CityBeat | March 8, 2023

PUBLISHER TONY FRANK

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ASHLEY MOOR

MANAGING EDITOR

ALLISON BABKA

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

KATHERINE BARRIER

STAFF WRITERS

MADELINE FENING

KATIE GRIFFITH

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

HAIMANTI GERMAIN

PRODUCTION MANAGER

MERCENARY CREATIVE GROUP

GRAPHIC DESIGNER ASPEN SMIT

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

MUSIC: MIKE BREEN ARTS & CULTURE: MACKENZIE MANLEY

THEATER: RICK PENDER

DINING CRITIC: PAMA MITCHELL

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

ANNE ARENSTEIN, BRIAN BAKER, STEPHEN NOVOTNI, BRIAN CROSS, HAYLEY DAY, JANE DURRELL, BILL FURBEE, JASON GARGANO, GREGORY GASTON, AUSTIN GAYLE, MCKENZIE GRAHAM, NICK GREVER, KATIE GRIFFITH, KATIE HOLOCHER, BEN L. KAUFMAN, DEIRDRE KAYE, JAC KERN, HARPER LEE, MADGE MARIL, ANNE MITCHELL, LAUREN MORETTO, TAMERA LENZ MUENTE, JACKIE 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 THORNTON,

NEWS

Violent Crime in Cincinnati Hits 10-Year Low

According to recent data from the Cincinnati Police Department, local violent crime is down by 1.1% from the previous year.

BY MADELINE FENING

Ayear after Cincinnati City Council declared the city’s gun violence a public health emergency, violent crime rates have reached a 10-year low, police said recently.

The statistics

Cincinnati Police Department lieutenant colonel Mike John went over 2022 violent crime statistics during a special meeting of the Climate, Environment and Infrastructure committee on Feb. 23. John told the committee that violent crime – which accounts for cases of homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault – is up 3% in the U.S., but Cincinnati's 2022 numbers are down by 1.1% from the previous year.

“We’ve actually made some headway, which is encouraging,” John said.

John pointed out that violent crime in Cincinnati was at a 10-year low, with 1,748 reported cases of violent crime in 2022, more than one thousand fewer than in 2012.

John said 2022 saw 401 shooting victims; of those, 61 were fatal. That number varied slightly from 2021 when 405 people were shot but saw 82 deaths. 2020's COVID spike in shooting deaths stood out with 486 shot and 84 killed.

CPD crime stats showed that 78

homicides, including non-gun-related deaths, happened in the city in 2022, down from the 94 homicides reported in 2021. Rapes ticked upward, though, going from 232 reported cases in 2021 to 293 in 2022. Robberies also increased slightly, with 647 cases in 2021 and 654 in 2022. Aggravated assault trended downward with 874 cases in 2021 and 801 in 2022.

The neighborhoods

John said he didn’t “claim to be an epidemiologist” but pointed out that, much like disease, crime tends to cluster geographically.

The West End was the top neighborhood for shooting victims in 2022 and 2021, with Over-the-Rhine (OTR) coming in second and Avondale in third. A graph showed that OTR had the highest average number of shooting victims over a five-year period.

John emphasized that the clusters of violent crime are reflective of specific sections of neighborhoods, not entire neighborhood areas.

"West End, Other-the-Rhine, Avondale – there are pockets within these neighborhoods which are particularly challenging, so it's not a descriptor of the total neighborhood, but we certainly have very focused areas where the crime clusters," John said.

After sliding through nine slides worth of charts and cold hard numbers, John paused on a screen filled with pictures of the shooting victims from 2022.

"I really didn't want to insult families and say that your family member is just a number to us. Your family is a person," he said.

John said CPD's closure rate for homicide cases outperformed the national average, with 74% of cases closed in 2021. The national closure rate was just around 50%.

The solutions

Dr. Amy Makley, director of trauma surgery at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, addressed the committee on the hospital's partnership with the city to reduce gun deaths.

"Disproportionally, the majority of our victims are young, healthy adults and teenagers. Gun violence does remain the third leading injury we see, it is second only to motor vehicle collisions and falls," Makley said. "We cannot ignore the pressing need to address the mental health issues that accompany gun violence, especially with victims of violence in suicide."

Makley also mentioned a new program that connects victims of gun violence who leave UC Medical with

people who can help them mentally recover and process the trauma that comes from gun violence.

Cincinnati City Council is considering expanding its free gun lock program to encourage more compliance with its recently passed gun storage law. On Feb. 8, council unanimously approved an ordinance requiring gun owners who live with children to lock up their weapons at home, either in a gun safe or locked box, or by placing a lock on the gun itself. The ordinance mentioned the October shooting death of a three-year-old in Cincinnati. The child’s six-year-old brother reportedly shot and killed the toddler after finding a loaded gun in their home. The ordinance also mentioned the death of an eight-year-old who shot and killed himself after finding a handgun in his house.

The ordinance also would bar those convicted of domestic violence charges from owning a weapon. The domestic violence rule for gun ownership is already a federal law, but the new local law would allow Cincinnati’s legal department to prosecute. Conviction of either gun laws would result in a first-degree misdemeanor, resulting in up to one year in jail.

CPD's crime breakdown showed that 21 people were shot and killed in a domestic violence dispute in 2022.

Cincinnati's violent crime numbers are falling, police say.

PHOTO: TOM DEF, UNSPLASH

Middletown Tornado an EF1, Destroys Barn and Houses

BY ALLISON BABKA

The National Weather Service has confirmed it – the tornado-like weather event in Middletown that looked and acted like a tornado was, indeed, a tornado.

Gusty winds and clashing fronts brought several tornadoes to southwestern and central Ohio on Feb. 27, the National Weather Service said after an investigation. Residents in Middletown, Orient (near Columbus) and New Carlisle/Pike Township (near Springfield) reported seeing funnel clouds in those areas, but the NWS outpost in Wilmington said it needed to review damage and other factors before classifying the phenomena as tornadoes.

In its preliminary report, the NWS classified the Middletown tornado as an EF1 that touched down at Jacksonburg and Oxford Middletown roads at 2:37 p.m. Feb. 27. Over the course of six minutes and 4.2 miles, the tornado snapped trees, removed shingles and plywood from buildings, blew a roof off a house and leveled a barn, the NWS said. It reached a maximum of 110 MPH with its widest path at 150 yards.

The NWS said that Butler County's emergency management team assisted with the investigation in Middletown.

The New Carlisle tornado also was an EF1, reaching 90-95 MPH, the NWS said. That tornado traveled for just two minutes beginning at 3:19 p.m., but it uprooted trees, caused moderate roof damage to homes and destroyed a garage door over 2.3 miles.

The tornado in Orient wasn't quite as

severe, with the NWS classifying it as an EF0 with winds reaching 85 MPH. It touched down at 4:03 p.m. and flipped two trailers, damaged some abandoned structures and lifted a garage roof. This tornado traveled for 1.4 miles, the agency reported.

Reports for all three tornadoes are posted to the NWS website.

In July, three tornadoes ripped through Brown and Clermont counties in Ohio, causing extensive damage and pushing Gov. Mike DeWine to declare a local state of emergency.

In December of 2021, Kentucky suffered dozens of deaths and millions of dollars worth of damages due to a series of tornadoes that raged for more than 200 miles.

The storm’s path

The National Weather Service began issuing alerts about possible severe weather for the Ohio/Indiana border on Feb. 26, saying that rain and thunder would occur the following morning with thunderstorms developing by evening. The NWS also said to expect strong winds and a tornado threat.

By morning on Feb. 27, the NWS warned more forcefully about "damaging winds and isolated tornadoes," showing a map of central Indiana as the region most ripe for severe weather. Around noon, the agency launched a weather balloon and said that eastcentral Ohio should expect storms to quickly move in.

By 1:30 p.m., Greater Cincinnati and all of southwestern and central Ohio –plus portions of Kentucky and Indiana – were under a tornado watch and/or a severe thunderstorm warning.

"The greatest severe threat is now extending from east-central IN into west-central OH and will move into the Miami Valley over the next hour or so. Be prepared to move to a lowerlevel/interior space should a warning be issued for your area!" the National Weather Service outpost in Wilmington tweeted at 2:20 p.m.

The NWS shared a photo of a tornado on the ground in Germantown, about 50 miles north of Cincinnati, at 3 p.m. Around that time, Alex Weineke, a relative of a CityBeat staff writer, provided a firsthand photo of what appeared to be a tornado near that area.

"Came through Middletown and went up towards Dayton," Weineke told CityBeat.

Tornado warnings continued for central west-central Ohio and the Columbus area throughout the afternoon and early evening.

An EF1 tornado touched down on Feb. 27 in the Middletown and Germantown areas.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY ALEX WEINEKE

The tornado hit at the intersection of Jacksonburg and Oxford Middletown roads.

PHOTO: GOOGLE MAPS

In NFLPA's Scathing Survey, Bengals Players Say Women Sit on Restroom Floor to Nurse Babies at Paycor Stadium

BY ALLISON BABKA

The Cincinnati Bengals may not be doing right by their players.

That's the takeaway from the NFL Players Association's firstever team report card, issued March 1. To assess and possibly improve working conditions, the labor union evaluated each NFL team in several categories that relate to players' daily experiences.

The report came as many players – including Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow – have begun negotiating contract extensions or are considering free agency. To arrive at the results, the NFLPA sent surveys to all players who were on an NFL club roster in 2022. The surveys included questions about their team's daily experiences, including coach and personnel interaction, treatment of families, training facilities, team travel and more. The NFLPA said that 1,300 players responded to the survey.

"For many years, players have brought up the idea of creating a 'Free Agency Guide,' which would contain information that can help illuminate what that daily experience is like for players and their families from team to team," the NFLPA wrote in the report's introduction.

"If knowledge is really power, then providing players with information about each club would not only help them make important career decisions, but it would also help raise the standards across each club."

Through the report cards, the NFLPA said it wanted to showcase franchises with a positive environment, identify clubs needing improvement and lay out league standards.

"We don’t want this to be a oneyear project. Our intent is to continue to field player opinions and feedback every year," the NFLPA said.

"As we have carefully noted, these club report cards are a snapshot of opinions during one period in time, and those opinions can change if the clubs make decisions that impact the player experience in the workplace."

"We also believe that each club has the resources – and an obligation – to ensure that things like weight rooms are in the best possible condition, training rooms are properly staffed and each interaction with players from club personnel is a positive one," the organization continued.

How the Bengals fared

The NFLPA's grades for the Bengals

were fairly dismal, with the team placing 27th out of 32 teams overall. The union noted that the players liked head coach Zac Taylor and his coaching staff.

Based on the player survey, the union gave Cincinnati A's for training staff and strength coaches (ranking ninth and tenth, respectively, in the entire league). The weight room got a B+, good for 13th place overall. Players told the NFLPA that they feel like they receive personalized training plans and that the training staff contributes to the team's successes on the field.

But the grades in the other categories tumbled. The team earned a C+ for team travel (20th in the league), a D for the locker room (25th) and a D- for the training room (27th). The Bengals' facilities were a sticking point, the union said, with players noting that there's not enough hot tub or cold tub space, that many showers and toilets don't work and that there aren't outlets to charge phones and other devices in the locker room.

The Bengals failed in the treatment of families (29th in the league, tied for last place) and received an F- in food service and nutrition (dead last

out of 32 teams). Reviews were scathing, with players saying, "There is nowhere safe and warm for mothers and children to go during the game" and "Breastfeeding mothers have sat on the public restroom floor to nurse their babies," according to the NFLPA.

And players pointed out the lacking food service at Paycor Stadium, the NFLPA said, alleging that there's not enough room in the stadium cafeteria and that the food facility isn't open on off days, even though players are encouraged to come in for training. The NFLPA also noted that the Bengals are one of three teams that doesn't provide dinner to players, one of two teams that doesn't provide vitamins and the only team that doesn't provide supplements.

For Bengals players who responded to the survey, all of the disappointments led back to team owner Mike Brown.

"These examples are consistent with players’ opinions, with only 44% of respondents believing club owner Mike Brown is willing to spend money to make the facility better, ranking him tied for 29th in this category," the NFLPA wrote.

According to Cincinnati Bengals players, Paycor Stadium fails in several regards.

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

Sports Briefs

Joey Votto: Aliens Will Help the Reds Become World Series Champs

On Feb. 27, Major League Baseball's instagram account urged users, "Drop your boldest NL Central prediction" and tagged players from the division's teams to answer.

As of press time, only one player did as MLB had requested. And yes, Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto's theory was as glorious as one would hope:

Extra-terrestrials arrive on earth, April 15th. The 12-2 Reds and the rest of the planet learn from, communicate with, and befriend our alien friends. This process takes 5 months. Play resumes in October.

The Reds sweep the playoffs and are World Series champs.

Side note: the aliens ask if I would like to accompany them on their ship back to their plant. I oblige. Never to be seen again.

"We agree with @joeyvotto," the Reds' account added in the comments.

Votto may be correct that the Reds could need extraterrestrial help to win a championship – or even a pennant – again. In 2022, the Reds posted their second-ever 100-loss season, ending with a record of 62-100.

Cincinnati last won the National League Central in 2012 and 2010. Before that, the team won the Central in 1995. The Reds haven't won the division or the World Series since 1990.

The Reds will kickstart the 2023 season with a home opener against NL Central

opponent the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 30 at Great American Ball Park. The season comes with a twist – each MLB team will meet each other on the field at least once.

Cincinnati may have to start without Votto, though. The first baseman had season-ending rotator cuff surgery on Aug. 19, and as 2022 wrapped, officials projected that Votto would heal in time for spring training and the 2023 season. Votto had rehabbed during the off-season and is with the team now for spring training in Arizona, but both he and Reds' manager David Bell acknowledged in February that getting back onto the field at Great American Ball Park may take more time.

"I have to get game reps," Votto said recently. "I need at-bats. I need gamespeed reps. I haven’t come close to taking those yet. I’ve never been in this position before."

Votto is in the final year of his 10-year, $225 million contract with the Reds and has a $20 million option for 2024.

Bengals Officials: Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins Are Staying Put

During a Feb. 28 media briefing ahead of the 2023 NFL Combine, Cincinnati Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin and head coach Zac Taylor shared that they're in maintenance mode rather than import mode, meaning the team is looking to keep most of its roster intact before next season comes around.

“We felt this team really came together – probably a little better team overall than the team last year because we were a little more mature in our processes

and some of our players had a little more experience in big game situations," Tobin said. "And we've got guys with big game experience coming back next year, so our expectations are super high."

The Bengals have a number of players up for contract extensions during this off-season, including wide receiver Tee Higgins. Speculation that the Bengals will trade Higgins has been rampant, but Tobin directly shut that down quickly, calling the rumors "ridiculous."

"I’m in the business of making the Cincinnati Bengals better, and so trading Tee Higgins is not on my mind," Tobin laughed. "In my opinion, Tee Higgins is a good piece for the Cincinnati Bengals, so the trade stuff is literally ridiculous right now."

Taylor echoed Tobin's thoughts.

"When you see the rumors floating around, it's nonsense. At the end of the day, I do get to call the plays, and it's fun having weapons out there, and you don't really want to give those up," Taylor said

“Tee is an exceptional football player. I envision him being a part of what we’re doing going forward for a long time,” Tobin added.

Part of the reason there's been so much speculation about which Bengals the front office will keep is because of quarterback Joe Burrow. Burrow currently is in negotiations about his own contract extension, which could command a hefty salary – potentially one of the NFL's highest. That has reporters and fans doing napkin math for the non-quarterback positions.

Burrow's current contract, which he signed in 2020 out of the draft, expires in 2024 and is worth more than $36 million per year. The quarterback, who has said that he wants to remain a Bengal for life and contend for a Super Bowl title each year, is expected to sign a contract extension over the summer. Some experts predict that it could be close to $50 million annually for five or six seasons, making him one of the NFL's highest-paid players at the position. Spotrac puts Burrow's market value at $44 million.

Tobin said that he's using comparative tools to calculate Burrow's value, but there's really only one Joe Burrow.

"I'd compare Joe Burrow to Joe Burrow," Tobin said. "When you get to that level, people start using you as the comparative and no longer comparing you to other people."

"He's proven that he is a championship-caliber quarterback. But it's not a one-person game, and we have to be ready to put the pieces around him that can facilitate his success," Tobin also said.

Taylor is all in on retaining his star play-maker.

"He [Burrow] is a big part of what we do, and we want to make sure that we're

always communicating with him. He's very valued," Taylor said.

"We're gonna spend. We're gonna spend to the cap," Tobin added.

FC Cincinnati Celebrates Its First-Ever SeasonOpening Win

On Feb. 25, FC Cincinnati beat Houston Dynamo FC 2-1 during Cincy's first-ever season opener. More than 25,500 fans packed into TQL Stadium for the occasion, watching the team nab its inaugural first-match victory during any season. It was the ninth sell-out at TQL Stadium.

FC Cincinnati saw goals in the 19th minute from forward Sergio Santos and in the 48th from midfielder Obinna Nwobodo, the first goals on the club for both. Overall, players were in earlyseason form and still finding their footing – something head coach Pat Noonan acknowledged afterwards.

"The positive is that we won, so credit to the group for figuring out a way to walk off the field with three points because it was certainly not our best performance," Noonan said. "And we need to give credit to Houston – they were good today."

"Probably the strongest part of our game tonight was winning balls and in the attacking half and turning that into some chance creation. We'll take the win and try to improve," the coach added.

FC Cincinnati took a point in a scoreless draw with Orlando City SC on March 4. The team will take on Seattle Sounders FC on March 11 at TQL Stadium.

– Allison Babka

Luciano Acosta

PHOTO: RON VALLE

Joey Votto

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE CINCINNATI REDS

Dead Man String Band’s Rob McAllister is just as interesting off the stage.

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

To an outsider, the life of a musician can often appear glamorous and a little cryptic. From the subtle, mysterious singer-songwriter strumming a tune on stage while hiding behind a mess of hair and cigarette smoke to the bombastic life and times of a rock and roll god midway through a worldwide tour, the profession has maintained a hold on public consciousness for as long as artists have been paid to perform music. For the non-musically inclined, even the very concept of being able to write and perform a song in front of people is esoteric enough to inspire awe.

But what do the performers really do when they step off the stage or out of the recording studio? For many local musicians, they transition into an entirely different career to fund their musical dreams or wind down with a hobby that’s just as exciting as life in the limelight.

To find out what their secret lives are really like, Citybeat spoke with five Cincinnati musicians whose careers and interests are just as fascinating, surprising and impactful as the effort they put into their songs.

The new American Gothic

Dead Man String Band’s Rob McAllister knows a thing or two about eyecatching aesthetics. The alt-country, one-man band can often be found onstage wearing patched and frayed pants, a worn denim vest, and his eponymous dead skin mask. But over the past 10 months, the firebrand musician has stepped back from the mic to begin refurbishing his house and has gained a newfound personal stability along the way.

Dead Man String Band has gone through many revisions over the years. What once was a one-man act featuring provocative lyrics and gritty guitar has transitioned to a singer-songwriter version (sans mask), then to a trio and then to a five-piece before returning to a solo project.

McAllister says he’s been on quite a personal journey, as well. Much like his mask-wearing stage persona, McAllister has been an incendiary force who often draws attention to himself, but not always in the ways he’d prefer. His bombastic performances and creepybut-mesmerizing visual presentation contrasted with mid-set outbursts, forgotten lyrics and gear breakdowns.

But over the past few years, McAllister says he’s reassessed his life, realigned his priorities, sobered up and focused on his latest goal: home life.

“Well, I’m a lot calmer and less hungover,” McAllister tells CityBeat. “I got sober – officially, July 10, 2020. I’ve been ‘boring sober.’ I only smoke cigarettes; that’s my only vice. That’s the last thing I got. I feel like I need that one, though.”

Aside from the mental and physical health benefits of sobriety, McAllister says he had another incentive to clean up his act – to become the best version of himself for his fiancé, Jen.

“At the beginning of 2020, I reconnected with Jen,” McAllister says. “We’ve known each other for 10 years, and when I first met her, you know the scene in Wayne’s World when he sees Cassandra and “Dream Weaver” starts playing? It was that, but then I was told I couldn’t hit on her, so I didn’t for a decade.”

McAllister recalls when he finally decided to shoot his shot.

“It was like in high school. I’m 34, and I was like, ‘Do you like me?’ And she said, ‘You can cut the shit, I like you.’ And it kind of just went from there,” McCallister says. “It’ll be three years in March, and it doesn’t feel like it. We got engaged in November.”

After his fiancé moved from West Virginia to Cincinnati in November of 2021, the couple began searching for their first home in an unforgiving market.

“We started house hunting, and it was insanity. We couldn’t go look at a place without it being gone before we got there or just being the most marked up,” McAllister remembers.

The couple found a home but knew from the outset that it would require some renovation to bring it into a livable state and make it truly their own space. They fell in love with its charm and history, but those were covered up by decades of shoddy upkeep.

“This house was the only house I came back from where I wasn’t like, ‘Hell yeah!’ or ‘Hell no!’ I just went, ‘Eh,’” McAllister says. “The rest of the house had been landlord’ed to death. These are the original, 1800’s pine floors, and they were solid-ass white. Everything was beige and white.”

With the purchase finalized last May, McAllister began updating the home from the studs out and developed the many skills necessary for the project (“I couldn’t change a light bulb pre-2020,” he says). He adds that when a friend noticed all of the long hours, late nights and innumerable swear words that he had poured into the projects, they remarked that he must love the home. But that wasn’t exactly McAllister’s motivation, he says.

“I love the girl that loves the house,” McAllister recalls telling the friend, adding that with a supportive partner, he’s been able to maintain more focus both in and out of the mask. “I always joke that I owe her a home. She made me sane again, which was priceless, I suppose. I mean, I’m a loon, but I’m a calm loon. I’m peaceful now.”

McAllister says the renovation has given him “the finger every chance it gets.” But for every structural correction that is required, McAllister says he’s made historical discoveries like the

original 1894 wallpaper from Sears that he’s now preserved in a glass display case. The couple also has taken every opportunity to make the historic home their own by restoring the flooring and adding tin tiles to the dining room ceiling. A recording studio is in the planning stages for the second floor, McAllister says.

Juggling newfound sobriety, refurbishing a centuries old home and celebrating his engagement could easily cause Dead Man – both the human being and the

artist – to slide backwards towards the self-destruction. But McAllister says the power he’s cultivated within himself and alongside his fiancé has kept him strong.

“I will say, after seven months, if this house hasn’t driven me to drink again, I don’t think I will,” McAllister declares. “I feel like I have more control over my ego and that it won’t run wild on me. I know I have a brake pedal, so now I can drive faster. So, if I need to get crazier now, I think I could without letting it get to my head.”

McAllister wears a mask during his performances. | PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

McAllister has found meaning in the refurbishing of his home. |

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

Rocking new beauty

The question of what exactly constitutes rock and roll has been around for as long as the guitar has been electrified and turned up to an uncomfortable level. The trouble with finding a conclusive definition is largely due to the fact that the style goes well beyond the confines of a genre of music: it’s an aura, an outward presentation, an-easy-to-recognize-buthard-to-pinpoint swagger.

That’s why any attempt at classifying Tina Sullivan’s Bang Bang Hair Salon in Clifton has to include rock and roll.

Sullivan, vocalist for local blues rockers Phantom Queen, has been in the hair and music worlds for decades, with one leading directly to the other, even from an early age.

“I was doing all these Tears for Fears and Brian Bosworth cuts on all my little friends before I ever even went to hair school,” Sullivan tells CityBeat. “I was always just kind of a natural and then I got recruited to go to hair school.”

Sullivan went through beauty school

and eventually became an instructor before working for chain salons to “learn how to run a shop on their dime,” as she puts it. In 2011, she decided to step out on her own and opened the first Bang Bang Hair Salon, a five-seat setup on McMillan Street in Clifton [the location closed in 2020]. She says the salon nailed her desired vibe right off the bat.

“I started working with the music community, because number one, I figured who around town usually looks cool and rock and roll, and badass, and who usually doesn’t have money to afford haircuts? So I started giving away free haircuts for musicians,” Sullivan says.

“I didn’t want to be your typical kind of salon where you go in and everything’s quiet and you’re listening to Enya. I wanted to be rock and roll.”

She says the state of the salon’s building also contributed to the atmosphere.

“The reason the aesthetic actually came off the way it did is really funny. The building was in such disarray, in such bad shape, and the landlord would

never do anything to fix anything. So I was like, ‘Well, we’re going to make it look really fucking punk rock in here,’ Sullivan says. “So we did. We put stickers on everything. We painted it black. We just made it look like we tried to make it look wrecked.”

Sullivan expanded the Bang Bang footprint in 2017 by opening a location on Short Vine Street, crafting what she calls a glam rock yin to the former McMillan location’s punk rock yang. Instead of the stickers and black walls the original location had, Short Vine featured gilded mirrors, overstuffed couches and curios of all kinds.

“When the new salon came along and it was all fancy, I was able to put more of my vintage stuff into it and be a little bit more aesthetically pleasing,” Sullivan says.

Recently, Sullivan has turned her love of antiquing and all things vintage into yet another business venture by selling her collected items at Flamingo Haven Antique Mall in Northside, with pieces soon to be sold in Bang Bang itself. She

says she’s curated her collection through years of accumulation.

“People always ask me, ‘How did you do the décor [in the salon]? Where do you get your things?’ Most of it comes from my house. This is how I decorate my home. I just switch things around,” Sullivan says. “I love to thrift shop, I love vintage shopping and I always have,” Sullivan says.

For many people, selling a collection of a literal lifetime might be hard, but Sullivan says she sees it as an opportunity not only to make some extra money, but also to better her life.

“I hate to see nobody enjoy it, you know? And I’ve already had this, I’ve already loved it, it’s been amazing,” Sullivan states. “I’ve already worn these things, some of my rock and roll clothes, my stage clothes, my corsets and things like that. I really enjoy the process of letting things go.

“It’s a good, karmic way to be. You can’t get new, good things if you’re holding onto your old, good things,” she adds.

Tina Sullivan styles Nathan Singer at Bang Bang Hair Salon. | PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

Sullivan brings her punk aesthetic to her salon. | PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

Ready for combat

A person watching one of Austin Wolfe’s shows might assume he’s really, really into swords – and they wouldn’t be wrong.

As the vocalist and bassist for local metal act Siegelord, Wolfe dons skulladorned armor to shout out the fantastical tales of three warriors adrift in a hostile world and the gods they believe will help get them home. This epic story is paired with driving guitar blasts that have all the subtlety of a warhammer blow to the head. Even Wolfe’s stage name Ulfr would be right at home in Conan the Barbarian

While Wolfe’s love of arms and armor will make sense to anyone familiar with his work in Siegelord, the extent at which he celebrates that love is what is liable to catch fans off guard. Some people might be satisfied with a drunken purchase of a Renaissance faire sword that would inevitably be shoved into a closet, but not Wolfe. Instead, he says he decided to start living his fantasies by joining War Horse Events, a local armored combat group.

“The type of armored combat that we do is called Buhurt, and the sport gets its name because it’s derived from an old French word that translates to ‘wallop.’ And that’s pretty much what we do – we just wallop each other,” Wolf explains.

Buhurt does go beyond simply walloping an opponent, however. It’s a full-armor, full-contact combat sport in which the weapons, the armor and their impacts are all real. While Buhurt slowly is gaining more mainstream exposure, it is still an obscure sport overall. Wolfe

says his interest in it grew naturally through prior activities.

“Actually getting involved with it, it’s just knowing the right people at the right time,” he continues. “The captain of the team that I’m affiliated with is a friend that I’ve had for a couple of years but was just casually introduced to through another friend of mine. It’s just this domino effect of knowing the right nerds that are highly motivated.”

An interest in fantasy and a group of like-minded individuals can only get you so far in Buhurt. Being willing to step into the ring in 100-pound, full-plate armor with a dulled weapon in hand across from an opponent who is equally equipped takes a special kind of mindset. For Wolfe, it’s one that took time – and a few stiff shots – to cultivate. He tells CityBeat that during his first practice, the team put him into armor and verified that the gear was placed correctly and safely. After that, Wolfe entered the

ring with a sparring partner for his first 60-second round.

“They gave me real hits and they just wanted to see how I would react. Do I keep my cool? Can I breathe? Can I hold my balance? Do I make an attempt to strike back? Can I track my opponent?” Wolfe recalls.

Being in real armored combat comes with challenges beyond medieval weaponry being swung at your vital regions, Wolfe says.

“It took me a second to kind of get my bearings [in the ring], just because it is disorienting,” Wolfe says. “With the helmets, there is very poor oxygen saturation; you’re breathing hot, moist air the whole time, and you have to over time get control over your adrenaline. Otherwise, you can freak out or panic under the helmet as a first-timer.”

Duels generally follow standard MMA rules and scoring, with points being awarded for fair strikes, time in control,

and dominance of the fight. Buhurt teams also take part in melees, typically in three-on-three or five-on-five lastman-standing battles in which technique takes a backseat to instinct. Defeated fighters also stay in the ring for the duration of the round, leading to bodies littering the battlefield during fights where peripheral vision within the helmets is negligible at best.

With a sport this physically demanding and mentally exhausting, participants need equally weighty reasons to keep participants coming back, as the fantasies of being a great warrior can clash with the reality of a gauntleted fist punching into unyielding steel. For Wolfe, both Buhurt and its community have an appeal.

“There is definitely something to be said about the body high that comes with extreme bursts of energy once you pull that helmet off. The first breath that you take, it feels amazing, especially on a crisp, fall morning. It’s like breathing in magic,” Wolfe says.

“There’s also a huge sense of community. You forge new relationships – pun intended on the forging. And there’s also a bit of a rockstar feel to it. Even if you get your ass kicked in the ring, when you go out, people want to take pictures with you,” Wolfe continues. “They think it’s cool. People eat that stuff up, especially kids. They want to come up and touch your armor and see if it’s real, they want to hold the helmet and take a picture with the knight. It definitely speaks to your inner five-year-old. What I keep telling people is, ‘What kid doesn’t want to grow up to be a knight?’”

Siegelord’s Austin Wolfe (right) participates in armored combat groups. |

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY Wolfe goes by the stage name Ulfr. |

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

“It’s kind of like starting a band,” Wolfe says. “I’ve always had an interest in fantasy and medieval history and super nerdy stuff. So you spend time just cruising around on Facebook and Instagram, and you start following these dudes out in Europe that are blacksmiths and they make armor and show it off. And then you see some guys in a tournament in Spain just beating the hell out of each other.”

Mixing up a business

Local music and bars go together like tequila shots and a lime wedge. In much the same way, musicians and bartending gigs are a perfect pair, with nightlife hours and flexible schedules making it easier to balance out live shows and practices.

It makes sense, then, that local musicians Maya Banatwala (vocals and ukulele for Heavy Hinges) and Kristen Kreft (vocals and guitar for The Perfect Children) have partnered together to combine their mutual love for cocktails and music through their joint book series Rocktails: An Amped Up Spin on Mixology. As a company, Rocktails has produced two books, a partnership with Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, multiple pop-ups and bar takeovers, infusions, and consulting services. The concept grew roots in 2011 when Banatwala and Kreft began working together at Japp’s Since 1879, the center of Cincinnati’s expansive cocktail scene.

“Kris and I worked together side by side at Japp’s for five years, and we always said we wanted to write a book honoring musicians through mixology,” Banatwala recalls.

Banatwala and Kreft left Japp’s in 2017 to pursue their dream but faced an immediate hurdle: how could they write a book about crafting cocktails without access to a bar and the tools found within? Their solution involved partnering with local bars to host events in which the duo could simultaneously perfect their recipes and spread the Rocktails name across town.

“We start doing pop-ups at the Listing Loon [currently known as the Loon], at other places, and basically just booking

bands and musicians and creating cocktail menus inspired by their work,” Banatwala says.

“We had this idea to write cocktail books based on musicians, but the only way, as two people who don’t own a bar or an events company, [we] could possibly do that is to have access to a bar so that we can make these cocktails and take pictures of them,” Kreft adds. “It really kind of stemmed from, ‘Well, we’re doing a cocktail book, we’ve got to have pictures of these beautiful cocktails.’”

The partners began hosting pop-up bar takeovers in 2017 and self-published their first book, Rocktails: An Amped Up Spin on Mixology, the following year Their second book, Cincinnati Rocktails, was released in 2018 in an accelerated writing process fueled by an eager Banatwala telling an interviewer the volume would be ready quickly.

“We had started it, but we had not in any way, shape, or form written this book,” Kreft remembers. “And so, we wrote that one in a year, as well.”

Banatwala and Kreft say the book releases gave them even more momentum to pursue other projects, including a set of music-inspired cocktail infusion kits and a collaboration with Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, where the partners designed the cocktails menus for several of the casino’s restaurants and bars.

Banatwala and Kreft’s love for cocktailing is evident, but their respective contributions to the Cincinnati music scene can’t be denied either. Banatwala and Kreft each have years of experience with multiple bands, albums and awards to their names, so the marriage of music and mixology was a natural fit, they say.

Moreover, both have backgrounds in

education; Banatwala tutored students through Finneytown High School’s programs and in different nonprofit organizations, while Kreft was an instructor at School of Rock Cincinnati and developed movement and drama curricula for afterschool programs.

“I’m just a big supporter of all things music in Cincinnati, and we love mixology. We thought this would be a really cool way to educate everybody,” Banatwala says. “And we come from teaching backgrounds as well, so this touches on all the areas of our life: being musicians and mixologists and teachers. We just wanted to add author onto it, as well.”

Banatwala and Kreft say that being active musicians has its benefits, especially when it comes time to collaborate with venues to plan their pop ups and bar takeovers. There sometimes are unique challenges to overcome, they say, such as ensuring that the required ingredients are available and the staff is prepared to create the cocktails to spec. It can be a more in-depth process than

carrying an amp onstage, plugging in and rocking out.

“Our biggest challenge is how many people are going to be there because when you’re playing the show, you can play the same show to one person that you will play to 500 people,” Kreft says. “However, if 500 people show up to an event where you need to have cocktails and books, you need enough for 500 people. The brain boggles.”

In a short period of time, Banatwala and Kreft have been able to naturally grow their brand via nimble business decisions, creative problem solving, a mutual passion for music and mixology, and – most importantly – really tasty beverages. But they’re just getting started, they say.

“The cool thing about making these cocktails that are inspired by music is just the creativity involved, and I think that’s the most fun for us. That’s the part where we’re reaching our stride,” Kreft says.

Maya Banatwala (left) and Kristen Kreft often host pop-ups at The Loon. | PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

Rocktails has produced two books and multiple pop-ups and partnerships. |

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

ARTS & CULTURE

Local Author Invites Readers to Her ‘Happy Place’

Emily Henry’s latest rom-com novel, Happy Place, hits shelves in April.

BY KATIE GRIFFITH

Cincinnati-based author Emily Henry says there is a key to exceptional storytelling.

As New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation and Beach Read – we’ll take her word for it.

“I think what makes a story

exceptional and un-put-downable is tension,” Henry says. “It’s like a need to know the answer to a question. And with romance, it’s usually, will they or won’t they? Or, how will they?”

Henry’s forthcoming book Happy Place, like her precursory titles, conquers the romantic-comedy genre. It

tells the story of Harriet and Wyn, a perfect couple, and their annual summer trip to the coast of Maine with their closest friends –only the seemingly perfect couple have secretly broken up. They learn that their home away from home is for sale and this will be the last friends trip to the beloved vacation spot.

Henry says Happy Place was inspired by comedy of remarriage movies from the ’40s in which ridiculous scenarios force divorced couples back together, in a screwball-comedy-style plot.

But by the end of drafting, Henry says the screwball derivatives end up as undertones, masked by more familiar escapist, rom-com qualities and a mood that shifts between joyful and angsty.

The book hits stores April 25.

“I really think [Happy Place] is overall

a little more melancholy,” Henry says. “But that’s just comparatively. It’s also the first book I’ve done with a bigger central cast. Usually I really am honed in pretty closely on the hero and heroine, the couple. And with this one I really wanted to tell a story about a group of friends, and have all of those friends feel significant and central to the story.”

Henry uses the transitional nature of life in your thirties to contextualize the story, absorbing personality traits from real-life friends and acquaintances and infusing them into the six main characters. She says there is no one-forone representation, but as she braids tension into the narrative, character development becomes essential to how the story unfolds.

“It’s such an interesting time in life when you can just be in so many

Emily Henry

PHOTO: DEVYN GLISTA OF ST. BLANC STUDIOS

different places but still very close with people who are in the opposite situation that you are in,” she says. “It felt important to have a larger cast so that you could see that.”

Henry achieves relatable tales and characters with a serious dedication to getting to know the people she creates. She says she writes first drafts in a vacuum, no outside input and nothing to derail the direction, she says. She “hugely overwrites” the story, exploring the characters’ backstories in different scenarios and letting their personalities take shape – things that become irrelevant to the actual plot but essential to who the character becomes.

Then she graduates to a second draft, when she “writes the book with clarity,” she says, where the characters feel “real and lived in.”

Henry knows what love feels like and what it sounds like. She knows what it looks like from a stranger’s point of view. Someone who might be sitting in longing, staring woefully at a dancing couple across a room. Or a doe-eyed lover who is so immersed in their partner’s presence, no one else exists.

That’s how it feels to read even a small excerpt from any one of Henry’s romantic novels. She forms a connection between characters that can stir up a reader’s personal emotions –ones that summon the aches and yearning, the fulfillment and excitement of love. Most readers either already can or want to be able to relate.

And readers from Cincinnati may feel a degree closer, as Henry (who was raised in and currently lives in Greater Cincinnati) sometimes unconsciously writes local places into scenes.

“I always write fictional towns so that I can just make changes as I need to,” she says. “But there are Ohio and Cincinnati references and a lot of times I don’t even necessarily remember what they are and then readers are like, ‘Oh it was so cool seeing all the Ohio Easter eggs.’ I think maybe Kings Island has been mentioned, maybe Graeter’s, and fictional towns where you are familiar with the dynamic of living really close to someone and not going to the same school but your friend groups overlap. These little things just sneak in and I don’t realize I’m doing it.”

As a self-described romance novel evangelist, Henry is proud to be part of a small renaissance of the genre, she says. In part, Henry thinks romance novels gained a new readership since the trend of bright, illustrated covers gave the genre a new face. Henry’s last four books, including Happy Place, sport neon pink, blue, orange and yellow sleeves with simple illustrations and oversized lettering.

Publishers Weekly reported a 52% increase in print romance novel sales in 2022. Trending book recommendations

on TikTok or “BookTok” are also contributing to the genre’s popularity among younger readers, according to the NPD BookScan, which also reports that romance was the leading growth category for print books in 2022.

Whatever the motivation, the sometimes shameful or shallow perception of romance novels seems to have dwindled with the rise in popularity. It’s leaving the sweaty, muscular man suggestively embracing a perfect woman on the black and white cover to the reader’s imagination – which is what reading is good for.

But as of late, Henry is learning what it means for her words to materialize on the big screen. People We Meet on Vacation, which debuted as number one on the 2021 New York Times bestseller list and best romance book in the 2021 Goodreads Choice Awards, is getting a movie adaptation.

Sony-owned film unit 3000 Pictures picked up People We Meet on Vacation in October. 3000 Pictures specializes in book-to-film adaptations and produced Where the Crawdads Sing last year. Henry will be an executive producer of the movie, and a release date has yet to be announced.

In addition to the movie production, Henry is looking forward to the release of Happy Place and fulfilling two more books under contract with Penguin Publishing Group, one of which is close to editing stages, she says.

“The rest of the books on that contract will definitely be rom-coms,” Henry says. “I would love to do other things, eventually move into other genres, but I’m really still enjoying this, so I’m riding it out as long as people are willing to have me,” Henry says. “Hopefully next summer, there will be another rom-com. I’m trying really hard to keep that pace while still making books that I’m proud of.”

For more information about Emily Henry and her books, visit emilyhenrybooks.com.

“I am in exceptional hands as far as them wanting my input,” she says.

“It’s been really fun so far getting the updates and giving my opinion. You’re not guaranteed to be involved at all so I’m really lucky.”

Louis Langrée’s Final Season at the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Celebrates Musical Diversity

BY ANNE ARENSTEIN

production reprises the role for the CSO performances.

Hamlet is another Cincinnati tribute because the Metropolitan Opera staged the U.S. premiere in Cincinnati while on tour in 1884, per the Metropolitan Opera Archives.

Langrée refused to single out a favorite composer, but, based on previous program designs, it’s clear that Johannes Brahms holds a special place for Langrée. “Brahms is at the base of the city’s and the CSO’s musical genealogy, and this continues the celebration of sharing Brahms’s music.” Langrée said.

Next February, the May Festival Chorus joins the CSO for Brahms’ A German Requiem, along with rising stars, baritone Will Liverman and soprano and CCM alum Joelle Harvey. The following April, violin phenom Augustin Hadelich returns to perform Brahms’ violin concerto.

U.S. premiere of his piano concerto. Dessner, Ott and Langrée team up for the season’s final CSOProof event that weekend.

“What I like about Bryce is his appetite for composing without borders,” Langrée said. “He’s always searching for new ways to bring his diverse experiences into other genres, creating music that’s accessible.”

Langrée’s grand finale in May is a fitting summary of his career with the CSO: a new work from a long-neglected living composer and a classic ballet score with a different kind of movement and fantasy.

A new work by Anthony Davis will open the concert. Davis’s eerie You Have the Right to Remain Silent was a highlight of the CSO’s first digital broadcasts in 2020 and working with both the piece and its composer deeply moved Langrée.

Louis Langrée’s final season as music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra reflects his passion for music in all its diversity and his great delight in sharing it with audiences and musicians alike.

The schedule is classic Langrée, honoring tradition, advocating for new voices and offering a range of artistic collaboration. He will conduct six subscription concerts that feature a new touring production of Ambroise Thomas’s opera Hamlet; Igor Stravinsky’s ballet The Firebird incorporating puppetry by the creators of “War Horse;” commissions and world premieres from Anthony Davis and Jonathan Bailey Hudson; Brahms’ A German Requiem with soloists Will Liverman; and Bryce Dessner, a Cincinnati native and member of indie rock band the National.

“For me, it’s all about the joy of sharing music and how music can elevate people,” Langrée said, speaking to CityBeat from his home in Paris.

The 2023-24 season also pays tribute to his deep affection for the CSO and the city of Cincinnati. Langrée is a rarity among major symphonic conductors, demonstrating his commitment to the city by moving here with his family. (Langrée sold his East Walnut Hills home in the summer and relocated to Paris).

“I wanted to share in the communal life of Cincinnati, to be a Cincinnatian,” he said. “The music celebrates the city’s presence and grandeur.”

The season opener in October is dedicated to 20th-century American composers and includes Aaron Copland’s A Lincoln Portrait, the same work

that opened Langrée’s inaugural season in 2013. Dr. Maya Angelou, who was a part of the 2013 performance as a narrator, spoke Lincoln’s iconic words seated in a wheelchair. “It was unforgettable,” recalled Langrée.

For the 2023 performance, the narrator is actor and activist George Takei.

“Takei is a powerful symbol: a great actor engaged in fighting against antiAsian prejudice,” Langrée said.

The CSO commissioned and premiered A Lincoln Portrait in 1942. Since its premiere, the piece now addresses the world, Langrée noted. “It’s a hymn to humanity and universal values.”

Langrée concludes his exploration of French opera (which included the three-year Pelléas et Mélisande project and Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges) in November, leading a new touring production of Ambroise Thomas’s Hamlet from France’s National Theater of the Opéra Comique. In November 2021, Langrée took over as director of the Opéra Comique, and this production gives CSO audiences a unique opportunity to experience the maestro in both his current leadership roles.

Langrée knows the production and the performers of Hamlet well, having conducted the stage premiere in 2017, which went on to receive several European awards for performances, audio and video recordings.

“It was a tremendous success,” Langrée said. “But the touring production will be different, of course. It will be more than concert staging or semi-staging, and lighting and film are vital elements.” Baritone Stèphane Degout who sang Hamlet in the 2017

Maintaining the CSO’s commitment to orchestral commissions throughout his tenure, Langrée will feature new works from composers with whom he collaborated in past seasons. Langrée’s April concert includes an as-yet unnamed piece from Jonathan Bailey Holland, former CSO composer-inresidence, whose compositions celebrated Music Hall’s 2018 re-opening. The piece is a co-commission and will premiere in Los Angeles before its CSO performances.

“I wanted to continue the journey with Anthony and asked him for a song cycle,” Langrée said. “His music has been unknown for too long, and I am so happy to have him create something new for us.”

Davis’s work is untitled, but the soloist will be acclaimed soprano Latonia Moore.

The Firebird caps Langrée’s series of Stravinsky’s complete ballet scores and this time, movement is part of the experience, incorporating the wizardry of Handspring Puppetry, the creative team for the stage epic War Horse. The setting is reimagined as a South African village and the CSO press release promises a “fiery ending,” but Langrée assured that nothing will go up in smoke.

Judging from the press photos, Firebird promises to be thrilling.

There was a rare moment of pride when Langrée assessed his final season. “I wanted to make music with my friends on stage and in the hall,” he said. “We achieved that quite remarkably, the joy of sharing music, how it can elevate people and inspire them to overcome life’s difficulties, especially during COVID.”

And according to Langrée, one thing this season is not is a farewell.

“I don’t like big farewells, so it won’t be,” he said. “As long as I’m invited back as a guest conductor, I’ll be happy to make music here in this special place. The CSO and the CSO community will always be a part of my heart.”

Dessner has been commissioned by leading orchestras and ensembles in the U.S. and Europe. In May, recent works by Dessner are featured, with pianist Alice Sara Ott performing the

For more information about Langrée and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, visit cincinnatisymphony.org.

Music director Louis Langrée conducts the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra in Rachmaninoff’s Second Symphony in May 2022.

PHOTO: MARK LYONS

Louis Langrée.

PHOTO: CLAUDIA HERSHNER

Aronoff Musical Jagged Little Pill Is Here to Remind Patrons of Alanis Morissette’s Staying Power

PREVIEW BY RICK PENDER

Alanis Morissette’s 1995 alt-rock album, Jagged Little Pill, was her first worldwide release. A mix of post-grunge and pop rock, the record topped the charts in 13 countries and won the 1995 Album of the Year Grammy for Morissette, who was just 21 years old at the time. She gave its songs an acoustic re-recording released in 2005, and a pair of re-releases of the original happened in 2015 and 2020.

Jagged Little Pill has been popular for more than 25 years. Recently its songs became the score for a Broadway musical about a modern family struggling to preserve its reputation while dealing with addiction and trauma. After opening in late 2019 it was interrupted by the worldwide pandemic, but it returned in the fall of 2021, having received an astonishing 15 Tony Award nominations in 2020, including Best Musical. It’s now touring and will have a oneweek stop at downtown Cincinnati’s Aronoff Center during the last week of March.

Jagged Little Pill’s story revolves around rebellious Frankie, an adopted, bisexual Black teen, and her white, suburban family — parents, Mary Jane, who goes by “MJ,” and Steve, who hide

their addictions, and a son Nick, who’s pressured to be perfect to keep up the family’s reputation. Frankie resents her mother’s lack of understanding. She does some writing for a class at school that’s criticized by her classmates. But a new student, Phoenix, encourages her to finish, and they strike up a romantic relationship.

Rishi Golani, 20, is playing Phoenix for the touring production that was launched last fall. After two years of studying musical theater at New York City’s Pace University, the Los Angeles native was recently accepted as a transfer into the renowned musical theater program at University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). He planned to move to Cincinnati last fall but was surprised to be cast in Jagged Little Pill’s touring cast, so he’s deferred his enrollment until 2024; he plans to be a CCM grad in 2026. CityBeat interviewed him recently while he was performing in Detroit. He’s not quite sure how he ended up being called for an audition while he was packing for his move to Cincinnati.

A casting director invited Golani to send an audition tape. “It was like me and 500 guys at callbacks. After a

few days, I got the part. I was kind of shocked by how fast it was.” Rehearsals started in August 2022, and the tour launched a month later. Recently he summoned the nerve to ask the casting director how he found the young actor. “I thought you submitted to us,” he was told. But he’d been approached, so Golani asked for more. The casting director confessed they were having a hard time finding an actor who could sing the high part. “Maybe we just randomly stumbled on your profile.” Regardless, Golani relishes landing a role in a touring show so early in his career.

“The show really covers the importance of what it means to be a family,” Golani says, “and what they mean to each other and care about each other. We don’t always know what’s affecting someone — a lot of times people are afraid to say what they’re going through because they want to be strong. They think others will not care or listen. This is a story about empathy and acceptance.”

Morissette’s album came out before Golani was born, but he is impressed with the music. “It’s all about freedom of expression and rebellion, stating who

you are in the world. It’s about being a human being.” He wasn’t familiar with the album before he was hired, but now he’s listened to it a lot. “The music really holds up. People from my generation can come and get the perspective from another generation. The music marries our generation with their generation.”

His character, Phoenix, is a new kid at school. “He keeps his head down,” Golani says. “Whenever the director and I would talk about him, he would say Phoenix is one of those kids who had to grow up faster than the kids around him. He couldn’t afford to be a child. He had to play the role of father and brother and son in his family. That’s the story of a lot of kids who have to take on these roles.”

Golani appreciates Phoenix’s intelligence and sensitivity. He is in the scene after Frankie is criticized by other students for something she wrote. “Phoenix hears it and loves it. He’s not infatuated with the girl but with how her writing affects him. He really values things that most people take for granted.”

The scene uses the song, “Ironic.” Golani points out that critics said Morissette was misusing the word. That judgment is attributed to Frankie’s classmates in the show. “Her writing is actually quite powerful, and the song itself is a beautiful piece of music, a great piece of storytelling.” The show has several songs that are dark and heavy, so he appreciates that this one is fun. “It’s a groove, a jam, a good time. Audiences like it a lot. It’s upbeat, a song that celebrates writing.”

Golani says he appreciates the show’s message that Rishi embraces. “You have to slow down and appreciate what you have and make things bigger than they are. When Phoenix talks about his family’s problems, he understands that that’s life. He’d rather appreciate the moments he has and move forward. Even though he doesn’t declare it in the show, people can pick up on the fact that Phoenix is unwavering. He’s willing to walk forward. It’s a really good message.

“The show and this music are a great bridge for people to connect,” Golani says. “I hope people who are on the fence will come to see it. There’s nothing more important than trying new things.” Wise words from a 20-year-old.

Jagged Little Pill, presented by Broadway in Cincinnati, runs March 28-April 2 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, 650 Walnut St., Downtown. Info: aronoffcenter.net.

Lauren Chanel and Rishi Golani star in the North American tour of Jagged Little Pill

PHOTO: MATTHEW MURPHY FOR MURPHYMADE

FOOD & DRINK

Hitting the Bottle

BY BRIAN CROSS

Situated in Covington near the northernmost point of bourbon country, Revival Vintage Spirits and Bottle Shop has become a destination for those seeking the finest bourbons and other spirits of yesteryear.

“We’re people’s first stop on their way to Bardstown and Lexington,” Revival co-founder Shannon Smith tells Citybeat

If you’re wondering why there aren’t many vintage liquor bars around, it’s because Ohio and most other states don’t allow them. However, Kentucky passed a law in 2018 legalizing the sale of vintage spirits.

That opened a new market that Smith says gave her and co-founder Brad Bonds an opportunity to turn their passion for bourbon into a business. Smith’s background as a bourbon lover and attorney with her own firm positioned her to navigate the legal side.

“When that law passed, it allowed Brad and I to legalize that market.” Smith says. “That was it. It was a huge business opportunity.”

Revival specializes in rare and vintage bourbons, but the selection also includes Scotch, brandy, tequila, rum

and gin. Since opening in 2020, the shop has grown from 200-300 bottles in inventory with 15 open for tasting to more than 4,000 in inventory and 120 open bottles, according to Bonds.

Unlike vintage wines, which continue to develop flavor while stored and usually reach their peak within 50 years, vintage spirits taste like they did when they were bottled.

“Vintage spirits are a time capsule to their own selves. As long as they’re closed, they’ll last forever,” Bonds tells CityBeat

Of course, proper storage, handling and a bit of luck are necessary to ensure that a 100-year-old bottle remains drinkable.

“At the end of the day, Father Time is either kind or not kind,” Bond says.

Bonds is the spirited spokesman and buyer for Revival, often found behind the bar educating patrons on the history behind the products.

“This is like the greatest sporting event in the history of time for me, and every day is my Super Bowl,” Bonds says.

But Bonds says he isn’t content to run the shop like a hands-off antique

consignment store. He’s all about sharing the experience with patrons of all stripes – you don’t have to be rich to indulge in the Revival tasting experience, he says. Every day, Revival offers $5 tastings on several selections along with other discounts at the tasting bar.

“The average person can come in and taste something that might be older than them or older than their parents,” Bonds says.

Bonds says the customer base runs the gamut.

“There’s probably a little more younger people curious about it than older, but it’s all across the board. You never know who’s going to come in the

door. We’re seeing a lot of women coming in, too,” Bonds says.

“It’s been really cool, because I don’t see a lot of women in whiskey.” adds Smith, who sits on the distilling committee of the Bourbon Women Association’s Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati chapter.

“I started with them [the association] five or six years ago, and you just didn’t see a lot of gals around. And now you’re seeing a lot more ladies coming into it, and it’s really cool to see and share,” she says.

With the growth Revival has seen in the first two years, Smith and Bonds decided to expand both their space and

Vintage bottle shop Revival is proof that good spirits have a long, delicious shelf life.

Revival Vintage Spirits and Bottle Shop has become a destination for vintage liquor aficionados.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

Revival Vintage Spirits shelves.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

their offerings.

In August last year, Revival announced plans to move into an 8,000-squarefoot space adjoining the new North by Hotel Covington. Smith and Bonds say construction of the new location has been slower than expected, but they’re hoping to open there this summer. The space will house a full bar, a secondfloor bottle shop with vintage spirits and cigars, party rooms for events and eventually a rooftop patio.

The current shop doesn’t have the space to offer cocktails made with the spirits, but the new space will open that door for them. Bonds says they plan to partner with mixologist and cocktail historian Molly Wellman, who will curate

the cocktail list.

“I’ve been telling her for a very long time when she was at Japps, ‘You research these old recipes and bring back these old cocktails but you’re using new spirits. The two of us get together, you can be like Bob Ross and I’ll have the vintage paint. We can paint happy trees, like, all day,’” Bonds recalls.

Bonds says other plans include ticketed tasting events during which the two will tell the history of Revival’s “time capsules” and the cocktails made with them.

Revival Vintage Bottle Shop, 5 E. 8th St., Covington. Info: revivalky.com.

“I’m super excited for down here,” Bonds says. “My goal I’d like for us, hopefully day one: be one of the top-ten cocktail bars in the world for the price point and the options we’re offering.”

Co-founders of Revival Vintage Spirits Brad Bonds and Shannon Smith.

PHOTO: BRIAN CROSS

Good Vibes Are on the Menu at The Well in Covington

BY KELSEY GRAHAM

It only takes one visit to Covington to keep you coming back. With its beautiful river and skyline views, breathtaking architecture and lively entertainment options and shops, it’s easy to fall in love with this river town. And that’s just what happened to Chase Daoud and Will Hodges, who recently opened The Well, the city’s newest neighborhood bar.

“Not only do Chase and I love Covington, but we also recognize how many people love this neighborhood over here,” Hodges tells CityBeat . “So we were like, ‘Okay, what is it missing?’”

They say they realized the area needed a cozy, welcoming neighborhood bar where visitors and locals could both commune. And thus, The Well was born.

With a concept and location in mind, Hodges and Daoud say they planned to commandeer the bar offerings but also knew they wanted food to be a part of the establishment. As luck would have it, a mutual friend introduced them to local chef Mitch Arens.

Instead of just hiring Arens on as a chef, the three decided to join forces and go into business together, with The Well serving up drinks and bar vibes and Arens overseeing the food menu through Grub Local, his own business housed inside the bar.

“Our goals were aligned, not only with what we wanted out of business but what we wanted out of life and offer the community of Covington for a good time and great eats.”

Hodges says it was vital for them to create a space that was fun and welcoming to all.

“It’s a great place just to sit back, relax, unwind, and meet some current or new friends,” Hodges says.

The bar’s interior is a mix of industrial meets modern style, with exposed brick walls and wood floors

that create a cozy environment for both kids and adults. Not only can visitors catch up on sports with the television screens around the bar, but there’s also trivia hosted by Q102 personality Natalie Jones on Tuesdays, live music on Thursdays and a DJ on Saturdays.

“It’s a vibe when you walk in here,” Hodges says. “It’s always so much fun, not only on the weekends but the weekdays.”

Unlike many bars where seating leaves something to be desired, Hodges assures guests they’ll find a comfy spot to sit while mixing and mingling.

“Every seat is comfortable,” said Hodges. “We thoroughly tested every seat before we bought it.”

The Well also provides patio

space for guests to enjoy the warm sun’s rays and a refreshing beverage. Hodges says the primary reason they chose the building was for the patio, and he’s counting down the days when the warm weather is here to stay so they can open up the space. He adds that there even will be a window to the kitchen where guests can place their orders while enjoying the patio when the weather is nice.

The patio features a commemorative mural painted by Cincinnatibased artist Joshua Stout, incorporating area favorites like the wings of the flying pig with shout-outs to the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals along with a beer bottle as a nod to the location. Hodges says he hopes this mural becomes a spot where patrons visit and take pictures, becoming a mainstay of the city.

Hodges, Daoud and Arens created a food and beverage menu that the website describes as a “tasty spin on classic American food and cocktails.” Hodge says they collaborated

Owners of The Well in Covington hope for it to be a comfortable, cozy environment for patrons.

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

“I think it worked out for all three of us extremely well,” Hodges says. “Not only did we get to meet such an amazing chef, but we also met an even better person.”

with a local mixologist to create more than half the cocktails on the current drink menu, noting that the bar’s most popular cocktail –Trending So Hard – is a delightfully bright mix of vodka, elderflower, lemon juice, grapefruit and thyme. The menu also offers a mix of wines and local and domestic beers on tap. Hodges says they’ll revamp the drink menu quarterly and use the staff’s expertise to see what drinks need updating.

As for the food, Arens created a menu that offers tasty mains spanning from a po’boy sandwich with fried Gulf shrimp and a Cajun remoulade to a jumbo coney with lamb birria on a toasted bun. There’s also a plethora of shareable snacks, including Philly cheesesteak tots and a savory concoction called hanky panky, bites made with Eckerlin Meat’s goetta, cheese, caraway, Pickled Pig kraut and fry sauce. Arens also has a pimento mac-ncheese on the menu, which is one of Hodges says is one of his favorite items.

“It is everything,” he says. “It is so good.”

The building’s second floor doubles as an event space that can be rented out for parties or provide a quieter retreat for bar patrons to slip away to if they need a break from the lively energy downstairs.

Hodges says he strongly believes in making The Well a friendly and welcoming atmosphere and thinks the staff they’ve assembled has made this vision a reality.

“I believe we hit a home run with our staff,” he says.

Hodges says he’s thankful for the support and warm welcome that

the local community has shown their business since opening in December.

“You have some heavy hitters down here that are amazing corporations, and we’re just very thankful and excited to be a part of the city and what this block is doing,” Hodges says.

“The city of Covington and the community down here on Seventh Street has embraced us with open arms,” he continues. “We love it down here. Everybody is extremely nice, patient, and understanding, especially as an opening goes. We really thank the patrons that are coming to try us. We can’t thank everyone that comes in enough for giving us a shot.”

The Well, 16 W. 7th St., Covington. Info: thewellcovington.com.

A sampler meal at The Well in Covington.

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

The Well’s menu is described as a “tasty spin on classic American food and cocktails.”

PHOTO: AIDAN MAHONEY

MUSIC

Turtledoves.

PHOTO: DEVYN GLISTA

The Singles Game

Cincinnati duo Turtledoves are challenging the typical listening experience one release at a time.

BY ERIC BATES

In decades past, the album was the standard in releasing music – a great work that the public waited for. In some ways, especially with the renaissance of the vinyl record, the release of a complete body of work is still relevant. But in the last few years, streaming has changed the listening experience, forcing musicians to learn new ways of releasing music.

With their current collection of songs, Alex and Ashley McGrath of Turtledoves are meeting that challenge head on by releasing one new single every month this year. Having shared their first song “Come On” in February and their second single “Precious Metals” on March 2, the Cincinnati duo has hit the ground running. These ten songs, broken up into two EPs, will ultimately find their way onto CD and or vinyl, but for the next several months, listeners can enjoy anticipating each new track.

The first group of songs – the five that will comprise the first EP, Secret Weapon – is a collection of powerful and edgy works. With a full band sound that is cinematic in scope, the music and lyrics are intended to grab the attention of the listener and hold it there, according to the band. Each song has its own story, but the two current singles plus the forthcoming song “Pavement” speak specifically about the McGraths’ experience in navigating the last few years and, as the McGraths say, invite listeners to reflect on the events that challenged many of us during the COVID pandemic.

the couple’s kind, warm, and gentle personalities.

For “My Big Guitar,” one of the singles from Two Dreams, Alex McGrath tells CityBeat that he wrestled with several old and unruly acoustic guitars for a long time before finally conceding and purchasing one that “cooperated.” He says that as a song that leans into the idea of surrender and comfort, “My Big Guitar” sums up what Two Dreams is about.

“These songs are about intimate times, about creating shelter, to insulate ourselves from the outside world,” Ashley McGrath says.

The McGraths say that the journey in creating these songs gave them the opportunity to dive deep into their sound.

The McGraths say that while some of their music has been recorded in Colorado as well as at a friend’s home in Newport, it’s the dining room of their own home that serves as Turtledoves headquarters. With homemade isolation tents for vocals and drums and PVC structures draped with blankets to dampen the reverberation of the 100-year-old plaster walls, the customized space provides them with most of their home recording needs.

Working in tandem, the McGraths say they build their songs from ideas that they both bring to the table. One secret of the Turtledoves sound comes from their experiments with vintage equipment. The use of 1980s Casio and Yamaha Keyboards and excerpts from rare, ambient cassette tapes, have become go to techniques for layering

Once all five songs from Secret Weapon are available, Turtledoves will give the fans a short break before releasing five more singles from the second EP, Two Dreams. In contrast to Secret Weapon, Ashley McGrath says Two Dreams will present songs that are more intimate and personal. With Ashley’s dreamy work on her Baldwin upright and Alex strumming his acoustic Gretsch, these personal conversations give a small glimpse into

and elevating their music.

“We feel we’ve achieved a foundation, a sound that represents us, and we’re very excited to share it with everyone,” Alex McGrath says.

Turtledoves’ singles “Come On” and “Precious Metals” are streaming on most platforms.

Info: turtledoves.vision.

“‘Pavement’ is about transcending the chaos of what was happening in the world and finding something to anchor ourselves to,” Alex McGrath tells CityBeat.

SOUND ADVICE

VANESSA CARLTON

March 17 • Ludlow Garage

“A Thousand Miles” was everywhere in 2002, an era when MTV and radio still held the keys to the kingdom. For better or worse, Vanessa Carlton’s cortexsticking phenomenon — marked by that catchy opening piano riff — transformed her from an unknown 22-year-old singer/ songwriter/pianist into a ubiquitous presence, informing nearly everything that has happened to her since.

The Pennsylvania native was a student

at the School of American Ballet when she discovered that music was better fit for her ambitions. Carlton saw herself in the artistically adventurous Fiona Apple mold, but industry expectations infected her experience after “A Thousand Miles” — they wanted more of the same, while she was over it.

“My husband describes it as lighting in a bottle,” Carlton told Billboard in a 2022 interview. “I look at her [the song] like she’s a beast, you know she is of me, but also separate from me. And I think the way that I look at the song now is as

a miraculous moment in time. I know so many great songwriters who have written amazing songs that people won’t hear, so I actually think [“A Thousand Miles”] is sort of a miracle.”

That’s not to say Carlton has been silent since — she’s released six studio albums over the last 20 years, each delivering her accessible brand of introspective, pianodriven pop. Her most recent effort, 2020’s Love Is an Art, dropped just as the pandemic shut everything down. But now, five years since her last live show, she is ready to hit the road again for what she’s

calling the “Future Pain Tour,” which is a reference to a song in which she repeatedly admits, “I’ve got nothing to lose and nothing to gain but future pain.”

Carlton announced the tour with this brief message on her website: “Things that I know for sure: Life is pain. Life is joy. It is hard to be a human being. Music is medicine. I like to get lost in a song. Let’s get lost together. See ya at the show!”

Vanessa Carlton plays Ludlow Garage at 8:30 p.m. March 17. Doors open at 7 p.m. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com.

(Jason

Gargano)

Vanessa Carlton.

PHOTO: ALYSSE GAFKJEN

TEDWARD

March 18 • Legends Bar & Venue

An epic combination of grunge, punk and shoegaze is what you’ll experience at Legends Bar and Music Venue when Cincinnati grunge/shoegaze band Tedward brings a set filled with musical peaks and valleys. With songs both energetic and imperturbable, Tedward guides the listener through a fuzzed-out and sonically saturated landscape.

Drawing inspiration from ‘90s icons like Nirvana and Weezer as well as favorites like Ovlov and Bachelor, Terrance Lee – Tedward’s creative force – braids his influences seamlessly with his own personal style, creating original music that’s both heavy and catchy. Tedward’s first full-length album Floater, scheduled for release on March 18 on bright blue cassettes via Los Angeles indie label I’m Into Life Records, has eight powerful and dreamy tracks. Dotted with J. Mascis-style guitar hooks and earworm melodies, Floater will demand multiple listenings.

Teward began in 2021 with Lee releasing a self-produced and self-performed five-song EP titled Burnt Ends. Following their first live set at the Q-A-Palooza music festival, Tedward contributed a song to an online charity Bandcamp compilation. That got the attention of I’m Into Life Records, which later offered to release Floater. The record-release show will feature Lee’s current live lineup, with Lee on vocals/guitar, Greg Olsen on bass and Cole Hundley on drums.

Tedward plays Legends Bar & Venue at 8 p.m. March 18. Cataracts, Knavery and Odd Polly also are on the bill. Info: legendscincy.com. (Eric Bates)

NIGHT OWL

March 24 • Northside Tavern

A soulful, acoustic singer-songwriter evening is what Night Owl will present. Rob Mohan (aka Night Owl) prides himself on creating an immersive and moody experience for his audience, filling venues with rich acoustic tones that submerge his listeners in a sea of color. For this show, Night Owl will be joined by Billy Alletzhauser on guitar, Tod Drake on drums and Jacob Perez on bass. Mohan writes deeply personal music that reflects his life experiences. From travel to family, Night Owl songs speak from the heart and reach into the soul of everyone who hears them. Growing up in northeast Ohio, Mohan listened to solo artists like Elliot Smith, M. Ward and one of his father’s favorites, Jackson Browne, all of whom would become big influences in his songwriting. With engaging lyrics and his Guild F-55 guitar in open tunings fed through unique effects pedals like the Game Changer Plus and the “Slo” Reverb by Walrus Audio, Mohan has created a singular sound and style that is instantly recognizable.

Empress, Night Owl’s fourth album was produced by the incomparable Billy Alletzhauser of The Hiders and celebrates Cincinnati and its surrounding area. Although Empress has been available digitally for a while, the March Northside Tavern show marks the album’s vinyl release. With songs like “River City” and “Northside Blues,” this musical love letter to the Queen City is a must-have.

Night Owl plays Northside Tavern at 9 p.m. March 24. Sharp Toys and St. Mary, St. Michael will open the show. Info: northsidetav.com. (EB)

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

March 25 • Madison Theater

John Flansburgh and John Linnell have known each other for nearly five decades, devoting 40 of those years to a musical outfit called They Might Be Giants. That’s a lot of music (23 studio albums!), including their best-known effort, 1990’s Flood, a smorgasbord of slanted pop songs driven by unconventional instrumentation (including the accordion and samples of Flansburgh’s kitchen sink and refrigerator being struck with a drumstick) and lyrical themes (“Birdhouse in Your Soul” is written from the perspective of a child’s night light and features the immortal lines, “My story’s infinite/Like the Longines Symphonette”).

Delayed a few years due to the pandemic, the duo is finally celebrating Flood’s 30th anniversary with a tour that will include most of the album’s 19 songs plus a smattering from the rest of their

massive catalog.

“We weren’t really aware that this kind of ritual self-celebration thing was going to become such a strong current in rock music,” Flansburgh said in a recent interview with Big Issue. “But you know, we’re happy to celebrate ourselves. I’m just grateful that Flood is such a solid album to get behind. It’s got a lot of unusual things about it. It’s not just a bunch of bangers and a bunch of filler.”

Sure enough, a revisit of Flood reveals a record as weird and witty as ever. “Particle Man,” replete with its carnivalesque instrumentation, is a lighthearted singalong about four men with questionable intentions. “Your Racist Friend,” a rare straightforward expression of intent, relays an uncomfortable encounter with expected results (“This is where the party ends”). A playful cover of the novelty tune “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” sounds like a polka run amok, while “Whistling in the Dark” rides on Linnel’s typically affected vocal delivery and an accordiondriven arrangement accented by blaring horns. Tuneful dorkiness abounds, but that’s what set They Might Be Giants apart.

Word is the live show will include two sets of music as well as one request for the audience, per the boys’ website: “A note from John F: Can you believe it? It’s 2023 and everybody is still getting COVID. Know folks who got it last week? We do too! We got 1 request: wear a mask to our shows! Not a demand. Just a request. Just sayin’. We need to keep our shows safe! Spread the good word! It’s gonna be a blast.”

They Might Be Giants plays Madison Theater at 8 p.m. March 25. Doors open at 7 p.m. Info: madisontheater.com. (JG)

Tedward.

PHOTO: JOHN SADOWSKI

Night Owl.

PHOTO: NIKITA GROSS

CROSSWORD

Across

1. Play to the gallery

4. Busy body?

THREE THE HARD WAY

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM

10. “Yellow Dog” author Martin

14. It has contribution limits: Abbr.

15. Issues a technical

16. Boppa’s spouse

17. Our sun

18. Foil-wrapped chocolate candie

20. Maverick Dončić

22. Little songbird

23. Not at all

24. Curse word

26. King’s title

27. Have to have

28. Prepare, as some meats

32. Illinois city on the Fox River

34. Block party game?

35. Durable family vehicle, for short

36. About to be served

37. Longish time

38. Strava displays: Abbr.

39. Social reformer Dorothea

40. “I’m ___ Be (500 Miles)” (The Proclaimers hit)

41. Nukes

42. Members of a ska band

44. TV actress Majorino

45. “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” songwriter Paul

46. Spanned across

49. Like stars

52. Tours agreement

53. It sells a lot of slices

54. 2012 Kathryn Bigelow film

57. 14th letters

58. River that flows through Orsk

59. Slimy distilled coal product

60. New Wave band that also recorded as The Dukes of Stratosphear

61. Tinseltown force

62. “My Cup Runneth Over” singer

63. Three of them are represented four different ways in this puzzle

Down

1. Political divide

2. Cause of a child’s cough

3. Getting down to brass tacks

4. Degree a ways away

5. Threw

6. ___ badge

7. “Hey buddy!”

8. “What?”

9. Unfilled dates on the calendar

10. What goes here

11. Skirt to the floor

12. “Listen Like Thieves” band

13. House of ___-Coburg and Gotha

19. ___ Linda, CA

21. Suffered humiliating defeat

25. She loves cocks

26. Nescafé rival

28. Hammer parts

29. Dirty media technique designed to cause maximum anger

30. One thing

31. Discounted by

32. Ceases to be

33. Character who says “I’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee”

34. “Wednesday” star Ortega

37. Burn the midnight oil at the office

38. Big pharma div.

40. Testis, for one

41. Switch ancestor

43. Electronic musician Faltermeyer

44. Blue My Little Pony

46. Full of va-va-voom

47. Like the best of the best

48. Expanded reissue components, often

49. Blue, in Brasilia

50. Vax fluids

51. Crossword clue that leads you to the wrong answer, e.g.

52. Bhindi, in some curries

55. Cool, in the Reagan era

56. T-shirt sizes, for short

LAST PUZZLE’S ANSWERS:

Bertha G. Helmick

attorney at law

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