CityBeat | November 2-15, 2022

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MIKE BREEN

MIKE BREEN ARTS & CULTURE: MACKENZIE MANLEY

MACKENZIE MANLEY

RICK PENDER

DINING CRITIC: PAMA MITCHELL

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CONTRIBUTING

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

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

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

City Manager to Employees: If You Say the N-Word, You’re Fired

BY ALLISON BABKA

City Manager to Employees: If You Say the N-Word, You’re Fired

BY ALLISON BABKA

Cincinnati government o cials have enacted a new policy regarding city employees’ use of racial slurs after several police o cers recently used the N-word and other insults while on duty.

Cincinnati government o cials have enacted a new policy regarding city employees’ use of racial slurs after several police o cers recently used the N-word and other insults while on duty.

City manager Sheryl Long said that through a new administrative regulation, the city’s non-discrimination policy will ensure that city employees who use the slur “n*****” (a racist term for Black people, typically used disparagingly by white people) while on duty automatically will be investigated and possibly red. City employees who use other racial or ethnic slurs while on duty will be investigated, be placed on at least 40 hours of unpaid suspension and may be red.

City manager Sheryl Long said that through a new administrative regulation, the city’s non-discrimination policy will ensure that city employees who use the slur “n*****” (a racist term for Black people, typically used disparagingly by white people) while on duty automatically will be investigated and possibly red. City employees who use other racial or ethnic slurs while on duty will be investigated, be placed on at least 40 hours of unpaid suspension and may be red.

e policy went into e ect Oct. 21, though conversations about logistics such as policy distribution and employee training will continue. e policy applies to both union and nonunion city employees.

e policy went into e ect Oct. 21, though conversations about logistics such as policy distribution and employee training will continue. e policy applies to both union and nonunion city employees.

“First I want to make it clear to everyone – the city’s employees and our citizens – that the use of any hateful or hurtful language by our employees

“First I want to make it clear to everyone – the city’s employees and our citizens – that the use of any hateful or hurtful language by our employees

while they are serving the public is completely unacceptable to me,” Long said. “It is a privilege to serve our citizens, and our employees must act that way. e recent use of the N-word by multiple city employees deeply concerns me.”

while they are serving the public is completely unacceptable to me,” Long said. “It is a privilege to serve our citizens, and our employees must act that way. e recent use of the N-word by multiple city employees deeply concerns me.”

As city manager, Long has the authority to make changes to administrative regulations for city employees without the vote of Cincinnati City Council, which operates instead under the city charter. As such, council members are not required to adhere to Long’s policy, but Long noted that she held one-onone conversations with each member about her plan.

As city manager, Long has the authority to make changes to administrative regulations for city employees without the vote of Cincinnati City Council, which operates instead under the city charter. As such, council members are not required to adhere to Long’s policy, but Long noted that she held one-onone conversations with each member about her plan.

Long also collected feedback from community members during a meeting in September, not long after several Cincinnati Police Department o cers were found to have used slurs while on duty. at feedback informed portions of the new policy, Long said.

Long also collected feedback from community members during a meeting in September, not long after several Cincinnati Police Department o cers were found to have used slurs while on duty. at feedback informed portions of the new policy, Long said.

Incident consequences

N-word, Long said. Several Cincinnati Police Department o cers have used the term in various ways while on duty, including Rose Valentino, who was red after an investigation.

N-word, Long said. Several Cincinnati Police Department o cers have used the term in various ways while on duty, including Rose Valentino, who was red after an investigation.

“ e change I am making is simple,” Long said. “I am making it clear that if a city employee uses the N-word while on duty, it will be investigated no matter what. For the use of the N-word, an employee will face termination unless they can prove that their use of the word was non-discriminatory.”

“ e change I am making is simple,” Long said. “I am making it clear that if a city employee uses the N-word while on duty, it will be investigated no matter what. For the use of the N-word, an employee will face termination unless they can prove that their use of the word was non-discriminatory.”

Long said that there may be rare instances when an employee may not be red for using that slur while on duty if the employee can prove that they were not using it in a discriminatory way, noting that this allows the city to hear each case individually.

Long said that there may be rare instances when an employee may not be red for using that slur while on duty if the employee can prove that they were not using it in a discriminatory way, noting that this allows the city to hear each case individually.

Long said city employees are prohibited from using other slurs while on the job.

Long said city employees are prohibited from using other slurs while on the job.

“ e use of any other racial, ethnic or discriminatory slur or gesture by a city employee on duty will remain unacceptable,” Long said. “ ese uses will also be investigated. If the use of the word is discriminatory, the employee will face a minimum of 40 hours unpaid suspension up to the possibility of termination.”

“ e use of any other racial, ethnic or discriminatory slur or gesture by a city employee on duty will remain unacceptable,” Long said. “ ese uses will also be investigated. If the use of the word is discriminatory, the employee will face a minimum of 40 hours unpaid suspension up to the possibility of termination.”

According to an August report from CPD, o cer Kelly Drach was suspended for seven days after multiple incidents of using the slur “Sand n*****.” e cloaked phrase is often used against people who are Middle Eastern or people who appear to be Middle Eastern.

According to an August report from CPD, o cer Kelly Drach was suspended for seven days after multiple incidents of using the slur “Sand n*****.” e cloaked phrase is often used against people who are Middle Eastern or people who appear to be Middle Eastern.

Incident consequences

e policy puts the toughest punishments onto employees who use the

e policy puts the toughest punishments onto employees who use the

“For example, we recently had a case where a police o cer on an o -duty detail used the N-word when he told a drunk person to stop calling an o cer the N-word,” Long said, recalling a September incident with a Black o cer. “ e incident was investigated and the o cer was not red because the use was not hateful.”

“For example, we recently had a case where a police o cer on an o -duty detail used the N-word when he told a drunk person to stop calling an o cer the N-word,” Long said, recalling a September incident with a Black o cer. “ e incident was investigated and the o cer was not red because the use was not hateful.”

Investigators working these cases may examine the cases fully and independently without fear of retaliation from the city, Long said. Human resources director Ed Ramsey said that was a big achievement in the code language.

Investigators working these cases may examine the cases fully and independently without fear of retaliation from the city, Long said. Human resources director Ed Ramsey said that was a big achievement in the code language.

“We have to comply with our contractual obligations with the unions and create an environment where we

“We have to comply with our contractual obligations with the unions and create an environment where we

Cincinnati City Hall has less tolerance for racists these days.

PHOTO: JESSE FOX

have fair and thorough investigations that lead to progressive discipline – the same process for everybody and if in rare instances where it calls for mitigating circumstances, then we may have some di erent outcomes,” Ramsey said. “I’d also like to say that I’m particularly happy with the part where we’ve insulated our investigators from the chain of command.”

have fair and thorough investigations that lead to progressive discipline – the same process for everybody and if in rare instances where it calls for mitigating circumstances, then we may have some di erent outcomes,” Ramsey said. “I’d also like to say that I’m particularly happy with the part where we’ve insulated our investigators from the chain of command.”

Iris Roley, the city’s collaborative agreement sustainability consultant, said that o cials had previously talked about a zero-tolerance policy for hateful slurs. She asked Long, Ramsey and city solicitor Emily Woerner why that had changed and why the N-word seemed to draw more intense consequences than other slurs.

Iris Roley, the city’s collaborative agreement sustainability consultant, said that o cials had previously talked about a zero-tolerance policy for hateful slurs. She asked Long, Ramsey and city solicitor Emily Woerner why that had changed and why the N-word seemed to draw more intense consequences than other slurs.

“ e N-word has been the problem word. I mean, if you look back to the majority of the disciplines that we’ve had and the things that you’ve seen on the news, it has been because of the use of the N-word,” Long replied. “We had this conversation and honestly, the [number of] terms [slurs] that are out there that some people could use [o ensively] is so massive that we wanted to talk about the situation at hand, and it has been the N-word.”

“ e N-word has been the problem word. I mean, if you look back to the majority of the disciplines that we’ve had and the things that you’ve seen on the news, it has been because of the use of the N-word,” Long replied. “We had this conversation and honestly, the [number of] terms [slurs] that are out there that some people could use [o ensively] is so massive that we wanted to talk about the situation at hand, and it has been the N-word.”

“And to make it clear, while we’re focusing on the N-word to highlight that that will lead to a presumption of termination. e use of any other racial slur depending on the circumstances can still result in termination,” Woerner said. “So the N-word is an automatic presumption of termination. All others, it would be a minimum of a 40-hour unpaid suspension up to a termination, depending on the facts.”

“And to make it clear, while we’re focusing on the N-word to highlight that that will lead to a presumption of termination. e use of any other racial slur depending on the circumstances can still result in termination,” Woerner said. “So the N-word is an automatic presumption of termination. All others, it would be a minimum of a 40-hour unpaid suspension up to a termination, depending on the facts.”

Roley suggested including language requiring a review of the policy’s e ectiveness a year from rollout. Long said she would take it under advisement.

Roley suggested including language requiring a review of the policy’s e ectiveness a year from rollout. Long said she would take it under advisement.

Union pushback

will continue to review the policy and address concerns.

“I’d just like to add about pushback and resistance, yes, we will absolutely get some from the unions because it is their job to defend all employees even when they know they are wrong, just as a public defender may defend a guilty person for things like process and things like that,” Ramsey said.

will continue to review the policy and address concerns.

“I’d just like to add about pushback and resistance, yes, we will absolutely get some from the unions because it is their job to defend all employees even when they know they are wrong, just as a public defender may defend a guilty person for things like process and things like that,” Ramsey said.

“ e unions absolutely have to defend anybody we charge. It doesn’t mean they agree with the underlying action, but it does mean that they have to do their job.”

“ e unions absolutely have to defend anybody we charge. It doesn’t mean they agree with the underlying action, but it does mean that they have to do their job.”

Ramsey said that unions represent about 80% of the city’s employees.

Ramsey said that unions represent about 80% of the city’s employees.

“ ere is one union that did ask for a little bit more discussion, and I will have that discussion with them,”

Ohio Jewish Rabbis React to State Expert Offering ‘Christian Understanding’ of Abortion Law

BY MADELINE FENING

Ohio Jewish Rabbis React to State Expert Offering ‘Christian Understanding’ of Abortion Law

BY MADELINE FENING

Long said that some employees may have issues with the new code language. Ramsey added that unions

Union pushback

Long said that some employees may have issues with the new code language. Ramsey added that unions

“ ere is one union that did ask for a little bit more discussion, and I will have that discussion with them,” Ramsay said. “But there will be some education of the sta required. We’ll have to send it out citywide, talk to people and probably do some train ing for 6,000 employees. [ at] may take quite some time, but it’s the kind of training that we need to be doing routinely anyways.”

Ramsay said. “But there will be some education of the sta required. We’ll have to send it out citywide, talk to people and probably do some train ing for 6,000 employees. [ at] may take quite some time, but it’s the kind of training that we need to be doing routinely anyways.”

Ramsey is working with other departments to plan and facilitate training on the new policy. Training will focus on legal compliance and creating a less discriminatory environ ment overall.

Ramsey is working with other departments to plan and facilitate training on the new policy. Training will focus on legal compliance and creating a less discriminatory environ ment overall.

Police adherence

“It doesn’t go unnoticed by me or anybody on this call, I’m sure, that the police department speci cally has had three instances of racial slurs being used by on-duty o cers within the last six months,” CPD interim police chief Teresa eetge said. “ ere’s a lot of things I can defend with [what] an o cer does or says, but the use of a racial slur is not one of them.”

Police adherence

“It doesn’t go unnoticed by me or anybody on this call, I’m sure, that the police department speci cally has had three instances of racial slurs being used by on-duty o cers within the last six months,” CPD interim police chief Teresa eetge said. “ ere’s a lot of things I can defend with [what] an o cer does or says, but the use of a racial slur is not one of them.”

eetge talked about the “higher standard” that police and other rst responders must meet to earn the public’s trust.

eetge talked about the “higher standard” that police and other rst responders must meet to earn the public’s trust.

“We say to our o cers all the time from day one, police are held to a higher standard. We carry a tremen dous amount of authority by the posi tions that we hold, and so they have to be held to a higher standard,” eetge said.

“We say to our o cers all the time from day one, police are held to a higher standard. We carry a tremen dous amount of authority by the posi tions that we hold, and so they have to be held to a higher standard,” eetge said.

Ramsey said that the Cincinnati Police Department will receive training on the new policy, but that the logistics haven’t been determined as of press time.

Ramsey said that the Cincinnati Police Department will receive training on the new policy, but that the logistics haven’t been determined as of press time.

eetge said that CPD currently is required to have three CPT – or con tinued professional training – days per year, with the state of Ohio often dic tating what must be covered. She said that she will work with Ramsey, the police academy and others to institute non-discrimination topics into those training hours.

eetge said that CPD currently is required to have three CPT – or con tinued professional training – days per year, with the state of Ohio often dic tating what must be covered. She said that she will work with Ramsey, the police academy and others to institute non-discrimination topics into those training hours.

PHOTO: GAYATRI MALHOTRA, UNSPLASH

In a battle that has long ebbed between science and religion, Republicans in Ohio have begun using explicitly Christian rationale to try and limit abortion care access for everyone in the state.

In a battle that has long ebbed between science and religion, Republicans in Ohio have begun using explicitly Christian rationale to try and limit abortion care access for everyone in the state.

During an Oct. 7 hearing in a Hamilton County Court, Judge Christian Jenkins ruled to inde nitely block the state of Ohio’s six-week abortion ban.

During an Oct. 7 hearing in a Hamilton County Court, Judge Christian Jenkins ruled to inde nitely block the state of Ohio’s six-week abortion ban.

In the case Preterm Cleveland v. Dave Yost, Jenkins heard testimony from doctors on both sides (Ohio attorney general Dave Yost is a Republican). Preterm Cleveland, made up of a large network of Ohio abortion providers, put forth a University of Maryland doctor with three decades of working with high-risk pregnancies, while the state brought up a retired Cedarville

In the case Preterm Cleveland v. Dave Yost, Jenkins heard testimony from doctors on both sides (Ohio attorney general Dave Yost is a Republican). Preterm Cleveland, made up of a large network of Ohio abortion providers, put forth a University of Maryland doctor with three decades of working with high-risk pregnancies, while the state brought up a retired Cedarville

University biomedical ethics professor who called abortion a violation of those ethics.

University biomedical ethics professor who called abortion a violation of those ethics.

e state’s witness, Dr. Dennis Sullivan – who recently retired from the Christian college as a professor of pharmacy practice and director of the center for bioethics – told the court he had no OB/GYN training or experience and that he’d never witnessed an abortion being performed.

e state’s witness, Dr. Dennis Sullivan – who recently retired from the Christian college as a professor of pharmacy practice and director of the center for bioethics – told the court he had no OB/GYN training or experience and that he’d never witnessed an abortion being performed.

Still, he testi ed for the state that his research into “personhood” supports his belief that life begins at conception. at research, a scholarly article on “human embryo metaphysics,” says the idea that humans’ “intrinsic value” begins at conception “is crucial to the most prominent Christian understanding of human dignity.”

Still, he testi ed for the state that his research into “personhood” supports his belief that life begins at conception. at research, a scholarly article on “human embryo metaphysics,” says the idea that humans’ “intrinsic value” begins at conception “is crucial to the most prominent Christian understanding of human dignity.”

The Jewish and Catholic faiths see abortion differently, rabbis say.

“We say to our officers all the time from day one, police are held to a higher standard. We carry a tremendous amount of authority by the positions that we hold, and so they have to be held to a higher standard.”

The Jewish and Catholic faiths see abortion differently, rabbis say.

PHOTO: GAYATRI MALHOTRA, UNSPLASH

“We say to our officers all the time from day one, police are held to a higher standard. We carry a tremendous amount of authority by the positions that we hold, and so they have to be held to a higher standard.”

at use of the phrase “Christian understanding” is enough to make Rabbi Lindsey Danziger feel that the state of Ohio may be teetering on imposing a single religious viewpoint on its citizens.

“Bringing in a Christian theologian I think makes it pretty clear it’s a Christian viewpoint of when life starts,” Danziger told CityBeat. “It’s not the Jewish viewpoint.”

CityBeat could not reach Sullivan for comment by press time.

Danziger is the lead organizer for the Ohio Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC_OH). e Religious Action Center includes sta members organizing Jewish communi ties in California, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Texas and Washington, D.C.

roughout Ohio, Danziger brings together Reform congregations to organize on behalf of social justice issues.

RAC_OH led an amicus brief in Pre term Cleveland v. Dave Yost when the case was brought up on a state level.

“When it was on the state level, we did work on an amicus brief in support of those providers because we believe it violates our religious freedom and violates the establishment clause,” Danziger said.

Abortion in Judaism

Once the lawsuit was moved from the state supreme court to Hamilton County an amicus brief could no longer be led. But Danziger said RAC_OH’s support for Ohio abortion providers still stands and that a ban on abortions at the detection of a fetal heartbeat (medical experts say that this is not an actual heartbeat, but rather sporadic electrical utters) is inherently at odds with the Jewish faith.

“Jewish tradition teaches that life begins and ends with breath. Life starts with the rst breath and ends with your last breath,” Danziger said. “ e word in Hebrew for breath, nephesh, is the same as the word for soul. at being said, a fetus in Jewish legal tradition isn’t not a life, but it’s not a life – it’s kind of something in between a life and not a life, it’s a potential life.”

Multiple anti-abortion bills in the Ohio legislature o er very narrow exceptions for the health of the patient. Danziger said the Jewish view of abortion strongly accounts for the life of the pregnant person.

“ ere’s a lot of examples in Jewish law that a fetus is treated di erently than a human life, to the extent that Jewish tradition teaches that if a pregnant individual’s life is in danger it’s not just permitted but it’s commanded to terminate the pregnancy,” Danziger said. “I think it’s really problematic as someone who is not a Christian if the

state is establishing a religion, that is against the constitution.”

But some experts in Judaism say that years of incremental Christianitycentric legislation may actually herald something di erent now. Rabbi Noah Ferro is part of the Northern Hills Synagogue in Mason. He theorizes the state’s current choice to use Sullivan’s Christianity-based testimony in place of a doctor with actual OBGYN experience is actually a sign of rising secularism, not Christian-based politics.

“I don’t think we have the sense that we are poised for some sort of dissent into a sort of dark age for religious equality in our country,” Ferro said. ” is may be a part of a larger process of demographic change, the death throes of religion and religiosity as completely normative and widespread in our culture. I think if you’re looking at population studies, that’s something that they seem to suggest: that, by and large, more Americans – especially young Americans – fall into that category of the ‘nones’, those who don’t identify as having any particular religious identity.”

Legal action

Danziger doesn’t yet know if legal action from the Jewish community is on its way in Ohio, but she points to cases in Florida, Indiana and Kentucky in which Jewish people are suing the state for infringing on religious freedom by attempting to ban abortions.

“ ey say as Jewish women, it infringes on their religious freedom to deal with their pregnancies in a way that is consistent with their faith beliefs,” Danziger said. “As Rabbis and clergy and spiritual leaders, Ohio’s abortion law really gets in the way of our ability to advise our congregants and those coming to us seeking council on Jewish law and tradition that is consistent with our faith beliefs and traditions.”

Danziger emphasizes that she is a Reform Rabbi and that not all Jewish people share the exact same views on abortion, though PEW Research data indicates the vast majority of the nation’s Jewish population is in favor of abortion care access in all or most cases. e same research also shows the majority of Orthodox Christians and Catholics are in favor maintaining abortion care access, though the margins are slimmer.

Ohio attorney general Dave Yost’s o ce announced plans to appeal the decision from Judge Jenkins on Oct. 13, saying they have the support of Gov. Mike DeWine. Neither Yost’s o ce or DeWine’s o ce have responded to CityBeat’s requests for comment on the appeal or on the state’s choice to include testimony from Sullivan.

Former Pitcher Bronson Arroyo Talks Curveballs, Grunge Music upon Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Induction Announcement

BY ALLISON BABKA

The 2023 Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame induction ceremony will feature a bit of guitar, if Bronson Arroyo has anything to say –or sing – about it.

“As long as we can make it work out logistically, yeah, we’re going to do it,” Arroyo – who’s both a retired pitcher and a musician – told CityBeat

e Reds announced Oct. 27 that Arroyo will be inducted into the franchise’s hall of fame as part of the 2023 class. Arroyo was selected via ballot from fans, former Reds players and media members, press materials said.

e 45-year-old Arroyo moved from reliever to starter early in his professional career and spent eight consecutive seasons with the Reds between 2006 and 2013. He followed that up with a nal season in Cincinnati in 2017 before retiring from the game.

During his time in the big leagues, Arroyo was a reliable, durable workhorse – an innings eater and shutout machine. As a Red, he pitched more than 200 innings in every season except for two, even nabbing 240 2/3 innings in 2006. Other than in 2017, he pitched at least 30 games per season while in Cincinnati.

Over his entire Reds career, Arroyo tossed 1,157 strikeouts – something just ve other pitchers for the club have done. Except for 2017, Arroyo threw more than 120 strikeouts per Reds season.

Pitching’s future

Arroyo had at least four go-to pitches – slider, changeup, fastball and curveball – that served him well, but the pitching game has changed since his heyday, he said. Arroyo noted that today’s pitchers typically rely on fastballs and sliders rather than carrying a full arsenal of pitches.

“I think we’ve caught a two-, three-, four-, ve-year gap right now where it’s been nothing but pure velocity – 95-100 [MPH] – and mostly all those guys only have the ability to throw a slider o that fastball,” Arroyo said. “ e days of a guy who can throw a nice bigger

breaking ball and a little bit of a changeup and kind of cut it and sink it a little bit, some of that stu has been completely absent from the game.”

at may change soon, he said.

“I believe the pendulum is going to swing back here very shortly. I don’t believe that 95-100 [MPH] with just a slider and not being able to throw a strike with your second ary pitch most of the time is going to survive the next 10 years,” Arroyo said.

e retired starter noted that Cin cinnati’s young pitchers – namely Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcroft – already are doing well and likely will continue to improve with experience.

“It takes a certain amount of time to establish yourself in the game. Once you’ve done that with one way that you can beat the hitters, then everyone in the league is going to adjust to you if you’re good enough,” Arroyo said. “When they make that next adjustment, if you solidify yourself on that second turnaround and say, ‘I’m still here, I can still give you quality starts, I can still do 12-plus games every year,’ then I think you’re seasoned enough to say, ‘Hey, I’m an established major-league player.’”

“I don’t think those guys are quite over the hump yet, [but] I really like physically what I’m seeing from them. ey battle, they’ve got good demeanor, they’re not ustered out on the mound or having starts where they’re getting roughed up, so that’s all a good sign,” Arroyo continued.

“But I think it’s going to take all of next year and maybe into that next one to really put a stamp on some of these guys and say, ‘Hey, that’s a front-line major-league starter, and he’s going to be here for a while.’”

Arroyo knows what he’s talking about. As a strikeout and nesse pitcher, Arroyo pitched his way out of plenty of jams with a good changeup or curveball. He threw for a number of teams other than the Reds, most notably the Boston Red Sox, with whom he won a World Series in 2004.

A Cincinnati home

When Arroyo was traded from

Boston to Cincinnati in 2006, he wasn’t thrilled.

“I don’t know if there’s been a moment in my life that’s probably been lower than that phone call that [then-general manager and execu tive vice president for Boston] eo Epstein gave me,” Arroyo confessed. “ ree years in, you win a World Series in such a special place in Bos ton, and I really was entrenched there and was looking forward to doing that for the next six or seven years. And for him to pull the plug on me just [was] completely unexpected. It was a huge downer.”

Arroyo said that moving to Cincin nati for the trade was di cult.

“I remember coming to Cincinnati and that rst night trying to nd my way through Mount Adams, which was almost impossible without GPS back then,” Arroyo said. “We [the Reds] didn’t have a chiropractor. We

didn’t have a masseuse at the time.

ere were a lot of things that felt like I was moving backwards in the game, you know?”

He found his footing, though, thanks to a solid start with the Reds. Arroyo won four of his ve starts in April 2006, posting a 2.34 ERA with 30 strikeouts over 34.2 innings.

“It probably took me, I’d say, the rst three months of that rst season in ‘06 to really stop watch ing Red Sox games and feel like I was really part of that Reds lineup,”

Arroyo says. “I feel very fortunate that I got o to a good start, to have people enjoy and love me right out of the gate and not be like, ‘Wow, we traded for this guy and he hasn’t done anything for us.’ Once I real ized it was a smaller town, it really t the bill for me a bit better than a bigger town like Boston. It’s been a joy ever since.”

Music’s power

Arroyo retired from MLB in 2017 after being sidelined with elbow trouble, but his foray into music came long before that. In 2005, Arroyo released Covering the Bases, an album of covers that were originally performed by popular ‘90s grunge and alt-rock bands like Alice in Chains, Foo Fighters and Toad the Wet Sprocket. e ‘90s o ered an in uential era of music, he said, noting that he also listened to acts like Counting Crows, Dave Matthews Band, Bush and Hootie and the Blow sh.

“If you rewind to the beginning of [my] career, 1995 was kind of the heyday after Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and Nirvana had hit as I come out of high school,” Arroyo said. “And so I’m carting 100 CDs around the minor leagues.”

Arroyo, who plays guitar and sings, said that the music motivated him.

“ ese records are so infused in me. It feels like part of your life in a lot of ways and part of a fuel and a driving force – not only for your workouts, but for the reason you get up in the morning and go play baseball and grind around the country not making a lot of money,” Arroyo said.

Arroyo will be inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in July during pre-game ceremonies plus a formal gala. But there’s no way he’ll have the experience without music, he said.

“I thought about this for a while because I’ve been to a handful of these inductions, and I can remem ber sitting there. It feels like a gala, it feels like a show,” Arroyo said. “I have no doubt that I could just stand up there and talk and make it interesting, but I feel in my heart of hearts that bringing the music, infused in there – it wouldn’t be complete [without music].”

Bronson Arroyo will be inducted into the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum in 2023.

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY CINCINNATI REDS

MIDTERM ELECTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE VITAL TO shaping the city, region, state and country, but they typically don’t involve tons of drama.

That has changed for the 2022 general election, though. In the wake of 2020’s political throwdown and baseless election fraud accusations, the current crop of politicians is doubling down on contention. Will their efforts spur more voters to go to the polls? Traditional midterm turnout says no, but this year looks a lot different for a variety of reasons.

In the Nov. 8 general election, Ohioans will vote under the state’s new district maps, which the Ohio Supreme Court has repeatedly deemed unconstitutional due to their unfairly favoring Republicans over Democrats. A series of actions have led to the state being forced to use the maps anyway, and that directly affects a district’s candidates, issues, voter resources and political power.

The election under the new maps will feature major races like those for state governor, attorney general, auditor, secretary of state, state supreme court justices, U.S. senators, state senators and state district representatives. Local races for county commissioner, auditor, clerk of courts and judges also are in contention (contact the board of elections in your county for a full list).

On these pages, CityBeat has highlighted a few of the major races and issues that local voters will be considering. But Ohio voters don’t have to wait for election day on Nov. 8 to make their voices heard — early voting options are available now.

CINCINNATI’S GUIDE TO THE MAJOR LOCAL AND STATE RACES

BY CITYBEAT STAFF

IF PASSED, ISSUE 11 COULD REIN IN CINCINNATI MAYORAL POWER

BY MADELINE FENING

CINCINNATI VOTERS will decide on Nov. 8 how much power they want the mayor of the city to wield.

Issue 11 would eliminate the mayor’s “pocket veto,” the loophole in a charter amendment that allows the mayor of Cincinnati to postpone legislation indenitely without discussion from Cincinnati City Council.

If passed, the mayor would have to refer legislation to the proper committee within four scheduled meetings of it being led — about four weeks. e head of that committee would then be required to place the legislation on the agenda for any of the subsequent four meetings, which could take up to eight weeks. e

legislation then would leave committee and go to the full council, again within the span of four scheduled meetings.

Previously, the mayor was permitted to simply fail to pass the legislation to committee, stopping the whole process.

Cincinnati has seen the loophole used in the past. Mayor Mark Mallory used the pocket veto in 2006 to block a vote on making his o ce budget bear the expense for the mayor’s bodyguard.

In theory, current mayor Aftab Pureval would lose some power if Issue 11 is passed. But it was Pureval, himself, who proposed the change in September, along with council members Mark Jeffreys and Je Cramerding.

“Eliminating the pocket veto is a meaningful action to ensure that all legislation a ecting our residents is considered in a clear, transparent and fair manner,” Pureval tells CityBeat “With this amendment, we are creating an explicit process that myself and all our city leaders — from now into the future — would be held accountable to. I’m proud that we are demonstrating our active commitment to a government that works for the people, rather than holding onto our own power.”

Ballot language: Shall the Charter of the City of Cincinnati be amended to provide that the Mayor is required to assign a legislative matter to the appropriate committee by the fourth regularly scheduled meeting of council following the date the legislative matter was submitted to the clerk of council; that if the Mayor does not assign a legislative matter within that time, the Clerk of Council shall assign it to the appropriate committee; that each legislative matter

assigned to a committee shall be placed by the committee chair on the agenda no later than the fourth regularly scheduled committee meeting after referral unless the legislative sponsor of the ordinance grants an extension of time to the clerk of council in writing; that upon approval of a legislative matter by a committee, the Mayor shall be required to place such legislation on the Council agenda for passage by no later than the fourth regular meeting following such committee approval; and that motions and non-legislative resolutions may be assigned by the Mayor to the appropriate committee or may be immediately considered by council if (1) the Mayor places the motion or non-legislative resolution on the Council calendar for immediate consideration or (2) upon the vote of two-thirds of the members of Council in favor of immediate consideration of the motion or non-legislative resolution, by amending Article III, Section 2 of the Cincinnati Charter?

HOW TO CAST YOUR VOTE

BY ALLISON BABKA

OHIO’S NOV. 8 general election is coming up quickly, and the routine shuffling of districts, polling places and election regulations can leave voters looking for resources.

REGISTERING TO VOTE

To cast a ballot on Nov. 8, Ohio voters must have registered by Oct. 11, or at least 30 days prior to the election. Voters may confirm their registration at voteohio.gov or at a county board of elections office.

Ohioans can register to vote in future elections at the same URL. Elections in 2023 include the May 2 primary and special election (register by April 3), the Aug. 8 special election (register by July 10) and the Nov. 7 general election (register by Oct. 9).

QUALIFYING TO VOTE

To vote in the Buckeye State on Nov. 8, Ohioans must be at least 18 years old on or before the election, have been an Ohio resident for at least 30 days before the election, have a state driver’s license or identification card and have a Social Security number (only U.S. citizens may vote). People who had been incarcerated for a felony must re-register to vote. A full list of qualifications is available on the secretary of state website, ohiosos.gov

VOTING EARLY BY MAIL OR IN PERSON

Registered voters may cast early ballots at their county board of elections office or by mail (absentee voting) through Nov. 7, the day before the election.

To vote by mail, qualified voters must request an absentee ballot by noon Nov. 5. Completed ballots must

be postmarked by Nov. 7, and the county election board must receive them by mail before Nov. 18. Voters also can drop off absentee ballots in person to their county election board by 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8.

Ohioans also can vote in person prior to election day at their county election board. In Hamilton County, the BOE is located at 4700 Smith Road and offers extended and weekend hours leading up to the Nov. 8 election. Find more information about voting in Hamilton County at votehamiltoncountyohio gov, and find information for voting anywhere in Ohio at voteohio.gov

VOTING ON ELECTION DAY

There are many polling sites throughout the county, but Ohioans must head to the one they’ve been assigned; find that in Hamilton County at votehamiltoncountyohio.gov or anywhere in the state at voteohio.gov. There are options for voters with disabilities or those who need other assistance.

Polls will be open for in-person voting 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. on Nov. 8. Anyone in line at 7:30 p.m. still will be able to cast a ballot no matter what time they end up in the voting booth.

ACCEPTED IDENTIFICATION

Ohio requires voters to show identification at the polls. For many voters, that means a state driver’s license or ID card. Items like utility bills and payroll checks may be used if they’re up to date. Most identification is required to show a voter’s current address, but those holding ID with a previous address still may be able to vote provisionally. Ohioans with concerns about voting can file complaints with the secretary of state at ohiosos.gov

MIDDLETOWN RESIDENTS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON J.D. VANCE

BY MADELINE FENING

SUMMING UP what the people of Middletown think of J.D. Vance is complicated. e author, venture capitalist and U.S. Senate candidate has built a platform and fortune on his experience growing up in Middletown, just outside of Cincinnati, but both fans and opponents di er on how he re ects upon the small city.

Middletown was thrust into the national spotlight in 2016 after Vance published Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir Of A Family And Culture in Crisis and then again in 2020 with the release of Net ix’s lm adaptation. Critical reception for both was mixed; some thought the story was exploitative, others inspiring.

On a chilly September evening, CityBeat attended the Middletown homecoming football game to ask Middies — a moniker for a person from Middletown schools — what J.D. Vance meant to them, just weeks before he would take on Democrat Tim Ryan for Ohio’s U.S. Senate seat that Rob Portman soon will vacate.

Amidst a setting sun, the smell of popcorn and the booming sounds of the Middie marching band, Krista Owens was surrounded by friends from her high school class of ‘82.

“It’s the most wonderful tribe ever,” Owens said. “High school was incredible because of the tribe I was given.”

Owens says she didn’t think Vance had any Middie pride, but she didn’t fault him for it. She said his upbringing was just di erent from hers.

“I read [Hillbilly Elegy]. I thought it was pretty good,” Owens told CityBeat. “I thought that it did speak to the way it was and helped me understand a lot, not only about my family — which was so di erent from his, of course — but other people’s families that I didn’t completely get until after that book.”

A woman who declined to provide her name to CityBeat said Vance did not act responsibly in his depiction of Middletown as a struggling city in the novel.

“I don’t think he understands Middletown at all,” she said. “Middletown needs more people that believe in the town and what they’re trying to build. Just because he wrote a book doesn’t mean he has the same kind of idealism of a lot of people that live here and want to be here do.”

Another Middie declined to provide her name to CityBeat, but she was clear about where she worked.

“I’ve seen one J.D. Vance sign in Middletown yards, and I drive a school bus!” she said. “I personally think people feel insulted by the book — not so much by the movie, but

de nitely the book — so a lot of people are not really in favor of him.”

Chick Fromfelder was not impressed with Hillbilly Elegy, he said.

“I thought it was like a fth-grader had written it, like it was never edited,” he said. “As far as a candidate, he is a Republican. A lot of people are going to, I believe, hold their nose and vote for him. I think he’s changed his position on some views, and that bothers some people.”

Fromfelder’s wife did not have an opinion on the book, but she believed that a Republican should be holding the seat Vance is running for.

“I just think we need a Republican senator from Ohio. Don’t know much about his background,” she said.

In contrast, Mike Takach was personally familiar with Vance’s background. He said he’d witnessed the challenges that Vance chronicles in his memoir rsthand.

“I worked with his granddad and I worked with his dad,” Takach said. “It’s a sad story, to be honest. It’s about when this town started to go downhill, it’s all about drugs. I mean, it’s happening all over. His granddad was a great guy, I worked with him for 40 years. It’s the same thing that started happening back then is happening all over.”

Talia Fuentes, a sophomore at Middletown High School, grew up near Barnitz Stadium where Middletown has played its football games since 1950. Sitting in the stands of the paint-chipped yet sturdy cement-block stadium, Fuentes yelled her thoughts on Vance over the sounds of students cheering.

“I don’t think [Vance] should only de ne Middletown as a bad place because there’s a lot of creativity and diversity here,” Fuentes said. “Everyone gets along for the most part.”

Terry Shores has taught middle school history in Middletown for decades. He said Vance has the trust of only a segment of Middletown.

“I feel like he highlights certain things about Middletown to advance a certain narrative for his bene t,” Shores said. “He’s made us the poster child for everything that’s gone wrong with America. A city that once was thriving and now has fallen on hard times, so I don’t think the nation looks at Middletown in a positive light because of his portrayal.”

Many of the people CityBeat approached claimed they did not know who J.D. Vance was.

[Disclosure: CityBeat’s news reporter grew up in Middletown.]

IN THEIR OWN WORDS Candidates Suggest Why Voters Should Choose Them

In October, CityBeat sent questions to pairs of candidates in several key local and state elections.

Candidates in each race received the same series of questions, the same instructions for completing and returning their answers, and the same deadlines for publication. CityBeat began with known campaign or employment email addresses and followed up with private social media messages, phone calls and/or texts, depending on what was available.

Responses from the candidates are below and are in their own words (answers may have been lightly condensed for space). Not all candidates replied to CityBeat’s requests.

Governor

Mike DeWine, a Republican, has been Ohio’s governor since January 2019. His reelection is being challenged by Nan Whaley, a Democrat who is the former mayor of Dayton.

MIKE DEWINE mikedewine.com

What is the foremost issue affecting Ohio?

My goal is to transform Ohio into a state that identifies and treats mental health problems and addiction at their earliest onset to lessen the chances of life-long challenges. I am proud of the work we have started with the Ohio General Assembly. We are helping struggling families get better access to addiction and mental health treatment to help children and adults live up to their full potential.

What role should parents and communities play in the planning of public school curricula?

I believe every parent should have the right to decide what is best for his or her child’s education. Education is a great

Middletown residents – and voters – gather during the Middletown High School Homecoming game in September 2022.

equalizer. It provides children with the opportunity to grow and learn so that they can achieve their version of the American Dream — whatever that might be. I am working to ensure that every child has access to a good education and will work hand-in-hand with teachers, parents and school leaders.

What is the best way to integrate renewable energy into Ohio’s job market?

Ohio is blessed with an abundance of natural resources to produce sustain able sources of energy — from natural gas to renewables. My administration has embraced an all-of-the-above energy strategy to ensure reliable, affordable energy is available to all Ohioans. I signed Senate Bill 52, which provides county com missioners and other local elected officials with greater oversight of renewable power generation within their communities.

What do you believe is the state’s role in individual healthcare decisions and access?

We have made major progress in expanding access to healthcare, but we must grow our behavioral health workforce, increase research and innovation, and build a community capacity for care that offers better crisis response services and treat ment and increased prevention efforts. We are working with the Ohio General Assem bly to make significant investments across the state. The limited role of government should ensure safety and protect every patient’s most fundamental care.

What is the first item on your to-do list if you were to take office?

Ohio is a great state, but there remain gaps in access to opportunity for too many, especially children. We must remove barriers to success. We’re investing in people and places so that everyone, wherever they live in Ohio, can get a good paying job and have access to the resources they need to succeed. We are making significant investments to create vibrant Ohio communities, whether that be through water and sewer funding and H20hio, gaining better access to mental health services, closing the digital divide through Broadband Ohio, or investing in grants to help revitalize Appalachia.

we’ve lost our way. For too long, our state government has been looking out for donors and special interests — not Ohio families. The only way we fix this is with fresh leadership. As governor, I’ll fight for your pay to go up, your bills to go down and for your state government to finally work for you. That’s how we make Ohio a place where every family can thrive and where people come for opportunity.

What role should parents and communities play in the planning of public school curricula?

Every Ohioan deserves and needs a good quality education, but for too long this hasn’t been the case.Years of Republican cuts to education spending has left us with a situation where local communities have to raise taxes to pay for better schools. It’s the responsibility of the state to provide a quality public education in all communities regardless of their income. As governor, I’d make that a priority. At the same time, local leaders and parents know what’s best for their communities.

What is the best way to integrate renewable energy into Ohio’s job market?

As governor I’ll clean up the corruption of the DeWine Administration and fully repeal the awful HB6 that gutted Ohio’s renewable energy industry. It’s time our state finally prioritizes protecting our envi ronment and supporting clean energy. Ohio has always been a leader in new technol ogy and my energy and environmental plan will ensure that Ohio once again leads the nation in building the future by investing in the renewable energy industry.

What do you believe is the state’s role in individual healthcare decisions and access?

Unlike Governor DeWine’s government mandates regarding abortion, I believe that these personal healthcare decisions should be left to a woman and her doctor. We are already seeing the awful impact of Mike DeWine’s abortion ban. As I travel around the state, I’ve talked to nurses and doctors who have been forced to consult their law yers before giving their patients the care they need thanks to ambiguity in the law. This is unacceptable and dangerous.

What is the first item on your to-do list if you were to take office?

Senate seat, which soon will be vacated by Rob Portman. Vance, who was endorsed by former president Donald Trump, was raised 30 miles north of Cincinnati in Middletown. Ryan has served 10 terms in the U.S. House, representing Ohio’s 13th district.

What do you believe is the state’s role in individual healthcare decisions and access?

The last thing Ohioans need is the government interfering in private healthcare decisions. Whether we’re talking about reproductive freedom or healthcare access, I’ve fought for Ohioans to make the choices that are best for them and their families. I’m an original co-sponsor of legislation to protect women’s reproductive freedom and am also working to expand Medicare and create a public healthcare option for those who want it.

J.D. VANCE jdvance.com

CityBeat reached out to Vance multiple times and did not receive a response by press time.

What is the first item on your to-do list if you were to take office?

Rising costs of everyday necessities like groceries and gas are hitting working Ohio ans hard. We need an immediate middleclass tax cut to put more money in people’s pockets while Congress addresses the long-term issues by reshoring manufactur ing and reinvesting in our communities. Working-class Ohioans should not bear the brunt of inflation. As a senator, I’ll make sure they receive a meaningful tax cut while the wealthiest pay their fair share.

TIM RYAN timforoh.com

What is the foremost issue affecting Ohio?

We must address rising inflation. In the short run, we need a permanent workingclass tax cut to put money in the pockets of Ohio families. We also need to end supply chain disruptions and create more good-paying union jobs. I’ll fight like hell to reinvest at home, crack down on companies that ship jobs overseas, reward those creating jobs here and stand firm against unfair trade policies.

What role should parents and communities play in the planning of public school curricula?

As a dad, I want to know what’s happen ing in my kids’ school. As the husband of a longtime public school teacher, I know it takes all of us, parents, teachers and our communities to support our students in and out of the classroom. What we shouldn’t be doing is pitting parents against teachers when the best way forward is working together to help our kids succeed.

1st District

Republican Steve Chabot is running for reelection as the incumbent U.S. representative for Ohio’s 1st congressional district — which largely encompasses Cincinnati — and has held the position since 2011. Democrat Greg Landsman, a Cincinnati City Council member of five years, is challenging Chabot for the title.

STEVE CHABOT stevechabot.com

CityBeat reached out to Chabot multiple times and did not receive a response by press time.

NAN WHALEY

nanwhaley.com

What is the foremost issue affecting Ohio?

Ohio has always been a place for opportunity and ingenuity, but under decades of one-party rule and rampant corruption,

As governor, I’ll support and help pass a ballot initiative to codify Roe v. Wade in the Ohio Constitution. This is a critical time for reproductive rights in Ohio. We know that Governor DeWine wants to “go as far as [he] can” in prohibiting abortion. We must fight against these invasions of privacy and for abortion access [for] Ohio women.

U.S. Senate

Republican J.D. Vance is running against Democrat Tim Ryan to fill Ohio’s open U.S.

What is the best way to integrate renewable energy into Ohio’s job market?

Cutting workers in on the deal means recognizing that combating climate change and prioritizing renewable energy go hand-in-hand with rebuilding our economy. I’m excited to see Ohio companies and Ohio workers lead the way building solar panels, electric vehicles and the batteries and charging stations that power them, and I’m working to make sure we build on this progress so Ohio workers can dominate in clean manufacturing.

GREG LANDSMAN landsmanforcongress.com

What is the foremost issue affecting Ohio?

We have to make it easier to raise a family. That starts with getting costs down and wages up. It also means making

Ohio a place that families want to be. We have to restore reproductive rights, repair our infrastructure and invest in our children and schools.

What will you do differently or better than your opponent?

Chabot voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election. I will vote to protect our democracy. Chabot voted against codifying the rights to abortion, contraception and same-sex marriage. I would vote to protect these rights. Chabot voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill that would replace the Brent Spence Bridge. I will vote to improve our roads and bridges. Chabot repeatedly votes against efforts to raise wages and cut costs. I will vote to lower costs and increase wages because we have to make it easier to raise a family.

In what specific ways will you affirm and support LGBTQIA+ residents within your district and throughout Ohio?

I will vote to pass the Equality Act to protect LGBTQIA+ residents from discrimination under federal law. I will be a no-vote on attacks on trans children. On Council, I’ve worked to make Cincinnati as inclusive and supportive as possible. I’ll continue this in Congress.

What do you believe is the state’s role in individual healthcare decisions and access?

In Congress, I’ll work to restore the right to privacy that was afforded by Roe v. Wade Personal healthcare decisions should not be made by government officials.

What is the first item on your to-do list if you were to take office?

Protecting our democracy. My opponent voted against certifying the 2020 presiden tial election and just weeks ago he voted against efforts to stop another coup from happening in the future. I’ll also immedi ately get to work lowering costs because our families desperately need relief.

56th District

Democrat Joy Bennett and Republican Adam Mathews are vying to become the state representative for District 56, which includes Mason, Lebanon and most of Warren County. Bennett is a marketing and communications strategist, while Mathews is vice-mayor of Lebanon.

What I’m hearing from everyone as I canvas and meet voters in my district is the entrenched division in our politics and public discourse. People are sick of the name-calling, negativity and extreme positions from people who refuse to collaborate and compromise. Disagreement is critical for a healthy democracy, and we must protect this freedom as we relearn how to debate issues without attacking one another. Our elected leaders need [to] remember their job is finding solutions that work for all Ohioans, not just their party’s base.

What will you do differently or better than your opponent?

I believe that representing this district requires me to get to know the stories, dreams and needs of everyone who lives here, not just the people who are like me. We have a beautifully diverse community made of people from all over the world! The only way I can make good legislative decisions for my constituents is by seeking out their input and hearing their stories. This isn’t something I’ve seen or heard about from my opponent.

In what specific ways will you affirm and support LGBTQIA+ residents within your district and throughout Ohio?

The government’s role is to protect our equality and our unalienable rights, among which are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those rights don’t change with a person’s gender, sexuality or any other distinguishing trait. I will vote to protect each person’s equal access to exercise their rights as human beings to live their lives, make their own decisions and love who they love.

What do you believe is the state’s role in individual healthcare decisions and access?

I believe our personal lives are just that — personal and private. Government’s role is to protect our equality as people and our ability to pursue unalienable rights. This means people are free to make decisions about their healthcare, including when and how to have a family, with the input and advice of their doctor and the advisors they choose. It means government stays out of our doctors’ offices and our bedrooms.

What is the first item on your to-do list if you were to take office?

ADAM MATHEWS

adammathews.com

CityBeat reached out to Mathews multiple times and did not receive a response by press time.

89th District

Republican D.J. Swearingen is running for reelection as the incumbent U.S. repre sentative for Ohio’s 89th congressional district and has held the position since 2019. Challenging him is Democrat and University of Cincinnati alum Jim Obergefell — best known as the lead plaintiff in the 2015 U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges, which legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.

attacked. We must protect rights and our democracy, strengthen voting rights and improve access, and defend our public school system and our teachers.

What will you do differently or better than your opponent?

I’m a fighter, and I’ve proven that when I see something that needs fixed or changed, I get to work to get things done. I do what’s right, while my opponent focuses on partisan politics, leaving him unable to positively represent the people of Ohio House District 89. I’m ready to take the job on and make things better for my constituents.

In what specific ways will you affirm and support LGBTQIA+ residents within your district and throughout Ohio?

LGBTQIA+ residents need a champion in Columbus more than ever. As we see increased attacks on the LGBTQIA+ community, especially against the transgender community, it’s critical that they have someone standing up against discrimination at every turn. In my fight for marriage equality, I was part of affirming rights to millions of Americans nationwide. As State Rep., I will continue to fight for the LGBTQIA+ community.

What do you believe is the state’s role in individual healthcare decisions and access?

D.J. SWEARINGEN swearingenforohio.com

CityBeat reached out to Swearingen multiple times and did not receive a response by press time.

We must guarantee access to quality affordable healthcare for every Ohioan. That means expanding Medicare, lowering prescription drug prices, implementing transparency in medical care costs, and more to ensure that no Ohioan must choose between keeping the lights on or taking care of their health. The government has no place dictating the healthcare decisions any person makes, and we must protect Ohioans’ right to make their healthcare decisions.

What is the first item on your to-do list if you were to take office?

JIM OBERGEFELL obergefellforohio.com

What is the foremost issue affecting Ohio?

JOY BENNETT joyforohio.com

What is the foremost issue affecting Ohio?

Create a schedule where I visit all of the various constituent groups once per quarter if possible, once every six months at minimum. I’ll have a regular rotation visiting county, school district, township, village and city government meetings, along with neighborhoods, community groups and schools. We will list the main festivals, religious observances, fairs and other celebrations, and we’ll schedule town halls at regular intervals. I believe in being a true representative — available, responsive and visible.

In Ohio, and across the nation, we are seeing rights being taken away from those most vulnerable in our communities. Women are being stripped of their right to make decisions about their own body. Our LGBTQIA+ brothers and sisters are being

One of my first acts if I were to take office is to re-establish the Lake Erie cau cus to keep the lake healthy while squeez ing out every drop of economic opportunity. A strong middle class means a strong Ohio, and we have to use the resources around us, including the 127.6 trillion gallons of untapped potential on our north shore. It’s time we take advantage of it.

CREDITS: WHALEY, RYAN AND LANDSMAN, BENNETT AND OBERGEFELL PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CANDIDATES; DEWINE, VANCE, CHABOT, MATHEWS, AND SWEARINGEN PHOTOS FROM CAMPAIGN WEBSITES

DISTRICT 56 VOTERS UNSURE ABOUT STATEHOUSE CANDIDATES

BY BRYN DIPPOLD

SATURDAY MORNINGS in Cincinnati’s northeastern suburbs can be busy yet routine. Many residents opt for a morning co ee run or maybe a workout class. Some may gather their families for another Kings Island visit or two before the end of the season.

But on a chilly October day, the Deer eld Farmers Market did not see the typical busy, suburban crowd. Located about a mile o Mason Montgomery Road and held under the Kingswood Park Pavilion, market visitors were in no rush.

ey spoke with vendors like old friends and took their time to pick out their ideal pumpkin.

CityBeat visited the market to get a better idea about locals’ feelings toward the upcoming election, speci cally the race between Democrat Joy Bennett and Republican Adam Mathews for the Ohio House of Representatives District 56. is district includes the cities of Mason and Lebanon within its boundaries.

Mathews currently serves as the vice mayor of Lebanon, and according to his campaign website, is “pro-life,” “proliberty” and “pro-pursuit of happiness.” He advocates for low taxes, less government interference at a local level and pro-gun ownership and concealed carry. Mathews recently testi ed in favor of a pro-life bill to prepare Ohio for a postRoe v. Wade world.

Bennett has not held public o ce. She ran for Mason City Council in 2019 but did not win a seat. She is running a campaign based partly on bringing “public service” back to the o ce of state representative, according to campaign materials. Some of Bennett’s other plans include adopting the Fair School Funding Plan for education, cleaning up corruption in Ohio politics and ghting for parental rights to make decisions on “medical treatment, education, and the environment for their own children.”

e candidates both bring useful qualities to the posi tion, but the region tends to lean red. In 2020, Warren County, which takes up the majority of the newly redrawn 56th district, voted 64.5% for Republican Donald Trump during the presidential election. In 2018, the county voted 66.5% for Republican Mike DeWine in the gubernatorial election.

But things may change. e current makeup of the Ohio House of Representatives is 35 Democrats and 64 Republicans. All 99 House seats are up for election this year, meaning a shake-up is possible.

Near the farmers market, it’s hard to miss the number

of political candidate signs along the roads and in front of homes. While the county has had high voter turnout and seeming political awareness in the past, just one of the 15 or so people CityBeat spoke to said they were aware of the upcoming election or of the two candidates vying for District 56.

Pete Fox, who owns and operates Fox and Boar Farm in Pleasant Plain, said he hasn’t been paying attention to the election this year as he had in previous years.

“All that I want is for people to work together to make progress on anything, as opposed to getting nothing done,” Fox told CityBeat

Fox isn’t originally from Ohio but said he has lived in the area for about 15 years. He wasn’t sure how he’d be voting on Election Day on Nov. 8.

Andy Gorman — or “Farmer Andy,” as he largely is known — said that he wasn’t aware of either Bennett or Mathews in the upcoming race. He’s run the Deer eld Farmers Market for about eight years. He also founded and owns Cincy Urban Farm in Sharonville as a rst-generation farmer.

Sylvia Shelton, who owns Glory Farms in Morrow, said she hasn’t been keeping track of the race but would “probably” be voting for Mathews as statehouse district representative. Her son, Ted Shelton, has his own farm near his mother’s, and they sell produce and canned and baked goods at the farmers market together.

“I usually do my research about two days before the election,” Ted Shelton said.

Ted Shelton’s brother, Mark, is a Harlan Township Trustee in Morrow and usually gives the family the “inside scoop” on what’s going on, he said.

“ ere’s always the public persona — what the [candidate] wants you to see. But knowing people personally, I think, makes a big di erence,” Shelton said. “You can have somebody that seems to be the nicest, greatest person ever and you nd out they don’t act that way in real life. I’d rather have someone who’s maybe rough but at least honest.”

While almost everyone that CityBeat spoke to said they were unsure how they would be voting in District 56, past election results could hint at what’s to come. Paul Zeltwanger currently is serving his nal term as the Ohio House Representative for the majority of Warren County (his District 54 has been redrawn for 2022), having been in his position since 2015. During his previous election in 2020, the Republican won 61.7% of the vote.

ARTS & CULTURE

Preserving a Pictorialist

Taft Museum of Art’s Craft + Camera exhibition

BY MACKENZIE MANLEY

BY MACKENZIE MANLEY

Turn-of-the-century photographer Nancy Ford Cones garnered national attention from the likes of Kodak and National Geographic for her dreamlike depictions of rural life in Loveland. Despite being one of the leading female pictorialists of her time, Cones’s work was mostly lost to history following her death in 1962. e Taft Museum of Art’s latest exhibit, Craft + Camera, is the rst major presentation of Cones’s work.

Turn-of-the-century photographer Nancy Ford Cones garnered national attention from the likes of Kodak and National Geographic for her dreamlike depictions of rural life in Loveland. Despite being one of the leading female pictorialists of her time, Cones’s work was mostly lost to history following her death in 1962. e Taft Museum of Art’s latest exhibit, Craft + Camera, is the rst major presentation of Cones’s work.

several di erent and diverse prints from the same negative.

several di erent and diverse prints from the same negative.

“I actually thought that it was wonderful because I loved the way that it really went against the grain of the way in which museums usually tell the history of photography,” Stetler tells CityBeat. “ is is the kind of practice of somebody who was uninterested in being ambitious and going to New York to make some sort of name for herself; she was perfectly content with living on a farm outside of Cincinnati.”

really cared about that,” Stetler says. “She was going to do what she wanted to do and wasn’t really interested in following trends. at’s one reason why national and international interest in her work fell away in the ‘20s gradually.”

photographs in her time.

really cared about that,” Stetler says. “She was going to do what she wanted to do and wasn’t really interested in following trends. at’s one reason why national and international interest in her work fell away in the ‘20s gradually.”

photographs in her time.

Running through Jan. 15, the exhibit is part of this year’s FotoFocus Biennial World Record, which explores humankind’s impact and interactions with nature. Cones created thousands of photographs between 1900 and 1939, using her 33-acre farm in Loveland as a backdrop. Often drawing inspiration from literary sources, Cones’s art was a true community e ort: family, neighbors and friends posed in various whimsical, warm and romantic scenes. Subjects included jovial picnics, frolics in the woods, a mother bathing her baby, curious kittens and more.

Running through Jan. 15, the exhibit is part of this year’s FotoFocus Biennial World Record, which explores humankind’s impact and interactions with nature. Cones created thousands of photographs between 1900 and 1939, using her 33-acre farm in Loveland as a backdrop. Often drawing inspiration from literary sources, Cones’s art was a true community e ort: family, neighbors and friends posed in various whimsical, warm and romantic scenes.

Subjects included jovial picnics, frolics in the woods, a mother bathing her baby, curious kittens and more.

e show’s curator, Pepper Stetler, rst learned about Cones upon meeting Taft’s chief curator Lynne Ambrosini at a conference. Stetler – a professor of art and architecture history and Humanities Center associate at Miami University – says her research and writing have primarily centered on early 20th-century German photography.

e show’s curator, Pepper Stetler, rst learned about Cones upon meeting Taft’s chief curator Lynne Ambrosini at a conference. Stetler – a professor of art and architecture history and Humanities Center associate at Miami University – says her research and writing have primarily centered on early 20th-century German photography.

Stetler’s rst step in preparing for Craft + Camera was locating Cones’s photography, which was dispersed across private collections and museums in Greater Cincinnati, including the Loveland Museum Center.

Stetler’s rst step in preparing for Craft + Camera was locating Cones’s photography, which was dispersed across private collections and museums in Greater Cincinnati, including the Loveland Museum Center.

As she investigated Cones’s body of work, Stetler noticed the artist’s particular interest in the printing practice of photography. Cones would create

As she investigated Cones’s body of work, Stetler noticed the artist’s particular interest in the printing practice of photography. Cones would create

“I actually thought that it was wonderful because I loved the way that it really went against the grain of the way in which museums usually tell the history of photography,” Stetler tells CityBeat. “ is is the kind of practice of somebody who was uninterested in being ambitious and going to New York to make some sort of name for herself; she was perfectly content with living on a farm outside of Cincinnati.”

Stetler notes that Cones’s photography pushes back against traditional narratives about who had access to art making. In the early 20th century, a woman living on a farm outside of Loveland might not be who comes to mind when thinking about who an artist is; however, she certainly gained accolades. In 1905, Cones placed second among over 20,000 entries in Eastman Kodak company’s annual photographic competition for her print titled reading the Needle, which captures her young niece and aunt Percy as the two work together on what appears to be a sewing project. First place went to Edward Steichen, one of the most renowned photographers of the era.

Stetler notes that Cones’s photography pushes back against traditional narratives about who had access to art making. In the early 20th century, a woman living on a farm outside of Loveland might not be who comes to mind when thinking about who an artist is; however, she certainly gained accolades. In 1905, Cones placed second among over 20,000 entries in Eastman Kodak company’s annual photographic competition for her print titled reading the Needle, which captures her young niece and aunt Percy as the two work together on what appears to be a sewing project. First place went to Edward Steichen, one of the most renowned photographers of the era.

ough Cones was recognized among other top photographers of the era, Stetler says there are a few reasons her work may have been overlooked. She was a woman at a time when female artists had to ght much harder to be heard and represented not only in the eld of photography but in art as a whole. Cones was also a pictorialist, an aesthetic movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that championed photography as an art form. By the mid-1910s and ‘20s, Stetler says the style passed out of fashion.

Cones re ected on her artistic practice in a personal essay for Photo-Era Magazine titled “Why I Am a Pictorial Photographer,” writing, “To me, the password into the realm of picturemaking is love of the beautiful and the faculty or inde nable something that tells one what is essential, and, most of all, what is nonessential, in making a picture, and without which faculty there is no art.”

Cones re ected on her artistic practice in a personal essay for Photo-Era Magazine titled “Why I Am a Pictorial Photographer,” writing, “To me, the password into the realm of picturemaking is love of the beautiful and the faculty or inde nable something that tells one what is essential, and, most of all, what is nonessential, in making a picture, and without which faculty there is no art.”

Stetler sees Cones’s photography as an extension of her domestic life, which was an essential element to several other early female photographers, such as Julia Margaret Cameron and Gertrude Kasebier. is is because photography gave women a way to explore a new artistic practice without having to forego domestic responsibilities.

Stetler sees Cones’s photography as an extension of her domestic life, which was an essential element to several other early female photographers, such as Julia Margaret Cameron and Gertrude Kasebier. is is because photography gave women a way to explore a new artistic practice without having to forego domestic responsibilities.

In Craft + Camera, this blur between art and personal life is evident in Cones’s art. Not only does she use neighbors as models but her daughter, Margaret, appears frequently in fantastical scenes.

Cones’s husband, James, was also an accomplished photographer. After mar rying, they moved to the aforementioned farm known as Road’s End in Loveland, which is bordered by the Little Miami River. James retired from photography to tend to the farm but was deeply involved in Cones’s work. According to Stetler, Cones was responsible for the camera work and compositions while James helped develop most of her prints. e exhibit notes that Cones believed her husband had better penmanship, so he penned most of her signatures.

Cones’s husband, James, was also an accomplished photographer. After mar rying, they moved to the aforementioned farm known as Road’s End in Loveland, which is bordered by the Little Miami River. James retired from photography to tend to the farm but was deeply involved in Cones’s work. According to Stetler, Cones was responsible for the camera work and compositions while James helped develop most of her prints. e exhibit notes that Cones believed her husband had better penmanship, so he penned most of her signatures.

“I’ve never found another collaboration like that in the history of photography,” Stetler says. “It is so rare for a man to step aside for his wife to have the fame and the accolades of accomplishment. He seemed to be perfectly happy with supporting her work.”

“I’ve never found another collaboration like that in the history of photography,” Stetler says. “It is so rare for a man to step aside for his wife to have the fame and the accolades of accomplishment. He seemed to be perfectly happy with supporting her work.”

Stetler has been able to visit the Cones household, which is now privately owned and sitting along the Loveland bike trail. While at the home, Stetler noted that the Little Miami River still looks much like what Cones captured in her photographs a century ago.

Stetler has been able to visit the Cones household, which is now privately owned and sitting along the Loveland bike trail. While at the home, Stetler noted that the Little Miami River still looks much like what Cones captured in her photographs a century ago.

ough Cones was recognized among other top photographers of the era, Stetler says there are a few reasons her work may have been overlooked. She was a woman at a time when female artists had to ght much harder to be heard and represented not only in the eld of photography but in art as a whole. Cones was also a pictorialist, an aesthetic movement during the late 19th and early 20th centuries that championed photography as an art form. By the mid-1910s and ‘20s, Stetler says the style passed out of fashion.

In Craft + Camera, this blur between art and personal life is evident in Cones’s art. Not only does she use neighbors as models but her daughter, Margaret, appears frequently in fantastical scenes.

“I don’t think Nancy Ford Cones

“I don’t think Nancy Ford Cones

In one series of photographs taken around 1920, Margaret and her teenage friends posed as woodland nymphs and dryads. Donning gauzy dresses, and sometimes in nude, the resulting images appear cloudy and surreal as the young women perch atop tree branches or gently reach for a butter y. While nudes were seen widely in art history, a placard in the exhibit explains that such photos were rarely published in photography magazines or journals during the early 20th century. Cones publicly exhibited only one of her dryad

In one series of photographs taken around 1920, Margaret and her teenage friends posed as woodland nymphs and dryads. Donning gauzy dresses, and sometimes in nude, the resulting images appear cloudy and surreal as the young women perch atop tree branches or gently reach for a butter y. While nudes were seen widely in art history, a placard in the exhibit explains that such photos were rarely published in photography magazines or journals during the early 20th century. Cones publicly exhibited only one of her dryad

Craft + Camera, Stetler explains, is a product of curating an exhibit during COVID-19. ere were several collections she wished she could travel to or spend more time with before making nal decisions, but she also thinks she got lucky with the results.

Craft + Camera, Stetler explains, is a product of curating an exhibit during COVID-19. ere were several collections she wished she could travel to or spend more time with before making nal decisions, but she also thinks she got lucky with the results.

“It feels very, very satisfying to be able to focus my time and research on somebody that deserves to be known by more people and to have the opportunity to introduce another woman photographer to the public,” Stetler says.

“It feels very, very satisfying to be able to focus my time and research on somebody that deserves to be known by more people and to have the opportunity to introduce another woman photographer to the public,” Stetler says.

Craft + Camera runs through Jan. 15 at the Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown. Info: taftmuseum.org.

Craft + Camera runs through Jan. 15 at the Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown. Info: taftmuseum.org.

Pictorialist Nancy Ford Cones was largely overlooked after her death but is now the subject of the

John R. Schmidt (American, b. 1878), Twenty-Third Wedding Anniversary, 1923, gelatin silver print, 6 3/8 x 8 1/4 in.

John R. Schmidt (American, b. 1878), Twenty-Third Wedding Anniversary, 1923, gelatin silver print, 6 3/8 x 8 1/4 in.

Collection of Randle and Cristina Egbert

Collection of Randle and Cristina Egbert

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Threading the Needle or Helping Grandmother Sew, 1905 (printed 1907), gelatin silver print, 9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Threading the Needle or Helping Grandmother Sew, 1905 (printed 1907), gelatin silver print, 9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.

Dayton Art Institute, Gift of Miss Jane Reece, 1952.19.495

Dayton Art Institute, Gift of Miss Jane Reece, 1952.19.495

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), A Holland Breakfast or Do You Want a Bite?, 1907 (negative 1902), gelatin silver print, 9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), A Holland Breakfast or Do You Want a Bite?, 1907 (negative 1902), gelatin silver print, 9 7/8 x 7 7/8 in.

Dayton Art Institute, Gift of Miss Jane Reece, 1952.19.494

Dayton Art Institute, Gift of Miss Jane Reece, 1952.19.494

a. Korona Home Portrait Camera. Loveland Museum Center b. Kodak Autographic Camera.

a. Korona Home Portrait Camera.

Loveland Museum Center b. Kodak Autographic Camera.

Loveland Museum Center

Loveland Museum Center

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Mama’s Kodak, about 1912, gelatin silver print, 6 x 4 3/8 in.

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Mama’s Kodak, about 1912, gelatin silver print, 6 x 4 3/8 in.

Collection of W. Roger and Patricia K. Fry

Collection of W. Roger and Patricia K. Fry

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Christmas Carol, about 1930, gelatin silver print on tissue paper, handtinted, 8 x 9 1/4 in. Loveland Museum Center, 1995.102.007

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Picnic Fun on the Little Miami River, about 1912, gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Margaret Ford Cones, 1983 (1983.1091.20).

Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), The Old Witch, about 1920, multiple green gum bichromate print, 6 1/2 x 4 3/4 in.

Collection of W. Roger and Patricia K. Fry

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), The Abode of the Gnomes, about 1921, kallitype tissue print, 9 1/2 x 6 3/4 in.

Collection of W. Roger and Patricia K. Fry

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Mrs. Lawrence Smith and Baby, 1932, gelatin silver print, 7 3/4 x 9 in.

Private collection

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), The Reluctant Swimmer, about 1912, gelatin silver print, 11 x 14 in.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of Margaret Ford Cones, 1983 (1983.1091.17).

Image copyright © The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Image source: Art Resource, NY

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), View of Cincinnati from Mt. Adams, about 1929, autochrome glass plate, 3 1/4 x 4 in.

Loveland Museum Center, 2000.018.02

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), The Abode of the Gnomes, about 1921, kallitype tissue print, 9 1/2 x 6 3/4 in.

Collection of W. Roger and Patricia K. Fry

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Spirit of the Wood, 1920, multiple green gum bichromate print, 9 x 6 3/4 in.

Loveland Museum Center, 1998.023.019

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), On the Riverbank, about 1908, bromide print, 4 5/8 x 6 3/4 in.

Cincinnati Art Museum, Gift of Carl Jacobs, 2001.314

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Summer Fun, Children Playing with Hoses Behind Dale Park Fire Station, about 1926, kallitype tissue print, 7 1/2 x 9 5/8 in.

Mariemont Preservation Foundation, 1987.12.002

Nancy Ford Cones (American, 1869–1962), Goldilocks Peeping at t e ears’ House, , bromide print, 10 x 7 7/8 in.

Loveland Museum Center, 2000.008.008

remember a time before I could read,” Keane says by phone from her home in Louisville, Kentucky. “But that’s to be expected when there are books all over the house. I was always allowed to read anything I wanted, so like a lot of bookish kids I ended up reading books beyond my comprehension at rst. I think it also made me a writer.”

remember a time before I could read,” Keane says by phone from her home in Louisville, Kentucky. “But that’s to be expected when there are books all over the house. I was always allowed to read anything I wanted, so like a lot of bookish kids I ended up reading books beyond my comprehension at rst. I think it also made me a writer.”

Flash-forward multiple decades and Keane is the editor in chief at online staple Salon, a creative writing teacher at Spalding University and the author of three books of poetry. Her recently published memoir, Runaway, deftly delves into her parents’ unique relationship — her mother ran away from home at age 13, eventually moving to New York City where, at 15, she met and married Keane’s father, who was 36 at the time. It’s a complicated story made even more mysterious given that her father died when Erin was just ve years old.

Flash-forward multiple decades and Keane is the editor in chief at online staple Salon, a creative writing teacher at Spalding University and the author of three books of poetry. Her recently published memoir, Runaway, deftly delves into her parents’ unique relationship — her mother ran away from home at age 13, eventually moving to New York City where, at 15, she met and married Keane’s father, who was 36 at the time. It’s a complicated story made even more mysterious given that her father died when Erin was just ve years old.

“I started the book project because I realized how much I really didn’t know about my parents’ lives,” Keane says. “I thought I was going to write a one-o essay about the reconsideration of my parents’ marriage in light of everything

“I started the book project because I realized how much I really didn’t know about my parents’ lives,” Keane says. “I thought I was going to write a one-o essay about the reconsideration of my parents’ marriage in light of everything

we have gone through culturally with a sort of reframing of men and power and gender in the post-‘Me Too’ reckoning.”

we have gone through culturally with a sort of reframing of men and power and gender in the post-‘Me Too’ reckoning.”

But the book became as much about her mother and the life she made for Keane and her brother in the years since her father’s passing.

But the book became as much about her mother and the life she made for Keane and her brother in the years since her father’s passing.

Keane weaves her love of pop culture throughout the narrative as a way of understanding her own life and experiences. e opening chapter includes an evaluation of Woody Allen’s Manhattan and its parallels to her parents’ story, as well as her own evolving reaction to what was once her favorite movie.

Keane weaves her love of pop culture throughout the narrative as a way of understanding her own life and experiences. e opening chapter includes an evaluation of Woody Allen’s Manhattan and its parallels to her parents’ story, as well as her own evolving reaction to what was once her favorite movie.

“I’ve always approached my work from the point of view that the cultural products that we consume both shape the culture and re ect that culture,” she says. “As a cultural critic, how I interact with those kinds of narratives is very personal to me, and that’s how I enter the world — through art.”

“I’ve always approached my work from the point of view that the cultural products that we consume both shape the culture and re ect that culture,” she says. “As a cultural critic, how I interact with those kinds of narratives is very personal to me, and that’s how I enter the world — through art.”

Books by the Banks takes place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 19 at Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. Info: booksbythebanks.org.

Books by the Banks takes place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 19 at Duke Energy Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. Info: booksbythebanks.org.

CULTURE

Cincinnati Native Fred Hersch Overcomes Obstacles to Perfect His Craft

BY ANNE ARENSTEIN

Cincinnati Native Fred Hersch Overcomes Obstacles to Perfect His Craft

BY ANNE ARENSTEIN

Fred Hersch claims to be slowing down, but his calendar says otherwise.

Fred Hersch claims to be slowing down, but his calendar says otherwise.

When Hersch and his trio return to his hometown for Xavier University’s music series on Nov. 10, he’ll be coming o gigs at New York’s Village Vanguard and in Italy and Chicago.

When Hersch and his trio return to his hometown for Xavier University’s music series on Nov. 10, he’ll be coming o gigs at New York’s Village Vanguard and in Italy and Chicago.

A Cincinnati native, Hersch is one of the most in uential and revered artists today, especially in the jazz pantheon. His in uence continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic when his creative output never stopped, with three recordings in the past two years, the world premiere of a set of solo piano variations and a full schedule of gigs since the summer of 2021.

A Cincinnati native, Hersch is one of the most in uential and revered artists today, especially in the jazz pantheon. His in uence continued even during the COVID-19 pandemic when his creative output never stopped, with three recordings in the past two years, the world premiere of a set of solo piano variations and a full schedule of gigs since the summer of 2021.

Speaking to CityBeat by phone from New York, Hersch is upbeat and energized by live performances over the past fteen months with bassist Drew Gress and German drummer Jochen Rueckert, a new trio that Hersch says is “gelling nicely.”

Speaking to CityBeat by phone from New York, Hersch is upbeat and energized by live performances over the past fteen months with bassist Drew Gress and German drummer Jochen Rueckert, a new trio that Hersch says is “gelling nicely.”

“I had a long-standing trio for over ten years, and after COVID, I felt like starting fresh,” Hersch says. “I’ve been playing with Drew o and on since the ‘80s and with Jochen for the past year and a half.”

“I had a long-standing trio for over ten years, and after COVID, I felt like starting fresh,” Hersch says. “I’ve been playing with Drew o and on since the ‘80s and with Jochen for the past year and a half.”

Hersch’s small stature belies his outsized presence in the jazz world for more than four decades as a performer in con gurations from solo to full orchestra, composer, arranger, collaborator, teacher and author.

Hersch’s small stature belies his outsized presence in the jazz world for more than four decades as a performer in con gurations from solo to full orchestra, composer, arranger, collaborator, teacher and author.

He’s also a survivor, a moniker he acknowledges with gratitude after coming out on the other side. When considering his HIV-positive diagnosis in the mid-1980s, a life-threatening health crisis in 2008 that nearly killed him and recent pandemic-enforced isolation, Hersch’s output becomes truly staggering.

He’s also a survivor, a moniker he acknowledges with gratitude after coming out on the other side. When considering his HIV-positive diagnosis in the mid-1980s, a life-threatening health crisis in 2008 that nearly killed him and recent pandemic-enforced isolation, Hersch’s output becomes truly staggering.

A child prodigy, Hersch was drawn to jazz by Newport’s lamented AM jazz radio station WNOP, whose o beat announcers drew on encyclopedic knowledge of artists and their material.

A child prodigy, Hersch was drawn to jazz by Newport’s lamented AM jazz radio station WNOP, whose o beat announcers drew on encyclopedic knowledge of artists and their material.

After dropping out of Grinnell College in Iowa, Hersch returned to Cincin nati and discovered the Family Owl on Calhoun Street, where saxophonist Jimmy McGary let him sit in.

After dropping out of Grinnell College in Iowa, Hersch returned to Cincin nati and discovered the Family Owl on Calhoun Street, where saxophonist Jimmy McGary let him sit in.

“I got my ass kicked,” Hersch recalls in a 2013 interview with Cincinnati Magazine. He honed his chops in local backup bands and left Cincinnati for good in 1975.

“I got my ass kicked,” Hersch recalls in a 2013 interview with Cincinnati Magazine. He honed his chops in local backup bands and left Cincinnati for good in 1975.

Hersch moved to New York after attending and teaching at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

Hersch moved to New York after attending and teaching at the New England Conservatory in Boston.

“ ose days were tough but also wildly exciting,” he tells CityBeat. “Rent

“ ose days were tough but also wildly exciting,” he tells CityBeat. “Rent

PHOTO: JOHN ABBOTT

was cheap, drugs were everywhere and there were a lot more gay people than in Cincinnati.”

was cheap, drugs were everywhere and there were a lot more gay people than in Cincinnati.”

But music never lost its power.

antiviral medications, which led to a near-fatal pneumonia that put Hersch into a coma that lasted for two months.

antiviral medications, which led to a near-fatal pneumonia that put Hersch into a coma that lasted for two months.

musicians and venues who mentored him throughout his career and an un inching account of his illnesses and recovery.

musicians and venues who mentored him throughout his career and an un inching account of his illnesses and recovery.

Hersch’s performances have been deeply thoughtful and emotional, and often witty. ere’s a sense that he’s delighted with discovering new facets of the work he’s playing, even when it’s something he’s performed for more than 40 years. He never appears tense.

Hersch’s performances have been deeply thoughtful and emotional, and often witty. ere’s a sense that he’s delighted with discovering new facets of the work he’s playing, even when it’s something he’s performed for more than 40 years. He never appears tense.

In 2020, Hersch released Songs From Home, a solo album covering tunes from the Beatles, Broadway, ‘60s pop music and American folk songs, all played with a ection and ease that comes from a lifetime’s devotion to technique.

In 2020, Hersch released Songs From Home, a solo album covering tunes from the Beatles, Broadway, ‘60s pop music and American folk songs, all played with a ection and ease that comes from a lifetime’s devotion to technique.

Hersch tells CityBeat that he credits daily meditation and his meditation community with helping him get through COVID. Earlier this year, he released Breath by Breath, a suite based on his meditation ritual and accompanied by his trio and the Crosby Street String Quartet.

Hersch tells CityBeat that he credits daily meditation and his meditation community with helping him get through COVID. Earlier this year, he released Breath by Breath, a suite based on his meditation ritual and accompanied by his trio and the Crosby Street String Quartet.

He followed up in October with an Edition of Contemporary Music release of duets with another jazz master, Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava. In 2023 Hersch and bassist/vocalist esperanza spalding (stylized in lowercase letters) will collaborate on a live recording at the Village Vanguard.

So how, exactly, is Hersch cutting back?

He followed up in October with an Edition of Contemporary Music release of duets with another jazz master, Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava. In 2023 Hersch and bassist/vocalist esperanza spalding (stylized in lowercase letters) will collaborate on a live recording at the Village Vanguard.

So how, exactly, is Hersch cutting back?

“I’m teaching, but only a few private students on a very limited basis,” he says. But anyone eager to learn from Hersch can complete two of his courses – one for solo piano and a just-released series devoted to the art of the duo – at openstudiojazz.com.

“I’m teaching, but only a few private students on a very limited basis,” he says. But anyone eager to learn from Hersch can complete two of his courses – one for solo piano and a just-released series devoted to the art of the duo – at openstudiojazz.com.

“During those years, there were so many jazz clubs in the Village, and you could go up to a legend like (tenor saxophonist) Joe Henderson or (bassist) Ron Carter, talk to them, have a drink or ask if you could sit in.” Hersch says.

But music never lost its power.

“During those years, there were so many jazz clubs in the Village, and you could go up to a legend like (tenor saxophonist) Joe Henderson or (bassist) Ron Carter, talk to them, have a drink or ask if you could sit in.” Hersch says.

Hersch had already embarked on an ambitious solo career when he was diagnosed with HIV in 1985. He maintained his health and followed a strict medical regimen, but it wasn’t until 1993 when major media sources identi ed him as “a gay jazz musician” that he took on advocating for people with AIDS and HIV.

Hersch had already embarked on an ambitious solo career when he was diagnosed with HIV in 1985. He maintained his health and followed a strict medical regimen, but it wasn’t until 1993 when major media sources identi ed him as “a gay jazz musician” that he took on advocating for people with AIDS and HIV.

“I had an opportunity to be a spokesperson, to do some good. I’m an artist and I can’t compartmentalize my life,” he says.

“I had an opportunity to be a spokesperson, to do some good. I’m an artist and I can’t compartmentalize my life,” he says.

In 2008, his life spiraled down into iso lation followed by a viral-induced illness. After drastic weight loss, doctors stopped

In 2008, his life spiraled down into iso lation followed by a viral-induced illness. After drastic weight loss, doctors stopped

“In the summer of 2008, when I came out of my coma, I couldn’t talk because of a paralyzed right vocal cord. I didn’t drink or eat for nine months. I couldn’t walk. I had absolutely no ne motor coordination,” Hersch says in a Cincinnati Magazine interview in 2013. “I was helpless, basically. I was hooked up to a stomach tube for food. I was down to 105 pounds.”

“In the summer of 2008, when I came out of my coma, I couldn’t talk because of a paralyzed right vocal cord. I didn’t drink or eat for nine months. I couldn’t walk. I had absolutely no ne motor coordination,” Hersch says in a Cincinnati Magazine interview in 2013. “I was helpless, basically. I was hooked up to a stomach tube for food. I was down to 105 pounds.”

But three years later, Hersch was back at the piano, performing “My Coma Dreams,” an eerie song-cycle for vocal soloists and a ten-piece ensemble that was based on dreams Hersch recalled during his recovery. e entire performance is available on YouTube.

But three years later, Hersch was back at the piano, performing “My Coma Dreams,” an eerie song-cycle for vocal soloists and a ten-piece ensemble that was based on dreams Hersch recalled during his recovery. e entire performance is available on YouTube.

In 2017, Hersch revealed another facet of his protean talents and published Good ings Happen Slowly, a powerful and a ecting memoir that appeared on several top-ten lists for the year. It’s both a shout out to the

In 2017, Hersch revealed another facet of his protean talents and published Good ings Happen Slowly, a powerful and a ecting memoir that appeared on several top-ten lists for the year. It’s both a shout out to the

“I’m becoming more selective of where I play, and I’ll probably do fewer gigs as I get older,” he says (Hersch turned 67 in October).

“I’m becoming more selective of where I play, and I’ll probably do fewer gigs as I get older,” he says (Hersch turned 67 in October).

Hersch says his return to Cincinnati is underscored by personal concerns.

Hersch says his return to Cincinnati is underscored by personal concerns.

“My mom is in her 90s, and although she’s in good health, she can’t travel, so this is a chance for her to see me perform,” he says.

“My mom is in her 90s, and although she’s in good health, she can’t travel, so this is a chance for her to see me perform,” he says.

“In-person gigs are the best,” he continues. “During COVID, I had moments when I thought, ‘If this is over, I’ve had a good career. I’ve hit the high marks and done more than I could have dreamed when I was a kid in Cincinnati. I could walk away having lived the dream.’ Fortunately, that didn’t happen.”

“In-person gigs are the best,” he continues. “During COVID, I had moments when I thought, ‘If this is over, I’ve had a good career. I’ve hit the high marks and done more than I could have dreamed when I was a kid in Cincinnati. I could walk away having lived the dream.’ Fortunately, that didn’t happen.”

Fred Hersch and his trio perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Xavier University Bellarmine Chapel, 3800 Victory Pkwy, Norwood. Info: xavier.edu/musicseries.

Fred Hersch and his trio perform at 8 p.m. Nov. 10 at the Xavier University Bellarmine Chapel, 3800 Victory Pkwy, Norwood. Info: xavier.edu/musicseries.

Fred Hersch returns to Cincinnati in November

Fred Hersch returns to Cincinnati in November

PHOTO: JOHN ABBOTT

& DRINK

Pasta Perfect

Pasta Perfect

Rosie’s Italian continues Crown Restaurant Group’s thoughtful restaurant empire.

REVIEW BY PAMA MITCHELL

REVIEW BY PAMA MITCHELL

Rosie’s Italian, along with its sister restaurant, Crown Republic, is located in a relatively out-ofthe-way corner of downtown Cincinnati. It’s on the northeast side of the central business district, notable mostly for the density of high-rise apartments. Many are in recently renovated buildings, and they are almost fully occupied. I know this from having gone on a Downtown Living Tour about a year ago, during which we got an insiders’ look at these high-demand dwellings.

e apartments, and there are hundreds of them, tend to be on the small side – one-and two-bedroom units populated mostly by younger singles and couples without children.

ey make up an excellent market for restaurants like Rosie’s, which o ers straightforward, uncomplicated Italian fare and pizzas at mid-range price points. Tables are closely packed, the surfaces are hard, and even when not fully occupied, the room resounds with a lively buzz of laughter, conversation and people enjoying themselves.

Rosie’s Italian, along with its sister restaurant, Crown Republic, is located in a relatively out-ofthe-way corner of downtown Cincinnati. It’s on the northeast side of the central business district, notable mostly for the density of high-rise apartments. Many are in recently renovated buildings, and they are almost fully occupied. I know this from having gone on a Downtown Living Tour about a year ago, during which we got an insiders’ look at these high-demand dwellings. e apartments, and there are hundreds of them, tend to be on the small side – one-and two-bedroom units populated mostly by younger singles and couples without children. ey make up an excellent market for restaurants like Rosie’s, which o ers straightforward, uncomplicated Italian fare and pizzas at mid-range price points. Tables are closely packed, the surfaces are hard, and even when not fully occupied, the room resounds with a lively buzz of laughter, conversation and people enjoying themselves.

Crown Restaurant Group owns Rosie’s, and their rst venture in this neighborhood was on the same block. Crown Republic Gastropub opened in June 2018 with Anthony Sitek as chef alongside his wife, Haley NutterSitek, co-owners of what has become a growing empire of “scratch-kitchen” eateries. A few months later, the couple revamped the former Anchor restaurant near Washington Park and opened the steakhouse, Losanti.

Crown Restaurant Group owns Rosie’s, and their rst venture in this neighborhood was on the same block. Crown Republic Gastropub opened in June 2018 with Anthony Sitek as chef alongside his wife, Haley NutterSitek, co-owners of what has become a growing empire of “scratch-kitchen” eateries. A few months later, the couple revamped the former Anchor restaurant near Washington Park and opened the steakhouse, Losanti.

In 2021, they added Rosie’s Cocktails & Pies, specializing in pizzas, and this fall rebranded the restaurant as Rosie’s Italian. ey’re still making a couple of pizzas, but now you can also try one of several pastas and a few classic Italian dishes along the lines of eggplant parmesan, chicken piccata and shrimp

In 2021, they added Rosie’s Cocktails & Pies, specializing in pizzas, and this fall rebranded the restaurant as Rosie’s Italian. ey’re still making a couple of pizzas, but now you can also try one of several pastas and a few classic Italian dishes along the lines of eggplant parmesan, chicken piccata and shrimp

scampi. Several of these additions spring from Sitek’s grandmother’s recipes, he says.

increase even in something as basic as our.

increase even in something as basic as our.

e changeover took a few weeks and involved more than new menu items.

scampi. Several of these additions spring from Sitek’s grandmother’s recipes, he says.

e changeover took a few weeks and involved more than new menu items.

“We changed the cosmetics completely,” Sitek says, adding that they transformed the dining room into “more of a Brooklyn or North Jersey 1950s vibe.” Both he and his wife grew up in New Jersey and wanted to turn Rosie’s into a traditional red-sauce Italian eatery, a plan that grew into reality in part when pizza ingredients became more expensive during the past year or so.

“We changed the cosmetics completely,” Sitek says, adding that they transformed the dining room into “more of a Brooklyn or North Jersey 1950s vibe.” Both he and his wife grew up in New Jersey and wanted to turn Rosie’s into a traditional red-sauce Italian eatery, a plan that grew into reality in part when pizza ingredients became more expensive during the past year or so.

“You can only charge so much for a pizza,” he says, noting the steep

“You can only charge so much for a pizza,” he says, noting the steep

Although Sitek now oversees four kitchens, he relies on a core management sta that has been with him for over four years. Each restaurant also has a chef de cuisine to handle day-today operations, including Ivan Ru no at Rosie’s, who worked with Sitek even before he moved to Cincinnati to begin this phase of his career.

Although Sitek now oversees four kitchens, he relies on a core management sta that has been with him for over four years. Each restaurant also has a chef de cuisine to handle day-today operations, including Ivan Ru no at Rosie’s, who worked with Sitek even before he moved to Cincinnati to begin this phase of his career.

I never made it to Rosie’s in its ear lier form but went recently with three others to give it a try. Although it was midweek, the place stayed full until about 8:30 p.m., when a few tables opened up.

Right away, I was intrigued by the

I never made it to Rosie’s in its ear lier form but went recently with three others to give it a try. Although it was midweek, the place stayed full until about 8:30 p.m., when a few tables opened up.

Right away, I was intrigued by the

drink o erings. In addition to a list of mostly Italian wines by the glass or bottle, another menu page includes four sections: cocktails, beer, aperitives and spritzes. All of these emphasize Italian ingredients and techniques, even o ering a couple of Italian beers. e spritzes are especially fun and inventive with not only the popular Aperol spritz, but also one with Miller High Life as an ingredient and one of my favorite light drinks, Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda). And I really do want to go back and try some of the seven house cocktails.

drink o erings. In addition to a list of mostly Italian wines by the glass or bottle, another menu page includes four sections: cocktails, beer, aperitives and spritzes. All of these emphasize Italian ingredients and techniques, even o ering a couple of Italian beers. e spritzes are especially fun and inventive with not only the popular Aperol spritz, but also one with Miller High Life as an ingredient and one of my favorite light drinks, Americano (Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda). And I really do want to go back and try some of the seven house cocktails.

e restaurant serves seven antipasti, ve primi (pasta) dishes – three with roasted tomato sauce – and ve entrees

e restaurant serves seven antipasti, ve primi (pasta) dishes – three with roasted tomato sauce – and ve entrees

Rosie’s Italian lends itself to lively conversation.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Rosie’s Italian offers an assortment of dishes inspired by chef Anthony Sitek’s grandmother.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Rosie’s Italian continues Crown Restaurant Group’s thoughtful restaurant empire.

Rosie’s Italian lends itself to lively conversation.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Rosie’s Italian offers an assortment of dishes inspired by chef Anthony Sitek’s grandmother.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER or secondi. We didn’t delve into the antipasti very thoroughly, opting for the one salad on the menu instead of any of the other, heartier appetizers. e salad wasn’t exactly light, with salami, parmesan, spicy peppers and a dressing that was a bit too vinegary for my taste. It de nitely was large enough to split, and two salads were satisfactory for four of us.

or secondi. We didn’t delve into the antipasti very thoroughly, opting for the one salad on the menu instead of any of the other, heartier appetizers. e salad wasn’t exactly light, with salami, parmesan, spicy peppers and a dressing that was a bit too vinegary for my taste. It de nitely was large enough to split, and two salads were satisfactory for four of us.

Two of the pasta choices vied for my attention, but it was an easy decision to go with one of the best avor combos in Italian cooking: Italian sausage, bitter greens and red chili akes atop pasta. At Rosie’s, it’s orecchiette Pugliese (from the Puglia region of Italy) and delicious.

Two of the pasta choices vied for my attention, but it was an easy decision to go with one of the best avor combos in Italian cooking: Italian sausage, bitter greens and red chili akes atop pasta. At Rosie’s, it’s orecchiette Pugliese (from the Puglia region of Italy) and delicious.

is version uses chopped broccolini instead of the more traditional bitter rapini, and the result still has the satisfying blend of rich sausage, a bit of spice from the chili and a hint of bitterness from the greens. I thought it was the best thing we ordered.

is version uses chopped broccolini instead of the more traditional bitter rapini, and the result still has the satisfying blend of rich sausage, a bit of spice from the chili and a hint of bitterness from the greens. I thought it was the best thing we ordered.

Another pasta preparation you shouldn’t miss is bucatini carbonara. e toothsome pasta comes bathed in a rich egg-based sauce with bright English peas and salty lardons. We also tried the chicken parmesan, which did not come with pasta and was a little disappointing. e chicken came out on the dry side, a little overcooked. I think

Another pasta preparation you shouldn’t miss is bucatini carbonara. e toothsome pasta comes bathed in a rich egg-based sauce with bright English peas and salty lardons. We also tried the chicken parmesan, which did not come with pasta and was a little disappointing. e chicken came out on the dry side, a little overcooked. I think

the shrimp scampi might have been a better choice; Sitek told me later that the shrimp dish was inspired by one of his grandmother’s recipes.

the shrimp scampi might have been a better choice; Sitek told me later that the shrimp dish was inspired by one of his grandmother’s recipes.

Rosie’s has only two desserts on the current menu, and we tried both. While I’m not usually a fan of fried, sweetened bread – also known as donuts – the sweet potato bomboloni won me over. A handful of two-bite, warm pastries came with a couple of sauces – salted caramel and a rich, dark chocolate – and made a perfect ending to our meal.

Rosie’s has only two desserts on the current menu, and we tried both. While I’m not usually a fan of fried, sweetened bread – also known as donuts – the sweet potato bomboloni won me over. A handful of two-bite, warm pastries came with a couple of sauces – salted caramel and a rich, dark chocolate – and made a perfect ending to our meal.

ere’s more on the near horizon from this restaurant group: within the next few months, they’re opening Five on Vine in the expansive, corner space that was Mercer OTR. I was sad to see Mercer close, so it’s good news that the prominent spot in the heart of Over-the-Rhine’s bar-and-restaurant scene will once again serve the hungry masses.

ere’s more on the near horizon from this restaurant group: within the next few months, they’re opening Five on Vine in the expansive, corner space that was Mercer OTR. I was sad to see Mercer close, so it’s good news that the prominent spot in the heart of Over-the-Rhine’s bar-and-restaurant scene will once again serve the hungry masses.

Meanwhile, though, if you make your way to the northeast corner of downtown, you might enjoy a meal of pasta, scampi or pizza – perhaps with a glass or two of Italian wine – at Rosie’s.

Meanwhile, though, if you make your way to the northeast corner of downtown, you might enjoy a meal of pasta, scampi or pizza – perhaps with a glass or two of Italian wine – at Rosie’s.

Rosie’s Italian, 300 E. 7th St., Downtown. Info: rosiesitaliankitchen.com.

Rosie’s Italian, 300 E. 7th St., Downtown. Info: rosiesitaliankitchen.com.

Rosies Italian is going for a “Brooklyn or North Jersey 1950s vibe,” the owners say.

Rosies Italian is going for a “Brooklyn or North Jersey 1950s vibe,” the owners say.

TALK

Stir It Up

Stir It Up

Mixologist Julia Petiprin of Fifty Fifty Gin Club shares how to make the perfect martini.

BY SEAN M. PETERS

BY SEAN M. PETERS

MMartinis can be intimidating if you’re new to the drink.

artinis can be intimidating if you’re new to the drink. Forever associated with high society and tuxedo-clad espio nage, the martini is simply a cocktail meant to shine a spotlight on which ever quality liquor you choose to stir in (we’re sticking with gin martinis here).

Forever associated with high society and tuxedo-clad espio nage, the martini is simply a cocktail meant to shine a spotlight on which ever quality liquor you choose to stir in (we’re sticking with gin martinis here).

Since the drink comes with a lot of mystique behind it, the best person to ask how to make a martini would be the owner/operator of a gin bar whose agship drink is a damn ne martini: mixologist Julia Petiprin of Fifty Fifty Gin Club and Homemakers Bar in Over-the-Rhine.

Since the drink comes with a lot of mystique behind it, the best person to ask how to make a martini would be the owner/operator of a gin bar whose agship drink is a damn ne martini: mixologist Julia Petiprin of Fifty Fifty Gin Club and Homemakers Bar in Over-the-Rhine.

At Petiprin’s bars, expect to enjoy the brine from their housemade giardiniera (salty pickled vegetables and hot peppers) in their house dirty martini, which adds a tangy, spicy presence.

At Petiprin’s bars, expect to enjoy the brine from their housemade giardiniera (salty pickled vegetables and hot peppers) in their house dirty martini, which adds a tangy, spicy presence.

CityBeat: What’s a common mis take people make when they order martinis?

CityBeat: What’s a common mis take people make when they order martinis?

Julia Petiprin: I’m always a big advo cate to order what you like. However you want your martini, we’ll make it for you. Right? But, I mean, certain rules just apply with ordering, espe cially a martini. You really want to be able to taste spirit – super important. Texture is very important. So, shaking a martini? Big no-no.

Julia Petiprin: I’m always a big advo cate to order what you like. However you want your martini, we’ll make it for you. Right? But, I mean, certain rules just apply with ordering, espe cially a martini. You really want to be able to taste spirit – super important. Texture is very important. So, shaking a martini? Big no-no.

CB: Because it’ll overly dilute the drink?

CB: Because it’ll overly dilute the drink?

JP: What shaking does is it creates carbonation. Because it creates all these tiny little bubbles through the process of throwing it around the tin, it shakes it up and creates tiny little bubbles. So it’s great for something with cream and citrus because you want it to have that frothy kind of light texture, but when you’re doing something with just spirits and syrups, you want it to be really smooth. When you shake something, it creates about a 25% dilution ratio and when you stir something, it’s about a 10% ratio.

JP: What shaking does is it creates carbonation. Because it creates all these tiny little bubbles through the process of throwing it around the tin, it shakes it up and creates tiny little bubbles. So it’s great for something with cream and citrus because you want it to have that frothy kind of light texture, but when you’re doing something with just spirits and syrups, you want it to be really smooth. When you shake something, it creates about a 25% dilution ratio and when you stir something, it’s about a 10% ratio.

CB: What does someone need to make a martini at home?

CB: What does someone need to make a martini at home?

JP: I love sharing how you can make things at home because the weirder that you get at home, the weirder we can be when you come to the bar. So de nitely keep fresh vermouth. Dry vermouth. Typically when you see a dry vermouth, you’re referring to French, versus sweet, which would be Italian. So a nice dry French vermouth

JP: I love sharing how you can make things at home because the weirder that you get at home, the weirder we can be when you come to the bar. So de nitely keep fresh vermouth. Dry vermouth. Typically when you see a dry vermouth, you’re referring to French, versus sweet, which would be Italian. So a nice dry French vermouth

– and fresh is key, because a lot of people will open vermouth and put it on their back bar and let it sit there for years and years.

– and fresh is key, because a lot of people will open vermouth and put it on their back bar and let it sit there for years and years.

CB: Guilty.

everybody deserves a nice bar set, but if you don’t it doesn’t mean you can’t do it at home. Any nice glass. You can stir with a butter knife, if you’d like.

everybody deserves a nice bar set, but if you don’t it doesn’t mean you can’t do it at home. Any nice glass. You can stir with a butter knife, if you’d like.

CB: Now that we’ve got everything, how do we get started?

the ice on the bottom colder, so it slows the dilution process. en you have time to stir. I would probably say if you have a mixing glass full of ice, you can probably stir that for about 10 to 20 seconds.

JP: Perfect. Don’t throw that old ver mouth away. Buy the same vermouth and open it and do a side-by-side tast ing, taste the di erence. Maybe cook with the old vermouth.

CB: Guilty.

JP: Perfect. Don’t throw that old ver mouth away. Buy the same vermouth and open it and do a side-by-side tast ing, taste the di erence. Maybe cook with the old vermouth.

CB: What’s a good recipe to use with old vermouth?

CB: What’s a good recipe to use with old vermouth?

JP: Pasta sauce. Sauté your onions with it, put it in your mirepoix [a mix ture of sautéed chopped vegetables used in various sauces]. Use it like you would cooking sherry.

JP: Pasta sauce. Sauté your onions with it, put it in your mirepoix [a mix ture of sautéed chopped vegetables used in various sauces]. Use it like you would cooking sherry.

CB: So other than fresh vermouth, what do we need?

CB: So other than fresh vermouth, what do we need?

JP: I like orange bitters, so have orange bitters handy. And then obviously, your gin of preference. Since it’s a martini, you’ll want to stir it. You can use any glass that you have at home. I mean,

JP: I like orange bitters, so have orange bitters handy. And then obviously, your gin of preference. Since it’s a martini, you’ll want to stir it. You can use any glass that you have at home. I mean,

CB: Now that we’ve got everything, how do we get started?

JP: If we’re starting from the begin ning, you want to put your bitters in rst and then your vermouth. e most expensive thing [gin] goes last. I think a great place to start is two ounces of gin with one ounce of vermouth. e spec is the same for a martini or a Manhattan, so just use Manhattan’s zip code: 212 [two dashes of bitters, one ounce of vermouth and two ounces gin]. I think that’s a great way to start your martini; that’s very wet. But then you can go from there to see whether or not you want less or more vermouth. When you put that in there, then you ll it with ice.

JP: If we’re starting from the begin ning, you want to put your bitters in rst and then your vermouth. e most expensive thing [gin] goes last. I think a great place to start is two ounces of gin with one ounce of vermouth. e spec is the same for a martini or a Manhattan, so just use Manhattan’s zip code: 212 [two dashes of bitters, one ounce of vermouth and two ounces gin]. I think that’s a great way to start your martini; that’s very wet. But then you can go from there to see whether or not you want less or more vermouth. When you put that in there, then you ll it with ice.

CB: Cubed or crushed ice?

the ice on the bottom colder, so it slows the dilution process. en you have time to stir. I would probably say if you have a mixing glass full of ice, you can probably stir that for about 10 to 20 seconds.

CB: If I don’t have a martini glass to pour this into, what works best in its place?

CB: If I don’t have a martini glass to pour this into, what works best in its place?

JP: Since you’re taking the time to make this beautiful martini for yourself at home, do yourself a favor and put whatever glass you’ll use in the freezer. Get that nice and chilled. at’s also very important when you’re serving something not on ice, because you want to maintain that full temper ature, that’s a way to do that without adding dilution. I actually really enjoy using juice glasses. Also, this is when you get to decide whether this is with an olive or with a twist.

JP: Since you’re taking the time to make this beautiful martini for yourself at home, do yourself a favor and put whatever glass you’ll use in the freezer. Get that nice and chilled. at’s also very important when you’re serving something not on ice, because you want to maintain that full temper ature, that’s a way to do that without adding dilution. I actually really enjoy using juice glasses. Also, this is when you get to decide whether this is with an olive or with a twist.

Fifty Fifty Gin Club, 35 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine.

CB: Cubed or crushed ice?

JP: Use ice that has a big surface area. So you add the ice on top and it keeps

JP: Use ice that has a big surface area. So you add the ice on top and it keeps

Fifty Fifty Gin Club, 35 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine.

Info: fty ftyginclub.com.

Info: fty ftyginclub.com.

Mixologist Julia Petiprin of Fifty Fifty Gin Club shares how to make the perfect martini.

Mixologist Julia Petiprin recommends stirring – not shaking – a martini.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Mixologist Julia Petiprin recommends stirring – not shaking – a martini.

PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

MUSIC

MUSIC

Authentically Sound

Authentically Sound

Ahead of a Cincinnati tour stop, Black Violin’s new album is as true to the duo as ever.

BY ALAN SCULLEY

BY ALAN SCULLEY

Any music act with a unique sound – such as Black Violin’s fusion of classical music and hip-hop – is bound to sound familiar from album to album. But violinist Kev Marcus has no problem seeing a di er ence between Take e Stairs and espe cially the previous two albums he has made as one half of the duo, Black Violin, which will visit Cincinnati on Nov. 15.

Any music act with a unique sound – such as Black Violin’s fusion of classical music and hip-hop – is bound to sound familiar from album to album. But violinist Kev Marcus has no problem seeing a di er ence between Take e Stairs and espe cially the previous two albums he has made as one half of the duo, Black Violin, which will visit Cincinnati on Nov. 15.

In fact, he can sum it up in one word.

reasons why he and his partner in Black Violin, viola/keyboardist/singer Wil Bap tiste, were able to achieve start-to- nish authenticity on Take e Stairs.

reasons why he and his partner in Black Violin, viola/keyboardist/singer Wil Bap tiste, were able to achieve start-to- nish authenticity on Take e Stairs

on anything we’ve ever done. So I think that’s some of it, just the authenticity of it.”

on anything we’ve ever done. So I think that’s some of it, just the authenticity of it.”

Marcus says Take the Stairs avoids special attractions like guest artists.

remains very much at the core of the duo’s sound, Marcus feels three songs – “Rise,” “Serenade” and “Nimrod” –represent creative breakthroughs.

“ is is the most authentic album we’ve ever done,” he says. “ e album is who we are. at was the best part of it. It didn’t feel like we had to try to conform or act like anything else, and we were still able to make an album that we feel very, very proud about without necessarily compromising our ideas in any way – all without being preachy.”

In fact, he can sum it up in one word.

“ is is the most authentic album we’ve ever done,” he says. “ e album is who we are. at was the best part of it. It didn’t feel like we had to try to conform or act like anything else, and we were still able to make an album that we feel very, very proud about without necessarily compromising our ideas in any way – all without being preachy.”

Marcus allows that the rst Black Violin album, a 2008 self-titled e ort, was also very authentic. But he sees several

Marcus allows that the rst Black Violin album, a 2008 self-titled e ort, was also very authentic. But he sees several

“Our very rst album was, it was our life’s work. It’s everything up until the point where we were 23 years old and we put that out,” Marcus says. “But since then, this is the most authentic album, and I think it’s because, honestly, we had a long time to do it. [ e previous album] Stereotypes came out in 2015, we were looking for producers, looking for di er ent situations since we had to ght to get out of our deal with Universal. We had so many other things that were happening at that time.”

“Our very rst album was, it was our life’s work. It’s everything up until the point where we were 23 years old and we put that out,” Marcus says. “But since then, this is the most authentic album, and I think it’s because, honestly, we had a long time to do it. [ e previous album]

Stereotypes came out in 2015, we were looking for producers, looking for di er ent situations since we had to ght to get out of our deal with Universal. We had so many other things that were happening at that time.”

“ en [in 2018], we got together with [producer] Phil (Beaudreau) in, like Sep tember, and the album [Take e Stairs] was done in, like, October,” he continues. “I mean, I’m more at peace with every note on this project than I’ve ever been

“ en [in 2018], we got together with [producer] Phil (Beaudreau) in, like Sep tember, and the album [Take e Stairs] was done in, like, October,” he continues. “I mean, I’m more at peace with every note on this project than I’ve ever been

Marcus says Take the Stairs avoids special attractions like guest artists.

“ ere are no – we would say on previ ous albums, there were songs that were like breast implants. Like, they’re us, we wrote the song, but the song’s on the album because there’s a good feature on it. Maybe it doesn’t perfectly sync up or match with the album, but there’s a really good feature on it or there’s a big-time producer on it or the label really likes it,” Marcus says. “ is album has none of that. Like, the only thing that’s on the album – every note and every word – we both loved it and wanted it. Because of that, there’s this authenticity, there’s this real rawness, this genuineness about it.”

“ ere are no – we would say on previ ous albums, there were songs that were like breast implants. Like, they’re us, we wrote the song, but the song’s on the album because there’s a good feature on it. Maybe it doesn’t perfectly sync up or match with the album, but there’s a really good feature on it or there’s a big-time producer on it or the label really likes it,” Marcus says. “ is album has none of that. Like, the only thing that’s on the album – every note and every word – we both loved it and wanted it. Because of that, there’s this authenticity, there’s this real rawness, this genuineness about it.”

Beyond authenticity, Marcus sees musical growth in Take e Stairs. And while the fusion of classical and hip-hop

Beyond authenticity, Marcus sees musical growth in Take e Stairs. And while the fusion of classical and hip-hop

remains very much at the core of the duo’s sound, Marcus feels three songs – “Rise,” “Serenade” and “Nimrod” –represent creative breakthroughs.

He uses “Serenade” to explain what’s di erent. Drawn from classical composer Antonín Dvořák’s “Serenade For Strings,” the song essentially turns the group’s usual approach to mixing hip-hop and classical on its head.

He uses “Serenade” to explain what’s di erent. Drawn from classical composer Antonín Dvořák’s “Serenade For Strings,” the song essentially turns the group’s usual approach to mixing hip-hop and classical on its head.

“Normally in pop or hip-hop, when you sample a classical song, normally it would be like you open up Pro Tools or whatever you use to create music, and you’ll start a click (track), with the click being like 120 [beats per minute], and you take that classical piece and you match it to the click,” Marcus says. “ at’s how we’ve always done it. at’s how everyone seems to do it when they want a sample or they want to use classical elements [and bring them] into a pop world.

“Normally in pop or hip-hop, when you sample a classical song, normally it would be like you open up Pro Tools or whatever you use to create music, and you’ll start a click (track), with the click being like 120 [beats per minute], and you take that classical piece and you match it to the click,” Marcus says. “ at’s how we’ve always done it. at’s how everyone seems to do it when they want a sample or they want to use classical elements [and bring them] into a pop world.

Ahead of a Cincinnati tour stop, Black Violin’s new album is as true to the duo as ever.

PHOTO: MARK CLENNON

the other songs are more of an equal blend of hip-hop and classical instrumentation and melody. For instance,

But Marcus says Black Violin did things di erently with “Serenade.”

But Marcus says Black Violin did things di erently with “Serenade.”

“We took London [Symphony Orchestra’s] interpretation of it, and then we mapped out a beat to that, as if a conductor is conducting with a beat in the orchestra,” he says. “We’d never approached it like that, and it was much more di cult than we thought in some ways, but easier than we thought in others. So because of that, when you hear that song, it’s really a classical song, and it feels like it could t on a classical [album]. But it does have a very current hip-hop beat to it.”

“We took London [Symphony Orchestra’s] interpretation of it, and then we mapped out a beat to that, as if a conductor is conducting with a beat in the orchestra,” he says. “We’d never approached it like that, and it was much more di cult than we thought in some ways, but easier than we thought in others. So because of that, when you hear that song, it’s really a classical song, and it feels like it could t on a classical [album]. But it does have a very current hip-hop beat to it.”

“To me, that’s almost like a breakthrough song for us,” he continues. “We found a new way to create and to blend classical and hip-hop that we had not done before, and for us, that’s a big deal.”

“To me, that’s almost like a breakthrough song for us,” he continues. “We found a new way to create and to blend classical and hip-hop that we had not done before, and for us, that’s a big deal.”

While “Rise,” “Serenade” and “Nimrod” are decidedly classical, most of

While “Rise,” “Serenade” and “Nimrod” are decidedly classical, most of

the other songs are more of an equal blend of hip-hop and classical instrumentation and melody. For instance, “One Step” starts out with a sonic blast that’s almost industrial before layering in hip-hop beats and an R&B-leaning vocal melody. e tune is performed by Baptiste, who has grown into a quite capable singer.

“One Step” starts out with a sonic blast that’s almost industrial before layering in hip-hop beats and an R&B-leaning vocal melody. e tune is performed by Baptiste, who has grown into a quite capable singer.

“Lost in the Garden” has a bit of Marvin Gaye in its soulful sound, while “Spaz,” “Showo ” and “Dreamer” are good examples of the melding of hiphop and classical.

“Lost in the Garden” has a bit of Marvin Gaye in its soulful sound, while “Spaz,” “Showo ” and “Dreamer” are good examples of the melding of hiphop and classical.

is musical hybrid is something Marcus and Baptiste rst began forming in high school, when Marcus had an idea for how to incorporate violin into the Busta Rhymes song “Gimme Some More.”

is musical hybrid is something Marcus and Baptiste rst began forming in high school, when Marcus had an idea for how to incorporate violin into the Busta Rhymes song “Gimme Some More.”

at musical idea, however, was put on hold when, in 2004, after winning the Showtime at the Apollo talent competition, Marcus and Baptiste were introduced to the manager of Alicia Keys and were then hired to join her band for a performance during the 2004 Billboard Music Awards. is led to opportunities to tour not only with Keys, but Jay-Z, Kanye West and Linkin Park, among the notable acts. But the duo never lost sight of the idea of creating their own music, and eventually they decided to stop taking touring gigs and pursue Black Violin in earnest.

at musical idea, however, was put on hold when, in 2004, after winning the Showtime at the Apollo talent competition, Marcus and Baptiste were introduced to the manager of Alicia Keys and were then hired to join her band for a performance during the 2004 Billboard Music Awards. is led to opportunities to tour not only with Keys, but Jay-Z, Kanye West and Linkin Park, among the notable acts. But the duo never lost sight of the idea of creating their own music, and eventually they decided to stop taking touring gigs and pursue Black Violin in earnest.

e self-titled debut arrived in 2008, followed in 2012 by Classically Trained and then Stereotypes. Along the way, Black Violin has built a robust touring business and has had multiple songs used in commercials, television, movies and other media. e duo also has become involved in a variety of programs, including their own foundation, that encourage kids to pursue music or whatever careers they are passionate about – a message that is very much woven through several songs on Take e Stairs

e self-titled debut arrived in 2008, followed in 2012 by Classically Trained and then Stereotypes. Along the way, Black Violin has built a robust touring business and has had multiple songs used in commercials, television, movies and other media. e duo also has become involved in a variety of programs, including their own foundation, that encourage kids to pursue music or whatever careers they are passionate about – a message that is very much woven through several songs on Take e Stairs.

With Take e Stairs out and concert venues reopening, Marcus and Baptiste have returned to the road, bringing along drummer Nat Stokes and turntablist extraordinaire DJ SPS—both long-time touring members – to create a unique live experience.

With Take e Stairs out and concert venues reopening, Marcus and Baptiste have returned to the road, bringing along drummer Nat Stokes and turntablist extraordinaire DJ SPS—both long-time touring members – to create a unique live experience.

“It’s more dynamic than the show has ever been because of the album,” Marcus says. “Of course, we tell kids to dream, tell people to dream, the impossible is possible, just run through walls for whatever you’re passionate about. All of the messaging of the album is pretty much there (in the show).”

“It’s more dynamic than the show has ever been because of the album,” Marcus says. “Of course, we tell kids to dream, tell people to dream, the impossible is possible, just run through walls for whatever you’re passionate about. All of the messaging of the album is pretty much there (in the show).”

Black Violin plays at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Arono Center, 650 Walnut Street, Downtown. ere are no known COVID-19 protocols in place.

Black Violin plays at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15 at the Arono Center, 650 Walnut Street, Downtown. ere are no known COVID-19 protocols in place.

Info: cincinnatiarts.org/ arono -center-home.

Info: cincinnatiarts.org/ arono -center-home.

Black Violin

Black Violin

PHOTO: MARK CLENNON

SOUND

PUSCIFER WITH NIGHT CLUB

PUSCIFER WITH NIGHT CLUB

Nov. 10 • Andrew J Brady Music Center

Nov. 10 • Andrew J Brady Music Center

e promo trailer for Puscifer’s latest tour jaunt (dubbed “ e Existential Reckoning Tour Version 2.0”) is a doozy — a mock, K-TEL-like TV commercial brought to us via “A Pusciforce TMZanon Jam.” e two-minute clip opens with frontman Maynard James Keenan dressed in character as “Dick Merkin,” a secret agent clad in a black suit, sunglasses, red lipstick and a slick hairpiece. He dances around in triplicate as a voiceover pitch man mentions songs from Puscifer’s most recent album, 2020’s Existential Reckoning.

e 1970s-styled clip intersperses shots of Merkin performing live, his pathetic sing-speak voice vastly di erent from Keenan’s deft delivery on the band’s actual songs. e teaser “Prepare to be probed at these convenient locations…” then appears on the screen before listing Puscifer’s fall tours stops, including the misspelled “Cincinatti.”

e trailer is certainly in keeping with the band’s conceptually playful roots. Keenan, best known as the frontman for Tool and A Perfect Circle, rst dreamt

e promo trailer for Puscifer’s latest tour jaunt (dubbed “ e Existential Reckoning Tour Version 2.0”) is a doozy — a mock, K-TEL-like TV commercial brought to us via “A Pusciforce TMZanon Jam.” e two-minute clip opens with frontman Maynard James Keenan dressed in character as “Dick Merkin,” a secret agent clad in a black suit, sunglasses, red lipstick and a slick hairpiece. He dances around in triplicate as a voiceover pitch man mentions songs from Puscifer’s most recent album, 2020’s Existential Reckoning e 1970s-styled clip intersperses shots of Merkin performing live, his pathetic sing-speak voice vastly di erent from Keenan’s deft delivery on the band’s actual songs. e teaser “Prepare to be probed at these convenient locations…” then appears on the screen before listing Puscifer’s fall tours stops, including the misspelled “Cincinatti.” e trailer is certainly in keeping with the band’s conceptually playful roots. Keenan, best known as the frontman for Tool and A Perfect Circle, rst dreamt

up Puscifer as a ctional band in a 1995 episode of the HBO comedy series Mr. Show. Yet more than a quarter century later, the out t has now released four full-length albums (beginning with 2007’s “V” Is for Vagina) and currently features two other full-time members: singer/multi-instrumentalist Carina Round and multi-instrumentalist Mat Mitchell. For the uninitiated, Puscifer’s current musical output recalls Nine Inch Nails minus the histrionic — atmospheric electro-rock marked by the vocal interplay between Keenan and Round, who complement rather than rise above the sonics around them.

up Puscifer as a ctional band in a 1995 episode of the HBO comedy series Mr. Show. Yet more than a quarter century later, the out t has now released four full-length albums (beginning with 2007’s “V” Is for Vagina) and currently features two other full-time members: singer/multi-instrumentalist Carina Round and multi-instrumentalist Mat Mitchell. For the uninitiated, Puscifer’s current musical output recalls Nine Inch Nails minus the histrionic — atmospheric electro-rock marked by the vocal interplay between Keenan and Round, who complement rather than rise above the sonics around them.

Word is the current tour is a surreal production, as each member is clad in secret agent getups. ey’re accompanied onstage by giant, old-school TVs and dancing aliens.

Word is the current tour is a surreal production, as each member is clad in secret agent getups. ey’re accompanied onstage by giant, old-school TVs and dancing aliens.

Meta hijinks aside, Keenan is ready to nally deliver Puscifer’s latest work in person following a long, pandemicrelated delay.

Meta hijinks aside, Keenan is ready to nally deliver Puscifer’s latest work in person following a long, pandemicrelated delay.

“I’m just excited for the chance to develop these songs in a live setting,” Keenan said in a recent interview with azcentral.com. “Because the more you play them live, the more they evolve. And I think it’s important to

“I’m just excited for the chance to develop these songs in a live setting,” Keenan said in a recent interview with azcentral.com. “Because the more you play them live, the more they evolve. And I think it’s important to

keep breathing life into these things, to never be static, just kind of repeating yourself.”

keep breathing life into these things, to never be static, just kind of repeating yourself.”

Puscifer plays the Andrew J Brady Music Center on Nov. 10. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. (Jason Gargano)

Puscifer plays the Andrew J Brady Music Center on Nov. 10. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. (Jason Gargano)

JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND

release, hit the top 10 on the Billboard charts, and the soundtrack eventually turned triple-platinum.

release, hit the top 10 on the Billboard charts, and the soundtrack eventually turned triple-platinum.

JOHN CAFFERTY AND THE BEAVER BROWN BAND

Nov. 12 • Ludlow Garage

Nov. 12 • Ludlow Garage

For music fans of a certain age, the saxophone embodies a romantic mystique not often heard anymore. e instrument evokes the nostalgic past, hot summer nights and dark nightclubs. With their horn-injected, throwback rock-n-roll, John Ca erty and his Beaver Brown Band still invoke many of these connotations.

For music fans of a certain age, the saxophone embodies a romantic mystique not often heard anymore. e instrument evokes the nostalgic past, hot summer nights and dark nightclubs. With their horn-injected, throwback rock-n-roll, John Ca erty and his Beaver Brown Band still invoke many of these connotations.

is six-piece out t started back in the early 1970s in Rhode Island as a Northeast bar band, but Ca erty and company achieved mainstream success in the ‘80s with their best-selling soundtrack for the cult movie Eddie and the Cruisers about a ctional band. “On the Dark Side,” their rst single from the

is six-piece out t started back in the early 1970s in Rhode Island as a Northeast bar band, but Ca erty and company achieved mainstream success in the ‘80s with their best-selling soundtrack for the cult movie Eddie and the Cruisers about a ctional band. “On the Dark Side,” their rst single from the

For their 50th anniversary this year, Ca erty and the band are releasing their rst greatest hits compilation this fall. is includes songs chosen from other movie soundtracks, such as Rocky IV, as well as their own releases. Over the years, Ca erty has placed a stunning 35 songs into the soundtracks of various movies. Ca erty and the Beaver Brown Band were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2012 as local boys who made it big.

For their 50th anniversary this year, Ca erty and the band are releasing their rst greatest hits compilation this fall. is includes songs chosen from other movie soundtracks, such as Rocky IV, as well as their own releases. Over the years, Ca erty has placed a stunning 35 songs into the soundtracks of various movies. Ca erty and the Beaver Brown Band were inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame in 2012 as local boys who made it big.

All of Ca erty’s music, no matter the decade, evinces a similar sound: muscular, R&B-tinged, high-energy rock, heavy on guitar, keyboards and sax. eir revivalist music has fueled thousands of nights on the beach boardwalk, in the bars and festivals up and down the East Coast, and even in the Midwest. Always more focused on their live shows than making records, they still play dozens of shows each year. eir set includes a range of their career best.

All of Ca erty’s music, no matter the decade, evinces a similar sound: muscular, R&B-tinged, high-energy rock, heavy on guitar, keyboards and sax. eir revivalist music has fueled thousands of nights on the beach boardwalk, in the bars and festivals up and down the East Coast, and even in the Midwest. Always more focused on their live shows than making records, they still play dozens of shows each year. eir set includes a range of their career best.

John Ca erty and the Beaver Brown Band play the Ludlow Garage on Nov. 12. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show

John Ca erty and the Beaver Brown Band play the Ludlow Garage on Nov. 12. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show

Puscifer

PHOTO: TRAVIS SHINN

Puscifer

PHOTO: TRAVIS SHINN

The Menzingers

PHOTO: COURTESY OF EPITAPH RECORDS

starts at 8:30 p.m. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com. (Greg Gaston)

starts at 8:30 p.m. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com. (Greg Gaston)

THE MENZINGERS

THE MENZINGERS

Nov. 18 • Bogart’s

Nov. 18 • Bogart’s e Menzingers emerged from a herd of buzzing rock bands infected by the likes of e Promise Ring and e Get Up Kids (among other, less obvious touchstones) — sensitive boys whose longing is there on the surface for all to see and hear. e Pennsylvania-bred quartet — guitarist/vocalist Greg Barnett, drummer Joe Godino, bassist Eric Keen and guitarist/vocalist Tom May — write detailed character studies about everyday stu : cars, beer, deer and, of course, a yearning to connect in a world that often disappoints.

e Menzingers emerged from a herd of buzzing rock bands infected by the likes of e Promise Ring and e Get Up Kids (among other, less obvious touchstones) — sensitive boys whose longing is there on the surface for all to see and hear. e Pennsylvania-bred quartet — guitarist/vocalist Greg Barnett, drummer Joe Godino, bassist Eric Keen and guitarist/vocalist Tom May — write detailed character studies about everyday stu : cars, beer, deer and, of course, a yearning to connect in a world that often disappoints.

e band’s breakthrough third album, 2012’s On the Impossible Past, is a stellar collection of melodic punk songs driven by intertwining guitars, keening vocals and a wistful worldview. Sample lyric from “Sun Hotel,” as emotionally and sonically visceral a tune as the band has ever conjured: “And I’m pretty sure this corner of the world/Is the loneliest corner of the whole world.”

e band’s breakthrough third album, 2012’s On the Impossible Past, is a stellar collection of melodic punk songs driven by intertwining guitars, keening vocals and a wistful worldview. Sample lyric from “Sun Hotel,” as emotionally and sonically visceral a tune as the band has ever conjured: “And I’m pretty sure this corner of the world/Is the loneliest corner of the whole world.”

In what is becoming a trend across

In what is becoming a trend across

the musical landscape, the guys are celebrating On the Impossible Past’s 10th anniversary with a reissue of the album (that includes an EP of demos) and a tour in which they play a good chunk of its songs.

the musical landscape, the guys are celebrating On the Impossible Past’s 10th anniversary with a reissue of the album (that includes an EP of demos) and a tour in which they play a good chunk of its songs.

“ is record changed our lives forever,” May said in the press materials accompanying the tour announcement.

“ is record changed our lives forever,” May said in the press materials accompanying the tour announcement.

“ e last 10 years have been a whirlwind of vans and airplanes, loud stages, late nights, love, dear friends, and once in a lifetime experiences. On the Impossible Past was the ticket. It was a rocket that took the four of us from our small smoke- lled basement in South Philly to stages in cities all over the world.”

“ e last 10 years have been a whirlwind of vans and airplanes, loud stages, late nights, love, dear friends, and once in a lifetime experiences. On the Impossible Past was the ticket. It was a rocket that took the four of us from our small smoke- lled basement in South Philly to stages in cities all over the world.”

e current tour again takes them across the U.S. as well as a recently completed European stint where they played On the Impossible Past sequentially front to back on at least two occasions. But they aren’t neglecting newer tunes, including from their most recent album, 2019’s Hello Exile, which doesn’t stray far from their roots. Take “High School Friend,” which reveals the following: “ ere’s former you, there’s former me/We’re telling tales of revisionist history/Ah, remember the days we couldn’t hardly wait to end?”

e current tour again takes them across the U.S. as well as a recently completed European stint where they played On the Impossible Past sequentially front to back on at least two occasions. But they aren’t neglecting newer tunes, including from their most recent album, 2019’s Hello Exile, which doesn’t stray far from their roots. Take “High School Friend,” which reveals the following: “ ere’s former you, there’s former me/We’re telling tales of revisionist history/Ah, remember the days we couldn’t hardly wait to end?”

e Menzingers play Bogart’s on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. Screaming Females and Touche Amore open the show. Info: livenation.com. (JG)

e Menzingers play Bogart’s on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. Screaming Females and Touche Amore open the show. Info: livenation.com. (JG)

AMON AMARTH

AMON AMARTH

Nov. 27 • Andrew J Brady Music Center

Nov. 27 • Andrew J Brady Music Center

Have you ever wanted to go to a metal show but would prefer if the mosh pit was lled with a bunch of sweaty people pretending to row a boat instead of pushing one another? en Amon Amarth is about to make your (very speci c) dream come true.

Have you ever wanted to go to a metal show but would prefer if the mosh pit was lled with a bunch of sweaty people pretending to row a boat instead of pushing one another? en Amon Amarth is about to make your (very speci c) dream come true.

e Swedish band has been ped dling their driving and energetic brand of Viking-themed metal since 1992 and are touring on the back of their latest release, 2022’s e Great Heathen Army While the album provides the thunder ous drums, anthemic guitar gallops and aggressive calls to battle that fans have loved for decades, this album shows the band’s recent focus on varying both their sound and inspiration.

e Swedish band has been ped dling their driving and energetic brand of Viking-themed metal since 1992 and are touring on the back of their latest release, 2022’s e Great Heathen Army While the album provides the thunder ous drums, anthemic guitar gallops and aggressive calls to battle that fans have loved for decades, this album shows the band’s recent focus on varying both their sound and inspiration.

e quintet isn’t abandoning the Viking war stories and Norse mythol ogy that put them on the map, but the way they tell the stories has expanded.

e quintet isn’t abandoning the Viking war stories and Norse mythol ogy that put them on the map, but the way they tell the stories has expanded.

Interspersed within the tried-and-true Amon Amarth stylings are songs like “Heidrun,” a celebration of the goat who stood on the roof of Valhalla and provided fallen warriors with mead. e track, “Saxons and Vikings,” features guest vocals from Bi Byford of – you guessed it – the band Saxon to spotlight a verbal sparring match between not only Byford and Amon Amarth’s vocalist Johan Hegg, but also Viking and Saxon warriors during the 865 Viking invasion of England.

Interspersed within the tried-and-true Amon Amarth stylings are songs like “Heidrun,” a celebration of the goat who stood on the roof of Valhalla and provided fallen warriors with mead. e track, “Saxons and Vikings,” features guest vocals from Bi Byford of – you guessed it – the band Saxon to spotlight a verbal sparring match between not only Byford and Amon Amarth’s vocalist Johan Hegg, but also Viking and Saxon warriors during the 865 Viking invasion of England.

Amon Amarth complement their grandiose and powerful music with live shows to match. e bombastic nature of the music is complemented by intense stage designs, often including a life-size Viking longboat, to prove just how much they love their chosen subject. And yes, their crowds have been known to sit down and feign rowing in the middle of a mosh pit and are more than happy to welcome others into the war party.

Amon Amarth complement their grandiose and powerful music with live shows to match. e bombastic nature of the music is complemented by intense stage designs, often including a life-size Viking longboat, to prove just how much they love their chosen subject. And yes, their crowds have been known to sit down and feign rowing in the middle of a mosh pit and are more than happy to welcome others into the war party.

Amon Amarth performs at the Andrew J Brady Music Center on Nov. 27. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. Carcass, Obituary and Cattle Decapitation open the show. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. (Nick Grever)

Amon Amarth performs at the Andrew J Brady Music Center on Nov. 27. Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show begins at 6:30 p.m. Carcass, Obituary and Cattle Decapitation open the show. Info: bradymusiccenter.com. (Nick Grever)

The Menzingers

PHOTO: COURTESY OF EPITAPH RECORDS

BY BRENDAN EMMETT QUIGLEY WWW.BRENDANEMMETTQUIGLEY.COM