CityBeat | January 11, 2023

MULAY, JUDE NOEL, GARIN PIRNIA, KATHY SCHWARTZ, MARIA SEDA-REEDER, LEYLA SHOKOOHE, SAMI STEWART, STEVEN ROSEN, KATHY Y. WILSON, P.F. WILSON, MORGAN ZUMBIEL

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS HAILEY BOLLINGER, SCOTT DITTGEN, JESSE FOX, PHIL HEIDENREICH, KHOI NGUYEN, BRITTANY

FENING

MADELINE FENING

Hamlin has, FaceTiming various teammates – many, many teammates,” NFL Network personality Ian Rapoport tweeted. “ ere’s a team meeting involving the Bu alo Bills’ Damar Hamlin on FaceTime, addressing them for the very rst time. is has to be emotional. It sounds amazing.”

Hamlin has, FaceTiming various teammates – many, many teammates,” NFL Network personality Ian Rapoport tweeted. “ ere’s a team meeting involving the Bu alo Bills’ Damar Hamlin on FaceTime, addressing them for the very rst time. is has to be emotional. It sounds amazing.”

“[Bills head coach Sean] McDermott said he [Hamlin] gestured to the team, including ‘ exing.’ Big smile and chuckle from the coach as he relays that story,” the NFL Network’s Mike Giardi added.

“[Bills head coach Sean] McDermott said he [Hamlin] gestured to the team, including ‘ exing.’ Big smile and chuckle from the coach as he relays that story,” the NFL Network’s Mike Giardi added.

With Hamlin recovering, UC Medical Center shared a photo of two doctors who led Hamlin’s care.

With Hamlin recovering, UC Medical Center shared a photo of two doctors who led Hamlin’s care.

“When Damar’s father spoke to us, really his message was, ‘ e team needs to get back to focusing on the goals they had set for themselves. Damar would have wanted it that way.’”

“When Damar’s father spoke to us, really his message was, ‘ e team needs to get back to focusing on the goals they had set for themselves. Damar would have wanted it that way.’”

Bills quarterback Josh Allen joined McDermott for the brie ng.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen joined McDermott for the brie ng.

“I’d say from a player’s view, hearing Mario talk to us, the words of encouragement that he had for us ... I had the chance to talk to him Monday night, and the only thing he said was, ‘My son’s going to be alright,’” Allen said.

“I’d say from a player’s view, hearing Mario talk to us, the words of encouragement that he had for us ... I had the chance to talk to him Monday night, and the only thing he said was, ‘My son’s going to be alright,’” Allen said.

Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin Recovering in Cincinnati After Cardiac Arrest During Game with Bengals

Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin Recovering in Cincinnati After Cardiac Arrest During Game with Bengals

“We cannot express how proud we are of Dr. Pritts and Dr. Knight’s leadership and thankful for the entire care team supporting Damar Hamlin. As the region’s only Level 1 trauma center, UC Medical Center is uniquely and expertly equipped for moments like this,” UC Health posted to Instagram.

“We cannot express how proud we are of Dr. Pritts and Dr. Knight’s leadership and thankful for the entire care team supporting Damar Hamlin. As the region’s only Level 1 trauma center, UC Medical Center is uniquely and expertly equipped for moments like this,” UC Health posted to Instagram.

A message from Dad

Hamlin’s rst question upon waking: “Who won?”

Mario Hamlin and other family members also said that the Bengals’ Higgins bears no responsibility for Hamlin’s injury. Higgins, who was on the receiving end of the tackle that preceded Hamlin’s collapse, received criticism from some industry mouthpieces who claimed that the wide receiver was partially responsible for Hamlin’s condition.

Mario Hamlin and other family members also said that the Bengals’ Higgins bears no responsibility for Hamlin’s injury. Higgins, who was on the receiving end of the tackle that preceded Hamlin’s collapse, received criticism from some industry mouthpieces who claimed that the wide receiver was partially responsible for Hamlin’s condition.

A message from Dad

Damar Hamlin’s father had one message for the Bu alo Bills as his son continued recovering: play the game.

Damar Hamlin’s father had one message for the Bu alo Bills as his son continued recovering: play the game.

Most experts agree that the on- eld clash between Higgins and Hamlin was routine, but ESPN analyst and former NFL linebacker Bart Scott claimed that Higgins had lowered his helmet to butt Hamlin with its crown, which is against regulations. Other analysts immediately defended Higgins and slammed Scott for his comments.

Hamlin’s rst question upon waking: “Who won?”

BY ALLISON BABKA

BY ALLISON BABKA

Things are looking much brighter for Damar Hamlin.

Things are looking much brighter for Damar Hamlin.

After critical care at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center since his cardiac arrest during the Jan. 2 game with the Bengals at Paycor Stadium, the Bu alo Bills safety has nally spoken to teammates and coaches, giving them a big dose of relief. His message? “Love you boys.”

After critical care at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center since his cardiac arrest during the Jan. 2 game with the Bengals at Paycor Stadium, the Bu alo Bills safety has nally spoken to teammates and coaches, giving them a big dose of relief.

His message? “Love you boys.”

On Jan. 5, doctors removed Hamlin’s breathing tube at UC Med Center, where the 24-year-old player has been under watch since going down during the game. Hamlin had gone into cardiac

On Jan. 5, doctors removed Hamlin’s breathing tube at UC Med Center, where the 24-year-old player has been under watch since going down during the game. Hamlin had gone into cardiac

arrest after a routine play during the rst quarter, colliding with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. e Bills’ safety collapsed to the ground and underwent nine minutes of CPR on the eld. Players from both teams looked on in shock, openly weeping while emergency crews worked to restart Hamlin’s heart. He was transported to UC Medical Center, where he was intubated.

arrest after a routine play during the rst quarter, colliding with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. e Bills’ safety collapsed to the ground and underwent nine minutes of CPR on the eld. Players from both teams looked on in shock, openly weeping while emergency crews worked to restart Hamlin’s heart. He was transported to UC Medical Center, where he was intubated.

But things changed on Jan. 6, as Hamlin regained both his faculties and his voice.

But things changed on Jan. 6, as Hamlin regained both his faculties and his voice.

“He has spent the morning, Damar

“He has spent the morning, Damar

McDermott shared Mario Hamlin’s words of encouragement on Jan. 5 in his rst brie ng with the media since Damar Hamlin collapsed.

McDermott shared Mario Hamlin’s words of encouragement on Jan. 5 in his rst brie ng with the media since Damar Hamlin collapsed.

e Bills and UC doctors shared an update earlier that day that Hamlin had awakened and had even asked about the outcome of the game by writing a note, since he still could not speak at the time. e NFL had rst suspended and then postponed the game after a meeting among o cials and both teams’ coaches. At the time of the pause, Cincinnati led 7-3.

e Bills and UC doctors shared an update earlier that day that Hamlin had awakened and had even asked about the outcome of the game by writing a note, since he still could not speak at the time. e NFL had rst suspended and then postponed the game after a meeting among o cials and both teams’ coaches. At the time of the pause, Cincinnati led 7-3.

McDermott told media that Hamlin’s improvement and his father’s words provided the team with the fortitude they needed.

McDermott told media that Hamlin’s improvement and his father’s words provided the team with the fortitude they needed.

Most experts agree that the on- eld clash between Higgins and Hamlin was routine, but ESPN analyst and former NFL linebacker Bart Scott claimed that Higgins had lowered his helmet to butt Hamlin with its crown, which is against regulations. Other analysts immediately defended Higgins and slammed Scott for his comments.

Sports marketing rep and Hamlin family friend Jordan Rooney said that the family wanted the backlash against Higgins to stop.

Sports marketing rep and Hamlin family friend Jordan Rooney said that the family wanted the backlash against Higgins to stop.

“Tee has reached out, Tee has been supportive. It was a freak accident. It was nothing that Tee could control,” Rooney said. “You can’t support Damar and critique Tee in this situation because Damar’s family is not looking at it that way at all.”

“Tee has reached out, Tee has been supportive. It was a freak accident. It was nothing that Tee could control,” Rooney said. “You can’t support Damar and critique Tee in this situation because Damar’s family is not looking at it that way at all.”

Love for Cincinnati

Love for Cincinnati

During the brie ng, McDermott thanked a number of people who have been involved with Hamlin’s recovery,

During the brie ng, McDermott thanked a number of people who have been involved with Hamlin’s recovery,

Fans leave items supporting Damar Hamlin's recovery at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

PHOTO:

Damar Hamlin has made progress since the Jan. 2 game.

PHOTO: TWITTER.COM/BUFFALOBILLS

Fans leave items supporting Damar Hamlin's recovery at University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

PHOTO: MADELINE

Damar Hamlin has made progress since the Jan. 2 game.

PHOTO: TWITTER.COM/BUFFALOBILLS

including both the Bills’ and Bengals’ medical teams, other rst responders and the sta at UC Medical Center.

McDermott also commended the full Bills organization, eld o cials, NFL o cials and fans from the league’s many franchises who have donated to Hamlin’s charity for kids in his hometown of Pittsburgh, which has collected nearly $8 million as of press time. Bengals fans, in particular, have shown relentless support at the hospital.

“ e amount of faith, hope and love that we saw on display over these last three days has been nothing short of amazing,” McDermott said.

e coach shared special appreciation for Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and Cincinnati’s home team for “going above and beyond in handling the situation in the way that they did.”

“As competitive as this league is, Zac quickly recognized the situation. Zac and I were on the same page so quickly,” McDermott said. “It was amazing how compassionate Zac was, and his players. His captains came down to our locker room and met with our team and captains. Just an amazing show of compassion, empathy, love. It’s just so amazing because minutes before that, we were going at each other.”

McDermott said he addressed the Bills before meeting with Taylor, the o ciating crew and representatives from the NFL to determine the next move. at’s when the game was paused o cially.

“Mental health is real,” McDermott said, noting that players needed time to process things. “ e job description of a coach is not just coaching Xs and Os. It’s much more than that. To me, the health and wellbeing of your sta and your players is the No. 1 job of a coach in this situation, so that includes mental health.” He added that when the bulk of the team returned to Bu alo on Jan. 10 (some trainers remained in Cincinnati to work with UC doctors and provide the team with updates), they met as a group and individually with counselors.

Allen, who was visibly shaken, paused frequently to collect his thoughts while answering reporters’ questions.

“I don’t typically like using emotion to answer questions, but the scene just replays over and over in your head,” Allen said, looking down and clearly remembering the incident. “It’s something we’ll never forget, but to know that Damar is doing ok... We’re extremely happy for him and his family. We just want to love up on him, you know, so the next chance we get – I don’t know when it’s going to be, [but] if we get to see him anytime soon, it’s going to be awesome.”

President Joe Biden on Brent Spence Bridge Funding: ‘It’s About Damn

Time’

BY ALLISON BABKA

U.S. President Joe Biden was in Covington on Jan. 4 to celebrate the $1.635 billion award that the federal government is providing for the Brent Spence Bridge project. e funds, which were announced in late December and are part of the landmark $40 billion Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will be used to repair the bridge and erect a toll-free, double-decker companion bridge nearby to help alleviate tra c between Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky on I-75.

e BSB carries more than 160,000 vehicles per day and is notorious for being the nation’s No. 2 bottleneck for freight trucks.

“A bridge built over half a century ago, having doubled the volume it was built for,” Biden said. “Folks, it’s about damn time we’re doing it.”

In May, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear jointly asked for nearly $2 billion from the Multimodal Projects Discretionary Grant, a program through the U.S. Department of Transportation.

DeWine, Beshear, Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval, Ohio senator Sherrod

Brown, Kentucky senator Mitch McConnell and other local and state o cials joined Biden for the address in Covington.

e Brent Spence Bridge project’s overall plans and nal cost estimates have changed several times. A revised plan now will slim down the project’s footprint and free up more usable space to develop or improve nearby green spaces plus add bike and pedestrian amenities.

“ e heavy tra c delays and safety issues are real, everyday concerns,” Beshear said. “ is crucial project will address those issues. But the full impact goes to the very health and security of our nation’s economy.”

e project is expected to break ground this year, with “substantial completion” happening by 2029, a release from Beshear said. e Federal Highway Administration estimates that the project will total about $3.6 billion.

A sweet nish

Biden showed o his sweet tooth shortly after delivering the Brent Spence Bridge address in Covington.

Accompanied by Pureval, Brown and an entourage of secret service agents, Biden visited Just Q’in BBQ in Walnut Hills.

According to White House reports, the president picked up a brisket plate, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, jalapeño cornbread and peach cobbler in to-go bags. at cobbler is what Biden was craving, it seemed, as he immediately opened the bag to sample the dessert.

“ is is really good, seriously,” the press pool reported Biden as saying.

Just Q’in, located at 975 E. McMillan St., is owned by Matt Cu , who hires workers who have barriers to employment or who need second chances. CityBeat readers frequently have listed it among their favorite barbecue restaurants in Cincinnati.

In November, Biden had another Cincinnati delicacy when Naomi Biden, his granddaughter, served chocolate chip Graeter’s ice cream during her wedding at the White House.

Liam Niemeyer of the Ohio Capital Journal contributed to this story.

Madeline Fening contributed to this story.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks in Covington on Jan. 4 about recent funding for Brent Spence Bridge improvements.

PHOTO: TWITTER.COM/WHITEHOUSE

Alicia Reece Becomes Hamilton County Commission President for 2023

BY MADELINE FENING

Alicia Reece has been named the new president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners.

2022 Hamilton County Commission president Stephanie Summerow Dumas passed the gavel to Reece on Jan. 5 after a unanimous board vote. Reece will serve as president for one year, according to the Ohio Revised Code.

“ is gavel has taken on a life of its own. at’s why we’re doing what we’re doing today.

Leadership changes,” Dumas said during the ceremony.

Reece, a Democrat, is the rst woman and rst African American to win city, state and county races in Hamilton County. She previously served as Cincinnati’s vice mayor, state representative and Cincinnati city council

member. She was elected to the Hamilton County Commission in November 2020 to ll the seat previously held by the late Todd Portune.

“My journey to get here, I had to come through a pandemic we had never seen before. e primary was shut down. We had to vote by mail, and many people didn’t know how to do that. We had to nd a dropbox that many

people didn’t know existed,” Reece told a packed room of supporters.

Reece said she wants to change the perception of Southwest Ohio on the state level.

“Our goal is to be the number one county in America,” Reece said. “When you go to the Statehouse it’s very di cult when you’re from Southwest Ohio, I’ve been

The Cincinnati Chili Bowl Could Become a Real Thing

BY ALLISON BABKA

It seems Cincinnati will celebrate its peculiar chili any way it can.

e Cincinnati USA Sports Commission is looking to add a new game to the extensive college bowl season.

e Cincinnati Chili Bowl – named, of course, for the local cheese-topped delicacy – would welcome two Division I college football teams to TQL Stadium in the West End for a December postseason matchup. Jackie Reau, CEO of Game Day Communications, and local businessmen Steven Young and John Schenk have launched a feasibility study for the e ort, which organizers say could attract even more major sports

events to the region.

According to a press release from Reau, the CW Network would air the game nationally if the event is approved.

“O cials from the Cincinnati USA Sports Commission have studied best practices from college football games over the last year to ensure the following ideals: A professionally managed football game aired on national TV to promote the Cincinnati region, a scally responsible opportunity for the participating colleges, unique fan engagement events and an opportunity for the student athletes to network with area executives for future employment

opportunities,” the release said.

Dozens of local corporate leaders would network with student-athletes the day after the new bowl game, and fan activities could include local tours, college band and dance team challenges and an e-sports tournament, the release added.

e Cincinnati Chili Bowl has not yet received NCAA approval, but Reau said that organizers have begun talking with Division I conference o cials about options. e game could be played as early as the 2023 postseason.

ere were 42 college bowl games during the 2022 postseason.

there, they kind of want to put us last.”

Reece said that going forward, she wants to improve communications coming from the county.

“My background is in marketing – you’re going to know what Hamilton County is doing,” Reece said. “We’re going to come with a new rebrand. We’re going to get our stu out more. We’re going to make sure you’re connected and know about things.”

Dumas was re-elected to the commission in November, and Denise Driehaus will ascend as the commission’s vice president. Driehaus said the board has undergone a transformation since she was elected in 2016.

“I joined the board in 2017, [and] it was a very di erent look,” Driehaus said. “ e transformation of this commission to what you see here today is historic, it’s signicant, it is responsive to what people in this community want.”

Reece will give the State of the County address at 5:30 p.m. Jan. 31 at Memorial Hall in Over-the-Rhine.

Alicia Reece (left) is installed as the president of the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 5 as former president Stephanie Summerow Dumas applauds.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY HAMILTON COUNTY

Joe Burrow Sets New Records as Cincinnati Bengals Head to the Postseason Again after Defeating Baltimore Ravens

BY ALLISON BABKA

One week after a frightening injury, things are looking up for both the Cincinnati Bengals and the Bu alo Bills.

After the Bengals’ Jan. 8 win over the Baltimore Ravens, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow passed out cigars to celebrate Cincinnati’s rst back-to-back AFC North title. e Bengals are now the No. 3 seed in the AFC playo s.

Meanwhile, week 17’s foes, the Buffalo Bills, nabbed the No. 2 seed with an awe-inspiring, emotional win over the New England Patriots, no doubt rallying for safety Damar Hamlin who continues recovering from a cardiac arrest at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center since the Bengals/Bills’ Jan. 2 game.

Burrow didn’t have his A-game in the

27-16 victory, but he added to his long list of major milestones. In downing the Ravens, the quarterback became the NFL’s all-time leader in career completion percentage, taking the spot from the New Orleans Saints’ Drew Brees.

To earn the mark, Burrow needed to reach a minimum of 1,500 career pass attempts. He entered the game with 68.5% completion – already higher than Brees’ 67.7% – and needed just 12 more passes to o cially qualify for the record.

During the Bengals’ nal regularseason game in week 18, Burrow also set the team’s record for touchdown passes in a season, standing at 35 for 20222023. He broke last year’s record of 34 with a long pass to go-to wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

CityBeat’s 27th Annual Best of Cincinnati® Readers Poll Is Live

BY CITYBEAT STAFF

Get ready to cast your ballot to determine the best of the best that Cincinnati has to o er.

CityBeat’s 27th annual Best of Cincinnati® Readers Poll is o cially live.

Reader votes will determine the winners for the area’s best eats, shops & services, music & nightlife, arts & culture, sports & recreation and city life.

Readers don’t have to vote in every individual category but must vote in at least 20 for a ballot to count. To vote, head to vote.citybeat.com and begin a ballot by selecting “Start voting now” from the main landing page or from any section or category. Voters then will be prompted to register with a valid email address to start the process.

e ballot is pre-populated with top vote-getters from 2022, but the form accepts write-in votes in every

category. New categories or categories that change each year (such as Best Museum Exhibit) will not be prepopulated. Write-ins won’t be immediately added to the pre-populated options, but CityBeat will add any that garner a signi cant number of votes. All write-in votes are recorded and will count toward determining the category winners.

Readers can vote in each category, but it is not required. Click on the “skip” button to skip a category or the up/ down arrows in the bottom right corner to move to a di erent category. To exit back to the main eats, shops & services, music & nightlife, arts & culture, sports & recreation or city life sections, click the name in the top left corner.

Voting will run through midnight Feb. 12, and readers can vote once per day.

It all helped the Bengals win its rst back-to-back division title. e Bengals won the last eight straight games to nish the regular season with a 12-4 record as the team heads into the postseason.

“I love where we’re at,” Burrow told reporters after the game. “We’ve won eight games in a row, going into the playo s with a lot of momentum. Happy with where we’re at, still a lot of room to improve.”

e Bengals technically won the AFC North last week when the NFL canceled the Bengals/Bills game, which initially was paused once the Bills’ Hamlin went down at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 2. Hamlin went into cardiac arrest after a routine play during the rst quarter after colliding with Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins. e Bills’ safety collapsed to the ground and underwent nine minutes of CPR on the eld in front of teammates and tens of thousands of hushed fans. Players from both teams looked on in shock, openly weeping and praying while emergency crews worked to restart Hamlin’s heart. He was transported to UC Medical Center, where he was intubated and listed in critical condition.

Hamlin since has begun rebounding, continuing to recuperate at UC Med Center while chatting with teammates. Fans and teams around the NFL have shared messages of support and sent donations to Hamlin’s charity soaring.

Fully awake now, Hamlin watched the Bills’ game against the Patriots, posting reactions on social media. Hamlin has begun selling “Did we win?” shirts to raise money for rst responders and UC Med Center. Doctors said that “Did we win?” was the rst question Hamlin had asked upon waking, referring to the Bengals/Bills game.

Before the game against the Ravens,

the Bengals celebrated Hamlin as well as the UC medical sta who have provided his care. Higgins also sported a Hamlin shirt.

e Bengals needed to win week 18 against the Ravens to avoid a coin toss to determine the site of the rst playo game. e NFL had made the decision in the middle of last week to cancel the Bengals/Bills game, which the Bengals were leading when it was paused in the rst quarter.

“[I’m] so proud of the way these guys just found a way to get it done by two scores,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “I thought our defense was excellent taking the ball away and nishing o some drives. e o ense tacked on the points when we needed to.”

“Certainly, there are some things that we can clean up that we can be better o particularly in o ense, but [I’m] just proud of the way that these guys found a way to win in January,” Taylor continued. “ at’s all that matters. [We] nished the second half of season 8-0 the right way, and so these guys got a lot of con dence right now heading into the playo s.”

e Bengals will play the No. 6 seed Ravens again in the Wild Card game at Paycor Stadium on Jan. 15. Taylor says the team will be ready.

“I think these guys channeled everything the right way, and we knew again how tough it is to win this division,” Taylor said. “Whether we’re at home or on the road, I’m just proud of the way these guys focused, found a way to get it done and secure the No. 3 seed, and now have a chance to play these guys again [and] host a playo game. at’s a huge deal to be able to do that.”

Kicko on Jan. 15 is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. e game will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock.

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow lights up

PHOTO: BENGALS MEDIA ASSETS

The Cincinnati Bengals celebrate another trip to the postseason PHOTO: BENGALS MEDIA ASSETS

Cincinnati Reds Remember Pitcher Tom ‘Mr. Perfect’ Browning

BY ALLISON BABKA

Baseball fans honored “Mr. Perfect” at the ballpark one more time.

e Cincinnati Reds hosted a remembrance for former Reds pitcher Tom Browning on Jan. 6. Browning died at his home on Dec. 19 at age 62. “A ectionately referred to as ‘Mr. Perfect,’ Tom was a true Red who after his playing days made the Cincinnati area his home and remained heavily involved with the organization,” a statement from the Reds said upon his passing. “A fan favorite, the Reds Hall of Famer touched fans’ hearts at team

events, Reds Hall of Fame festivities and Reds Community Fund activities.”

e Reds drafted Browning in 1982, and he rose through the minor leagues as a strikeout machine with a nasty screwball. When he moved up to the majors in 1984, he pitched 8 2/3 innings and gave up only one run in his rst game. He went 20-9 in his rst full MLB season in 1985, the rst rookie to do so since 1954.

Browning spent most of 12 seasons with the Reds in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, notching double-digit win records for most of them with a 3.94

career ERA, 1,000 strikeouts and a 1990 World Series championship.

But one of the lefty’s most memorable moments came on Sept. 16, 1988, when Browning pitched a perfect game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Riverfront Stadium – the rst lefty to do so since Sandy Koufax in 1965 [a perfect game is a complete game in which nine or more innings are thrown with no opposing batter getting a hit or reaching base]. Browning threw 102 pitches – 70 of them strikes – during the game, which started around 10 p.m. thanks

to a rain delay. It was just the 12th perfect game in MLB history, and the milestone gave Browning his enduring nickname.

Browning sustained injuries during his later seasons with the Reds, with his arm and shoulder separating while delivering a pitch in 1994. He moved to the Kansas City Royals in 1995 before retiring.

Browning was inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2006 and served as a pitching coach for several minor-league teams, including the Dayton Dragons.

Cincinnati Reds Pitcher Tom Browning throws from the mound at Riverfront Stadium on Sept. 12, 1991.

PHOTO: RICK DIKEMAN, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

BILLIONAIRE BUDS

Since its founding in 1976, Project Censored has focused on stories — like Watergate before the 1972 election — that aren’t censored in the authoritarian government sense, but in a broader, expanded sense re ective of what a functioning democracy should be; censorship is de ned as “the suppression of information, whether purposeful or not, by any method — including bias, omission, underreporting, or self-censorship — that prevents the public from fully knowing what is happening in society.” It is, after all, the reason that journalism enjoys special protection in the First Amendment: Without the free ow of vital information, government based on the consent of the governed is but an illusory dream.

Yet, from the very beginning, as A.J. Liebling put it, “Freedom of the press is guaranteed only to those who own one.”

In their introduction, Project Censored’s Mickey Hu and Andy Lee Roth take this condition head-on, under the heading, State of the Free Billionaire, in contrast to the volume’s title, State of the Free Press 2023. Following a swift recap of historic media criticism highlights — Upton Sinclair, the aforementioned Leibling, Ben Bagdikian, Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky — they dryly observe, “History shows that consolidated media, controlled by a handful of elite owners, seldom serves the public interest,” and brie y survey the contemporary landscape before narrowing their gaze to the broadest of in uencers:

Despite the promise of boundless access to information, Silicon Valley mirrors legacy media in its consolidated ownership and privileging of elite narratives. is new class of billionaire oligarchs owns or controls the most popular media platforms, including the companies often referred to as the FAANGs — Facebook (Meta), Apple, Amazon, Net ix, and Google (Alphabet).

Obviously, this was written before Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, but it’s an apt reminder that his wildly out-oftouch worldview is not just an individual, personal aberration, but also a symptom of wider systemic dysfunction.

BY PAUL ROSENBERG, SENIOR EDITOR, PROJECT CENSORED

“In pursuit of their own interests and investments, media tycoons past and present, again and again, appear to be conveniently oblivious to the main frame through which they lter news — that of class, including class structure and class interests,” Hu and Roth write. “Consequently, they often overlook (or ignore) con icts of interest that implicate media owners, funders, investors, and advertisers, not to mention their business clients on Wall Street and in Big Pharma, Big Tech, and the military–industrial complex.”

is observation perfectly frames the

majority of stories in Project Censored’s top 10 list, starting with the rst two stories: massive subsidies of the fossil fuel industry and rampant wage theft — concentrated on the most vulnerable workers — that eclipse street crime in the magnitude of losses, but is rarely punished, even when o enders are caught dead to rights. It echoes clearly through the stories on congress members’ investments in the fossil fuel industry, the role of corporate consolidation in driving up in ation in food prices, Bill Gates’ hidden in uence on journalism, and major media outlets lobbying against regulation of surreptitious online advertising. Indeed, only one story out of 10 is somewhat removed from the sphere of corporate corruption concerns: the story of the CIA’s plans to kidnap or kill Julian Assange.

But the dominance of this one pattern truly is remarkable. It shows how profoundly the concentration of corporate wealth and power in the hands of so few distorts everything we see — or don’t — in the world around us every day.

Since 1976, Project Censored has identified the most important stories of each year on the basis of the exposure that was denied to them by forces beyond the First Amendment. Its goal is to educate students and the public about the importance of a truly free press for democratic self-government. This list covers the most underreported stories of 2022, as compiled by the project. Capsules have been edited for space. More details are available at projectcensored.org.

Censored explained: “As of February 2021, the Wage and Hour Division employed only 787 investigators, a proportion of just one investigator per 182,000 workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, Campbell and Yerardi noted. For comparison, in 1948 the division employed one investigator per 22,600 workers, or eight times the current proportion.”

Lax enforcement is “especially problematic” in some 14 states that “lack the capacity to investigate wage theft claims or lack the ability to le lawsuits on behalf of victims,” according to a 2017 Economic Policy Institute report.

have increased in recent years, and will continue increasing.

1Fossil Fuel Industry Subsidized at Rate of $11 Million Per Minute

Globally, the fossil fuel industry receives subsidies of $11 million per minute, primarily from lack of liability for the externalized health costs of deadly air pollution (42%), damages caused by extreme weather events (29%), and costs from tra c collisions and congestion (15%). And two-thirds of those subsidies come from just ve countries — the United States, Russia, India, China and Japan. ese are key ndings from a study of 191 nations published by the International Monetary Fund, or IMF in September 2021, that were reported in the Guardian and Treehugger the next month, but have been ignored in the corporate media.

No national government currently prices fossil fuels at what the IMF calls their “e cient price” — covering both their supply and environmental costs. “Instead, an estimated 99 percent of coal, 52 percent of road diesel, 47 percent of natural gas, and 18 percent of gasoline are priced at less than half their e cient price,” Project Censored noted.

“E cient fuel pricing in 2025 would reduce global carbon dioxide emissions 36 percent below baseline levels, which is in line with keeping global warming to 1.5 degrees, while raising revenues worth 3.8 percent of global GDP and preventing 0.9 million local air pollution deaths,” the report stated. e G7 nations had previously agreed to scrap fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, but the IMF found that subsidies

“Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies could lead to higher energy prices and, ultimately, political protests and social unrest,” Project Censored noted. “But, as the Guardian and Treehugger each reported, the IMF recommended a ‘comprehensive strategy’ to protect consumers — especially low-in-come households — impacted by rising energy costs, and workers in displaced industries.”

No corporate news outlets had reported on the IMF as of May 2022, according to Project Censored, though a November 2021 opinion piece did focus on the issue of subsidies, which John Kerry, U.S. special envoy for climate change, called “a de nition of insanity.” But that was framed as opinion, and made no mention of the indirect subsidies, which represent 86% of the total. In contrast, “In January 2022, CNN published an article that all but defended fossil fuel subsidies,” Project Censored noted. “CNN’s coverage emphasized the potential for unrest caused by rollbacks of government subsidies, citing “protests that occasionally turned violent.”

just one form of wage theft — minimum wage violations — costs U.S. workers even more: an estimated $15 billion annually, impacting an estimated 17% of low-wage workers.

One reason it’s so rampant is that companies are seldom punished, as Alexia Fernández Campbell and Joe Yerardi reported for the Center for Public Integrity in May 2021, drawing on 15 years of data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division. “ e agency ned only about one in four repeat o enders during that period. And it ordered those companies to pay workers cash damages — penalty money in addition to back wages — in just 14 percent of those cases,” they wrote.

Halliburton, G4S Wackenhut and Circle K Stores — were among “the worst o enders,” they reported.

at report kicked o the center’s “Cheated at Work’’ series, which showed that “U.S. employers that illegally underpaid workers face few repercussions, even when they do so repeatedly. is widespread practice perpetuates income inequality, hitting lowest-paid workers hardest.”

“Since May 2021, a handful of corporate news outlets, including CBS News, covered or republished the Center for Public Integrity’s report on wage theft,” Project Censored noted, but “Corporate coverage tends to focus on speci c instances involving individual employers,” while ignoring it “as a systemic social problem” as well as ignoring the “anemic federal enforcement.”

at could change, if Congress were to pass the “Wage eft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act of 2022,” which “would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to protect workers from wage theft, according to Ariana Figueroa of the Virginia Mercury,” Project Censored noted.

EPA

3Withheld

Reports on Dangerous Chemicals

2Wage Theft: U.S. Businesses Suffer Few Consequences for Stealing Millions from Workers Every Year

In 2017, the FBI reported the cost of street crime at about $13.8 billion, the same year that the Economic Policy Institute released a study saying that

“Wage theft includes a range of illegal practices, such as paying less than minimum wage, withholding tips, not paying overtime, or requiring workers to work through breaks or o the clock. It impacts service workers, low-income workers, immigrant and guest workers, and communities of color the most,” Project Censored explained. Wage theft also includes worker misclassi cation as independent contractors — long the case with port truckers and more recently, gig workers.

Lack of resources is largely to blame for the lax enforcement, Project

In January 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stopped releasing legally required disclosures about chemicals that present a “substantial risk of injury to health or the environment.” ey had previously been posted in a searchable public database called ChemView.

In November 2021, as part of the Intercept’s “EPA Exposed” investigative series, Sharon Lerner reported that EPA had received “at least 1,240 substantial risk reports since January 2019, but only one was publicly available. e suppressed reports documented “the risk of chemicals’ serious harms, including eye corrosion, damage to the brain and nervous system, chronic toxicity to honeybees, and cancer in both people and animals,”

Lerner wrote.

“ e reports include noti cations about highly toxic poly uoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, chemical compounds that are known as ‘forever chemicals’ because they build up in our bodies and never break down in the environment,” Project Censored noted. “ e Environmental Working Group explains that ‘very small doses of PFAS have been linked to cancer, reproductive and immune system harm, and other diseases. For decades, chemical companies covered up evidence of PFAS’ health hazards.’”

It wasn’t just the public that was kept in the dark, Lerner reported. “ e substantial risk reports have not been uploaded to the databases used most often by risk assessors searching for information about chemicals, according [to] one of the EPA scientists… ey have been entered only into an internal database that is di cult to access and search. As a result, little — and perhaps none — of the information about these serious risks to health and the environment has been incorporated into the chemical assessments completed during this period.”

In January 2022 Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) led a lawsuit to compel EPA to disclose the reports, following up on an earlier public records request which, the National Law Review reported, was “built upon information reported in a November 2021 article in e Intercept.” Just weeks later the EPA announced it would resume posting the reports in ChemView, Project Censored noted. “Clearly, independent journalism contributed signicantly to this outcome,” they said. “Had it not been for the work of investigative journalist Sharon Lerner at the Intercept, EPA whistleblowers would not have had a platform to share concerns that ultimately led the agency to resume these critical public disclosures.”

investors are all Republicans. But it’s quite di erent in the Senate, where two of the top three investors are Democrats, and Democrats’ total investments, $8,604,000, are more than double the Senate Republicans’ total of $3,994,126.

Topping the list is Joe Manchin (WV), with up to $5.5 million of fossil fuel industry assets, while John Hickenlooper (CO) is third, with up to $1 million. Many top investors are Texas Republicans, including Rep. Van Taylor, with up to $12.4 million worth of investments.

“Most signi cantly, many hold key seats on in uential energy-related committees,” Project Censored noted. Senators include Manchin, chair of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Tina Smith (D-MN), chairs of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development and Energy, and Tom Carper (D-DE), chair of the Committee on the Environment and Public Works. “Manchin cut the Clean Electricity Performance Program, a system that would phase out coal, from President Biden’s climate bill,” they added.

In the House, they explained, “nine of the twenty-two Republican members of the Energy and Commerce Committee are invested in the fossil fuel industry.

fuel industry makes it extremely unlikely that Congress will do much to rein in oil and gas production.”

has funneled more than $28 million to groups that pushed election lies or in some way funded the rally ahead of the Capitol riot,” while “Members of the Federalist Society played key roles in Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the election,” including attorney John Eastman, architect of Trump’s plan to get Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the election, senators Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Ted Cruz, R-Texas, who led the objections to the certi cation of Trump’s loss after the riot, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who led a lawsuit to throw out election results in key states, e ectively overturning Biden’s victory. In addition, 13 of the 17 other Republican attorneys general who joined Paxton’s suit were also Federalist Society members.

“It should worry us all that the groups leading the ght against Biden’s historic nomination of Judge Jackson to the Supreme Court are tied to the Jan. 6 insurrection and e orts to undermine con dence in the 2020 election,” Kyle Herrig, president of Accountable.US, told Salon.

5Dark Money Interference in U.S. Politics Undermines Democracy

e same group of conservative dark money organizations that opposed President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court nomination — Judicial Crisis Network [JCN], e 85 Fund and their a liated groups — also funded entities that played a role in the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to a report by the watchdog group Accountable.US. ey’re closely linked to Leonard Leo, co-chair of the Federalist Society, with money coming from Donors Trust (a dark-money group backed by the Koch network) and the Bradley Foundation.

Rightwing dark money’s role in ghting Jackson’s nomination and con rmation process was highlighted by Business Insider in February 2022, along with op-eds in both the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post covered the discussion of dark money during Judge Jackson’s con rmation hearings, and a March 2022 Mother Jones report. “However,” Project Censored noted, “none of the articles featured in the corporate press covered dark money supporting Trump’s Big Lie, the impact such funding had on promoting and reinforcing antidemocratic ideology, or the rami cations of how such dark money spending erodes public trust in government and the election process.”

At Least 128 Members of Congress Invested in Fossil Fuel Industry

At least 100 U.S. representatives and 28 U.S. senators have nancial interests in the fossil fuel industry — a major impediment to reaching climate change goals that’s gone virtually unmentioned by the corporate media, despite detailed reporting in a series of Sludge articles written by David Moore in November and December of 2021.

Moore found that 74 Republicans, 59 Democrats and one independent have fossil fuel industry investments, with Republicans outnumbering Democrats in both chambers. e top ten House

As Project Censored detailed two years ago, these individuals’ personal nancial interests as investors often con ict with their obligation as elected legislators to serve the public interest.”

Oil and gas lobbying totaled $119.3 million according to OpenSecrets, while 2020 election spending topped $40 million for congressional candidates — $8.7 million to Democrats and $30.8 million to Republicans. is came as the International Energy Agency warned that no new fossil fuel developments can be approved for the world to have a 50/50 chance to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, Moore reported. And, yet, “production of oil and gas is projected to grow 50 percent by 2030 without congressional action,” Project Censored noted.

“ e fact that so many lawmakers have invested considerable sums in the fossil

“ ese dark money groups not only funded Leo’s network of organizations to the sum of over $52 million in 2020, but also funded entities in 2020 that played a role in the insurrection to the sum of over $37 million,” Accountable. US reported.

While there has been coverage of dark money spending on Supreme Court nominations, Igor Derysh at Salon was alone in reporting this — the related involvement in Jan. 6.

Just one group, JCN, spent $2.5 million “before Biden even named his nominee” Ketanji Brown Jackson, Derysh reported, “accusing Biden of caving in to leftists by promising a ‘Supreme Court nominee who will be a liberal activist.’” On the other hand, “JCN spent tens of millions helping to con rm Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh, according to Open Secrets, and launched a $25 million e ort to con rm Justice Amy Coney Barrett just weeks before the 2020 election,” he reported.

But more disturbingly, “Donors Trust

6Corporate Consolidation Causing Record Inflation in Food Prices

“Corporate consolidation is a main driver of record in ation in food prices, despite claims by media pundits and partisan commentators to the contrary,” Project Censored reports. “ e establishment press has covered the current wave of in ation exhaustively, but only rarely will discuss the market power of giant rms as a possible cause, and then usually only to reject it,.”

But as Food and Water Watch reported in Nov 2021, “while the cost of meat shot up, prices paid to farmers actually declined, spurring a federal investigation.” at investigation is ongoing, but meat conglomerates Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Smith eld Foods and JBS

have paid just over $225 million to settle related civil suits in the poultry, beef and pork markets.

at’s just part of the problem. A July 2021 joint investigation by Food and Water Watch and the Guardian “reported that a handful of ‘food giants’ — including Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Conagra, Unilever, and Del Monte — control an average of 64 percent of sales of sixty-one popular grocery items,” Project Censored noted. ree companies own 93% of carbonated soft drink brands; while another three produce 73% of the cereals on o er, and a single company, PepsiCo, owns ve of the most popular dip brands — 88% of the market. Altogether, “four rms or fewer controlled at least 50% of the market for 79% of the groceries,” the Guardian reported.

It’s not just producers. “In an October 2021 article for Common Dreams, Kenny Stancil documents that food producers, distributors, and grocery store chains are engaging in pandemic pro teering and taking advantage of ‘decades of consolidation, which has given a handful of corporations an ever-greater degree of market control and with it, the power to set prices,’” according to research by the Groundwork Collaborative.

As for grocers, “Kroger, the largest supermarket chain in the country, cited rising in ation as the reason for hiking prices in their stores even as they cut worker pay by 8 percent,” Project Censored noted. “Yet, as Stancil explained, Kroger’s CEO publicly gloated that ‘a little bit of in ation is always good for business.’” at CEO earned 909 times what the median worker earned, while worker pay decreased by 8% in 2020, and “the company spent $1.498 billion on stock buybacks between April 2020 and July 2021 to enrich its shareholders,” the Groundwork Collaborative reported. Kroger was one of just four companies that took in an estimated two-thirds of all grocery sales in 2019, according to Food and Water Watch

More broadly, “A report for the American Prospect by Rakeem Mabud, chief economist at the Groundwork Collaborative, and David Dayen revealed that one

of the most common in ation scapegoats, supply chain problems, is itself a consequence of consolidation,” Project Censored noted.

Occasionally articles touched on the issue of consolidation (mostly to debunk it), though there are a couple of opinion pieces to the contrary. “But these isolated opinion pieces were far out-numbered by the hundreds, even thousands, of reports and analyses by commercial media outlets that blamed everything but oligopolistic price gouging for the rising cost of groceries,” Project Censored concluded.

News Outlets

e list of billionaires with media empires includes familiar names like Rupert Murdoch, Warren Bu ett, Je Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and, most recently, Elon Musk. But, “While other billionaires’ media empires are relatively well known, the extent to which [Microsoft co-founder Bill] Gates’s cash underwrites the modern media landscape is not,” Alan MacLeod wrote for MintPress News in November 2021.

MacLeod examined more than 30,000 individual grants from the the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and found it had donated “more than $319 million to fund news outlets, journalism centers and training programs, press associations, and speci c media campaigns, raising questions about con icts of interest and journalistic independence,” Project Censored summarized.

“Today, it is possible for an individual to train as a reporter thanks to a Gates Foundation Grant, nd work at a Gatesfunded outlet, and to belong to a press association funded by Gates,” MacLeod wrote.

“Recipients of this cash include many of America’s most important news

outlets, including CNN, NBC, NPR, PBS and e Atlantic. Gates also sponsors a myriad of in uential foreign organizations, including the BBC, e Guardian, e Financial Times and e Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom; prominent European newspapers such as Le Monde (France), Der Spiegel (Germany) and El País (Spain); as well as big global broadcasters like Al-Jazeera,” he reported.

“MacLeod’s report includes a number of Gates-funded news outlets that also regularly feature in Project Censored’s annual Top 25 story lists, such as the Solutions Journalism Network ($7.2m), e Conversation ($6.6m), the Bureau of Investigative Journalism ($1m), and ProPublica ($1m) in addition to the Guardian and the Atlantic,” Project Censored noted.

“Direct awards to news outlets often targeted speci c issues, MacLeod reported. For example, CNN received $3.6 million to support ‘journalism on the everyday inequalities endured by women and girls across the world,’ according to one grant. Another grant earmarked $2.3 million for the Texas Tribune ‘to increase public awareness and engagement of education reform issues in Texas.’”

“As MacLeod noted, given Bill Gates’ advocacy of the charter school movement — which undermines teachers’ unions and e ectively aims to privatize the public education system — ‘a cynic might interpret this as planting pro-corporate charter school propaganda into the media, disguised as objective news reporting.’”

“[T]here are clear shortcomings with this non-exhaustive list, meaning the true gure is undoubtedly far higher. First, it does not count sub-grants — money given by recipients to media around the world,” because there’s no record of them, MacLeod reported. Also missing were grants aimed at producing articles for academic journals, although “they regularly form the basis for stories in the mainstream press and help shape narratives around key issues,” he noted. “ e Gates

Foundation has given far and wide to academic sources, with at least $13.6 million going toward creating content for the prestigious medical journal e Lancet.” And more broadly “even money given to universities for purely research projects eventually ends up in academic journals, and ultimately, downstream into mass media. … Neither these nor grants funding the printing of books or establishment of websites counted in the total, although they too are forms of media.”

“No major corporate news outlets appear to have covered this issue,” only a scattering of independent outlets, Project Censored noted. is despite the fact that “As far back as 2011, the Seattle Times published an article investigating how the Gates Foundation’s ‘growing support of media organizations blurs the line between journalism and advocacy.’”

8CIA Discussed Plans to Kidnap or Kill Julian Assange

e CIA seriously considered plans to kidnap or assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in late 2017, according to a September 2021 Yahoo News investigation, based on interviews with more than 30 former U.S. o cials, eight of whom detailed U.S. plans to abduct Assange and three of whom described the development of plans to kill him. If it had been up to CIA Director Mike Pompeo, they almost certainly would have been acted on, after WikiLeaks announced it had obtained a massive tranche of les — dubbed “Vault 7” — from the CIA’s ultra-secret hacking division, and posted some of them online.

In his rst public remarks as Donald Trump’s CIA director, “Pompeo devoted much of his speech to the threat posed by WikiLeaks” Yahoo News noted, “Rather than use the platform to give an overview of global challenges or to lay

7Concerns for Journalistic Independence as Gates Foundation Gives $319 Million to

out any bureaucratic changes he was planning to make at the agency.”

“Potential scenarios proposed by the CIA and Trump administration o cials included crashing into a Russian vehicle carrying Assange in order to grab him, shooting the tires of an airplane carrying Assange in order to prevent its takeo , and engaging in a gun battle through the streets of London,” Project Censored summarized. “Senior CIA ocials went so far as to request ‘sketches’ or ‘options’ detailing methods to kill Assange.”

“WikiLeaks was a complete obsession of Pompeo’s,” a former Trump administration national security o cial told Yahoo News. “After Vault 7, Pompeo and [Deputy CIA Director Gina] Haspel wanted vengeance on Assange.”

ere was also push-back from National Security Council (NSC) lawyers and the Department of Justice, which wanted to put Assange on trial. But the CIA continued to push for capturing or killing Assange. Trump’s “NSC lawyers were bulwarks against the CIA’s potentially illegal proposals, according to former o cials,” Yahoo News reported, but the CIA’s own lawyers may have been kept in the dark.

“U.S. plans to kidnap or assassinate Julian Assange have received little to no establishment news coverage in the United States, other than scant summaries by Business Insider and e Verge, and tangential coverage by Reuters, each based on the original Yahoo News report,” Project Censored notes. “Among US independent news outlets, Democracy Now! featured an interview with Michael Isiko , one of the Yahoo News reporters who broke the story, and Jennifer Robinson, a human rights attorney who has been advising Julian Assange and WikiLeaks since 2010. Rolling Stone and e Hill also published articles based on the original Yahoo News report.”

lawmakers to advance special-interest business-friendly legislation.

“ALEC is deeply enmeshed with the sprawling political in uence networks tied to billionaire families like the Kochs and the Bradleys, both of which use non-disclosing nonpro ts that help to conceal how money is funneled,” Donald Shaw reported for Sludge on June 15, 2021. “Penalties for violating the laws vary between the states, but in some states could include prison sentences.”

“Shaw explained how these bills create a loophole allowing wealthy individuals and groups to pass ‘dark money’ anonymously to 501(c) organizations which in turn can make independent expenditures to in uence elections (or contribute to other organizations that make independent political expenditures, such as Super PACs), e ectively shielding the ultimate source of political funds from public scrutiny,” Project Censored summarized. “‘ ese bills are about making dark money darker,’ Aaron McKean, legal counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, told Shaw.”

their top donors.”

Democrats and good government groups have pushed back. “On April 27, 2021, thirty-eight Democratic senators sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellin and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig urging them to roll back an antidisclosure rule put in place by the Trump Administration,” Project Censored reported. “In addition, the Democrats’ comprehensive voting-rights bill, the For the People Act, would have compelled the disclosure of all contributions by individuals who surpass $10,000 in donations in a given reporting period. e bill was passed by the House but died in the Senate.”

Bureau, or IAB are pushing back.

“In a letter, IAB called for the FTC to oppose a ban on data-driven advertising networks, claiming the modern media cannot exist without mass data collection,” Fang reported.

“ e IAB represents both data brokers and online media outlets that depend on digital advertising, such as CNN, the New York Times, MSNBC, Time, U.S. News and World Report, the Washington Post, Vox, the Orlando Sentinel, Fox News, and dozens of other media companies,” Fang explained. “ e privacy push has largely been framed as a showdown between technology companies and the administration,” Fang reported. But “ e lobbying reveals a tension that is rarely a center of the discourse around online privacy: Major media corporations increasingly rely on a vast ecosystem of privacy violations, even as the public relies on them to report on it.”

As a result, “Major news outlets have remained mostly silent on the FTC’s current push and a parallel e ort to ban surveillance advertising by the House and Senate by Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J.,” Fang concluded.

9New Laws Preventing Dark Money Disclosures Sweep the Nation

Since the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United relaxed campaign nance regulations, dark money spending has exploded, and now Republican lawmakers across the U.S. are pushing legislation to make it illegal to compel nonpro t organizations to disclose who the dark money donors are.

Recently-passed laws in Arkansas, Arizona, Iowa, Oklahoma, Mississippi, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah and West Virginia are based on model legislation from the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, which brings together corporate lobbyists and conservative

e South Dakota law was overwhelmingly passed by the GOP-dominated legislature despite the fact that voters passed a 2016 ballot measure requiring disclosure of “the identity of donors who give more than $100 to organizations for the purpose of political expenditures,” a requirement the legislature repealed a year later, Shaw reported in February 2021.

ere’s a federal impact as well. “In a March 2022 article for Sludge, Shaw documented that the federal omnibus appropriations bill for scal year 2022 contained a rider exempting political groups that declare themselves “social welfare organizations” from reporting their donors, and another preventing the Securities and Exchange Commission from ‘requiring corporations to publicly disclose more of their political and lobbying spending,’” Project Censored noted, going on to cite a May 2021 article from Open Secrets about Senate Republicans’ “Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act,” that “would prevent the IRS from requiring that 501(c)(4) nonpro ts disclose

While there’s been some coverage of some aspects of this story — a Washington Post story about Democrats pressuring the Biden administration, the Associated Press reporting on South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s defense of her state’s law — except for regional papers like the Tampa Bay Times, Project Censored reports, “ ere has been little acknowledgment in the establishment press of the stream of ALEC-inspired bills passing through state legislatures that seek to keep the source of so much of the money spent to in uence elections hidden in the shadows.”

“ e IAB argues that targeted advertising — and, by extension, the siphoning of user data — has become necessary due to declining revenues from print sales and subscriptions,” Project Censored summarized. “Non-digital advertising revenue decreased from $124.8 billion in 2011 to $89.8 billion in 2020, while digital advertising revenue rose from $31.9 billion to $152.2 billion in the same period, according to Pew Research.” Complicating matters, “ e personal information collected by online media is typically sold to aggregators, such as BlueKai (owned by Oracle) and OpenX, that exploit user data — including data describing minors — to create predictive models of users’ behavior, which are then sold to advertising agencies. e covert nature of surveillance advertising makes it di cult for users to opt out.”

10Major Media Outlets Lobby Against Regulation of “Surveillance Advertising”

“Surveillance advertising” — collecting users’ data to target them with tailored advertising — has become a ubiquitous, extremely pro table practice on the world’s most popular social media apps and platforms — Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, etc. But now, as Lee Fang reported for the Intercept in February 2022, the Biden administration’s Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, is seeking to regulate user data collection. Lobbyists for the Interactive Advertising

“ e corporate media have reported the FTC’s openness to new rules limiting the collection and exploitation of user data, but have generally not drawn attention to IAB lobbying against the proposed regulations,” Project Censored noted, citing articles in the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post as examples. “[N]either outlet discussed IAB, its lobbying on this issue, or the big media clients the organization represents.”

©Random Lengths News, a division of Beacon Light Press, 2022

Paul Rosenberg is a Los Angeles-based writer, senior editor for Random Lengths News and a columnist for Salon and Al Jazeera English.

ARTS & CULTURE

ARTS & CULTURE

PROVIDED BY REV4

murdered on March 7, 1987 by serial killer Donald Harvey.

murdered on March 7, 1987 by serial killer Donald Harvey.

“ is is an emotional story,” Brians Ragusa tells CityBeat. “I went to comfortable topics rst. en, I reached out and got bolder in what I would acquire and what I would digest. But I didn’t outline this book, I wrote it. And I gave an enormous structural change, probably two and a half years into the process. And stayed there and built on it.”

“ is is an emotional story,” Brians Ragusa tells CityBeat. “I went to comfortable topics rst. en, I reached out and got bolder in what I would acquire and what I would digest. But I didn’t outline this book, I wrote it. And I gave an enormous structural change, probably two and a half years into the process. And stayed there and built on it.”

Met the End portrays Powell as a loving father to three children, and the memoir touches on Brians Ragusa’s blended family. Her mother, Patricia, married John. Both brought children from past relationships: along with Brians Ragusa, there’s Heather and “Little” John, the youngest.

Met the End portrays Powell as a loving father to three children, and the memoir touches on Brians Ragusa’s blended family. Her mother, Patricia, married John. Both brought children from past relationships: along with Brians Ragusa, there’s Heather and “Little” John, the youngest.

Cincinnati Author’s emoir Reclaims the Narrative of Her Father, Serial Killer Victim John Powell

Cincinnati Author’s emoir Reclaims the Narrative of Her Father, Serial Killer Victim John Powell

Powell’s death led to the end of Harvey’s 17-year killing spree and his eventual prosecution when a coroner smelled cyanide during Powell’s autopsy. e revelation set a larger investigation in motion, aided by journalists, hospital whistleblowers and detectives. Harvey, a former nurse’s aide, ultimately pleaded guilty to murdering 37 people and was sentenced to multiple life terms for killings in Ohio and Kentucky in 1987.

Powell’s death led to the end of Harvey’s 17-year killing spree and his eventual prosecution when a coroner smelled cyanide during Powell’s autopsy. e revelation set a larger investigation in motion, aided by journalists, hospital whistleblowers and detectives. Harvey, a former nurse’s aide, ultimately pleaded guilty to murdering 37 people and was sentenced to multiple life terms for killings in Ohio and Kentucky in 1987.

According to Brians Ragusa, there were other deaths that attorneys didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute; it’s estimated that Harvey killed upward of 87 people. Most of Harvey’s victims were patients at regional hospitals and medical centers, including Powell.

According to Brians Ragusa, there were other deaths that attorneys didn’t have enough evidence to prosecute; it’s estimated that Harvey killed upward of 87 people. Most of Harvey’s victims were patients at regional hospitals and medical centers, including Powell.

In July 1986, Powell was found unresponsive on Exit 13 near I-75 following a motorcycle accident. He spent months in critical condition at the University Hospital’s ICU and was later taken to Drake Memorial Hospital to recover. e latter is where Harvey worked.

On page 89, Brians Ragusa points to another piece often missing in the telling of the tragedy: Powell was recovering from the injuries he sustained from the motorcycle accident. Still, Harvey has been the subject of several documentaries, true crime podcast episodes, news stories, books and other media.

On page 89, Brians Ragusa points to another piece often missing in the telling of the tragedy: Powell was recovering from the injuries he sustained from the motorcycle accident. Still, Harvey has been the subject of several documentaries, true crime podcast episodes, news stories, books and other media.

“I’m hoping that this story shines the light on survivors and asks people to ask more of themselves when they enter into the greater world and true crime,” Brians Ragusa says. “I’m hoping that it asks more of our systems of truth and justice and that it reminds people that there’s a human on the other side of entertainment.”

“I’m hoping that this story shines the light on survivors and asks people to ask more of themselves when they enter into the greater world and true crime,” Brians Ragusa says. “I’m hoping that it asks more of our systems of truth and justice and that it reminds people that there’s a human on the other side of entertainment.”

e Hamilton County coroner’s o ce and Cincinnati Police Department may have traced Powell’s murder to Harvey after detecting poison during his autopsy, but it was investigative reporting by WCPO-TV’s Pat Minarcin – aided by several Drake Hospital whistleblowers – that led to Harvey being found as a serial killer.

e Hamilton County coroner’s o ce and Cincinnati Police Department may have traced Powell’s murder to Harvey after detecting poison during his autopsy, but it was investigative reporting by WCPO-TV’s Pat Minarcin – aided by several Drake Hospital whistleblowers – that led to Harvey being found as a serial killer.

In Met the End, Holly Brians Ragusa weaves together true-crime history and personal healing.

In July 1986, Powell was found unresponsive on Exit 13 near I-75 following a motorcycle accident. He spent months in critical condition at the University Hospital’s ICU and was later taken to Drake Memorial Hospital to recover. e latter is where Harvey worked.

BY MACKENZIE MANLEY

BY MACKENZIE MANLEY

Holly Brians Ragusa heads to a bakery on an overcast, chilly afternoon to discuss her recently-released debut novel, Met the End, which she describes as a true crime survival memoir. Before taking a seat, she sees a few people she knows and pauses to embrace a friend. An

Holly Brians Ragusa heads to a bakery on an overcast, chilly afternoon to discuss her recently-released debut novel, Met the End, which she describes as a true crime survival memoir. Before taking a seat, she sees a few people she knows and pauses to embrace a friend. An

Over-the-Rhine local who grew up on the West Side, Brians Ragusa’s Cincinnati roots run deep.

Over-the-Rhine local who grew up on the West Side, Brians Ragusa’s Cincinnati roots run deep.

Published in November 2022, Met the End is a vulnerable text that threads together personal, local and national history through the story of Brians Ragusa’s father, John Powell, who was

Published in November 2022, Met the End is a vulnerable text that threads together personal, local and national history through the story of Brians Ragusa’s father, John Powell, who was

“He was referred to as the miracle patient at Drake, and the hope that had blossomed in us was crushed under the foot of this killer,” Brians Ragusa tells CityBeat. “ at we can nd some ray of light from it is very important to me. at we can see some good come from all of this is how I move through life: searching for the good. I needed to tell that piece. He su ered, he endured and he lost a battle with a killer we didn’t even know existed.”

“He was referred to as the miracle patient at Drake, and the hope that had blossomed in us was crushed under the foot of this killer,” Brians Ragusa tells CityBeat. “ at we can nd some ray of light from it is very important to me. at we can see some good come from all of this is how I move through life: searching for the good. I needed to tell that piece. He su ered, he endured and he lost a battle with a killer we didn’t even know existed.”

On March 28, 2017, Harvey was beaten in his prison cell. He died two days later.

On March 28, 2017, Harvey was beaten in his prison cell. He died two days later.

e minute Brians Ragusa heard the news, she started writing, she says.

e minute Brians Ragusa heard the news, she started writing, she says.

In the ve years she spent with the manuscript, Brians Ragusa took several mental health breaks. Di erent things named Harvey made headlines that brought back her focus. From Hurricane Harvey to Harvey Weinstein, the name kept reappearing.

In the ve years she spent with the manuscript, Brians Ragusa took several mental health breaks. Di erent things named Harvey made headlines that brought back her focus. From Hurricane Harvey to Harvey Weinstein, the name kept reappearing.

“Call it coincidence, if you will. You know, the minute someone points out a

“Call it coincidence, if you will. You know, the minute someone points out a

Cincinnati author Holly Brians Ragusa recounts her personal connection to true-crime history.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY HOLLY BRIANS RAGUSA

Met the End follows the death of Brians Ragusa’s father, John Powell, by serial killer Donald Harvey.

PHOTO:

In Met the End, Holly Brians Ragusa weaves together true-crime history and personal healing.

Met the End follows the death of Brians Ragusa’s father, John Powell, by serial killer Donald Harvey.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY REV4

new car, that’s the only car you see then for a while,” Brians Ragusa says. “You can call it that, but certainly, for me, there were many reminders to call me back to the path of writing this. It didn’t start o that I went in like, ‘Oh, I’ll be healed by the writing process.’ But that is certainly what transpired and I have really taken that piece to heart.”

In the process of writing Met the End, Brians Ragusa interviewed Minarcin along with other key gures in the case like Joe Deters, who led the investigation as prosecutor, and Powell’s close friends, Joe and Fran Suesz. e memoir interweaves personal letters, news clippings, photos, Brians Ragusa’s teenage diary entries, police statements and Powell’s bedside journals, where friends and family wrote to him in recovery.

“Being a packrat has its advantages,” Brians Ragusa says. “I would say that I’ve always been a documentarian. Whether it was keeping calendars, diaries or journals, I have always documented things.

at’s how I process. I enjoy remembering just in general.”

Brians Ragusa’s interest in historical research is clear in Met the End, which is just as much about her investigating her father’s death and how it a ected her family as it is about Cincinnati. e text is entrenched in historical context, with Brians Ragusa often unpacking the story behind any given place or neighborhood mentioned.

rough her mother, Brians Ragusa gained access to their home archives and sorted through countless journals, photos and documents. Patricia now lives with Brians Ragusa and her husband, Damon. Brians Ragusa refers to her mom as a heroine.

“It held a place that I always knew would come to,” Brians Ragusa says. “I had talked to my mom about writing this book for years, so every time we would come across a new artifact, if you will, it would just generate more interest in me. And I think it just all came to a head in late March of 2017 when Harvey was beaten.”

In the aftermath of Powell’s murder, Brians Ragusa’s mother sent her to a psychiatric care facility for adolescents. In Met the End, she writes a disclaimer about that time on page 173: “I’m sharing this process, this part of my healing, not as a professional, but as always, in the hope that any part of my story could help others.”

e biggest thing Brians Ragusa says she gives her younger self is empathy, looking at her past self through the lens of compassion. In sorting through old journals, she says she certainly doesn’t think, or write, the same way.

“Mental wellness, above all, is one that I’m very closely tied to and I strongly believe that in talking and writing, there is healing,” Brians Ragusa says. “And obviously, I wrote when I needed it, and

it helped me through. And that was my journey.”

Brians Ragusa is aware of the myriad paths people take in coping, but she says she encourages people to dig a little deeper because in doing so, they might nd healing outside of shame and guilt.

In the memoir, Brians Ragusa nods to Parents of Murdered Children, a local organization that helped her family heal from the tragedy.

“To all the Harvey survivors out there, I hope you are well and have found your peace,” writes Brians Ragusa in the memoir’s acknowledgments. “POMC— keep up the hard and important work.”

A poet and opinion contributor to e Cincinnati Enquirer, Brians Ragusa also teaches workshops. Her other published

works include last year’s Dying to Know Myself in Time and poetry books Inverse and Tilt a World, both of which will be released in 2023. Having other projects to pour into helped Brians Ragusa through penning Met the End

“Having something else to look to occasionally, and even during the process of publishing this, because as one might imagine, when you’re waiting that anticipation is wonderful, but it’s also staggering. And it was helpful to have other things to pour myself into,” Brians Ragusa says.

Met the End is available at local booksellers, Barnes & Noble, JosephBeth Booksellers and Amazon. e Mercantile Library will host a free event at 6 p.m. Jan. 19 featuring Brians Ragusa

in conversation with Ensemble eatre of Cincinnati’s D. Lynn Meyers. At 6 p.m. Feb. 18, OTR Stillhouse will host an author reading and book signing.

Met the End was self-published because going through traditional publishing felt limiting, Brians Ragusa says. It’s a story she wrote on her own terms.

“I needed to own this story from start to nish,” Brians Ragusa says.

“It’s something I lived. It could not be made less complicated. It could not be squeezed into a form and a formula.

And I needed to own all of it in order to tell the story I needed to tell.”

Learn more about Holly Brians Ragusa’s Met the End as well as author events at hbragusa.com.

Serial killer victim and Brians Ragusa’s father, John Powell, with Brians Ragusa as a child.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY HOLLY BRIANS RAGUSA

Brians Ragusa’s family (L-R): her brother “Little” John; her sister Heather; her mother, Patricia; and Brians Ragusa

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY HOLLY BRIANS RAGUSA

CULTURE

CULTURE

Know Theatre, Cincy Shakes to Open Distinctly Different Shows This Month

Know Theatre, Cincy Shakes to Open Distinctly Different Shows This Month

PREVIEW BY RICK PENDER

PREVIEW BY RICK PENDER

The beginning of the year is typically slow for Cincinnati theater, but things will explode on Jan. 27 when both Know eatre and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company open productions that adhere to their ongoing missions while also suggesting fascinating new directions.

The beginning of the year is typically slow for Cincinnati theater, but things will explode on Jan. 27 when both Know eatre and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company open productions that adhere to their ongoing missions while also suggesting fascinating new directions.

ese shows will be staged by directors with perspectives that underscore the broadening impact of Cincinnati theater.

ese shows will be staged by directors with perspectives that underscore the broadening impact of Cincinnati theater.

Brant Russell, chair of the acting program at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, will stage Aisha Josiah’s Dickless, while Stephen Burdman, founder and artistic director of New York Classical eatre, will steer Alice Scovell’s e Rewards of Being Frank for Cincy Shakes in its world premiere. Burdman then will move it to New York City for an oBroadway run in March.

Brant Russell, chair of the acting program at the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, will stage Aisha Josiah’s Dickless, while Stephen Burdman, founder and artistic director of New York Classical eatre, will steer Alice Scovell’s e Rewards of Being Frank for Cincy Shakes in its world premiere. Burdman then will move it to New York City for an oBroadway run in March.

Both productions are local premieres of wildly di erent tales, and both are set in England. Josiah is a young British writer, producer and dramaturg, while Scovell is based in New York City but channels Oscar Wilde. Her play is a sequel to Wilde’s 1895 comedy, e Importance of Being Earnest

Both productions are local premieres of wildly di erent tales, and both are set in England. Josiah is a young British writer, producer and dramaturg, while Scovell is based in New York City but channels Oscar Wilde. Her play is a sequel to Wilde’s 1895 comedy, e Importance of Being Earnest.

During a phone conversation with

During a phone conversation with

CityBeat, Russell reveals that he was tempted and then recruited to direct Josiah’s recent script by Andrew Hungerford, Know’s artistic director. According to Russell, the two exchange plays they like – works Russell might use to train young actors at CCM or Hungerford could stage at Know’s adventurous venue in Over-the-Rhine.

CityBeat, Russell reveals that he was tempted and then recruited to direct Josiah’s recent script by Andrew Hungerford, Know’s artistic director. According to Russell, the two exchange plays they like – works Russell might use to train young actors at CCM or Hungerford could stage at Know’s adventurous venue in Over-the-Rhine.

Dickless is a dive into the seedy underbelly of a ctional small Northern England town, Dunningham. With interrelated monologues, several tales are told. Sa ’s best friend is being slandered online by her ex. Oli is being blackmailed by a mysterious stalker who knows his most hidden secret.

plays Smith Henry, a dim fellow caught up in a smear campaign. CCM acting student Sydni Charity Solomon is Titch, a little sister out for revenge of her own.

plays Smith Henry, a dim fellow caught up in a smear campaign. CCM acting student Sydni Charity Solomon is Titch, a little sister out for revenge of her own.

North-

“ is kind of material is not only suited to Know, but Know’s audiences are adventurous enough to want to hear about it,” he tells CityBeat, adding that it’s a vehicle “for three really good actors to do what they do best.”

Dickless is a dive into the seedy underbelly of a ctional small North ern England town, Dunningham. With interrelated monologues, several tales are told. Sa ’s best friend is being slandered online by her ex. Oli is being blackmailed by a mysterious stalker who knows his most hidden secret. Smith Henry is broke and scrambling to pay o a debt. ey’re all out for revenge, but they soon discover that vengeance is wilder, bloodier and more unpredictable than they imagined.

Smith Henry is broke and scrambling to pay o a debt. ey’re all out for revenge, but they soon discover that vengeance is wilder, bloodier and more unpredictable than they imagined.

Local actor Tess Talbot plays Sa , the best friend of a woman whose reputation is threatened by an internet rumor. Shifting between two roles and their respective genders, Talbot also brings Oli to life, the boyfriend of someone else who’s now gunning for her own revenge. Jared Earland

Local actor Tess Talbot plays Sa , the best friend of a woman whose reputation is threatened by an internet rumor. Shifting between two roles and their respective genders, Talbot also brings Oli to life, the boyfriend of someone else who’s now gunning for her own revenge. Jared Earland

Russell says he was drawn to this show because it’s about how libidos and sexuality play into gender roles.

Russell says he libidos and sexuality play into gender roles.

was drawn to this show because it’s about how

“ is kind of mate rial is not only suited to Know, but Know’s audiences are adven turous enough to want to hear about it,” , add ing that it’s a vehicle “for three really good actors to do what they do

mateadvenhe tells CityBeat addbest.”

Russell previously has staged productions for both Know and Cincy Shakes and says he’s

Russell previously has staged productions for both Know and Cincy Shakes and says he’s

Tess Talbot performs as Saff in Dickless at Know Theatre.

PHOTO: DAN R. WINTERS PHOTOGRAPHY

Kelly Mengelkoch is Gwendolyn in Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s The Rewards Of Being Frank

PHOTO: MIKKI SCHAFFNER PHOTOGRAPHY

Tess Talbot performs as Saff in Dickless at Know Theatre.

PHOTO: DAN R. WINTERS PHOTOGRAPHY

Kelly Mengelkoch is Gwendolyn in Cincinnati Shakespeare Company’s The Rewards Of Being Frank

PHOTO: MIKKI SCHAFFNER PHOTOGRAPHY

“

conversation here in Cincinnati when it comes to getting our work out there and produced for other theater professionals to see and share it with their audiences.”

eager for his students to interact with Cincinnati’s local theater companies (his post-apocalyptic tragicomedy Bankers will be presented by Know later this season).

“We have an incredible depth of acting talent in Cincinnati,” Russell observes. “My students are seeing opportunities and likeminded artists here. More and more are choosing to stay and make a life here.”

attention after Cincy Shakes hosted a 2019 meeting of the Shakespeare eatre Association, bringing together classical theater companies from across North America.

Burdman will guest direct the show at Cincy Shakes and oversee its transfer to New York City for its oBroadway debut in March at A.R.T./ New York eatre’s Mezzanine eatre in Hell’s Kitchen. Cincy Shakes’ scenic designer Samantha Reno is creating the physical production for the stage at the Otto M. Budig eatre as well as for its transfer to New York City. In essence, this is a rolling world premiere.

Four of the production’s six actors are from New York, including SiriusXM On Broadway host Christine Pedi as Lady Bracknell. Two Cincy Shakes veterans, Jeremy Dubin as Ernest and Kelly Mengelkoch as Gwendolyn, will join New York actors James Evans as Algernon and Tora Nogami Alexander as Cecily. NYCT veteran Moboluwaji Ademide Akintilo plays Frank.

CULTURE

CULTURE

Wave Pool Exhibit Provides the Ultimate Gift of Art and Human Connection

Wave Pool Exhibit Provides the Ultimate Gift of Art and Human Connection

BY KELSEY GRAHAM

BY KELSEY GRAHAM

of Being Frank

At Cincy Shakes, artistic director Brian Phillips is excited to produce the world premiere of e Rewards , an uproarious sequel to Wilde’s comic masterpiece. Set seven years after the happy ending of e Importance of Being Earnest, that story’s two couples — Algernon and Gwendolyn, Ernest and Cecily — are married with children and are seeking a schoolmaster. Challenged by the pitfalls of mistaken identity, monetary mischief and a never-ending struggle over cucumber sandwiches, they need a tutor to sort out the confusion. at

tutor is “Frank.” In Earnest

, Wilde portrayed Ernest’s questionable behavior as “bunburying.” In Scovell’s sequel for Cincy Shakes, Frank’s honesty and straightforward nature helps everyone be more “frank” about what they want.

“bunbury straight memo

e imperious and fear-inspiring Lady Bracknell, one of Wilde’s most memorable characters, returns as well.

“ is play works without being e Importance of , although knowmakes it even more enjoyable,” Phillips

familiar with know ing Earnest says. of Earnest accord

Scovell’s script was inspired by a production by New York Classical Stage, according to Phillips. Burdman brought it to Phillips’s

Phillips says this deliberate collaboration is a rst for his company – “the start of a three-year plan working with them. We’re going to learn a lot from this.”

“ is is an opportunity for us to be part of the national conversation here in Cincinnati when it comes to getting our work out there and produced for other theater professionals to see and share it with their audiences,” Phillips adds.

Several classic theater companies are invited to see the show in Cincinnati or New York to consider using it in a season that includes Wilde’s classic comedy.

Scovell will spend time in Cincinnati as rehearsals begin and then will return as the production is readied for its late January opening. Phillips says he is excited to work with a live playwright. In an interesting turn of events, once Russell nishes staging Dickless at Know, he’ll move a few blocks west to Cincy Shakes to direct a musicalized version of As You Like It in April.

Dickless, produced by Know eatre, runs Jan. 27-Feb. 12 at Know eatre, 1120 Jackson St., Over-the-Rhine. Info: knowtheatre.com.

The Rewards of Being Frank, produced by Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, runs Jan. 27-Feb. 18 at Otto M. Budig eater, 1195 Elm St. on Elm Street, Over-the-Rhine.

Info: cincyshakes.com.

BY WAVE POOL

Art is the gift that keeps on giving. It gives us a way to connect, remember and re ect, and Wave Pool’s current exhibit, e Gift, o ers viewers a beautifully wrapped present lled with care and re ection in the works on display.

Art is the gift that keeps on giving. It gives us a way to connect, remember and re ect, and Wave Pool’s current exhibit, e Gift, o ers viewers a beautifully wrapped present lled with care and re ection in the works on display.

Wave Pool is a quaint yet lively contemporary art gallery in Camp Washington. e gallery gives artists a platform for their art to be a part of the community’s social structure and change to make a di erence and provide connection.

Wave Pool is a quaint yet lively contemporary art gallery in Camp Washington. e gallery gives artists a platform for their art to be a part of the community’s social structure and change to make a di erence and provide connection.

“We’re really interested in trying to make art accessible because we believe it’s such a powerful tool for changing the world,” says Maria SedaReeder, director of exhibitions/artist support initiatives and curator of e Gift exhibit. “What we do is try to make space for our neighbors. at’s the arts community, that’s Camp Washington, but that’s also Cincinnati in general.”

of the idea of “the gift” as a theme for an exhibit in 2021 when the gallery was lled with bright lights and colors, which reminded her of a gift to the community.

of the idea of “the gift” as a theme for an exhibit in 2021 when the gallery was lled with bright lights and colors, which reminded her of a gift to the community.

“Part of me is always thinking about what I can pull o in this space because it’s not a typical white box as most gallery spaces are,” Seda-Reeder tells CityBeat. “I had an 18-month calendar, and I found it the other day, and I had scribbled down notes and put ‘ e gift - A holiday show for the neighborhood?’”

“Part of me is always thinking about what I can pull o in this space because it’s not a typical white box as most gallery spaces are,” Seda-Reeder tells CityBeat. “I had an 18-month calendar, and I found it the other day, and I had scribbled down notes and put ‘ e gift - A holiday show for the neighborhood?’”

After coming up with the theme, she needed to determine which artists had a vision that aligned with the show’s purpose.

After coming up with the theme, she needed to determine which artists had a vision that aligned with the show’s purpose.

“I think my job as a curator is to ultimately nd artists who I can trust their vision, and when it comes time to surrendering because ultimately I get to say I’d like it to be in this space, but I want it to be your vision,” she says.

Seda-Reeder says she rst thought

“We’re really interested in trying to make art accessible because we believe it’s such a powerful tool for changing the world,” says Maria SedaReeder, director of exhibitions/artist support initiatives and curator of e Gift exhibit. “What we do is try to make space for our neighbors. at’s the arts community, that’s Camp Washington, but that’s also Cincinnati in general.”

Seda-Reeder says she rst thought

“I think my job as a curator is to ultimately nd artists who I can trust their vision, and when it comes time to surrendering because ultimately I get to say I’d like it to be in this space, but I want it to be your vision,” she says.

One of the rst artists Seda-Reeder

One of the rst artists Seda-Reeder

is is an opportunity for us to be part of the national

Lunaz (2018-2022), Girls of the Revolution Street, printed fabric with embroidery PHOTO: PROVIDED

Lunaz (2018-2022), Girls of the Revolution Street, printed fabric with embroidery PHOTO: PROVIDED BY WAVE POOL

says she reached out to was Lunaz, a Cincinnati-based artist from Iran who she had worked with previously. When plans for the exhibit started, Lunaz had a di erent idea for what she would display, but those quickly changed in September as tensions and outrage grew in her homeland of Iran after Mahsa Amini died while in police custody.

Lunaz’s multimedia installation is a progression of an exhibit she did in 2017 and is broken into two pieces. e rst part includes an audio recording featuring poetry from Táhirih Qurrat al-Ain, a 19th-century Baha’i poet and women’s rights activist in Iran, and a white cloth on a table that viewers can add their own stitching while listening to the recording. e second part is a textile panel piece featuring an iconic image of the resistance of a girl with her face covered by a scarf, but her arm is raised in a st of de ance.

e two-part performance piece is set up in the corner of the gallery to provide a private and contemplative space for the viewer to experience both

pieces of the installation individually and as a whole.

“When this whole movement started again in September, I thought, well, the movement has been evolving since 2017,” Lunaz tells CityBeat. “ ey’ve gone so far — women. Mostly women are at the forefront of these protests, so I thought maybe the pieces were still relevant because they were speaking to each other. And I thought as the movement has evolved drastically, it’s time for the piece — whatever is left from the former performance piece — to kind of evolve.”

One of the new additions to the installation is the poppies on the textile panel hanging on the wall. Lunaz says she chose the poppy as they symbolize hope, remembrance, and new beginnings.

“All these owers are the souls of those who lost their lives and the good energy,” she explains. “ e message is poignant in that it’s heavy, but at the same time, I feel like there is hope because it brings change and positive change, even though it is very

heartbreaking and heavy.”

Lunaz stitched the poppies on the panel over time with the help of two close friends, both women from different generations and backgrounds, which was essential to Lunaz in creating the piece.

“We started stitching these owers to kind of put our intentions, as a simple way of putting our good intentions back home and to what they’re ghting for and evolve the piece to what it is right now,” Lunaz says.

For Lunaz, using and transforming past works in the current exhibit has a deep meaning.

“I feel like connecting the future to the past kind of gives hope,” she says. “We learn from history that this is not the end.”

Seda-Reeder says she is happy she can include Lunaz’s experiences as an Iranian woman in the exhibit.

“ e show is about reciprocity, and those waves of feminism to me were showing how we can create sort of movements of love and generosity and peace in the world when we come together,” Seda-Reeder says. “When we’re not willing to say this is just my ght, or this is just your ght. And you know, we’re all on the same team. We all want freedom, creativity, and expression for the whole world.”

Lunaz says she hopes viewers will

get a deeper look into life in Iran and the movement happening there now, acknowledge the struggles in her homeland and carry what they’ve learned out into the world.

“What Iranians are asking for right now is just to keep the story in the spotlight for everyone, so I thought it was relevant to the theme of the exhibition,” Lunaz says.

e exhibit includes three installation pieces from three other artists, including the archival puppet, Washerwoman, from Bread + Puppet’s show in 1979. Bread + Puppet is a globetraveling artist group started by Peter & Elka Schumann in 1963 that believes art is as essential as bread to the world, which is why they pass out free bread at their shows. Seda-Reeder explains that the group gives out free tickets and only passes around a hat for donations to help fund shows, which allows open access to art.

“ ose kinds of gestures just felt very consistent with what I was hoping to have the show be about,” Seda-Reeder says.

A compelling piece by multidisciplinary Latinx artist and educator Rebecca Nava Soto is also on display. Her multimedia piece, Speech Scroll, explores the link between indigenous people and the natural world and includes a QR code along with the work for viewers to learn more about Xinanchkalko, a collective indigenous space in Cuentepec, Morelos, Mexico, for indigenous scholars and residents.

e last of the four pieces is by multimedia artist, designer and poet Michael ompson. His installationbased painting focuses on the challenges artists face in the world and the relationship between consumers and an artist’s ultimate gift, their work.

The Gift is on view through Feb. 25 at Wave Pool, 2940 Colerain Ave., Camp Washington. Info: wavepoolgallery.org.

Peter Schumann for Bread+Puppet (1973), Washer Woman, celastic mask, wood, fabric armature

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY WAVE POOL

Rebecca Nava Soto, Speech Scroll (2022), pigmented wood shavings on panel

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY WAVE POOL

“The show is about reciprocity, and those waves of feminism to me were showing how we can create sort of movements of love and generosity and peace in the world when we come together.”

FOOD & DRINK

FOOD & DRINK

A Cider Revolution

A Cider Revolution

Northwood Cider Company o ers a distinctly unique take on ciders in Norwood.

Northwood Cider Company o ers a distinctly unique take on ciders in Norwood.

BY BRIAN CROSS

BY BRIAN CROSS

The Cincinnati area’s rst brewery and taproom dedicated only to hard ciders opened in Norwood in November. Northwood Cider Company is the brainchild of a former brewery owner and a real estate nance and development professional who bonded over their shared passion for community development and hard ciders.

The Cincinnati area’s rst brewery and taproom dedicated only to hard ciders opened in Norwood in November. Northwood Cider Company is the brainchild of a former brewery owner and a real estate nance and development professional who bonded over their shared passion for community development and hard ciders.

Co-owner Darrin Wilson was rst exposed to hard ciders while living in England, where the drink is a bit more popular. Wilson previously headed up Dreaming Creek Brewery in Richmond, Kentucky and met Northwood Cider Company co-owner Joe Klare – who works for a non-pro t community development fund that supports urban revitalization projects in Northern Kentucky – after selling the business and moving to Cincinnati. Along with their spouses, Rohan Krehbiel and Keyu Yan, they worked for several years to bring Northwood Cider Company to life.

Co-owner Darrin Wilson was rst exposed to hard ciders while living in England, where the drink is a bit more popular. Wilson previously headed up Dreaming Creek Brewery in Richmond, Kentucky and met Northwood Cider Company co-owner Joe Klare – who works for a non-pro t community development fund that supports urban revitalization projects in Northern Kentucky – after selling the business and moving to Cincinnati. Along with their spouses, Rohan Krehbiel and Keyu Yan, they worked for several years to bring Northwood Cider Company to life.

“We looked for over two years to nd a location because we wanted not just

“We looked for over two years to nd a location because we wanted not just

the right building, but we wanted a community as well. We wanted to nd a place that we could really be engaged in the community and build partnerships and provide that place where people can come together,“ Klare tells CityBeat

the right building, but we wanted a community as well. We wanted to nd a place that we could really be engaged in the community and build partnerships and provide that place where people can come together,“ Klare tells CityBeat

A student of Wilson’s suggested Norwood – he’s also a college professor at NKU who counts community development among the subjects he teaches.

A student of Wilson’s suggested Norwood – he’s also a college professor at NKU who counts community development among the subjects he teaches.

“We did a walking tour of Norwood, and we just love the passion of the people here,” Wilson says. “ ey’re really forward thinking and trying to build something here in this community with a lot of community engagement, and we wanted to be a part of it.”

“We did a walking tour of Norwood, and we just love the passion of the people here,” Wilson says. “ ey’re really forward thinking and trying to build something here in this community with a lot of community engagement, and we wanted to be a part of it.”

e lack of a dedicated cidery in town provided an opportunity for Wilson and Klare to create a Cincinnati original, they say.

e lack of a dedicated cidery in town provided an opportunity for Wilson and Klare to create a Cincinnati original, they say.

“We want to be Cincinnati’s hard cider. We didn’t come here to start this business; we started this business because we’re passionate about it and we felt the region needed it,” Klare says.

cider” means cloyingly sweet bottled ciders found wherever beer is sold may be in for a surprise at Northwood.

cider” means cloyingly sweet bottled ciders found wherever beer is sold may be in for a surprise at Northwood.

“Most people have a misconception about cider that it’s on the sweeter side like an Angry Orchard or Magners Irish Cider, that sort of thing. But honestly most ciders are actually dry – closer to like a white wine product,” Wilson tells CityBeat. “We tend to focus on the drier side of things even though we do make some sweet ciders as well.”

“Most people have a misconception about cider that it’s on the sweeter side like an Angry Orchard or Magners Irish Cider, that sort of thing. But honestly most ciders are actually dry – closer to like a white wine product,” Wilson tells CityBeat. “We tend to focus on the drier side of things even though we do make some sweet ciders as well.”

But Northwood’s ciders aren’t limited to only dry or sweet varieties.

But Northwood’s ciders aren’t limited to only dry or sweet varieties.

“We just love experimentation,” Wilson says. “With our head cider maker Candace [Winterbauer], we play with whatever avors we can nd.”

“We just love experimentation,” Wilson says. “With our head cider maker Candace [Winterbauer], we play with whatever avors we can nd.”

When Wilson says “ avors,” he doesn’t mean arti cial. Northwood combines fruits, herbs and other natural ingredients for their creations.

e production process for hard apple cider is more akin to winemaking than beer brewing, many people may be surprised to learn.

e production process for hard apple cider is more akin to winemaking than beer brewing, many people may be surprised to learn.

“Cider is a little bit of a di erent production cycle. We’re actually technically a winery because we’re dealing with fruit juice rather than cooking grain. We don’t have a cooking process in our production cycle,” Klare says.

“Cider is a little bit of a di erent production cycle. We’re actually technically a winery because we’re dealing with fruit juice rather than cooking grain. We don’t have a cooking process in our production cycle,” Klare says.

e brewing area is relatively small, and shares a roof with the taproom. Visitors can only enter the brewing area during tours, but the area is visible to customers from their tables.

e brewing area is relatively small, and shares a roof with the taproom. Visitors can only enter the brewing area during tours, but the area is visible to customers from their tables.

“By having it open and visible to patrons, it’s an opportunity to start to learn about the process and how we are a little di erent than beer,” Klare says.

“By having it open and visible to patrons, it’s an opportunity to start to learn about the process and how we are a little di erent than beer,” Klare says.

“We want to be Cincinnati’s hard cider. We didn’t come here to start this business; we started this business because we’re passionate about it and we felt the region needed it,” Klare says.

When Wilson says “ avors,” he doesn’t mean arti cial. Northwood combines fruits, herbs and other natural ingredients for their creations.

ose who think the term “hard

ose who think the term “hard

“All of our juice is fresh-pressed, never from concentrate. We don’t add any concentrated stu into our product. We want the fruits to naturally come out and the botanicals and so forth,” Wilson says.

“All of our juice is fresh-pressed, never from concentrate. We don’t add any concentrated stu into our product. We want the fruits to naturally come out and the botanicals and so forth,” Wilson says.

Beer drinkers might like Northwood’s dry-hopped cider called Highlands, which gets a post-fermentation avor infusion from citrus hops. e standard dry and semi-dry options are popular in the taproom, as well.

Beer drinkers might like Northwood’s dry-hopped cider called Highlands, which gets a post-fermentation avor infusion from citrus hops. e standard dry and semi-dry options are popular in the taproom, as well.

Another popular, compelling option is a dry cider that was the result of an

Another popular, compelling option is a dry cider that was the result of an

Joe Klare (left) and Darrin Wilson brought Northwood Cider Company to life with their wives Rohan Krehbiel and Keyu Yan.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

Joe Klare (left) and Darrin Wilson brought Northwood Cider Company to life with their wives Rohan Krehbiel and Keyu Yan.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

experiment expected to yield a sweeter berry- avored drink. After a dry base cider was nished fermenting, the brewers added cherries and raspberries for avor. Unexpectedly, the sugars provided by the berries became food for the residual yeast in the cider and rapidly fermented. Named the HLA, or Happy Little Accident, the dry cider with just a hint of the originally planned berry avors was born.

“It was one of those things,” Wilson says. “It was supposed to be a sweet cider, but it ended up being a dry cider and people have absolutely loved it.”

Keen-eyed local history bu s will notice Northwood’s nods in its branding to the Norwood of yesteryear. e

name Northwood itself comes from the former name of the city, North Wood Heights, which eventually was shortened to Norwood. Northwood’s 1903 dry cider references the year Norwood was incorporated as a city, and the name for the Highlands dry-hopped cider comes from the city’s motto, “ e Gem of the Highlands,” Wilson says. Sarah’s Semi-Sweet is named after Sarah Bolles, who gave the city of Norwood its name.

In addition to the main cider options, the taproom o ers rotating seasonal and experimental ciders as well as three guest taps pouring local beers. Every ursday, Northwood releases a small ve-gallon batch of an experimental

cider that are available until they run out. e HLA was originally a ursday special that ended up making the permanent tap list, Wilson says.

“[ e experimentation] kind of gives people the option to see what cider can actually be beyond the more corporate national brands,” Wilson says.

e local love continues in Northwood’s limited selection of snacks, sourced from Greater Cincinnati small businesses like Hen of the Woods potato chips, popcorn from Mama Made It at Findlay Market, hot pretzels from Tuba Baking Co. in Dayton, Kentucky and cheese from Urban Stead in Evanston. Patrons are welcome to bring food in or have food delivered.

Non-alcoholic drinks are available, including not-from-concentrate apple juice and apple soda, kombucha from Skinny Pig and Mexican CocaCola.

Klare says that breaking the mold and defying people’s expectations about cider ts right in with Northwood’s goal of community building.

“We’re trying to create products that people want to discuss and talk about,” Klare says. “Looking at the product in ways that people haven’t in the past is really a big push for us, just to get people talking to each other.”

Northwood Cider Company, 2075 Mills Ave., Norwood. Info: northwoodcider.com.

Northwood Cider Company is Cincinnati’s rst brewery and tap room dedicated to hard ciders.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

“We wanted to nd a place that we could really be engaged in the community and build partnerships,” co-owner Joe Klare says.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

“We want to be Cincinnati’s hard cider,” says Northwood co-owner Joe Klare.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

Covington’s Secret Bar Is a Drag in the Best Way

EATS

KATIE GRIFFITH

BY KATIE GRIFFITH

Covington’s Secret Bar Is a Drag in the Best Way

BY KATIE GRIFFITH

There’s more than just a name hidden in Creative House of Art and Design (CHAD), an arts and craft store that o ers art instruction on Mainstrasse in Covington.

There’s more than just a name hidden in Creative House of Art and Design (CHAD), an arts and craft store that o ers art instruction on Mainstrasse in Covington.

When abbreviated, Creative House of Art and Design spells out owner Chad Turner’s rst name. And when you venture a little further into the colorful store – past the coloring books, markers, handmade jewelry and other merchandise – a hidden bar awaits.

When abbreviated, Creative House of Art and Design spells out owner Chad Turner’s rst name. And when you venture a little further into the colorful store – past the coloring books, markers, handmade jewelry and other merchandise – a hidden bar awaits.

Known widely as “Mr. Chad,” Turner has been a local art teacher for more than 15 years. As with so many, the pandemic threatened his career. As soon as COVID hit, he was let go from the various elementary schools where he’d been employed, he says.

Known widely as “Mr. Chad,” Turner has been a local art teacher for more than 15 years. As with so many, the pandemic threatened his career. As soon as COVID hit, he was let go from the various elementary schools where he’d been employed, he says.

But Turner says he saw a new opportunity in a space on Mainstrasse, where he now has created a place for all ages to experience art education through di erent types of classes and events as

But Turner says he saw a new opportunity in a space on Mainstrasse, where he now has created a place for all ages to experience art education through di erent types of classes and events as

an alternative to big chain art supply stores.

an alternative to big chain art supply stores.

Moreover, When the clientele is of a certain age, they have the option of utilizing the hidden bar in the back of the store.

Moreover, When the clientele is of a certain age, they have the option of utilizing the hidden bar in the back of the store.

CHAD has quickly become a space noted for its inclusiveness and LGBTQ+ events.

CHAD has quickly become a space noted for its inclusiveness and LGBTQ+ events.

“I feel like there was a need for us but I didn’t know it,” Turner tells CityBeat “And I found out that we were needed when I saw all the smiles on people’s faces. A lot of the kids who take our classes just live around the block and their parents walk them here. And other than Micheal’s or places like that, there’s nowhere else you can go to buy markers and supplies.”

“I feel like there was a need for us but I didn’t know it,” Turner tells CityBeat “And I found out that we were needed when I saw all the smiles on people’s faces. A lot of the kids who take our classes just live around the block and their parents walk them here. And other than Micheal’s or places like that, there’s nowhere else you can go to buy markers and supplies.”

In December, CHAD reached a huge milestone, hosting 200 events over its two years of operation, Turner says. Ninety-eight of those events were birthday parties. e other handful were

In December, CHAD reached a huge milestone, hosting 200 events over its two years of operation, Turner says. Ninety-eight of those events were birthday parties. e other handful were

private events, in which clients rent out the entire space; Paint Nights, when customers come to drink and paint; and Drink, Draw & Drag, when a Paint Night is hosted by a drag queen.

private events, in which clients rent out the entire space; Paint Nights, when customers come to drink and paint; and Drink, Draw & Drag, when a Paint Night is hosted by a drag queen.

In 2021, Northern Kentucky Pride Center gave CHAD the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Business award, which followed Turner’s individual award of LGBTQ+ Artist of the Year in 2019.

In 2021, Northern Kentucky Pride Center gave CHAD the LGBTQ+ Inclusive Business award, which followed Turner’s individual award of LGBTQ+ Artist of the Year in 2019.

So where does the bar t in? At rst, it kind of didn’t.

So where does the bar t in? At rst, it kind of didn’t.

After opening in 2020, CHAD faced both pandemic restrictions and the regular trials of opening a small business. About six months after the store debuted, the bar opened and didn’t see much action. Recently, Turner and his head bartender, Josh Drury, have set out to rebrand the bar and make it a success in its own right.

After opening in 2020, CHAD faced both pandemic restrictions and the regular trials of opening a small business. About six months after the store debuted, the bar opened and didn’t see much action. Recently, Turner and his head bartender, Josh Drury, have set out to rebrand the bar and make it a success in its own right.

“Well, I like to have some drinks and I like to do artwork,” Turner says. “So why not make a business where we can

“Well, I like to have some drinks and I like to do artwork,” Turner says. “So why not make a business where we can

do both?”

A few months ago, the bar - formerly known as Liquid Palette - was renamed Secret Bar. As soon as that name was drawn onto the chalkboard in front of the store, the clientele doubled, Turner says. e bar has been thriving on word of mouth along with the sidewalk chalkboard that features an arrow pointing down the alley, leading to Secret Bar’s ample patio space.

do both?”

A few months ago, the bar - formerly known as Liquid Palette - was renamed Secret Bar. As soon as that name was drawn onto the chalkboard in front of the store, the clientele doubled, Turner says. e bar has been thriving on word of mouth along with the sidewalk chalkboard that features an arrow pointing down the alley, leading to Secret Bar’s ample patio space.

And that’s the way Turner and Drury want to keep it - kind of.

And that’s the way Turner and Drury want to keep it - kind of.

“I think it’s more like we want it to feel like it’s a secret, but we don’t want it to be too much of a secret to where it shuts down,” Turner says. “We want it to be like ‘Hey, I found this cool bar in an alley,’ but at the same time like, ‘Oh, I can just walk through the store too.’ We want it to feel like you found a secret, a really cool hidden space.”

“I think it’s more like we want it to feel like it’s a secret, but we don’t want it to be too much of a secret to where it shuts down,” Turner says. “We want it to be like ‘Hey, I found this cool bar in an alley,’ but at the same time like, ‘Oh, I can just walk through the store too.’ We want it to feel like you found a secret, a really cool hidden space.”

e bar seems like an ordinary extension of the store, as most of the decor is

e bar seems like an ordinary extension of the store, as most of the decor is

Secret Bar’s head bartender Josh Drury (left) and owner Chad Turner have big plans.

PHOTO:

Secret Bar’s head bartender Josh Drury (left) and owner Chad Turner have big plans.

PHOTO: KATIE GRIFFITH

PHOTO: KATIE GRIFFITH

also for sale, until you turn the corner to nd a huge gra ti mural highlighted by neon lights. A handful of high-top tables and a shelf full of board games bring the space together. e patio is bigger than customers might anticipate, with a blossoming garden in the spring and summer and a heated tent in the fall and winter.

Secret Bar o ers a quaint and friendly vibe, one that Drury and Turner have curated to feel like an artsy cocktail bar, or an inconspicuous speakeasy. It’s a destination spot to start your night o , Drury says, and a safe space for everyone.

“We want to be more of a staple within the gay community,” Drury says. “We want to be able to o er more LGBTQ+ events, and we would love for more gay artists to be able to get their work out there. I would love for us to get to a point where, when somebody thinks about gay bars in the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky area, Secret Bar is one of the rst places that comes to mind.”

Drury says Secret Bar’s signature cocktail menu will debut in January, complete with drinks inspired by gay artists. ere are four mainstay options with a rotating seasonal drink, and the

rst addition to the menu is Drury’s take on a classic old fashioned he named e Mapplethorpe. Inspired by artist Robert Mapplethorpe, the drink includes bourbon, maple syrup, nutmeg, a amed orange and muddled cherry.

e rest of the menu is naturally a secret – you have to visit for a taste. With each $15 bar tab, customers are treated to a complimentary wine bottle painting activity. Drury says he hopes to continue to liven up Secret Bar with perks like wine bottle painting and more creative events.

Turner and Drury say that within the year, they hope to add small bites to the menu and build an actual secret entrance. Turner imagines a classic bookshelf scenario, with one book being the key to the door opening.

For now, Secret Bar aims to stand on its own while complementing the various events at CHAD and to remain an inclusive place that anyone can enjoy.

Creative House of Art and Design (CHAD) will host Drink, Draw & Drag at 7 p.m. Jan. 27, at 609 Main St., Covington. Secret Bar is open ursday-Sunday. Info: creativehousead.com.

CHAD has hosted over 200 events since it opened in 2020.

EATS BRIEFS

Cincinnati Famous Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel Dies After Cancer Battle

Cincinnati Famous Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel Dies After Cancer Battle

Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, one of Cincinnati’s most celebrated chefs, passed away Dec. 23. He died peacefully in his sleep after a ve-year battle with leiomyosarcoma cancer, which takes root in smooth muscle tissue.

Chef Jean-Robert de Cavel, one of Cincinnati’s most celebrated chefs, passed away Dec. 23. He died peacefully in his sleep after a ve-year battle with leiomyosarcoma cancer, which takes root in smooth muscle tissue.

“[De Cavel] loved his adopted city, its people, and its sports teams. He was always available to help charitable causes,” a press release said.

“[De Cavel] loved his adopted city, its people, and its sports teams. He was always available to help charitable causes,” a press release said.

De Cavel came to Cincinnati in 1993 after starting his culinary career in France. He worked his way to becoming the head chef de cuisine at Cincinnati’s La Maisonette, the longest-reigning 5-star restaurant in the United States, as well as going on to open multiple restaurants in the Queen City, including Table, French Crust and Le Bar a Boeuf.

De Cavel came to Cincinnati in 1993 after starting his culinary career in France. He worked his way to becoming the head chef de cuisine at Cincinnati’s La Maisonette, the longest-reigning 5-star restaurant in the United States, as well as going on to open multiple restaurants in the Queen City, including Table, French Crust and Le Bar a Boeuf.

De Cavel leaves behind his wife Annette Pfund de Cavel and daughter Leticia.

De Cavel leaves behind his wife Annette Pfund de Cavel and daughter Leticia.

“Cincinnati will miss a wonderful, loving chef. But my daughter and I will miss our husband and dad the most,” Annette de Cavel said in the release.

“Cincinnati will miss a wonderful, loving chef. But my daughter and I will miss our husband and dad the most,” Annette de Cavel said in the release.

A memorial mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 16 at Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, 325 W. 8th St., Downtown.

A memorial mass will be held at 9:30 a.m. Jan. 16 at Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, 325 W. 8th St., Downtown.

Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment’s Event Space e Lempicka to Open in June

Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment’s Event Space e Lempicka to Open in June

Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment says its rst event space, e Lempicka by Je Ruby, will open its doors in June.

Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment says its rst event space, e Lempicka by Je Ruby, will open its doors in June.

e Lempicka is described as a oneof-a-kind space that “o ers a luxurious backdrop for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, fundraisers, business events and more,” according to a press release. e space can hold up to 200 guests.

e Lempicka is described as a oneof-a-kind space that “o ers a luxurious backdrop for wedding receptions, rehearsal dinners, fundraisers, business events and more,” according to a press release. e space can hold up to 200 guests.

Je Ruby, the founder and chairman of Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment, said the event space gets its name partially in honor of Tamara de Lempicka, a major artist from the Art Deco movement.

Je Ruby, the founder and chairman of Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment, said the event space gets its name partially in honor of Tamara de Lempicka, a major artist from the Art Deco movement.

“I have long admired the Art Deco style, and of de Lempicka in particular, both as a unique talent and as a groundbreaking innovator,” Ruby said in the release. “You can see her work and strong Art Deco in uence in every one of our restaurants; it will also be prominent in e Lempicka by Je Ruby.”

“I have long admired the Art Deco style, and of de Lempicka in particular, both as a unique talent and as a groundbreaking innovator,” Ruby said in the release. “You can see her work and strong Art Deco in uence in every one of our restaurants; it will also be prominent in e Lempicka by Je Ruby.”

e event space will be located in the former Je Ruby Steakhouse space at 700 Walnut St. Renovations began on the space just a week after the steakhouse moved into the Foundry

e event space will be located in the former Je Ruby Steakhouse space at 700 Walnut St. Renovations began on the space just a week after the steakhouse moved into the Foundry

near Fountain Square in October.

“ e idea of a dedicated events business has been on our radar for some time,” said Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment. “Relocating our Steakhouse gave us the perfect opportunity to renovate the space and bring to market a unique event concept that combines our love for Art Deco design, décor, and delivering amazing celebratory experiences.”

near Fountain Square in October. “ e idea of a dedicated events business has been on our radar for some time,” said Britney Ruby Miller, CEO of Je Ruby Culinary Entertainment. “Relocating our Steakhouse gave us the perfect opportunity to renovate the space and bring to market a unique event concept that combines our love for Art Deco design, décor, and delivering amazing celebratory experiences.”

e Lempicka plans to o er a customizable, chef-driven menu with both plated and bu et options for breakfast, brunch, lunch, cocktail and dinner events. Ruby’s steaks will be prominently featured, as well as sushi displays and house-made desserts.

e Lempicka plans to o er a customizable, chef-driven menu with both plated and bu et options for breakfast, brunch, lunch, cocktail and dinner events. Ruby’s steaks will be prominently featured, as well as sushi displays and house-made desserts.

Fifty West Brewing Announces Reopening of Original Brewpub in Columbia Township

Fifty West Brewing Announces Reopening of Original Brewpub in Columbia Township

After being closed for almost three years, the Fifty West Brewing Co. Brewpub in Columbia Township is reopening and returning to full service.

After being closed for almost three years, the Fifty West Brewing Co. Brewpub in Columbia Township is reopening and returning to full service.

According to a press release from the brewery, the restaurant is now under the direction of Cincinnati chef Jackson Rouse, who is promising to bring back the original dining experience that customers loved. e brewery said it decided to temporarily close the brewpub in 2020 due to nancial and operational pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and instead shift its focus to its Fifty West Burger Bar across the street. And while the brewery says the Burger Bar was met with enthusiasm, many still wanted to see the return of the brewpub.

According to a press release from the brewery, the restaurant is now under the direction of Cincinnati chef Jackson Rouse, who is promising to bring back the original dining experience that customers loved. e brewery said it decided to temporarily close the brewpub in 2020 due to nancial and operational pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and instead shift its focus to its Fifty West Burger Bar across the street. And while the brewery says the Burger Bar was met with enthusiasm, many still wanted to see the return of the brewpub.

“Fifty West was humbly founded out of this historic roadside home back in 2012. Here is where we developed our passion for brewing exceptional beers, educating guests on the vast world of craft beer, and pairing it with great food,” managing partner Bobby Slattery said in the release. “ e reopening of the Brewpub space allows us to once again provide our community with a comfortable and inviting place for a delightful meal or intimate date night. e Burger Bar, on the other hand, will continue to live as the perfect setting for families to enjoy a fun outing together.”

“Fifty West was humbly founded out of this historic roadside home back in 2012. Here is where we developed our passion for brewing exceptional beers, educating guests on the vast world of craft beer, and pairing it with great food,” managing partner Bobby Slattery said in the release. “ e reopening of the Brewpub space allows us to once again provide our community with a comfortable and inviting place for a delightful meal or intimate date night. e Burger Bar, on the other hand, will continue to live as the perfect setting for families to enjoy a fun outing together.”

During its closure, the brewpub underwent renovations, but guests should still expect the same dining and taproom experience they’ve missed, said the brewery. In the kitchen, Rouse and his team are planning to bring back the full-service menu featuring elevated bar food that’s described as comfortable and a ordable and “explores the idea of the great American road trip, using local and regional food to bring to life the sights, smells, and avors you might encounter on your travels across the country,” Rouse said in the release. e bar will have 24 taps stocked with Fifty West brews, hard lemonade and vodka seltzers. It will also have a curated wine and cocktail list.

During its closure, the brewpub underwent renovations, but guests should still expect the same dining and taproom experience they’ve missed, said the brewery. In the kitchen, Rouse and his team are planning to bring back the full-service menu featuring elevated bar food that’s described as comfortable and a ordable and “explores the idea of the great American road trip, using local and regional food to bring to life the sights, smells, and avors you might encounter on your travels across the country,” Rouse said in the release. e bar will have 24 taps stocked with Fifty West brews, hard lemonade and vodka seltzers. It will also have a curated wine and cocktail list.

e Fifty West Brewpub celebrated its grand opening Jan. 4, along with its 10th anniversary. e restaurant will be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, as well as for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

e Fifty West Brewpub celebrated its grand opening Jan. 4, along with its 10th anniversary. e restaurant will be open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday, as well as for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Fifty West Brewpub, 7668 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township. Info: ftywestbrew.com.

Fifty West Brewpub, 7668 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township. Info: ftywestbrew.com

- Katherine Barrier

- Katherine Barrier

Cincinnati chef Jean-Robert de Cavel died in December.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

The Lempicka by Jeff Ruby will open in June. PHOTO: PROVIDED BY JEFF RUBY CULINARY ENTERTAINMENT

Cincinnati chef Jean-Robert de Cavel died in December.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

The Lempicka by Jeff Ruby will open in June.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY JEFF RUBY CULINARY ENTERTAINMENT

MUSIC

FIRST PERSON

An Enduring Legacy

A CityBeat writer pays tribute to Cincinnati musician David Rhodes Brown.

BY NICK GREVER

The legend of David Rhodes Brown is a bit of a tall tale within the Cincinnati music scene.

Standing at a natural 6’5” before adding his signature cowboy boots and hat, Brown literally and guratively towered above his constituency with his impeccable musicianship, booming voice, over 60 years of experience and incomparable a ability and kindness.

Sadly, Brown passed away on Dec. 8 at age 72.

To know Brown as a musician meant constant delight and surprise, as he was able to take on new projects and shift seamlessly to new genres, lineups and sounds with the e ortless ability of a natural talent. To know Brown as a man, however, was even more meaningful.

Brown maintained a reputation for joy, compassion and generosity through his days that somehow managed to supersede his own monumental talents and gifts to Cincinnati music.

Brown, who in many ways felt like a myth, touched the lives of many and there is no better way to remember someone than to hear directly from those they loved the most. Brown’s bandmates, Ryan Malott (500 Miles to Memphis), John Schmidt and Doug Waggoner ( e Warsaw Falcons), and Brown’s wife, Bobbi Kayser, shared with CityBeat memories both of Brown the musician and Brown the man. e stories may sound like ction at times, with small things like dates, details or speci cs being lost to history, but the

truth always comes through – Brown was wondrously talented, relentlessly positive and unbelievably charitable. is is the legacy that he left with his fans and loved ones.

Brown’s musical career spanned multiple decades, cities, genres, bands, instruments and more. He began at a young age by singing in choir and learning basic notes on his sister’s guitar. Shortly thereafter, Brown began his rst band in junior high before joining the Navy at 18 years old and developing his skills, reportedly on a 12-string guitar, no less.

After his honorable discharge, Brown continued to make music for the next ve decades, even forming a punk-rock band in 1978 – quite

the departure from the country and Americana he became known for playing by current music fans. He often was known to play with multiple Rock & Roll Hall of Famers like Bo Diddley when they came to town and frequently played four nights a week at the height of his performing days.

Brown had a talent for reinvention and an innate ability for songwriting and musicianship.

e area that I think Dave was the strongest was songwriting,” Schmidt said. “He wrote incredible music. What was great about his songs was that they just made internal sense. His songs made sense from beginning to end. He had a natural sense to where the song was going, and it made it easy to like

“

David Rhodes Brown was a mainstay on Cincinnati stages.

PHOTO: STEPH KELLER

and easy to listen to and easy for Doug [Waggoner] and I to work with.”

Not content with keeping his gifts to himself, Brown was known for helping fellow musicians in any way he could and made an indelible impact on Malott’s early days as an up-andcoming artist. Recounting the way that Brown joined 500 Miles to Memphis, Malott said he was in the midst of planning an event (a Johnny Cash or Hank Williams tribute, depending on who you ask) and was receiving constant calls from someone who wanted to perform.

Malott didn’t return those calls but was surprised to see Brown come to the event with his lap steel, explaining that he had been calling him for weeks and wanted to know when he could play. Malott let him join him on stage, and the chemistry was immediate. Malott asked if Brown would want to play with him again. Brown’s response? “‘Aw, fuck that, I’ll just join your damn band,’” Malott recounted.

In addition to joining 500 Miles to Memphis around 2005, Brown helped Malott learn how to write songs, play guitar, understand how to manage a band and other invaluable skills.

“David cut the learning curve down for me by maybe a decade. And he funded our second record, which is Sunshine in a Shot Glass, which is one that got us signed, the one that put us on the map, the one that launched our career,” Malott remembered. “If Dave hadn’t given me that opportunity, I don’t know what my musical career would’ve been, if anything at all.”

Brown’s musical talents extended beyond songwriting and carried over to live performance, where he was a presence that couldn’t be overlooked.

“ e dude knew he was a rock star because he fucking was. He had that X factor, moxie, whatever you want to call it. He had all the elements required to be a superstar,” Malott said.

Schmidt agreed.

“He was a big personality. He was big onstage, he was big o stage. He was

one of those guys where he’d walk into a room and you saw him because he was so tall, and you heard him because he had this booming voice and great laugh,” Schmidt said. “He loved everybody. He was a real booster of other musicians and the scene in general.”

Waggoner added, “Dave was a force upon himself. He was always there. He never quit.”

Brown’s in uence on local music was only eclipsed by Brown’s love for helping others and his sel ess generosity. Kayser said she met Brown on a blind date when they had each given up on long-term relationships. But after that fateful meeting, they quickly formed a friendship, followed shortly by romance and a proposal after a harrowing, snowlled, drive from Cincinnati to Rabbit Hash.

Kayser saw rst-hand Brown’s love of music as well as his love for others.

“He was so generous and always looking out for the people around him. He just couldn’t stop himself when it came to that. It cost us a lot of money over the years, but it was so worth it because it made him feel so good,” Kayser said. “He bought instruments for people that lost theirs. He paid for lessons for other musicians to get more educated in their eld. at list goes on forever.”.

Malott said Brown’s love extended even to strangers.

“Every Christmas, he’d go to Walmart guest services and just pay o someone’s layaway Christmas presents,” Malott said. “He would just give. He gave all of his money away. He gave everything away. He just gave and gave and gave.”

Both Kayser and Malott said that Brown didn’t desire any recognition for the acts. He wanted to give to others solely because it was the right thing to do and it made him feel good; the act itself was a gift enough, they said.

For many of Brown’s fans, friends and family, he seemed like a permanent xture within Cincinnati’s music scene – that he would always be here, always perform and always create top quality music and showmanship. Losing Brown has caused a deluge of memories from those who knew him or appreciated his work. Even after decades’ worth of memories, it still doesn’t feel like enough.

Brown’s presence felt everlasting when he was with us, but his legacy undoubtedly will be. David Rhodes Brown, the musician, will live through the vast amounts of recordings he was on and the bands he was a part of. But David Rhodes Brown, the man, is who will truly stand the test of time, as the lives he touched truly can’t be counted or tabulated.

In Waggoner’s words, “Dave will never be forgotten. His music will never be forgotten.”

“He was a big personality. He was big onstage, he was big offstage. He was one of those guys where he’d walk into a room and you saw him because he was so tall, and you heard him because he had this booming voice and great laugh.”

SOUND ADVICE

RHIANNON GIDDENS

RHIANNON GIDDENS

Jan. 18 • Memorial

Hall

Jan. 18 • Memorial Hall

While many people learned how to relax and catch up on naps during the COVID-19 shutdown, others endured in di erent, more productive ways. Folk musician Rhiannon Giddens opted for the latter option and in a creative urry recorded ey’re Calling Me Home, a Grammy award-winning record of traditional songs. She also published Build a House, her rst children’s book.

While many people learned how to relax and catch up on naps during the COVID-19 shutdown, others endured in di erent, more productive ways. Folk musician Rhiannon Giddens opted for the latter option and in a creative urry recorded ey’re Calling Me Home, a Grammy award-winning record of traditional songs. She also published Build a House, her rst children’s book.

e North Carolina musician began her career by co-founding the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a popular old-time string trio in which she ourished in songwriting and playing the ddle and banjo. She also released several solo records, moved to Ireland and since 2019 has partnered with the Italian musician Francesco Turrisi to release two collaborative gems. e breadth of Gidden’s musical interests ranges from studying opera at a university conservatory, composing scores for various orchestral productions and even receiving the MacArthur Fellows Program grant for music in 2017.

e North Carolina musician began her career by co-founding the Carolina Chocolate Drops, a popular old-time string trio in which she ourished in songwriting and playing the ddle and banjo. She also released several solo records, moved to Ireland and since 2019 has partnered with the Italian musician Francesco Turrisi to release two collaborative gems. e breadth of Gidden’s musical interests ranges from studying opera at a university conservatory, composing scores for various orchestral productions and even receiving the MacArthur Fellows Program grant for music in 2017.

ey’re Calling Me Home and its haunting eloquence touches on many aspects of Gidden’s career, from her operatic rendition of Monteverdi’s “Si Dolce e’l Tormento” to the old-fashioned grace of the folk standard “Black as Crow” in which Gidden plays the banjo, her main accompaniment. is is an

ey’re Calling Me Home and its haunting eloquence touches on many aspects of Gidden’s career, from her operatic rendition of Monteverdi’s “Si Dolce e’l Tormento” to the old-fashioned grace of the folk standard “Black as Crow” in which Gidden plays the banjo, her main accompaniment. is is an

artist who recorded slave narratives on her previous record, researched the history of the banjo and traced how African Americans invented the instrument in West Africa and the Caribbean before it became a primary Appalachian bluegrass instrument.

artist who recorded slave narratives on her previous record, researched the history of the banjo and traced how African Americans invented the instrument in West Africa and the Caribbean before it became a primary Appalachian bluegrass instrument.

In concert, Giddens and Turrisi perform standards and originals in their spare, understated style. Turrisi’s voice and skills on the piano, lute and accordion complement Giddens’ arrangements, as the pair collaborate and inspire with their musical alchemy.

In concert, Giddens and Turrisi perform standards and originals in their spare, understated style. Turrisi’s voice and skills on the piano, lute and accordion complement Giddens’ arrangements, as the pair collaborate and inspire with their musical alchemy.

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi play Memorial Hall at 8 p.m. Jan. 18. Info: memorialhallotr.com. (Greg Gaston)

Rhiannon Giddens and Francesco Turrisi play Memorial Hall at 8 p.m. Jan. 18. Info: memorialhallotr.com. (Greg Gaston)

ANNE WILSON

ANNE WILSON

Jan. 20 • Heritage Bank Center

Jan. 20

• Heritage Bank Center

When it comes to Christian music, it can be hard to break into the scene, much less break the mold. If you’ve spent any time listening to Christian music, you know it’s been carried by the same voices and same sounds for decades. In 2021, Anne Wilson set out to change all that and so far, so good.

When it comes to Christian music, it can be hard to break into the scene, much less break the mold. If you’ve spent any time listening to Christian music, you know it’s been carried by the same voices and same sounds for decades. In 2021, Anne Wilson set out to change all that and so far, so good.

Wilson doesn’t just change how Christian music “should sound” – she also broke the pattern of how Christian artists become famous. Tons of Christian musicians ock to Nashville every year looking for a big break, busting

Wilson doesn’t just change how Christian music “should sound” – she also broke the pattern of how Christian artists become famous. Tons of Christian musicians ock to Nashville every year looking for a big break, busting

their butts on worship teams, recording demo after demo and, more often than not, eventually heading home without ever making a wave. Wilson, however, found fame without ever leaving her hometown or straying too far from her family. As a matter of fact, it’s the loss of one very important member of her family – her brother – that led to Wilson’s fame. After her brother tragically passed, Wilson stepped from behind her piano and stood up with her guitar at his funeral to sing her original song, “My Jesus.” One mourner took a video of the jaw-dropping performance and

their butts on worship teams, recording demo after demo and, more often than not, eventually heading home without ever making a wave. Wilson, however, found fame without ever leaving her hometown or straying too far from her family. As a matter of fact, it’s the loss of one very important member of her family – her brother – that led to Wilson’s fame. After her brother tragically passed, Wilson stepped from behind her piano and stood up with her guitar at his funeral to sing her original song, “My Jesus.” One mourner took a video of the jaw-dropping performance and

soon the heartbreaking performance had gone viral.

soon the heartbreaking performance had gone viral.

A year later, Wilson is an awardwinning Christian artist. She’s garnered attention and accolades not just from Christian award ceremonies but from “secular” awards, as well. Her debut album, My Jesus, charted on multiple Billboard charts and reached the top spot on the Christian charts. Now Wilson is setting out to bring her sweet-but-powerful style of worship music to venues across the country.

A year later, Wilson is an awardwinning Christian artist. She’s garnered attention and accolades not just from Christian award ceremonies but from “secular” awards, as well. Her debut album, My Jesus, charted on multiple Billboard charts and reached the top spot on the Christian charts. Now Wilson is setting out to bring her sweet-but-powerful style of worship music to venues across the country.

Anne Wilson plays Heritage Bank Center as part of the Winter Jam at 7 p.m. Jan.

Anne Wilson plays Heritage Bank Center as part of the Winter Jam at 7 p.m. Jan.

Rhiannon Giddens

PHOTO: DAVID MCCLISTER

Anne Wilson

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM.COM/ANNEWILSONMUSIC

Plastic Picnic

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM.COM/PLASTICPICNIC

Rhiannon Giddens

PHOTO: DAVID MCCLISTER

Anne Wilson

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM.COM/ANNEWILSONMUSIC

Plastic Picnic

PHOTO: INSTAGRAM.COM/PLASTICPICNIC

20. Doors open at 5 p.m. We the Kingdom, Jeremy Camp and several others are on the bill. Info: heritagebankcenter.

20. Doors open at 5 p.m. We the Kingdom, Jeremy Camp and several others are on the bill. Info: heritagebankcenter. com. (Deirdre Kaye)

PLASTIC PICNIC

PLASTIC PICNIC

Jan. 21 • MOTR Pub

pause, catch her breath and look back with the pleasure of a deep retrospective titled Wild Creatures in 2022. It’s a revealing reminder of just how potent and powerful her voice has always been, whether singing solo, with her band e Boyfriends, or with her part-time group e New Pornographers.

Jan. 21 • MOTR Pub

Brooklyn-based dream pop band Plastic Picnic has been busy lately, releasing their debut record As Long As You Need over the summer in addition to a handful of singles on their Bandcamp. e band will be embarking on a short tour of the Northeast and Midwest in early 2023.

Brooklyn-based dream pop band Plastic Picnic has been busy lately, releasing their debut record As Long As You Need over the summer in addition to a handful of singles on their Bandcamp. e band will be embarking on a short tour of the Northeast and Midwest in early 2023. With a sound somewhat reminiscent of contemporaries like e War on Drugs and Alvvays but with their own unique style, Plastic Picnic is a band to keep your eye out for. Plastic Picnic crafts tight, memorable melodies with heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics dealing with the everyday pain and uncertainty of relationships, romantic or otherwise. In lyrics, the band poses questions like, “Who should stay? / Don’t you ever feel afraid?/ Who – in the urgent style of love – should wait?” If you’re a fan of catchy, heartfelt songs with danceable melodies and watery synths dripping in reverb, don’t wait to see Plastic Picnic for free at MOTR Pub.

With a sound somewhat reminiscent of contemporaries like e War on Drugs and Alvvays but with their own unique style, Plastic Picnic is a band to keep your eye out for. Plastic Picnic crafts tight, memorable melodies with heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics dealing with the everyday pain and uncertainty of relationships, romantic or otherwise. In lyrics, the band poses questions like, “Who should stay? / Don’t you ever feel afraid?/ Who – in the urgent style of love – should wait?” If you’re a fan of catchy, heartfelt songs with danceable melodies and watery synths dripping in reverb, don’t wait to see Plastic Picnic for free at MOTR Pub.

Plastic Picnic plays MOTR Pub at 10 p.m. Jan. 21. Coast O and Ann Driscoll open the show. Info: motrpub.com. (Derek Kalback)

Plastic Picnic plays MOTR Pub at 10 p.m. Jan. 21. Coast O and Ann Driscoll open the show. Info: motrpub.com. (Derek Kalback)

NEKO CASE

NEKO CASE

Jan. 27 • Memorial Hall

pause, catch her breath and look back with the pleasure of a deep retrospective titled Wild Creatures in 2022. It’s a revealing reminder of just how potent and powerful her voice has always been, whether singing solo, with her band e Boyfriends, or with her part-time group e New Pornographers.

e scarlet-haired Virginia native got her start in the late ‘90s with her striking debut, e Virginian. With her originals, choice of country covers by Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn and compelling voice, Case’s path was set.

e scarlet-haired Virginia native got her start in the late ‘90s with her striking debut, e Virginian. With her originals, choice of country covers by Ernest Tubb and Loretta Lynn and compelling voice, Case’s path was set.

Since this was the start of the AltCountry/Roots era, her timing was perfect. Like Canada’s K.D. Lang, Case was often labeled a “torch and twang” singer because of her mighty contralto voice and folk/country slant. Case eventually teamed up with Lang and Laura Viers on a 2013 collaboration. She also has contributed her charismatic vocals to projects by Calexico, John Doe and Giant Sand, among many collaborations.

Since this was the start of the AltCountry/Roots era, her timing was perfect. Like Canada’s K.D. Lang, Case was often labeled a “torch and twang” singer because of her mighty contralto voice and folk/country slant. Case eventually teamed up with Lang and Laura Viers on a 2013 collaboration. She also has contributed her charismatic vocals to projects by Calexico, John Doe and Giant Sand, among many collaborations.

However, Case has followed her own adventurous, independent muse for many years now – no longer limited to roots twang – and has produced a series of emotionally resonant, indie alt/pop records amply re ected on the new collection. With poetic, romantic ballads like “I Wish I Was the Moon Tonight,” the jaded heartbreak of “ e Next Time You Say ‘Forever” and the bold “I’m an Animal,” which leads o Wild Creatures, Case always exudes a fearless yet sophisticated edge in her music.

However, Case has followed her own adventurous, independent muse for many years now – no longer limited to roots twang – and has produced a series of emotionally resonant, indie alt/pop records amply re ected on the new collection. With poetic, romantic ballads like “I Wish I Was the Moon Tonight,” the jaded heartbreak of “ e Next Time You Say ‘Forever” and the bold “I’m an Animal,” which leads o Wild Creatures, Case always exudes a fearless yet sophisticated edge in her music.

After an acclaimed 25-year solo career, Neko Case nally decided it’s okay to

Jan. 27 • Memorial Hall

After an acclaimed 25-year solo career, Neko Case nally decided it’s okay to

Neko Case plays Memorial Hall at 7 p.m. Jan. 27. Info: memorialhallotr.com. (GG)

Neko Case plays Memorial Hall at 7 p.m. Jan. 27. Info: memorialhallotr.com. (GG)

Neko Case

PHOTO: EBRU YILDIZ

com. (Deirdre Kaye)

Neko Case

PHOTO: EBRU YILDIZ

MUSIC

MUSIC

Queen City Music Spotlight: Catch These Cincinnati Concerts Featuring Local Acts in January

Queen City Music Spotlight: Catch These Cincinnati Concerts Featuring Local Acts in January

BY BRENT STROUD

BY BRENT STROUD

The New Year is already bringing some good fortune to local music lovers. With the re-emergence of old traditions, along with some familiar favorites and newer talent appearing across Greater Cincinnati over the next month, it looks like the year is starting o just right for the Cincinnati music scene.

The New Year is already bringing some good fortune to local music lovers. With the re-emergence of old traditions, along with some familiar favorites and newer talent appearing across Greater Cincinnati over the next month, it looks like the year is starting o just right for the Cincinnati music scene.

Rae Fisher’s Tuesday Night Residency at e Comet Singer and songwriter Rae Fisher, who also performs with locals Mol Sullivan and Strobobean, takes over e Comet’s Tuesday night residency all month in January with an eclectic and ambitiously curated lineup for each bill. Notably, the curated lineup includes the addition of a dance element most Tuesday nights, except for the rst week (Jan. 3), which featured Lillian Ruth Currens (formerly of punk band Swim Team) and the soulful art-folk of Grace Eddy. Week two (Jan. 10) features Sunlight Revival and movement by Laura Lane. Week three (Jan. 17) will be a swing night with live swing music and dancers. Week four (Jan. 24) will feature jazz musician Justin Dawson, classically trained vocalist Hayley Maloney and movement by Ana Hart. Week ve (Jan. 31) will feature a performance from local alt-pop band Strobobean, which features Fisher on bass and backing vocals, as well as appearances from Sky Hank and Muwosi. Each Tuesday in January. Free. e Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, instagram.com/ yying_ ish

Rae Fisher’s Tuesday Night Residency at e Comet Singer and songwriter Rae Fisher, who also performs with locals Mol Sullivan and Strobobean, takes over e Comet’s Tuesday night residency all month in January with an eclectic and ambitiously curated lineup for each bill. Notably, the curated lineup includes the addition of a dance element most Tuesday nights, except for the rst week (Jan. 3), which featured Lillian Ruth Currens (formerly of punk band Swim Team) and the soulful art-folk of Grace Eddy. Week two (Jan. 10) features Sunlight Revival and movement by Laura Lane. Week three (Jan. 17) will be a swing night with live swing music and dancers. Week four (Jan. 24) will feature jazz musician Justin Dawson, classically trained vocalist Hayley Maloney and movement by Ana Hart. Week ve (Jan. 31) will feature a performance from local alt-pop band Strobobean, which features Fisher on bass and backing vocals, as well as appearances from Sky Hank and Muwosi. Each Tuesday in January. Free. e Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, instagram.com/ yying_ ish

e Perfect Children, Mark Sims (Columbus) and Breaking Glass at MOTR Pub

e Perfect Children, Mark Sims (Columbus) and Breaking Glass at MOTR Pub

Longtime garage soul powerhouse band e Perfect Children appears at MOTR Pub on Jan. 13. e band is fronted by author (Rocktails: An Amped Up Spin on Mixology) and School of Rock instructor Kristen Kreft, who made her recording debut as a child on the legendary Cincinnati record label Jewel Records. Perfect Children return to MOTR with another powerful female-fronted Cincinnati band, the garage blues band Breaking Glass. Columbus’ Mark Sims, who makes well-constructed, Americanatinged pop, rounds out the bill. 10 p.m. Jan. 13. Free. MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com

Longtime garage soul powerhouse band e Perfect Children appears at MOTR Pub on Jan. 13. e band is fronted by author (Rocktails: An Amped Up Spin on Mixology) and School of Rock instructor Kristen Kreft, who made her recording debut as a child on the legendary Cincinnati record label Jewel Records. Perfect Children return to MOTR with another powerful female-fronted Cincinnati band, the garage blues band Breaking Glass. Columbus’ Mark Sims, who makes well-constructed, Americanatinged pop, rounds out the bill. 10 p.m. Jan. 13. Free. MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com.

ROY

PHOTO: ALEXZANDRA ROY

Mall Witch and Hayley Sakkara at MOTR Pub

accompanying Kahane and the orchestra to explore technology’s impact on life and, ultimately, on independence. 8 p.m. Jan. 25. $24.15. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org

accompanying Kahane and the orchestra to explore technology’s impact on life and, ultimately, on independence. 8 p.m. Jan. 25. $24.15. Cincinnati Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, cincinnatisymphony.org

Fritz Pape, Pete Fosco, Bailey Miller and Mariel Westermeyer at e Comet Electronic musician Fritz Pape, who makes ambient drone pieces with patched synthesizers and e ects to create contemplative and exploratory sound collages, will perform alongside other local talent at e Comet in late January. Pete Fosco’s improvised guitar noise pieces will complement Pape’s performance. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bailey Miller mixes electronic and folk elements to great e ect. Her album, Still Water, was also one of 2022’s most popular releases. Mariel Westermeyer (Sharp Toys, Slow Glows) just released a solo EP of dreamy and atmospheric guitar work with ethereal vocals titled Guess What. Pick a favorite drink or try something new from the wall of choices in the stu ed beer cooler and let yourself wander along with each expansive performance. More info TBA. e Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, cometbar.com

Fritz Pape, Pete Fosco, Bailey Miller and Mariel Westermeyer at e Comet Electronic musician Fritz Pape, who makes ambient drone pieces with patched synthesizers and e ects to create contemplative and exploratory sound collages, will perform alongside other local talent at e Comet in late January. Pete Fosco’s improvised guitar noise pieces will complement Pape’s performance. Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bailey Miller mixes electronic and folk elements to great e ect. Her album, Still Water, was also one of 2022’s most popular releases. Mariel Westermeyer (Sharp Toys, Slow Glows) just released a solo EP of dreamy and atmospheric guitar work with ethereal vocals titled Guess What. Pick a favorite drink or try something new from the wall of choices in the stu ed beer cooler and let yourself wander along with each expansive performance. More info TBA. e Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., Northside, cometbar.com.

Mall Witch

and Hayley

Sakkara at MOTR Pub

Newer indie dream pop band Mall Witch are also set to make an appearance at MOTR Pub this month. e band is a recent addition to the local music scene but features the alreadyestablished local electronic, avant-pop artist sappha (stylized in all lower case letters) on vocals. Cleveland transplant Hayley Sakkara now calls Cincinnati home and makes her MOTR debut, opening the night with her moody, radio-ready electronic pop. 9 p.m. Jan. 18. Free. MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com

Newer indie dream pop band Mall Witch are also set to make an appearance at MOTR Pub this month. e band is a recent addition to the local music scene but features the alreadyestablished local electronic, avant-pop artist sappha (stylized in all lower case letters) on vocals. Cleveland transplant Hayley Sakkara now calls Cincinnati home and makes her MOTR debut, opening the night with her moody, radio-ready electronic pop. 9 p.m. Jan. 18. Free. MOTR Pub, 1345 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, motrpub.com.

spare, and Louisville’s Ted Tyro, who make punchy post-punk that is equally danceable and interesting. Local act Devils Cross Country, who make punk with an overarching pop sensibility, round out the bill. 9 p.m. Jan. 21. $5. e Hub, 1209 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, totallythehubotr.com

spare, and Louisville’s Ted Tyro, who make punchy post-punk that is equally danceable and interesting. Local act Devils Cross Country, who make punk with an overarching pop sensibility, round out the bill. 9 p.m. Jan. 21. $5. e Hub, 1209 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, totallythehubotr.com

e Tillers and e Montvales (Knoxville) at Southgate House Revival

e Tillers and e Montvales (Knoxville) at Southgate House Revival

Mary Henry, Strobobean, Ted Tyro (Louisville) and Devils Cross Country at e Hub

Mary Henry, Strobobean, Ted Tyro (Louisville) and Devils Cross Country at e Hub e all-female post-punk band Mary Henry returns with a stacked lineup that includes Cincinnati’s Strobobean, the three-piece dynamic, alt-pop band with glam and style to

e all-female post-punk band Mary Henry returns with a stacked lineup that includes Cincinnati’s Strobobean, the three-piece dynamic, alt-pop band with glam and style to

CSO Proof: e Right to be Forgotten at Cincinnati Music Hall e latest installment in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s CSO Proof series is a study on the e ects of technology on culture and life in a song cycle by singer-songwriter and composer Gabriel Kahane. “Do you remember your brain before the internet? Before you became tethered to a tiny computer that travels on an in nite loop from nightstand to pocket to purse to your hand and back again?” the event description reads in part. e night features guest musicians and vocalists

CSO Proof: e Right to be Forgotten at Cincinnati Music Hall e latest installment in the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s CSO Proof series is a study on the e ects of technology on culture and life in a song cycle by singer-songwriter and composer Gabriel Kahane. “Do you remember your brain before the internet? Before you became tethered to a tiny computer that travels on an in nite loop from nightstand to pocket to purse to your hand and back again?” the event description reads in part. e night features guest musicians and vocalists

e Tillers, a longtime Cincinnati Americana band and multitime CityBeat CEA winner, perform across the river at the Southgate House Revival on Jan. 28. e band formed in 2007 and have maintained a steady place in the music scene since, with singer Mike Oberst’s solo work only cementing their status as a local music scene staple. e band appears with Knoxville’s e Montvales, who make country folk with the dual vocal harmony of singers Molly Rochelson and Sally Buice oating over banjo and instrumentation to make timeless, traditional music with a contemporary punch — perfect for the Southgate House Revival stage. 8 p.m. Jan. 28. $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. 6th St., Newport, southgatehouse.com

e Tillers, a longtime Cincinnati Americana band and multitime CityBeat CEA winner, perform across the river at the Southgate House Revival on Jan. 28. e band formed in 2007 and have maintained a steady place in the music scene since, with singer Mike Oberst’s solo work only cementing their status as a local music scene staple. e band appears with Knoxville’s e Montvales, who make country folk with the dual vocal harmony of singers Molly Rochelson and Sally Buice oating over banjo and instrumentation to make timeless, traditional music with a contemporary punch — perfect for the Southgate House Revival stage. 8 p.m. Jan. 28. $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Southgate House Revival, 111 E. 6th St., Newport, southgatehouse.com.

Strobobean

Strobobean

PHOTO: ALEXZANDRA

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM