrusion. 9 p.m. Blues. Cover.

H

MOTR PUB - Aaron Collins with Hher. 10 p.m. Indie Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Sungaze, Crooked Spines and Joesph. 10 p.m.

Indie Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - The Homeless Gospel Choir with Mikey Erg, Jon Snodgrass and Boys. 9 p.m. Folk Punk. $10, $12 day of show.

PLAIN FOLK CAFE - The Redemptioners. 7:30 p.m.

Roots. Free.

RICK’S TAVERN - The Good Hooks. 10 p.m. Rock.

Cover.

RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER - Kid Rock with Hank Williams Jr. 8 p.m. Rock/ Country. Sold out.

H

RIVERFRONT LIVE Rhythm Brew Art & Music Festival with Harbour, Hyryder, Jacob Bryant, Lung, Sylmar, Frontier Folk Nebraska, Sundae Drives and more. 2 p.m. Various. $20; $40 for three-day pass.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT Mandy Gaines Trio. 8:30 p.m.

Jazz. Cover.

SHORTY’S SUGARTIT KENTUCKY PUB - Saving Stimpy. 9 p.m. Rock. Free.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Guitars 4 Vets Cincinnati with Jimi and The Afterburners. 9:30 p.m. Blues. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB - Willie Phoenix and the Soul Underground with Rookwood and One Eyed Jack. 10 p.m.

Funk/Blues/Rock. Cover.

H

THOMPSON HOUSE - The Fall Kick-Off with Tastefull, Patchwork, Mother Ocean, Byrd Law, Artificial Hatred, Patient Zero, Kender, Aarows of Apocalypse, Lucid Wasteland and Daze Drive.

5 p.m. Rock. $10.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT Take the Power Back with Leggy. 8 p.m. Rage Against the Machine tribute. $10.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Bobby Sharpe Trio.

9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

WESTSIDE VENUE - Shiny Old Soul. 9 p.m. Roots/

Various. Free.

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - Ron Fletcher & the Southern Edge Band (8 p.m.); Jimmy Bays Big Band (5 p.m.). 5 p.m. Swing/Rock/Country.

Free.

SUNDAY 29

BLIND LEMON - Jeff Henry.

8 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

H

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Lee Bains III and The Glory Fires with The Trillbillies and Grotesque Brooms. 9 p.m. Rock. $10, $12 day of show.

H

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Circle It, Jane Decker, North by North and Malibu Wild. 9 p.m. AltRock

H

RIVERFRONT LIVE Rhythm Brew Art & Music Festival with The Floozies, Badfish, Chance McCoy, Rumpke Mountain Boys, Ernie Johnson From Detroit, Chelsea and John Ford and more. 2 p.m. Various. $25; $40 for three-day pass.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Women of the Blues Cincinnati with Cheryl Renee Project, Kelly Walker, Melanie Joya Kennedy, Kelly Richey and Alice Hoskins. 2 p.m. Blues. $10.

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - John Ford. 5 p.m. Blues. Free.

MONDAY 30

BLIND LEMON - Ben Armstrong. 8 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

MCCAULY’S PUB - Open Jam with Sonny Moorman. 7 p.m. Blues/Various. Free.

MOTR PUB - The Medium with Nave Netoow. 9 p.m.

Rock. Free.

TUESDAY 01

BLIND LEMON - Nick Tuttle.

8:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

BOGART’S - Yung Gravy with SavageRealm and TIIIIIIIIIIP. 8 p.m. Rap. $25.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Lynne Scott, Lee Stolar and Lou Lausche. 7:30 p.m. Jazz

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