CityBeat | June 12, 2019

MICHAEL D. MORGAN BREWS UP MORE STORIES ABOUT THE SOMETIMES-FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF BEER-MAKING IN CINCINNATI

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NEWS

Ohio River Pollution Standards Now Voluntary for States ORSANCO has set water pollution standards for its eight member states since 1948. Now, however, states will be able to opt out of them.

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

The Ohio River

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PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

New York ORSANCO board member Doug Conroe voted against the proposal to make the pollution control standards voluntary.

Conroe said that there have been no complaints about the standards as they exist and that there is no reason to believe eliminating them will do any good.

“I see less and less in terms of environmental, governmental proactivity,” he said.

“I see status quo. I see sincere and caring environmental officials who are hamstrung by fiscal cutbacks and staff reductions, along with facing heavy pressures from the regulated community to lighten up... I believe having meaningful, riverwide required standards is an important tool to include in our toolbox.”

Conroe said he has heard from statelevel regulators that ORSANCO standards give them political cover to do necessary regulatory work for which they would otherwise face push back.

Commissioners who oppose loosening compliance requirements for the standards point out that 188 of CONTINUES ON PAGE 09

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for clean water. Before making any modifications to the pollution control standards for the Ohio River, the states and voting commissioners need to thoroughly and unambiguously answer how the proposed changes help improve water quality for millions of people in the region.”

ORSANCO, founded in 1948, is made up of 23 commissioners, with two or three each tapped by the governors of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia — the states the river flows through — as well as two others appointed by the federal government.

Until now, states have had to abide by its standards, for the most part.

Illinois ORSANCO commissioner Toby Frevert argued at the June 6 meeting that his state already has a “robust” system of pollution protections and should not be required to also expend resources meeting ORSANCO’s.

But critics of the rule changes argue that it’s impossible to contain water pollution within state lines, and thus the river should have an overarching set of mandatory regulatory standards.

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filed comments online or attended three ORSANCO hearings in Greater Cincinnati, Evansville, Indiana and Pittsburgh earlier this year.

Pamela Mullins, a Covington resident, spoke out about the rule changes at a meeting in February. She said that pollution controls like those ORSANCO oversees help protect vulnerable communities — low-income people, the elderly and minorities.

“I support the work that you do,” she said.

“I want to make sure that anything with environmental justice attached is secured and protected.”

Some environmental groups are also waving red flags.

“We believe that the original vision to manage the Ohio River as one ecosystem still holds,” National Wildlife Federation spokesperson Jordan Lubetkin told the board before the June 6 vote. “The bottom line for us is this: With many of our cities and towns dealing with unsafe drinking water, now is not the time to scale back clean water enforcement and walk away from our shared responsibility for the river. We need more, not less, protections

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set of pollution control standards governing eight states along the Ohio River will become voluntary for its members, the board of the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission decided June 6.

Cincinnati-based ORSANCO oversees standards for emissions from about 600 companies and other organizations along a 1,000-mile stretch of the river that provides drinking water for roughly 5 million people.

Supporters of the change say those standards overlap with state and federal Environmental Protection Agency rules in many cases, and that ORSANCO has a small staff of 20 people and limited resources with which to perform its mission, which also includes spill mitigation, public outreach, wildlife monitoring and other functions.

“Our staff levels have gone down and our workload has gone up,” board chair Ron Potesta said at the June 6 meeting.

But a number of people — residents of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky and activists, as well as a minority of the board — pushed back against the change. Opponents point out that not all of ORSANCO’s standards are duplicated by other agencies and point to the fact that federal regulations are being rolled back by the Trump administration.

Several Northern Kentucky municipalities and other government groups also oppose the change.

About a dozen people spoke against the proposal at the board’s meeting June 6, in addition to roughly 4,000 others who

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Cincinnati Police Captain Indicted on Federal Bribery, Theft Charges

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

Cincinnati Sues State of Ohio Over Gun Law Restrictions

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L

Cincinnati Police Captain Michael Savard faces federal bribery and theft charges for soliciting a $5,000 bribe from a CPD sergeant, authorities have announced.

Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, U.S. Attorney Benjamin Glassman and IRS Criminal Investigations Special Agent in Charge William Cheung revealed the charges at a news conference June 7.

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

That, in turn, would open up the lieutenant position.

CPD promotes based on a list that is compiled from scores on a civil service test.

That list was set to expire at the end of this month, meaning the sergeant in question would have had to take the test over again and may not have ended up in the same position on the list.

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

Savard allegedly indicated to the sergeant that he was aware of the IRS

investigation and was hoping to cut a deal with prosecutors. The sergeant told CPD and federal investigators about the bribery offer late last month and when the money was delivered to Savard, he was promptly arrested.

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

Isaac batted back the idea that Savard’s actions are a usual occurrence within the department.

“Early in my career I would hear chatter about this kind of thing happening,” he says. “But the way our current retirement system is structured, with our deferred retirement option, it is extremely unlucrative for anyone to engage in this. It would be extremely rare for this to happen. I believe it is not legally allowable — any exchange of dollars.”

If convicted of the allegations against him, Savard could face 10 years in prison.

More charges against him could be forthcoming connected to a probe by the IRS’ criminal investigation unit that was

Can Ohio cities pass gun control laws stricter than the state’s? That will be up to courts to decide.

The City of Cincinnati filed a lawsuit against the state of Ohio in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court alleging that Ohio’s House Bill 228 violates the so-called “home rule” rights of municipalities.

Cincinnati Police headquarters PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

already underway when the alleged bribery incident took place.

Officials said they can’t comment on the details around the preexisting investigation by the IRS, but acknowledged that Savard was suspended from police duties in January in connection with the probe.

The affidavit detailing the charges against Savard says only that the investigation is “related to financial benefits received as a result of his employment with the Cincinnati Police Department.”

Savard, who is currently on desk duty, makes $113,000 a year. He was promoted to captain in 2017 and last worked with CPD’s special services unit. Isaac said that a hearing this week will determine Savard’s employment status with the department.

Hamilton County Prosecutors Indict Prolific Serial Killer for Two Cincinnati Murders

BY N I C K SWA R T S EL L Hamilton County Prosecutors June 7 indicted Samuel Little, believed to be one of the most prolific serial killers in history, after he confessed to murdering two women in Greater Cincinnati decades ago.

Prosecutors say they are working with the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office reviewing autopsy records to determine if a body matching that description turned up in the area at that time.

He also says he murdered another unidentified black female of indeterminate age in OTR sometime around 1984. Little says he disposed of her body somewhere in a 20-minute drive of the neighborhood — possibly under a billboard with an ad for Kool brand cigarettes.

If convicted of the crimes, Little will face 15 years to life in prison. Little agreed to plead guilty as long as prosecutors don’t seek the death penalty.

He also faces other charges.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutors brought indictments May 31 for two of three murders

One occurred in 1984, when Little left a Cleveland bar with a 21-year-old woman named Mary Jo Peyton, took her to a nearby factory, strangled her and threw her body down a stairwell. Employees from a nearby business discovered her two days later.

Little says he killed again in Cleveland in 1991, when he picked up a 32-year-old woman named Rose Evans.

He took her to a vacant lot, strangled her and covered her in two tires. A passerby found her body later that day.

Among the other Ohio women Little says he killed: a woman CONTINUES ON PAGE 09

Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley says that keeps cities from passing meaningful laws that could help reduce gun violence.

The city’s legal filing cites last fall’s mass shooting at Fountain Square as an example.

Three people were killed in that attack before police fatally shot the gunman, who carried out the carnage with a legally-obtained 9 mm pistol.

The city has also seen other massshootings, including a horrific outbreak of violence at Cameo Nightclub in 2017.

That shooting killed two people and injured more than a dozen.

The legal challenge to HB 228 could further be relevant to Cincinnati because city council last May passed a ban on bump stocks, or accessories that can make assault rifles fire at a faster rate. A Franklin County judge ruled last summer that a similar Columbus bump stock ban was unenforceable under Ohio law in place prior to the passage of HB 228.

Other Ohio cities including Columbus have also sued the state over HB 228.

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Among his many confessions, Little indicated he killed Cincinnati native Annie Lee Stewart, who lived in Overthe-Rhine, and dumped her body in a Columbus suburb in 1981.

Little says he committed in Cleveland.

HB 228, which Ohio Lawmakers passed last December, expressly prohibits cities from passing gun-related regulations.

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Last year, 78-year-old Little confessed to 90 murders across 11 states, including at least six in his native Ohio, as he sought a prison transfer.

Little was already incarcerated for three murders in California when he made the confessions. He was convicted for those murders and

Little says he killed the women while living in a halfway house in Northern Kentucky.

The city’s complaint alleges that HB 228 also violates separation of powers spelled out in the state constitution and that the state “acted unconstitutionally and illegally by enacting a punitive firearms preemption law.”

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Authorities recently received eerie clues about those crimes: portraits Little drew of his victims.

sentenced in 2014 to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Those rights, spelled out in the Ohio Constitution, guarantee that towns, cities and other local governments can pass laws as they see fit.

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FROM PAGE 05

ORSANCO’s standards aren’t covered by other environmental regulations in six of its member states. Simply relying on the state and federal EPA standards “may not be adequate to protect the aquatic life and uses of the Ohio River,” they wrote in a report challenging elimination of the rules.

Rich Cogen chairs ORSANCO’s Watershed Organizations Advisory Committee and is also the founder of advocacy group the Ohio River Foundation. He says the move to make the standards voluntary is a bad idea for a few reasons: The standards have led to a cleaner river with more wildlife over the years, standards compliance is a relatively small part of ORSANCO’s multi-million-dollar budget, and not all the rules are redundant, he says.

Cogen says his committee proposed an amendment that would keep the rules mandatory but provide states with a process by which they could apply for exceptions.

“By voting to make the adoption of the (pollution control standards) voluntary, the commissioners are denying the positive impact of the adoption of the standards,” Cogen said. “The commissioners are saying, ‘This is as good as the river can get.’ ”

The board approved an amendment to the original proposal that will direct a committee to study potential impacts to ORSANCO programs that could result from allowing states to opt out of the commission’s standards.

Some commissioners wanted to go further, requiring ORSANCO to review permits issued by states that don’t comply with the commission’s standards to make sure that other environmental regulations are being met.

Most of the board’s appointees have had long careers with state EPAs, regional water conservancies or other environmental groups. Federal appointee George Elmaraghy served at the Ohio EPA for nearly four decades. Elmaraghy was chief of its surface water division when he was asked to resign by Gov. John Kasich in 2013 after opposing mining permits sought by coal companies in the state.

Other members of the commission, including West Virginia’s David Flannery and board chair Potesta, are also industry consultants or attorneys who have represented industrial clients in matters around environmental regulations.

Potesta’s consulting firm works with a gamut of clients from nonprofits to companies in the mining, manufacturing and chemical industries.

FROM PAGE 07

he met in Columbus, killed and dumped in Northern Kentucky in 1984.

Little, a one-time boxer who beat and strangled his victims, did more than just tell authorities about those murders. He drew disturbingly-detailed portraits of each victim.

Little drifted from state to state for years after dropping out of high school in Lorain, Ohio.

He had numerous brushes with the law during that time, including stints in prison.

Authorities charged Little with the 1982 murders of two women in Mississippi and Florida, but he was acquitted. He moved to California, where he was arrested and convicted in 1984 of beating and kidnapping two women who survived their encounters with him. He served roughly two-and-a-half years in prison for those crimes and was released in 1987.

Little’s luck ran out in 2012, when he was arrested at a shelter for those experiencing homelessness in Louisville, Kentucky and extradited to California, where the FBI says he was wanted on a narcotics charge.

Authorities then began matching up his DNA with unsolved murder cases. That is

how the Los Angeles Police were able to pin him to three murders there between 1987 and 1989.

That led to other connections, including a killing in Texas for which Little was later convicted. When agents from the FBI, Department of Justice and Texas Rangers went to interview Little about that killing in 2018, he was hoping to move from the prison he was at in California to a different facility. That, authorities say, got him talking.

“He went through city and state and gave Ranger (James) Holland the number of people he killed in each place,” FBI Crime Analyst Christina Palazzo said in a news release.

All these years later, it is unclear what Little’s motive was for the murders. Of the 90 killings Little has confessed to, authorities have been able to link him conclusively to 34. Others remain uncorroborated.

That doesn’t necessarily mean Little made them up, authorities say. Little often targeted vulnerable women engaged in sex work or struggling with addiction problems, law enforcement officials point out. Sometimes, bodies believed to belong to his victims went unidentified and their killings uninvestigated.

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MICHAEL D. MORGAN BREWS UP MORE STORIES ABOUT THE SOMETIMES-FORGOTTEN HISTORY OF BEER-MAKING IN CINCINNATI J U N . 1 2 -18 , 2 0 19

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M

ichael D. Morgan is Cincinnati’s resident beer historian and if you’re going to meet him to talk about his newest book over pints of local brew, be sure to eat a large meal beforehand.

The man’s thirst is rivaled only by his knowledge.

Cincinnati Beer Beer, published by The History Press, is a historical love letter to the city’s ongoing reputation for producing some of the best beer in the country. The Queen City’s vast population of imbibers should add this new book to their reading list if they ever hope to win at local beer trivia, as Morgan clarifies certain popular misconceptions about Cincinnati’s earliest brewers, setting some records straight thanks to more than a decade of research, and examines the parallels between the city’s mid-1800s brewing industry with that of today. “(Cincinnati Cincinnati Beer Beer) was written to — hopefully — be entertaining, but there is a massive amount of research that went into making it the first entirely accurate history of the city’s brewing industry from the 1700s through today,” Morgan says.

His first book, Over-the-Rhine: When Beer Was King (The History Press, 2010), has become required reading for the city’s literate drunks — “that’s the demographic I’m going for,” he says with a laugh. It introduced a new generation to the immense impact Cincinnati’s brewers had on the country in the 19th-century and aimed to “change the public’s perception of Over-the-Rhine and help stop the destruction of the neighborhood,” according to the preface of Cincinnati Beer Beer.

Morgan, part of a 2005 Brewery District marketing committee and later the first executive director of the Brewery District Community Redevelopment Corporation, fell into his historian role while trying to change locals’s minds about Over-the-Rhine’s decaying industrial buildings — many of which were former 19th-century breweries.

“Cincinnati, as it turned out, contains an unrivaled collection of 19th-century brewery buildings in its urban core,” he writes in Cincinnati Beer Beer. “Once we understood that our rotting hulks were a source of pride, an opportunity rather than an albatross, we asked ourselves how we could begin to share this information.”

Thus began his journey to become the man the Cincinnati Enquirer has called the “top expert on Cincinnati beer history.”

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Michael D. Morgan Photo: Hailey Bollinger

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One of Cincinnati’s many lagering cellars Photo: Hailey Bollinger

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put that into perspective, the city’s population then was 161,000; today we have more than 301,000 residents with around 60 operating breweries in the region. In the 19th century, much of the South relied on beer imported from major brewing cities like Milwaukee, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, meaning our city was vital to setting the standard for beer consumed across the nation.

Cincinnati Beer pays homage to the techniques and standards that distinguished Cincinnati brewers from other national producers during that time and beyond — with plenty of entertaining stories, fun facts and corrected misconceptions sprinkled throughout.

While Cincinnati is certainly famous for its early German-style lagers, the first beer brewed in the city was actually an English ale, detailed in the book’s first chapter: “River Water Ale.” Disgustingly, it reveals that, yes, Ohio River water was sourced for early beer brewing in the city — a tradition that didn’t last long.

Early ales brewed in Cincinnati were made with the aforementioned river water, hops, barley and honey. According to Morgan, the best modern equivalent you can find in the city today is at Wooden Cask brewery in Newport, esteemed for their traditional English and Scotch ales, though their ingredients and

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As an author, Morgan injects humor and presents excellent context with his hard history, yielding an enjoyable and informative read worthy of any historian’s bookshelf. On top of his written projects, Morgan is also an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati, where he teaches a Hops & History class; a Brewery District tour guide and curator of the new Cincinnati Brewing Heritage Trail (see sidebar); the host of a monthly truecrime murder mystery dinner at Washington Platform where the “primary suspect in the homicide was a prominent brewer named William Schaller and each course is paired with a local craft beer;” a land use/real estate lawyer who helped manage the establishment of the Sohn-Mohawk Historic District; a minister in the Church of the Holy Hops, where he performs marriage ceremonies in lagering cellars and bars; and he was one of the key figures in managing the Bockfest bock beer festival from 2006-2015.

“I have become so familiar with local beer history that it’s second nature,” he says. “The real challenge is what you have to throw out.

There’s so much more, a million great stories just about beer in Cincinnati.”

At its height in 1860, there were 36 breweries in Cincinnati. To

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methods are literally centuries improved over the original recipes.

“I’m not a big technology guy, but when it comes to beer, technology has made all the dif difference. We are definitely making the best beer that’s been made in the history of the world,” he says. “I suspect that beer they were head over heels about in the 1800s, you or I would consider it a highly mediocre beer, but I’d love to be able to taste it and get the experience of what that was.”

In the second chapter of the book, Morgan seeks to correct one of the city’s most repeated pieces of misinformation about its brewing history, generated by the 1881 book History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches. Cincinnati’s first brewer was not a man named David Embree.

In business by 1811, Embree’s given first name was actually Davis. But more importantly, based on Morgan’s extensive research, a man named Joel Williams, one of Cincinnati’s founders, opened a tavern where he likely brewed beer as early as the latter part of the 18th-century.

Documents are scarce on this time period thanks to a Cincinnati courthouse fire caused during an 1884 riot, but, as Morgan writes, “enough remains to at least permit responsible speculation.”

He also covers Cincinnati’s first “great brewery” — the J. Walker Brewing Company, renowned for its Scotch and English ales — waxes poetic about drunk brewery rats and covers the debate about who was or was not the first to utilize a certain yeast to brew the Queen City’s famous German-style lager.

Cincinnati’s brewing renaissance and the age of the beer barons came about in the mid 19thcentury when German lager recipes became the preferred beverage; think names like Christian Moerlein, John Kauffman, John Hauck, Louis Hudepohl II and George Wiedemann. From then on, the city was known for its German beer, obviously popular among the city’s large German population, though it was embraced by much of Cincinnati’s diverse array of residents.

Brewing lager from start to finish requires extensive fermentation in chilly lagering cellars — preserved underground chambers that can resemble cavernous dungeons — an architectural creation at which Cincinnati builders excelled and which was adopted by breweries across the West (and has become a popular tourist attraction here today).

At that point, according to Cincinnati Beer Beer, “Saloons blessed and infested almost every part of Cincinnati in the mid-19th century, but Overthe-Rhine had a particularly high concentration of drinkeries and was home to most of the city’s

largest beer halls and beer gardens.”

Stories from this golden age include largerthan-life tales of Moerlein’s son, George, riding a horse into a bar as a marketing ploy; how the foreman at Jackson Brewery almost threw a man into a furnace during an uprising with creditors; and a murder attempt on John Kauffman Jr. by his jealous French wife, a beer hall singer named Blanche.

There are more stories of money, before-theirtime advertising ideas and bad boy behavior, but all of this stalled with the federal prohibition of alcohol. It’s hard to say what would have happened to the city’s brewers if the 18th Amendment hadn’t been enacted in 1920. There were local temperance laws against the selling of alcohol as early as 1851 and, while it certainly did not stop Cincinnatians from drinking beer, it changed the way it was served and produced.

Cincinnati Beer goes into great detail about this underreported era.

“We know so little about Prohibition in Cincinnati, there’s so little of it written,” Morgan says. “There are a lot of publications out there that say Cincinnati breweries did well on nearbeer for a while until near-beers stopped selling.

That’s not true.”

Near-beer, brewed to a mere fraction of the alcoholic content of traditional beer, was the legal alternative brewers could produce during Prohibition. Many “near-beers” in fact had a much higher than advertised ABV, a feeble attempt to circumvent the law. Near-beer was about as popular then as it is now — people just want real beer.

When proper beer was still illegal, a now defunct local brewery, Red Top Brewing Company, sold what were essentially home brew kits under the argument that the raw ingredients were only illegal once they’d fermented to a certain alcoholic level. Bureaucracy at its thirstiest.

“Prohibition is a terrible idea,” says Morgan unsurprisingly. “I think there’s a close parallel between what we did with saloons in the state of Ohio and marijuana today. The Drug War is the longest war in American history and it is the largest failure of any war we’ve been in as a nation.

It’s just asinine, counterproductive. We criminalized saloons in Ohio in 1851, we had about 400 of them as a city at that time. Thirty years of criminalization later, we had about 2,000 of them.”

“So, how’d that work?” he adds, rhetorically.

According to Cincinnati Beer many of the aspiring beer magnates in Cincinnati in the mid1800s were “infinitely forgettable” and there were many failed ventures.

“In a phenomenon that repeats itself in

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“Grain to Glass� mural created by ArtWorks and the Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation Photo: Hailey Bollinger

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The Bockfest 2018 Parade Photo: Paige Deglow

What about bock beer? He claims Moerlein makes the best in the city, saying, “It’s good, for bock.”

Though Morgan sounds hopeful about the range of offerings in the area, it’s otherwise a bit jarring to hear a brewery doomsday prophecy from one of Cincinnati’s most knowledgeable beer advocates.

But it doesn’t mean we need to shed tears into our beers.

Beer is meant to be consumed fresh, preferably right from the source. If we continue to value its contributions to our happiness and relaxation, it’s inevitably going to be a steadfast companion for generations to come. Beer is a legacy that will continue well past any expiration date.

Morgan is high on the quality of modern beer choices. It’s the quantity he finds concerning.

“America is making the best beer in the world right now and that’s not something you could have ever said previously,” he says. “We’re making it on an unprecedented local level. I wish all these places the best, I hope they all stick around. They won’t, though. It’s gonna pop. We should all drink as many great beers as we can right now.”

Challenge accepted. Prost.

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Cincinnati Beer by Michael D. Morgan is available now. For more information or to purchase the book, visit arcadiapublishing.com or cincinnatibeerbook.com.

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big guys, and at some point I think the hammer’s going to fall. That’ll be a terrible day.”

Cincinnati is indeed home to more breweries now than can ever be recalled, with an estimated 62 breweries operating in the region, spanning from nano-breweries to full-scale productions. With a rich heritage to honor, many have taken up the tradition of brewing classic English and German recipes, but of course there’s so much innovation in the brewing community that there’s no shortage of alternatives to the tried and true brews of yesteryear.

“That Bohemian Pilsner they’re making at Wiedemann’s is probably the best pilsner I’ve had in my life,” Morgan says. “I don’t think Urban Artifact has any competition in sours, especially that Midwest Fruit Tart niche, I don’t think there’s anyone in America doing that better. Psychopathy at MadTree is the best overall IPA in the city.”

As a man who’s become a local celebrity based on his knowledge and appreciation for beer, it’s natural to wonder what’s in his refrigerator at home.

Morgan’s stash is fittingly eclectic.

“I teach Hops & History at (the University of Cincinnati), so there’s always a few beers leftover from class. So my refrigerator always has an eclectic group of stuff,” he says. “I always love this time of year because MadTree does that springtime Rounding Third Red IPA. I like that as a solid seasonal. West Side Brewing does the single best session IPA. I’ve got a collection of Urban Artifact, MadTree, Wooden Cask ... it’s pretty broad.”

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modern times, there are a score of fetal ghosts and stillborns,” the book says. “Today, this lowest layer of the Darwinian brewery pile pops up occasionally on internet lists with scheduled opening dates that come and go without ever pouring a pint.”

If you’ve been in OTR in the past decade, you’ve likely noticed the influx of bars and breweries.

There’s the spectre of history repeating itself and seemingly the potential for fallout due to oversaturation. Can we learn from the past to improve the future?

“It’s possible that, as a nation, we’re going to go into a period where we look like some European countries: Every neighborhood in the city can have its own brewery where it’s operating on a neighborhood scale that’s cost effective and making money. That would be fantastic. But it’s unlikely,” Morgan says.

He thinks neighborhood breweries like Woodburn Brewery in Walnut Hills and Brink Brewing Co. in College Hill are working a more localized game plan that is more sustainable than some of the more ambitious ventures.

“We’re reaching a point of saturation it’s not going to sustain,” he says. “If you’ve got a city with 30 different breweries in it and they all want to be the next huge brewery with 25-state distribution, it’s inevitable that a) they’re gonna start killing each other and b) the real threat to any brewery in this city is not other Cincinnati breweries, it’s the big guys. They’re allowing a lot of this to get along, the

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FOR TICKETS, CAMPING AND INFO GO TO WWW.BELLWETHERFEST.COM

CINCINNATI’S BREWING HERITAGE TRAIL

BY SE A N M . PE T E R S A sign on the Brewing Heritage Trail Photo: Hailey Bollinger

Cincinnati’s Brewing Heritage Trail explores, preserves and celebrates the city’s storied past as a beer-producing capital with a series of guided tours and a free walking trail.

Conceptualized in 2011 and in progress since 2013, the ribbon was recently cut on the first phase, which stretches about three-fourths of a mile between Findlay Market and Grant Park in Over-the-Rhine. “Hop on” the trail at either terminus and follow embedded medallions in the sidewalk to discover historic buildings, brewing sites, public art and more.

Spearheaded by the Brewery District Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (BDCURC), a nonprofit committed to preserving and redeveloping the Cincinnati Brewery District, the project has received roughly $2 million of its $5 million projected cost so far.

“The whole idea behind the trail is that it’s immersive in more ways than just walking around and looking at some signage — it’s the public art, it’s the guided tours,” says Steven Hampton, BDCURC executive director.

The trail, curated by Michael D. Morgan, will eventually strech two miles, snaking into Pendleton and Mohawk, and include an app with audio tours and augemented reality experiences that will let users look inside underground lagering cellars and former brewing spaces.

Currently, about two dozen signs or so are available to peruse anytime, for free. Every building that was part of brewery is identified in some way, and other stops were selected to tell a part of Cincinnati’s beer-infused historical narrative.

“We really wanted to show the breadth of how beer was a part of almost every story in the city’s history,” says Hampton “Even in this first segment there are stories about immigration, stories about labor conditions, stories about the Civil War and how Germans were involved in that. We really wanted to get a good cross-section of the interesting stories that beer can tell us about Cincinnati.”

While there’s still much to do with building out the remainder of the trail — including adding more public art and creating a more robust virtual experience — Hampton is pleased with the progress.

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For more information about the Cincinnati Brewing Heritage Trail or tour tickets, viist brewingheritagetrail.com.

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“We wanted something that was iconic, that was unique not only to Cincinnati but also to other places No other city has this,” he says. “It’s something really different.”

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A number of guided Brewing Heritage tours are also available to complement the self-guided trail and dig deeper into local beer history. Each tour lasts between 90-minutes and three hours. These tours start at the Moerlein Malt House Taproom and, depending on which tour you book, can delve into the cavernous lagering cellars of the now defunct Schmidt Brothers/Crown Brewery or those of the Jackson Brewery. The "Brunch, Beer & Breweries" tour gives a behind-the-scenes look at Moerlein's brewing operations with a beer tasting and brunch at the brewpub. After eating you'll traverse the walking trail's first phase, leading back to Moerlein for another tasting and a tour of their historic malt cellars.

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9:00 – 10:30PM

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STUFF TO DO

Ongoing Shows ART: No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man Cincinnati Art Museum, Mount Adams (through Sept. 2)

WEDNESDAY 12

ONSTAGE: Ensemble Theatre’s The Wolves is a devastatingly genuine portrait of suburban American youth. See review on page 28.

ART: The Taft Museum of Art’s L’affichomania: The Passion for French Posters exhibits the work of five iconic French artists. See review on page 29.

MUSIC: Multi-talented singer/songwriter Josh Groban heads to the U.S. Bank Arena. See interview on page 39.

PHOTO: HIGH RISE PR

ears via commercial placements — her vocals on Louis the Child’s “It’s Strange” featured in a recent Nissan TV ad has certainly caused tons of people to fumble for their phones and Shazam it.

When she returns to Cincinnati this week, K.Flay will likely be playing some new material — her anticipated new album, Solutions, is coming out on July 12. She’ll also be showing some love to a couple of local acts: Synth Pop duo Moonbeau were booked as direct support and she put a call out on Twitter last week to find another artist to kick off the show. 8 p.m. Wednesday. $22. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Corryville, bogarts.com.

— MIKE BREEN

EVENT: Newport Italianfest The 28th annual Newport Italianfest is a great way to experience all things Italian without crossing the Atlantic. The festival features authentic Italian food and performances from chefs and musicians who will travel to Newport from both across the U.S. and the “old country” itself. There will also be Italian food from vendors including Pompilios, LaRosa’s, Trotta’s, Alfio’s, Pagano’s and more; cooking contests; wine tastings; an Italian heritage tent; Friday night fireworks; and kid-friendly games. 5-11 p.m. Thursday; 5-11:30 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m.

Sunday. Free admission.

Riverboat Row, Newport, italianfestnewport.com.

— EMMA STIEFEL

FRIDAY 14

MUSIC: Wiry and flexible Brooklyn group Wilder Maker plays the Woodward Theater. See Sound Advice on page 42.

EVENT: Second Annual Big Bourbon Toast Newport distillery New Riff is celebrating National Bourbon Day on June 14 with its second annual big ass bourbon toast on the Purple People Bridge. The distillery is inviting anyone and everyone who likes bourbon to head to the bridge to reenact last year’s World’s Biggest Bourbon Toast, which it held to honor the release of its first longawaited batches of New Riff brand bourbon. This year, the first 500 guests will get a commemorative Big Bourbon Toast shot glass filled with New Riff bourbon to toast. If you aren’t one of the first 500 — or if you just want more than a shot of booze — there will be cash bars set up along bridge for additional cocktails. In

addition to the toast, this year will also feature a tug of war between Kentucky and Ohio. The winning state will be recognized at the toast, receive a gilded bottle trophy and earn bragging rights (... until next year). For ages 21 and up. 5:30-8:30 p.m. Friday. Free admission. Purple People Bridge, 1 Levee Way, Newport, newriffdistilling. com. — MAIJA ZUMMO EVENT: Jungle Jim’s International Craft Beer Festival Father’s Day weekend is about to get boozy. Jungle Jim’s International Market is hosting the 14th annual International Craft Beer Festival. Showcasing over 100 local and national craft breweries and more than 400 beers, the festival is an ode to the classy beer drinker.

And MadTree and Jungle Jim’s have even created their own craft brew for the event. This year, attendees will receive a commemorative six-ounce beer glass CONTINUES ON PAGE 24

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EVENT: House Party x Pride at the Taft Museum of Art Explore your creative side and drop by the Taft Museum of Art for a night of crepes, cocktails and camaraderie. Below Zero

CLASSICAL: Cincinnati Opera’s The Marriage of Figaro Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s masterpiece is one of the best comic operas ever written thanks to its cat-andmouse plot that centers on “disguises, dupes, desire and disorder.” Widely considered the earliest member of the “standard repertory” of operas regularly performed across the world, this story from 1786 is still delightful and relevant today. Baritone Andrew Wilkowske returns as Figaro and promising young Soprano Janai Brugger debuts as his fiancée Susanna. 7:30 p.m.

Thursday and Saturday.

Tickets start at $35. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-theRhine, cincinnatiopera.org.

— EMMA STIEFEL

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THURSDAY 13

Lounge will be co-hosting a courtyard cabaret, Caveman Crepes will have food for purchase and DJ Bjorg will supply the music. In addition, there will be aerial artists and drag performances. 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Free admission. Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St., Downtown, taftmuseum.org. — NICK SULLIVAN

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MUSIC: K.Flay AltPop singer/songwriter K.Flay has one of the more magnetic voices in music right now, moving between a creeping soulfulness and silky raps that flow together seductively in her Trip Hop-adjacent sound. Born Kristine Flaherty, K.Flay began releasing singles and mixtapes while in college, later signing with RCA Records. She was still finding her voice and RCA didn’t know what to do with her, pushing her toward a more straight-up Pop sound.

She extricated herself from that deal and DIY-released her debut full-length, Life as a Dog, which helped earn her considerable attention.

Imagine Dragons’ frontperson Dan Reynolds was one of the people captivated

by K.Flay’s music, making her the first signing to his Interscope-distributed label, Night Street, and also taking her on his band’s arena tour as an opener. She’s continued her ascent in the music world with regular headlining tours (much to the delight of her fervent and growing fanbase) and getting her music into a lot of people’s

K.Flay

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FROM PAGE 23

with up to 25 samples. Each ticket includes a picnic-style meal. 7:30-10:30 p.m.; 6:30 p.m. early admission Friday and Saturday. $55; $65 early admission; $25 nondrinker. The Oscar Event Center, Jungle Jim’s, 5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield, junglejims.com. — ERIN GARDNER

SATURDAY 15

MUSIC: Vampire Weekend plays a sold-out show at PNC Pavilion. See Sound Advice on page 42.

COMEDY: Tim Gaither Tim Gaither is an Arkansasborn comic who started his comedy career at the age of 5 when he cracked a joke in church. A frequent guest on The Bob & Tom Show, he hosts a podcast called, appropriately, The Tim Gaither Podcast. His live special was taped in Las Vegas in 2014. He also has an album of prank calls. 7 and 10 p.m. Saturday. $15$45. Liberty Funny Bone, 7518 Bales St., Liberty Township, liberty.funnybone. com. — P.F. WILSON

EVENT: Juneteenth Festival Celebrate the end of legal slavery in the United States with a weekend full of festivities. Events kick off Saturday with a parade featuring flags of the African diaspora followed by free musical performances, living history reenactments, health screenings, a kids’ area with crafts and games and vendors scattered around offering food and shopping opportunities. On Sunday, bring dad to enjoy a special Father’s Day concert of inspirational music. Noon-9 p.m. Saturday; 2:30-6 p.m.

Sunday. Free admission.

Eden Park, 950 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, juneteenthcincinnati.org.

— NICK SULLIVAN EVENT: The City Flea Hundreds of vendors will gather at Washington Park on Saturday to create an urban flea market that lets you meet a myriad of Cincinnati artisans and makers.

Shop their wares ranging from art and vintage finds to jewelry, ceramics, plants and fancy foods. Experience it all in one place at the City

Flea while supporting small and local businesses. 10-4 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine, thecityflea.com. — ELIZABETH DAVIS EVENT: Pride Night at the Zoo Celebrate the Cincinnati Zoo’s first ever Pride Night.

Enjoy the zoo from 4-6 p.m. and then head over to the Africa Habitat for an after-hours party. The ticket price includes entrance into the zoo at 4 p.m., parking, the after-hours party, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and dessert stations, an open bar, live music, games and Pride tote bag. Kids are welcome and there will be a special family-friendly area with animal visits, face paintings, crafts and take-home gifts.

Proceeds go to ArtsWave Pride. 4-6 p.m. Pride Night; 6:30-9:30 p.m. after-hours party Saturday. $85 adult; $65 adult (no open bar); $45 child/student; $15 ages 3-13.

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden Park, 3400 Vine St., Avondale, facebook.com/ bettertogethercincy bettertogethercincy.

— ERIN GARDNER

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ON SALE now!

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JUNE 14 15 & 15 16

PHOTO: PROVIDED BY BRIMSTONE AND FIRE LLC

FRIDAY 14

EVENT: Celtic Fest Ohio Celtic Fest Ohio features tons of live Celtic Rock bands, plus other entertainment, like the Celtic Academy of Irish Dance, the Columbus Celtic Dancers and other cultural entities.

There will also be traditional Scottish, Irish and English fare (plus some American) and drinks including Guinness, Harp, Smithwick’s, Woodchuck Hard Cider and more. For an extra fee, you can participate in Shamrock Shenanigans, a field day full of obstacles, games and puzzles. 6-10 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-6 p.m. Sunday. $5 Friday; $12 Saturday or Sunday; $20 Saturday and Sunday; $24 three-day admission. Renaissance Park, 10542 E. State Route 73, Waynesville, celticfestohio.com. — NICK SULLIVAN

MONDAY, JUNE 17 Wiggin’ Out!* Below Zero Lounge Doors at 7:00 pm, Show at 10:00 pm *$5 donation

TUESDAY, JUNE 18 Pop-Up Drag Show Queen City Radio Show at 10:00 pm

MONDAY 17

P H O T O : P R O V I D E D B Y C I N C I N N AT I R E D S

EVENT: Bark in the Park Bring your doggo(s) to Great American Ball Park on Monday when the Reds take on the Houston Astros. There will be a pre-game pet parade, which will begin 40 minutes prior to the first pitch, freebies and discounts from dog-related vendors and a chance to meet and adopt SPCA Cincinnati’s dogs. You and your furry friend can even experience the first fetch and hang out in the Kroger Fan Zone. 5:40 p.m. parade; 7:10 p.m. first pitch. $50 for singlegame packages, which includes one dog ticket and one human ticket; additional human tickets can be purchased for $30; additional dog tickets can be purchased for $20; there must be at least one human ticket for every dog ticket purchased. Great American Ball Park, 100 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, reds.com/bark — ERIN GARDNER

MUSIC: Thank You Scientist brings a vibrant and cerebral brand of Rock to the Southgate House Revival. See Sound Advice on page 43.

EVENT: Burlington Antique Show More than 200 dealers converge Sunday to exhibit and sell their wares — Midcentury Modern, Art Deco, pre-war, Industrial and more — at this antiques and vintage-only show. It’s generally pretty crowded, so if you’re a real hunter, aim for early-bird admission ($6; 6-8 a.m.) 6 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday. $4 starting at 8 a.m. Boone County Fairgrounds, 5819 Idlewild Road, Burlington, burlingtonantiqueshow.com.

— MAIJA ZUMMO

MONDAY 17

LIT: Constance J. Moore and Nancy M. Broermann stop by the Mercantile Library to discuss their book, Maria Longworth Storer: From Music and Art to Popes and Presidents. See interview on page 30.

YOUR WEEKEND TO DO LIST: LOCAL.CITYBEAT.COM

THURSDAY, JUNE 20 Lunch, Learn & Vibe Speaker Series Union Hall 11:00 am – 1:00 pm 2019 Cincinnati Pride Weekend Kickoff Party* 20th Century Theater 9:00 pm – 1:00 am *$5 donation

FRIDAY, JUNE 21 Lunch, Learn & Vibe Speaker Series Union Hall 11:00 am – 1:00 pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 22 2019 Cincinnati Pride Parade Downtown Cincinnati Parade Begins at 11:00 am 2019 Cincinnati Pride Festival Sawyer Point 12:00 pm – 9:00 pm

WWW.CINCINNATIPRIDE.ORG

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EVENT: Sneaky Finders If the board game Clue was a childhood favorite of yours, this life-sized, virtual murder mystery may be right up your alley. The Cincinnati edition of the British CluedUpp detective game is called “Sneaky Finders,” and it’s taking over Pendleton. The story is set in a fictional town called Millingham and, using an app, teams of detectives will have to work together to solve a murder, searching the neighborhood for virtual witnesses to narrow down suspects. 11 a.m. Saturday. $46 per team. More info at cluedupp.com. —HAILEY BOLLINGER

SUNDAY 16

Pride on the Purple The Purple People Bridge Drag Show at 10:00 pm

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EVENT: Summer Solstice Lavender Festival Celebrate the longest day of the year early at Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm. The farm grows several strains of organic lavender, an herb that is said to have calming and sleep-inducing properties. At the festival, you can

sample lavender-infused foods, pick your own organic lavender in the fields, make wreaths and wands from the herb, practice meditation and listen to live performances. For its 11th year, the fest has added craft and personal growth workshops.

10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. Free admission. Peaceful Acres Lavender Farm, 2387 Martinsville Road, Martinsville, peacefulacreslavenderfarm. com. — EMMA STIEFEL

Pride Movie Night: The Devil Wears Prada Washington Park Dusk

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FILM: Space Jam In Space Jam, Michael Jordan joins the Looney Tunes team in an intergalactic basketball game against an army of aliens (the Monstars) who want to enslave Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and other Tunes to become the newest attraction at a failing space amusement park. The mix of animation and live-action also features humans Wayne Knight, Bill Murray, Larry Bird and Charles Barkley, plus Danny DeVito as the voice of Mr. Swackhammer, the owner of Moron Mountain theme park.

The film starts at 9 p.m., but come before to play games and socialize and catch a view of the moon and stars through Cincinnati Observatory telescopes. 7-11:30 p.m. Saturday. Free admission. Olden View Park, 800 Matson Place, East Price Hill, facebook.com/eastphab. — MAIJA ZUMMO

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19

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SATU RDAY, JUNE 22, 2019 THE PHOENIX

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VENDORS

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MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

T IC KE TS ON S A LE NOW AT WWW.B R U N C H E D C I N CY .C O M

The Future of the Emery Theatre

ARTS&CULTURE

The historic building is up for sale and the retention and renovation of its public theater is uncertain

BY L E Y L A S H O KO O H E

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Emery Center and Emery Theatre PH OTO: NIC K SWARTSELL

Certificate of Occupancy was estimated by GBBN to cost $3 million in 2010.”

Those same documents cite that ECC solicited pledges of more than $2 million in 1999-2000, but efforts to get additional renovation funds from the State of Ohio capital budget were unsuccessful.

Those documents also state that the apartments aren’t bringing in enough money to cover its expenses, according to a previous article by CityBeat reporter Nick Swartsell.

And according to a recent memo from the university to its board of trustees, the Emery is allegedly “beyond repair.”

“In Cincinnati, we know that important buildings are never beyond repair,” says Paul Muller, executive director with the Cincinnati Preservation Association.

“I would just point to Union Terminal.

Some of the structural conditions, mechanical conditions and some of the original issues that existed at that building were overcome, because it was important to the community. We’re not talking about anything on the same scale to bring the Emery back into use, but over and over again, we’ve seen, it’s worth it, justified and a really great investment to bring back important historic buildings.”

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explicit provision for the retention of the Emery Theatre’s operation as a theater.

Mention of the theater in the Offering Memorandum is limited to quoting published sources on its historical context.

In 1998, an exterior site evaluation of the Emery Center was done for a National Historic Register nomination. While it did not receive the nomination, the Emery is located within the Over-the-Rhine Historic District. Buildings within the historic district are subject to review by the Historic Conservation Board. As such, the facade of the Emery Center must remain intact, but the interior — including the theater — is not protected in the same manner.

Included in the Offering Memorandum are building floor layouts created in 2000 from local architecture firm GBBN, and a financial analysis dated February 2019.

The financial analysis lists an aggregate monthly income from both the commercial and apartment properties in the Emery Center at $920,512.

According to court documents, in 2010, “ECC obtained estimates from GBBN Architects for a full restoration (of the theater) in the range of $18 million. A ‘heartbeat’ plan to simply bring the orchestra level of the theater up to current code to obtain a

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Cincinnati Board of Trustees voted unanimously at its regular meeting to authorize the sale of the Emery Center — which includes the theater, the Emery Center Apartments, retail-front business Coffee Emporium and brokerage group Capstone, which leases office space — through national real estate company the CBRE Group.

CBRE put out a request for proposals (RFP) to developers and potential buyers that is under a confidentiality agreement.

(CityBeat CityBeat has obtained a copy of the Emery Center Offering Memorandum from an anonymous source.)

“The recent RFP was issued because the property, a downtown apartment building, does not fit with UC’s core mission of teaching, research and service,” says MB Reilly, UC’s spokesperson, in an email.

“This is not the first time UC has received and subsequently sold downtown property because such property did not fit with the university’s mission. For instance, the bequest that originally led to the founding of the institution we today call UC was actually a bequest of numerous properties downtown, not a bequest of money. The university eventually sold them, some as recently as around the year 2000 or so, because that action fit with our core mission of education. That being the case, UC’s interest in selling is not germane to the theater and never has been.”

More than 30 groups have toured the Emery Center in advance of submitting a bid to CBRE. The original listing of the Emery Center on CBRE’s website stated RFPs were due by the first week of June.

That has now been amended to “To Be Announced.”

The Offering Memorandum makes no

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f the 25 or so historic theaters that once stood in the urban basin of Cincinnati, barely a handful remain. Of that handful, the Emery Theatre is certainly the one with the most illustrious past — and most tenuous future. Created by a $500,000 bequest from philanthropist Mary Emery, dedicated to the memory of her late husband Thomas J. Emery, the Emery Auditorium (as it was originally known) was built with Mary Emery’s explicit intent to remain a theater of “public use.”

Designed by Hannaford & Sons, the Emery opened in 1911. Considered acoustically pure, it was home to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra from 1912 to 1936 and hosted a swath of local and touring productions before any kind of regular operation ceased in the 1980s.

Housed in the Emery Center, the rest of the building was home to the Ohio Mechanics Institute, which was acquired by the University of Cincinnati in 1969.

The institute merged with UC’s College of Applied Sciences and later moved from the center to another location. Following the move, UC — under a plan devised by the university and its board of trustees in 1999 — converted the former classrooms into market-rate apartments with the intent that the rent would first pay off the renovation costs, and then fund the revitalization of the Emery Theatre.

That plan was to last 40 years, with an option for a 40-year renewal.

To execute that plan, a for-profit entity, Emery Center Apartments, LLP (ECALP) was formed, charged with overseeing the apartment construction. A separate nonprofit entity, Emery Center Corporation (ECC), was formed with volunteer board members to manage the eventual renovation of the theater, subleasing it from ECALP. But in July 2018, the university, its board and both secondary organizations sought a declaratory judgement from the Ohio Attorney General to divest from that plan — and Mary Emery’s original purpose for the theater — to allow the space to be repurposed however a potential buyer sees fit. This request was granted in December 2018, 21 years before the expiration of the original plan.

And on April 23, 2019, the University of

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ONSTAGE

‘The Wolves’ is an Ode to Female Warriors R E V I E W BY JAC K I E M U L AY

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CRITIC’S PICK

Sitting in a circle, nine teenage girls warm up together before an indoor soccer game. Exuberantly chatting with each other in small groups, the pre-game excitement is palpable. As the girls’ conversations overlap with ease, they engage in their group stretch session in choreographed unison; it’s the kind of coalescence that you only find in a group of young people who have spent the majority of their lives in each other’s company.

The cast of The Wolves Sarah DeLappe’s The Wolves was a finalist for P H O T O : R YA N K U R T Z the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Ensemble Katie Mitchell uses a special mix of authorTheatre Cincinnati’s production makes it ity and big sister vibes to portray a young easy to see why. woman desperate to keep her friends on The play opens with the girls conversing task in the absence of a functioning coach. about the widest array of topics possible.

The cast in Ensemble’s The Wolves is From mundane high school gossip truly so strong that this is an instance in about periods and boyfriends to serious which I wish I had the room to devote an discussions about Cambodian dictators entire paragraph to each actor’s choices and the death penalty, The Wolves clearly to adequately highlight exactly how good and decisively tackles the safeness of their performances are. suburbia and the transformational The set, designed by Brian c. Mehring, experiences of sports, women’s friendship is unique and impressively functional. and unexpected tragedy.

Comprised of netting and Astroturf, the set Whatever the setting, this shared childis flat where the actors warm-up for each hood experience of stumbling through new game, but curves sharply skyward near the information about the real and dark ways back. This curvature creates an isolated of the world — trying to connect it with effect. Each of the scenes in The Wolves your newly acquired facts, a blossoming unfolds just before every game as vignettes sense of personal ethics and regurgitations and conversations; some are continued of parental figures’ opinions — is incredacross the production and others exist in a ibly formative. This is the powerful process vacuum.

Ensemble’s production of The Wolves And though you never see any actual illuminates. game play, the movement — choreoThe cast is played by adult women, but graphed by Erin Carr, is realistic enough to D. Lynn Meyers’ direction and the cast’s illustrate to the audience that these girls commitment to the earnest truth of these are good. Soccer is their life. They play characters makes it almost impossible year-round. They have grit, tenacity and to fathom that you’re watching anything ferocity. But even still, and perhaps more other than a group of teenage girls hang importantly, they are best friends. out with each other onstage. They portray Soccer is the common experience that their characters with such honesty and has bonded them throughout their young depth that every small squabble or foot-inlives; they have become a pack of soccer mouth moment feels visceral. The cast has warriors worthy of their team title: The a brilliant way of evoking empathy.

Wolves. They know their warm-ups by And though each woman is dressed heart, and though they seem repetitive in spectacularly realistic soccer uniand mundane, these girls are dedicated forms designed by Stormie Mac, they all enough to throw themselves into each bring their own distinct personality to practice session with exceptional vigor. their characters. The way they wear their The Wolves displays a devastatingly uniforms, move, kick and talk is distinctly genuine portrayal of suburban Ameriunique, so much so that the effect is almost can youth. From the safety of education hyperreal. Played by Maggie Cramer, No. and dinner table politics to tampons and 46 in particular educes the wonderful college anxiety, The Wolves delivers a physicality of hunched shoulders and awkstunningly realistic reflection on society, ward limbs found in young women who sex and female friendship in a fabulously haven’t quite grown into themselves. unique way.

And Victoria Hawley plays her character, The Wolves in onstage at Ensemble No. 8, with a sweet authenticity that feels Theatre Cincinnati through June 29. More like watching an old video of someone’s info/tickets: ensemblecincinnati.org. childhood friend onstage. As team captain,

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The Dawn of French Posters at the Taft

BY J U D E N O EL

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L’affichomania: The Passion for French Posters will be on display at the Taft Museum of Art through Sept. 14. More info: taftmuseum.org.

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vibrancy. (That’s the same Ault who helped develop Mount Lookout’s Ault Park.)

Czech illustrator Mucha is the exhibition’s outlier, and his work is the most engaging up close. Tinged with pale lavender and turquoise, his work is densely populated with symbolism and flora, much of it depicting actress Sarah Bernhardt, who served as the Renaissance Theatre’s director from 1893 to 1899.

“She’s a pretty amazing figure,” says Glasscock. “She actually performed in Cincinnati on an American tour.”

A decorative arts historian, Glasscock is particularly fond of Mucha’s work.

“We often consider him a decorative artist,” she says. “He grew up in Moravia, around a lot of folk art and women who were making these Moravian bonnets — you can see one in one of the posters.

They’re richly patterned, highly decorative.”

It’s that sort of recognizable style that helped Paris’s best-known artists rise to fame, especially during a period in which posters were hung nearly everywhere: outside venues, on specially-designated walls and tall, cylindrical structures known as Morris columns. One of these columns is on display in the Taft’s entrance, as part of the L’affichomania tour.

The Taft has also planned a number of events: Curator Jeannine Falino will give a talk on the Belle Époque on June 27, Cincinnati-based designer James Billiter will host a screenprinting workshop on July 27 and illustrator Erin Barker will teach a class on hand-lettering on Aug. 3.

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An overwhelming defeat in the FrancoPrussian War behind them, the French bourgeoisie and elites were blessed with four decades’ worth of regional peace and economic prosperity. With this Belle Époque (or “Beautiful Era”) came an influx of leisure time in which Paris’s rich and nouveau riche enthusiastically indulged. Unsurprisingly, great strides in the world of advertising coincided with this economic and cultural boom, as lavishly illustrated affiches (“posters”) were plastered on any available surface, marketing everything from bicycles to cabaret performances.

L’affichomania: The Passion for French Posters debuted at the Taft Museum of Art June 8, kicking off a seven-stop nationwide tour. Featuring five artists — Jules Chéret, Eugène Grasset, Théophile-Alexandre Steinlen, Alphonse Mucha, and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec — the exhibition gathers the era’s iconic prints while demonstrating surprising stylistic diversity. The vibrant celebrity portraits of Chéret and ToulouseLautrec are instantly recognizable, making Mucha’s intricately detailed Art Nouveau works and Grasset’s vaguely Medieval forest scenes worth extra examination.

“The Belle Époque was the rise of entertainment — the opening of cabarets like Moulin Rouge or Le Chat Noir,” says assistant curator Ann Glasscock. “It’s partly due to electricity. If you think about it, (Thomas) Edison invented the lightbulb in 1879, and so (performers) like Loïe Fuller are using colored electric lights. There are also world’s fairs that are also happening, drawing people to France. By the big one in 1900, the French, especially in Paris, saw themselves as the capital of the world.”

Appropriately, a lithographic print of Fuller in action greets visitors at the start of the exhibition. Grouped with Jules Chéret’s body of work, “Folies-Bergère, La Loïe Fuller” exemplifies the father of the modern poster’s style — liquid whirls of movement and primary colors envelop his subject, suggesting billowing fabrics and brilliant lights against a black backdrop.

Slouched bubble letters spell out the performance’s location in bright red. Even in the late 19th century, advertisers were well aware of the color’s ability to invoke passion, especially when paired with illustrations that exploited the male gaze.

Toulouse-Lautrec, whose work closes the gallery, was such a fan of Chéret’s that he would often send him the first edition of each poster he designed. The exhibition’s print of “Moulin Rouge,” addressed to Chéret in the bottom right corner, is one of the more striking pieces, thanks to its acidic green color palette and ominous use of shadow. Toulouse-Lautrec’s “Ault & Wiborg Co.: The Concert,” the final print on display, was commissioned in 1896 by Cincinnati’s Ault & Wiborg ink company, whose Strobridge Red ink attained international popularity due to its sun-resistant

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Documenting a Cincinnati Legend

BY M AC K E N ZI E M A N L E Y

On the 170th anniversary of her birth, Maria Longworth Storer, the founder of the famed Rookwood Pottery and a co-founder of Cincinnati’s long-running May Festival, is getting a comprehensive biography.

The beginnings of the book can be traced back to Constance J. Moore, a retired historian of the Army Nurse Corps Association. She also takes to researching former President Theodore Roosevelt.

That detail is key, as it was an eight-page letter addressed “Dear Theodore” — rather than “Mr. President” — that led Moore to Longworth Storer. And, subsequently, to Cincinnati and Nancy M. Broermann, who works at the Ursulines of Cincinnati Archives at St. Ursula Academy. Together, they compiled nearly 1,800 letters in five languages from archives across the world, all of which were somehow related to Longworth Storer. ““No. 1 on my bucket list — something I’ve wanted to do since the time I got my first degree in history — is write a book,” Moore says via phone from her home in Texas. “When we were able to get the contract with University of Cincinnati Press, I was joyous.”

Titled Maria Longworth Storer: From Music and Art to Popes and Presidents, it marks Moore’s debut full-length novel. The pair will discuss their book at downtown’s Mercantile Library June 17.

“She was a brilliant, talented woman who, when she decided to do something she went after it full-hog,” Moore says.

“That shows in her interest in decorative ceramics. She started by just painting china like all the other ladies did and then she became interested in pottery mostly because of the 1876 Centennial in Philadelphia.”

While there, she was inspired by an exhibition that included Japanese and French ceramics. The first Rookwood kiln was drawn on Thanksgiving Day in 1880.

Nine years later, she sold her company after being recognized at the Exhibition of American Art Industry in Philadelphia and receiving a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle in Paris.

As cited in the book, Longworth Storer once recalled Rookwood’s history: “When I was 29, I founded my Rookwood Pottery named for my father’s country place.”

Joseph, her wealthy father, had offered her a factory that is described in the book as “a ramshackle old building in the lower part of the city.”

But part of her success, Moore says, stemmed from her talent at employing the “right people” that made her enterprise become a household name.

Though lesser known, Moore notes that Longworth Storer also established the first pediatric hospital — the Home for Sick Children — in which care came at no cost.

But back to Roosevelt.

Longworth Storer’s second husband, Bellamy Storer (her first died of

Maria Longworth Storer book jacket PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE AUTHORS

tuberculosis in 1885) was a close friend of Roosevelt. When Longworth Storer converted to Catholicism in 1892, her husband and family followed suit. She would later lobby among her husband’s colleagues in order to convince the Pope to elevate archbishop John Ireland to cardinal rank.

At the time, Roosevelt endorsed this.

Longworth Storer’s husband would go on to be appointed by Roosevelt in 1902 as an ambassador to Austria-Hungary. But the president asked Longworth Storer to no longer use his name as it related to the archbishop. Still, she continued. As a result, Bellamy was removed from his position, controversy ensued and the friendship between the families was lost.

“It was a close relationship. Authors often say that Theodore had few close woman friends,” Moore says. “Maria was one of those. The loss of that relationship was hurtful.”

Moore says that Longworth Storer resented him forever, having said that she felt like she had lost a younger brother.

“Quite honestly, she acted the same way under the McKinley administration,” Moore says. “He never said a word. But Theodore Roosevelt, oh boy, was offended that she was so outspoken.”

Maria Longworth Storer delves into and examines a wide breadth of political players — including another former president: William Howard Taft — local history and social movements. In the center of it all is their titular character.

The authors will discuss Maria Longworth Storer: From Music and Art to Popes and Presidents at the Mercantile Library June 17. More info: mercantilelibrary.com.

TV

CityBeat’s Summer TV Preview

BY JAC K ER N

When the summer heat is blazing, the pool’s too crowded and the only tropical paradise in sight is on Instagram, you know where you can find me: In the glorious air conditioning, catching up on some good ol’ television. (OK, you can always find me there.)

Here are some new and returning TV series to look out for this summer.

The Handmaid’s Tale (Wednesdays, Hulu) – Season 3 of this dark dystopian drama sees main character June leading the resistance as she continues to try and rescue her daughter Hannah. It will follow Emily and Nicole’s escape and the return of both Commander Lawrence and Aunt Lydia. Christopher Meloni and Elizabeth Reaser join the cast as Gilead power couple the Winslows.

Big Little Lies (9 p.m. Sundays, HBO) – While this miniseries’s first installment tied up most of the loose ends of the murder mystery, no one could resist getting The Monterey Five — Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern and Zoë Kravitz — together for another season.

Meryl Streep joins the stellar cast as the slain Perry’s mother who is intent on getting to the bottom of her son’s death.

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in a drop in youth homicide rates. This new series — based on an idea by Ben Affleck — takes a fictionalized look at how the operation was implemented. When a district attorney (Aldis Hodge) sets out to take on criminals on both sides of the law, a corrupt but respected FBI agent (Kevin Bacon) becomes an unlikely ally.

Euphoria (10 p.m. Sundays starting June 16, HBO) – High school is all about sex, drugs and EDM in this new series from A24 and Sam Levinson. Zendaya stars as Rue, a 17-year-old grappling with addiction. On top of the more typical concerns of her peers — like school, relationships and social media — she struggles to manage sobriety. On the heels of 13 Reasons Why and Riverdale, it’s safe to say dark teen dramas are having a moment.

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Mindhunter (August, Netflix) – Charting the early days of criminal profiling and psychology, this thriller debuted almost two years ago, offering a dramatized look at real-life killers and detectives. Season 2 will arrive sometime in August, bringing with it the Atlanta Child Murders, Son of Sam and Charles Manson (interestingly played by Damon Herriman, who also portrays the cult leader in Quentin Tarantino’s upcoming Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).

June 13 & 15

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City on a Hill (9 p.m. Sundays starting June 16, Showtime) – In the early 1990s, Boston was rife with crime, violence and corrupt law enforcement. A policing initiative to combat youth gun violence now known as the “Boston Miracle” resulted

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Stranger Things (July 4, Netflix) – It’s summertime in Hawkins, Indiana, too, and the typically dreary setting gets a playful spin with swimming pools, fairs and a new shopping mall. The kids are growing up, with the older lot joining the workforce (hello Billy the lifeguard) and Eleven and Co. finding love. But it wouldn’t be Stranger Things without some serious monster drama, and of course the gang encounters a new baddie in Season 3. If you just can’t wait until July, perhaps the new canonical novel, Darkness on the Edge of Town, will tide you over — the book follows Jim Hopper’s time as a homicide detective in New York City a decade before we first meet him on the show.

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All That (8:30 p.m. Saturdays starting June 15, Nickelodeon) – The Saturday Night Live for 1990s and early-’00s Nickelodeon viewers — complete with hilarious sketches and big-name musical guests — All That returns nearly 25 years after its debut for a new generation. Executive-produced by original stars Kenan Thompson (probably the most successful alum who, obviously, graduated to SNL SNL) and Kel Mitchell, this revival is decidedly for a tween audience, but I just might tune in for a little nostalgia fest.

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FOOD&DRINK

Back to the Past Pleasant Ridge’s retro-inspired Lonely Pine transports diners to the Midcentury American Southwest with affordable — and aesthetic — steakhouse classics

BY S E A N M . PE T ER S

P

The butcher window and entrance at Lonely Pine PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Lonely Pine Steakhouse 6085 Montgomery Road, Pleasant Ridge, lonelypinesteakhouse.com

FIND MORE RESTAURANT NEWS AND REVIEWS AT CITYBEAT.COM/ FOOD-DRINK

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

Cowboy,” a 16-ounce bone-in ribeye that’s similarly dry aged and priced at $55.

But there are options for someone on a tighter budget. For only $16 you can have the 4-ounce Ohio wagyu petite tender, a rare deal for such an esteemed cut, or a 6-ounce sirloin cap, typically a leaner and less fatty cut, for $22.

Every good dinner should have a starch to help fill in the blanks, so I ordered a shareable side of au gratin potatoes ($8).

The piping hot casserole dish tasted like it was made by someone who loves you very much. Cut as papery thin as chips, the heaping portion of potatoes was tender and creamy.

For those with a sweet tooth, there’s chess pie with chocolate, blueberries and whipped cream; a citrus crème brûlée; and locally made ice cream with seasonal flavors.

“With Lonely Pine, the concept was mine and I wanted an affordable steakhouse ... mainly because I’m selfish. I wanted a place where I could eat steak and I saw a gap in the marketplace,” Trevino says.

“You have Outback and you have Jeff Ruby, so I hope it slid in between those two.

“You should never have buyer’s remorse from a steak. Food and drinks should sustain us, make us happy. We’ve done stuff that makes us accessible to everyone in Cincinnati. If you’ve got a few bucks in your pocket, you can come enjoy one of our bars.”

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on the wall, but the entire restaurant’s ambiance has the same masterful design and attention to detail as the other bars Trevino runs.

“We’re trying to get away from ‘inspired by movies’ as much as possible. When we first did Overlook and, to a lesser extent, Video Archive, it was still new and novel. I think there were another few movie bars in the country at the time, but now Bill Murray has a Caddyshack bar in Chicago. A lot of people are getting on that. We always want to create unique environments. Now we’re creating our own worlds that’ll always be inspired by a real-life location, maybe movies, but for us, we just want to take you to fantastic places.

The next few bars you get from us are really going to reflect that.”

Walking into the steakhouse, you’ll see a butcher window with the day’s meat displayed. The original concept for the restaurant would have you order at the counter before taking your seat, much like at downtown’s Maplewood. But this idea didn’t last, and Lonely Pine now does table service.

“We’re more of a traditional steakhouse now. I’d call us casual — you can roll up in a T-shirt and jeans or come right off the golf course or from working in your yard and just have a great steak. To me it’s very much a working-man’s steakhouse, the secret is that we’ve got some high-end dryaged steaks, but we also have a steak on

the menu for $16 that’s wagyu high-quality beef. As I look at the market, I don’t see anybody else trying to do that.”

Inside Lonely Pine, the ambiance immediately transports you to the American Southwest. The set design is reminiscent of a Mojave oasis at dusk, moody blue lights silhouette cacti along the wall and the carnation atop each marble table may as well be a naturally blooming desert rose.

The first course I ordered was a cucumber-serrano gazpacho ($7). The chilled green soup comes with a flourish of cilantro microgreens and edible marigolds that contrast beautifully both aesthetically and on the palate. Refreshing and quite spicy, the slightly viscous purée sticks to your spoon like a drinkable salad that’ll simultaneously cool you down after a hot day but put some sweat on your brow from the ample serrano pepper.

Next was a 16-ounce bone-in New York strip, dry-aged in house for 30 days. An aggressive sear yielded a perfectly cooked medium-rare center. On the side was a pad of garlic butter, but the seasoning on the beef was so well applied that the butter was left mainly untouched, but its herbaceousness mingled with the creamy fat might tempt other diners to spend the additional $3 for the side.

Paired with a glass of Spanish tempranillo, the classic combination of red wine and steak is a surefire success at Lonely Pine, though the full beer, wine and cocktail menu speaks to Trevino’s history of running excellent bars. The NY strip is the second priciest option on the menu at $45, the most expensive being “The

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leasant Ridge’s restaurant scene has really beefed up now that Lonely Pine Steakhouse is open. The casual dining destination takes a simple concept — quality food at an affordable price — and elevates it with Southwestern flair and retro decor.

The newest venture by Gorilla Cinema Presents, Lonely Pine is the first foray into food service for the company. Founder Jacob Trevino has already made a name for himself in the local nightlife scene with Gorilla Cinema’s film-themed drinkeries: karaoke bar Tokyo Kitty, which nods to Lost in Translation; The Video Archive, an homage to Quentin Tarantino with a video rental shop façade; and Overlook Lodge, next door to Lonely Pine, which is inspired

by The Shining Shining. However, Lonely Pine is less focused on blatantly paying homage to a film, though there are clues for those on the hunt for Easter eggs.

Eagle-eyed cinephiles may have already surmised the origin of the name of Lonely Pine, but Trevino is kind enough to explain.

“Lonely Pine started as a joke from Back to the Future,” he says.

Marty McFly, played by Michael J. Fox in the film series, drives the iconic DeLorean time machine into the 1950s from the 1980s parking lot of Twin Pines Mall.

When he drives “back to the future” after resolving a convoluted Oedipal complex, the mall in the altered timeline has been renamed Lone Pine Mall, thanks to Marty accidentally running over one of the two pine trees on the farmer’s property that would eventually become the shopping mall.

“There are only nods to Back to the Future,” Trevino says. “You could go to the restaurant a hundred times and, if I don’t point them out to you, you’ll never see them.”

The film references don’t go too far beyond a cocktail named after Christopher Lloyd’s character, Doctor Emmett Brown, and something hidden in plain sight

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Rhinegeist Releases a Collaborative Honey Beer with the Civic Garden Center, Queen City Bee

BY M AC K EN ZI E M A N L E Y

Meet Sun Hunny, a small-batch blonde ale from Rhinegeist. Brewed with local honey from Queen City Bee, the specialty brew is more than a beer — it’s a community effort that came to be from a stroke of fortuity.

Let’s rewind. Earlier this spring, Civic Garden Center Executive Director Karen Kahle was in the process of emailing Katie Hoover, Rhinegeist’s community engagement manager. Brandon Reynolds — a volunteer at the CGC and owner of business B the Keeper — pitched an idea: a beer made with raw local honey that would benefit the center.

In the moment, Kahle passed along the idea to Hoover. By late May, the beer was being brewed at Rhinegeist’s Spring Grove Avenue manufacturing facility.

“It was just this idea and we were super onboard with it and thought it would be a great opportunity for continued collaboration,” Hoover says. “It felt very organic and something both parties were excited for.”

The brew will be released at the Civic Garden Center June 12, where they’ll tap the first keg of the sudsy concoction. There will also be performances from Indie Rock band Sylmar, as well as local comics, plus grub from food trucks. If you want to catch a buzz, you can also take a tour of the CGC observation hive, which has a glass pane for easy viewing of its inner-workings.

Donations toward the center’s beekeeping classes and activities are welcome.

“Our challenge is awareness, even though we’ve been around since 1942,” Kahle says. “Every week people come through our door and say, ‘We had no idea what this place was, what you guys did.’

For us to be able to attach our brand to a brand like Rhinegeist is really special.”

Rhinegeist was buzzing on Sun Hunny’s brew day. Along with Kahle, Kylie Johnson — CGC’s Green Learning Station (GLS) coordinator — did the honors of pouring honey into the inaugural batch. Wearing her own beekeeper suit, Johnson scraped the thick, amber honey out of a large glass jar, a tinge of sweetness filling the air.

She hopes that the beer will help get the

word out about the Civic Garden Center and its programs, which include community gardens, hands-on horticulture, environmental education for youth and the GLS, which offers resources that help teach adults and kids alike how to live more sustainably.

“That’s what we’re all about: trying to take our mission and build community through education and environmental stewardship to reach as many people as possible,” Johnson says.

“Efforts like this just increases our outreach.”

She adds that the process has been “a The team behind Sun Hunny dream come true” for their mission PHOTO: PROVIDED BY RHINEGEIST BREWERY of supporting pollinators. The hope Queen City Bee. Kahle says that other local is that, through Sun Hunny, they can raise beekeeping businesses are potentially awareness and educate the community interested in future batches. about the importance of not only bees but “Being in the environmental world, we’ve other pollinators as well. found that you can do so much more just Johnson is a beekeeper herself. She working with other partners and collabokeeps the aforementioned observation rating,” Johnson says. “It’s not about one beehive and another Langstroth hive person doing the job and getting the credit on the CGC’s property. Of the latter, she — it’s about all of us as a community worksays her bee mentor — the president ing together to make something greater.” of the Southwestern Ohio Beekeepers In other words, it’s all about having a Association, Ray Babcock — claims it is the hive state of mind. strongest hive he’s seen in his 15 years of “If we’re really going to make a giant beekeeping. dent in getting people to think more Some of the honey used in first Sun sustainability, you’re going to have to get Hunny batch came from those hives. The that upper part of the bell curve — the bulk, however, is from honey bee company vast majority,” Reynolds says, adding that

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through the beer, the avenue to “going green” will be more accessible.

Since Sun Hunny is a small-batch brew, the beer will only be on draft. You can try it at the launch party or, afterward, at Rhinegeist’s Over-the-Rhine location.

“I think finding those organizations in Cincinnati that are such a wonderful asset to our city and not only be able to work alongside them but produce a product together is really special,” Rhinegeist’s Hoover says.

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CLASSES & EVENTS WEDNESDAY 12

Paint, Sip & Taste — Sip drinks and munch on eats from the SEA Cuisine Foodtruck while creating your very own masterpiece.

A ticket covers art materials and instruction from a professional painter; food and alcohol are sold separately.

6-8 p.m. $25. Washington Park, 1230 Elm St., Overthe-Rhine, facebook.com/ paintsiptasting.

Sun Hunny Fun — The first keg of Rhinegeist’s Sun Hunny, a blonde ale brewed with local honey, will be tapped at this party. Attendees can meet the Rhinegeist team, enjoy live music and comedy performances, and tour the Civic Garden Center’s observation beehive.

6-9 p.m. Free admission.

Civic Garden Center, 2715 Reading Road, Avondale, facebook.com/civicgarden.

THURSDAY 13

Seoul Hot Thursdays — On Thursday nights, chef Pedro Rangel of Seoul Hot Chicken brings his Southern/ Asian style of cuisine to the Northside Yacht Club for a Korean fried chicken popup. Seoul Hot Thursdays features a changing menu of options, always anchored by twice-fried chicken with your choice of “Seoul food” sides. 4-9 p.m. or until it sells out. Northside Yacht Club, 4231 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, northsideyachtclub.com.

FRIDAY 14

Cincinnati Pride Keg Tapping — Moerlein Lager House will be tapping a special beer for Pride. The raspberry Kolsch — yet to be named — will give back to Cincinnati Pride during the tapping party: $3 of every pint sold out of the ceremonial keg will go to the nonprofit. 6-9 p.m. Free admission. Moerlein Lager House, 115 Joe Nuxhall Way, Downtown, moerleinlager moerleinlagerhouse.com.

SATURDAY 15

Korean Drinking Food — Tasha and Bryan Harris are hosting a pop-up at Oakley Wines. Head bartender Tasha is helping Bryan in the kitchen to create Korean dishes including caviar and shrimp chips, kimchi pancakes with scallion mayo, samgak kimbap, braised pork should with lettuce and rice, and Korean bakery honey toast. There will also be soju cocktails, aromatic wines, bubbles and beer.

5-11 p.m. Free admission.

Oakley Wines, 4011 Allston St., Oakley, facebook.com/ oakleywines.

Coffee & Macarons — The Macaron Bar and Deeper Roots Coffee are pairing

th

EST. 1933

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NIVERSARY

Germania June Biergarten — The Germania Society is hosting a biergarten party with live music, brats, metts, ein paar landjager, Servatii pretzels, Grainworks Brewery beer, Gaffel Kolsch, Northern Row’s Helles and other German and Germaninspired beers. 6-11 p.m.

Free admission. Germania Society, 3529 W. Kemper Road, Colerain, facebook. com/germaniasociety.

SUNDAY 16

Father’s Day at Keystone Bar & Grill — Head to Keystone to celebrate dad with a $15 burger and brew special.

All dads also receive a free bottle of barbecue sauce or signature dry rub with the purchase of a burger. 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Free admission.

Keystone Bar & Grill Clifton, Covington and Hyde Park, keystonebar.com.

Dog Dad’s Day at Taft’s Brewpourium — Every dog dad will get a wristband for $1 off a pint of beer and $2 off pizza, while doggos get free treats. There will also be a small pool available for pets in case it’s hot out.

Dogs must remain on the patio. 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Free admission. Taft’s Brewpourium, 4831 Spring Grove Ave., Spring Grove Village, facebook.com/taftsbeerco.

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Father’s Day Lunch with Bee’s BBQ — Head to the MadTree Taproom to celebrate Father’s Day with beer, bourbon and backyard games for the whole family.

Tickets include one glass of beer or wine and lunch; a specialty bourbon cocktail will be sold separately.

Noon-3 p.m. $50 adult; $10 under 12. MadTree Taproom, 3301 Madison Road, Oakley, facebook.com/ madtreetaproom.

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Peach Fog and Days That Got Away Can Release — Platform Beer Co. is releasing four-packs of two beers at its Locoba tasting room. Peach Fog is a hazy IPA brewed with peaches, and Days That Got Away is a milkshake IPA with pineapple, coconut, and lactose. 10 a.m. Locoba, 1201 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, facebook. com/LOCOBAPlatform.

four coffees from across the globe with the perfect macaron complement. In addition to enjoying the pairings, attendees will also learn about coffee production. 2-3:30 p.m. $40.

Macaron Bar, 1206 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, macaronbar.com.

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Newport Italianfest — The 28th annual Italianfest is a great way to experience all things Italian without crossing the Atlantic. The festival

features authentic Italian food and performances from chefs and musicians who will travel to Newport from both across the U.S. and “the old country” itself. There will also be a bocci ball tournament, golf outing, cooking contest and kid-friendly games. 5-11 p.m. June 13; 5-11:30 p.m. June 14; 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. June 15; noon-9 p.m. June 16. Free admission. Riverboat Row, Newport, newportky.gov.

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Montgomery Inn + Taft’s Beer Dinner — Montgomery Inn and Taft’s Brewing Company are hosting an extravagant beer dinner to raise money for Inner City Youth Opportunities. Each of the meal’s courses is paired with a beer. Guests will also receive a raffle ticket for a “Cincy Favorites” basket. 6:30-9:30 p.m. $75.

Montgomery Inn-The Boathouse, 925 Riverside Drive, Downtown, facebook.com/ montgomeryInn.

Most classes and events require registration and classes frequently sell out.

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Stars Shine Bright at Fraze Pavilion Only 50 miles north of Cincinnati in Kettering, Ohio

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MUSIC

‘Bridges’ to Balance Singer Josh Groban puts careful thought into his music and live shows, while balancing them with his other artistic endeavors

BY DAV E G I L D E R U B I O

A

Josh Groban PHOTO: BRIAN BOWEN SMITH

experience the music, then it’s also my goal to win over the people that have been dragged there who aren’t as familiar, aren’t fans or really don’t want to be there.

Whatever it is, I really want to put on an incredible show and leave them wanting more.”

Josh Groban performs June 12 at U.S. Bank Arena with Jennifer Nettles. Tickets/ more info: usbankarena.com.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

he works hard to reach everyone in attendance.

“When I do a live show in an arena, it’s really a chance to celebrate the connection that I have with my fans that’s different than holding or downloading an album.

It’s something that becomes a once-in-alifetime experience for all of us,” Groban says. “My goal is to both give fans of mine a musical experience that is more heightened than any other way they can

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classical guitar virtuoso Vicente Amigo on “Música Del Corazón,” tackling Celine Dion’s French “S’il suffisait d’aimer” or trading lines in Italian with Andrea Bocelli on “We Will Meet Once Again.”

For Groban, going the extra mile to learn how to sing a song in the original language in which it was penned makes for a more rewarding experience for all involved.

“It takes the difficulty level of recording up considerably,” he says. “I didn’t grow up with these languages. As a vocal student, I studied many of them, which is how (the languages) started to find themselves on my first album. Just singing in those languages was always a huge part of why I loved singing. But the process that goes into it is pretty in depth.”

Groban says he always works with a language coach on any non-English songs he takes on, making sure he gets the dialect and pronunciation correct. He says his goal is to sound fluent, “as if I were singing it in English.”

“I’ve always felt there’s a musicality and a poetry to these songs when they are in those languages, especially if they were written in those languages,” he says of keeping the tunes in their original tongues.

“They lose their music when you translate that into English. There’s something very special about choosing to sing in different languages as a vocalist because it really unlocks different levels of your voice that are both challenging and so rewarding for both me and my audience.”

Groban puts a lot of thought into his live shows, which can feature up to 40 musicians onstage. His setlists include the popular material from all stages of his professional career (including several songs from Bridges Bridges), as well as a few deep cuts.

“I always like to have the live show be the best representation of the spirit of any new music that I’m putting out and also be a celebration of the songs that I’ve had throughout the course of my career,” he says. “There are some songs we do that the fans have loved forever, and we always like to throw in songs that are a surprise that fans may not have heard much of. And it gives us a chance to put a new energy on (the music), even the newer songs.”

Groban says that he’s aware that, for as many hardcore fans who come to his concerts, there are also a lot of spouses and significant others who might just be coming along for the ride. While his primary focus is on his dedicated followers,

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lbert Einstein once likened life to riding a bicycle — you have to keep moving in order to maintain your balance.

Apparently, this is a credo that Josh Groban has wholeheartedly embraced.

The singer nabbed a Tony nomination in 2017 for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Pierre Bezukhov in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and last September the Netflix murdermystery series The Good Cop premiered; developed by Monk creator-writer Andy Breckman, it stars Groban and Tony Danza. The same day The Good Cop began streaming (Sept. 21), the California native’s eighth studio album, Bridges, was released.

While all of this would seem to be a pretty overwhelming slate of activity, Groban doesn’t quite see it that way.

“Time does slow down in my head, even if it’s not slowing down in front of me,” he says. “I’m able to kind of zone in on things and focus on them, and I think being able to take a time out and go make The Good Cop was really serendipitous and helpful, because I was starting to feel a little burnt out having finished about half the record (before filming).”

“I got that (role) out of nowhere,” Groban adds. “It gave me a chance to change gears and sides of my brain. Then when I had so much fun taping that and was done with it, I couldn’t wait to get back to my day job.

I was there guns blazing, ready to get back in again. Everything happens for a reason and I feel like even though it’s been a lot on my plate, those things have inspired me to do other things.”

Groban’s newest musical outing, Bridges, is his first album of mostly original songs since 2013’s All That Echoes. Balance is a key element at the center of the album’s dozen songs. Life lessons about receiving and losing love and maintaining positivity through times good and bad resonate solidly, whether it’s throughout the stirring “River” and its inspirational Gospel accompaniment or the closing “Bigger Than Us,” a message of unity wrapped in a delicate swath of string arrangements and sparse piano runs that wouldn’t sound out of place on a latter-day U2 album.

Guest appearances by Sarah McLachlan and Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles further sweeten the listening experience.

As someone who cut his teeth doing musical theater, Groban shows his range and adeptness at singing in a foreign tongue, be it in Spanish for his duet with

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M O R E V E N D O R S TO B E A N N O U N C E D

SPILL IT

The Rebirth of Friday Giants

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Honored to Honor Mom

A couple of unlikely music stars were recently among those recognized by Queen Elizabeth’s “Birthday Honours” for their good works and contributions to society. And both likely wouldn’t have accepted their esteemed awards were it not for their mothers. Outspoken rapper/ singer M.I.A. received an MBE and said she accepted to honor her mother, a Sir Lankan immigrant who has “handstitched” the metals for the last 30 years, a job she took because she didn’t have to know English. Elvis Costello, meanwhile, now has an OME. On his website, the Rock legend said he was initially set on declining the honor (because he’s not a fan of British royalty and Prime Minister Theresa May, who recommended him), but his mother told him he should be “gracious” and accept. Costello said that receiving the award “confirms my long held suspicion nobody really listens to the words in songs.”

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Following the recent naming of an entire district in Staten Island to honor Wu-Tang Clan, another New York City borough has now paid tribute one of its favorite sons/iconic Hip Hop legend. The block where Biggie Smalls grew up in Brooklyn has been renamed Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace Way. As Stereogum reported, at the dedication ceremony, city council member Laurie A. Cumbo said renaming the street serves as a reminder of the neighborhood’s roots in the face of what is probably the most well-known example of gentrification in the United States.

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Speaking of Wu-Tang Clan, the group recently became the first Hip Hop act to headline Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, one of the most legendary venues in America that’s nicknamed “The Mother Church of Country Music” because of its role as host of the Grand Ole Opry in its early days and a haven for the city’s Country music elite. It has also hosted Jazz, Pop, Rock, R&B, Classical music and any number of other entertainment endeavors (even boxing matches) over the years. So, uh, why so long to embrace Hip Hop? Some who spoke to NPR for a story on the Wu-Tang gig said the venue had tried to book Hip Hop artists in the past (like 50 Cent and, er, Insane Clown Posse), but the size and former-church vibes weren’t appealing to them.

SEASON TEN W/ GUEST THE CANVAS PEOPLE (AUSTIN)

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Cincinnati Post Hardcore band Friday Soften Returns Cincinnati Shoegaze greats Soften are Giants are back with an EP that serves releasing a new five-track EP, Soften Foras an introduction to the group’s new ever, on June 14 and later that night they’ll ever direction. be celebrating with a show at Woodward The band has garnered a lot of local sucTheater (1404 Main St., Over-the-Rhine, cess and recognition since forming in 2013, woodwardtheater.com). The 8 p.m. event but, in terms of lineup stability, there have will also feature performances by veteran been a few bumps in the road. The six-track local singer/songwriter Kim Taylor Something Worth Saving (released June 7) (Soften’s frontperson Brianna Kelly has shows the pay-off for enduring through the worked extensively with Taylor), as well turbulence — Friday Giants have refined as Philadelphia’s Son Step and Brooklyn’s their sound into something that feels more Wilder Maker. Tickets are $10 in advance confident and focused than ever.

After a 2015 debut EP, the band released its debut album, Twenty Nothings, in 2017, leading to an extended period of career milestones that included local music award nominations and performances at the Bunbury Music Festival and Vans Warped Tour. But by the end of last year, the group’s singer and second guitarist departed, leaving the core trio of bassist Zac Taylor, guitar Chuck Ralenkotter and drummer Logan Boatright to figure out how to pick up the pieces.

Friday Giants Turns out, those were all of the pieces they needed.

PHOTO: PROVIDED Taylor took over the lead singer role and the three or $12 at the door. musicians (bassist Mason Stamper joined Soften Forever is a captivating and later) found their new groove, which isn’t immersive listening experience. Hypnotic too remarkably different from their estabbut never sleepy, ethereal but never lightlished sound, just more direct and impactweight, Soften separates itself from other ful. There’s a stronger and more defined Shoegaze acts (past and present) with the melodic proficiency on display on Somestrength of the underlying songwriting. thing Worth Saving Saving. The band’s previous There’s an almost symphonic quality to music was full of Pop Punk-like hooks and the song arrangements, largely eschewpaired with guttural Hardcore vocals to ing cookie-cutter verse/chorus repetition create Friday Giants’ hodge-podge sound. to create a dreamy, stream-of-conscious In their current state, there’s still the slipstream of sound, anchored by Kelly’s scream/sung dynamic, but there’s more enthralling vocals and melodies, which consistency — it doesn’t sound as much are transcendentally soulful. The music likes two different bands cut and pasted also rises and falls tonally, heart-bursting together. Similarly, the group’s mesh of guitars alternating with mesmeric Metal, Punk and Pop Rock has become atmospherics. much more fluid and less schizophrenic.

Soften Forever is a bewitching piece Something Worth Saving shows of art taken as a whole, but even the evolution at work — through growth, individual tracks offer a similarly engaging, change and persistence, Friday Giants blissfully unpredictable ride. Sitting right honed in on their strengths, built upon in the middle of the EP, “Sun Comes Out” them and got even better. (which the band recorded for its “Tiny Something Worth Saving is available now Desk Contest” submission) is a particular on most major digital platforms, including standout, the sonic equivalent of a perfect, via fridaygiants.bandcamp.com. Friday meditative warm bath that leaves you Giants celebrate the EP’s release this Saturre-energized once it’s over. day with a concert at Bogart’s (2621 Vine St., Check out Soften Forever at Corryville, bogarts.com). Here Come Here, soften.bandcamp.com.

A Liar’s Eyes and Settle Your Scores will also perform. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. and Contact Mike Breen: tickets are $5. mbreen@citybeat.com.

Visit fridaygiants.com for more band info.

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Wilder Maker with Soften, Kim Taylor and Son Step Friday • Woodward Theater

Wilder Maker may hail from Brooklyn and have traits that would be at home in Greenwich Village — like wiry, Velvet Underground-esque guitar lines — but they’re not just stuck in an urban mindset. The band, led by founder Gabriel Birnbaum, melds together influences from Dr. John (R.I.P.) to ’70s Bob Dylan to Debo Band, the renowned Ethiopian music group in which Birnbaum plays tenor saxophone. Thanks to the talents of Birnbaum and his collaborators, those sounds never clash.

“I prefer to be able to be as flexible as I want in terms of style,” Birnbaum says.

For Wilder Maker’s upcoming tour, which includes a stop in Cincinnati in support of local Shoegaze band Soften’s EP release show, Birnbaum will be joined

by Dandy McDowell on bass and Sean Mullins on drums. McDowell, who also plays with Blood Orange and Amen Dunes, is subbing for Nick Jost, who’s preparing to release a new album with Savannah, Georgia Sludge Metal outfit Baroness.

Katie Von Schleicher, who sang and played keyboards, left earlier this year to focus on her own project.

Birnbaum says that the backgrounds of his collaborators help.

“Those people usually are working musicians who do a lot of sideman gigs and, in order to make a living that way, almost all those people play different kinds of music,” he says.

Also present in Wilder Maker’s sound is a deep affection for Country music.

“There’s such a deep simplicity to a lot of it. There’s a great economy of words. It’s so American,” Birnbaum says. “It’s this very beautiful American art form, and I love

Ezra Koenig of Vampire Weekend PHOTO: MICHAEL SCHMELLING

feeling like I’m connected to that when I’m writing songs.”

For Wilder Maker’s most recent album, last year’s Zion, Birnbaum took a new approach where he wrote the lyrics separate from the music, a practice he says allowed him to be more emotionally honest.

“I wanted to write the language, the lyrics for the songs as if they weren’t songs and see if I would feel more honest about them and be able to say things that were more interesting to me,” he says. (Brody Kelly)

Vampire Weekend with Chicano Batman

Saturday • PNC Pavilion at Riverbend

Vampire Weekend has grown up in the six years since we last heard from them.

Frontman Ezra Koenig was still in his 20s

Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee Sunday • Southgate House Revival

Thank You Scientist PHOTO: EVIL INK RECORDS

BE LIKE BREEN.

READ CITYBEAT.COM/MUSIC EVERYDAY.

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| C I T Y B E AT. C O M

at that point, still an optimist with an eye and ear for concision. The band — which also featured bassist Chris Baio, multiinstrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij and drummer Chris Tomson — burst onto the scene with their 2008 self-titled debut, a supremely catchy and wry record that employed elements of Punk, African music, Art Pop and, notably, Paul Simon.

The follow-up, 2010’s Contra, refined the band’s sound further, and the tour in support of it confirmed that these preppy Ivy Leaguers were the real deal — the songs, so confident and expertly formed, helped the group move from clubs to massive venues without breaking a sweat.

By 2013’s Modern Vampires of the City City, Robert Christgau was dropping Sgt. Pepper references, writing with typical insight, “Each verse/chorus/bridge/intro melody, each lyric straight or knotty, each sound effect playful or perverse (or both) — each is pleasurable in itself and aptly situated in the sturdy songs and tracks, so that the whole signifies without a hint of concept.”

It’s been six years since then and a lot has changed. Batmanglij left Vampire Weekend in 2016, which left Koenig free to scratch his artistic itch, no matter how messy and sprawling the result might be on the band’s long-gestating new record, Father of the Bride.

“It feels right that our fourth album is not 10, 11 songs,” Koenig said recently on his Beats 1 show, Time Crisis. “It felt like it needed more room. After six years gone, it’s a bigger statement.”

Sure enough, Father of the Bride is all over the place —18 songs in about an hour.

There’s even a Sinatra-esque Jazz standard and duets with Haim’s Danielle Haim.

Sure, the old concision might have been more prudent. But even the ever-chipper Koenig is impacted by the chaotic times in which we live. From “Harmony Hall,” the album’s lead single: “I don’t want to live like this/But I don’t want to die.” (Jason Gargano)

To identify Thank You Scientist as a Progressive Rock band is slightly reductive and not entirely accurate. The New Jersey septet certainly plays a vibrant and cerebral brand of Rock that is progressive in attitude and execution, but not Prog as espoused by musical entities that wallow in bloated and self-indulgent 20-minute suites with science fiction/sword/sorcery/ wizard-witch-warlock themes.

TYS hews closer to the absurdist humor and eclectic Rock orchestrations of Frank Zappa and the populist runic translations of Phish, with flashes of contemporary Pop, Rock and Jazz woven in. And while TYS generally pushes its songs into the six- to nine-minute mark, there is a dynamism and sense of flow that makes them engaging and compelling. “FXMLDE” (as in the X-Files agent minus vowels) is the group’s first track released from its upcoming third album, Terraformer Terraformer, and it clocks in at an atypical-for-a-single eight minutes.

The seeds of TYS were planted at Montclair State University’s music program over a decade ago with guitarist Tom Monda, saxophonist Ellis Jasenovic and trumpeter Andrew Digrius bonding over a mutual love of Zappa, Mahavishnu Orchestra, The Beatles and Harry Nilsson.

The initial lineup of TYS solidified in 2009 with the additions of lead vocalist Salvatore Marrano, bassist Greg Colacino, violinist Ben Karas and drummer Odin Alvarez, which was followed by two years of local and regional gigging. The band self-released its 2011 debut EP, The Perils of Time Travel, and its full-length follow-up, 2012’s Maps of Non-Existent Places, which caught the ear of Coheed and Cambria’s Claudio Sanchez, who made TYS the first signing to his Evil Ink label.

In 2015, Colacino left TYS and was replaced by Cody McCorry, who appeared on the band’s sophomore album, 2016’s Stranger Heads Prevail. The subsequent grueling tour triggered the exits of Alvarez, Jasenovic and Digrius, who were replaced by drummer Joe Fadem, saxophonist Sam Greenfield and trumpeter Joe Gullace.

That lineup recorded the 90-minute Terraformer, which will be released Friday Terraformer and was teased on the TYS website with a bizarre video that wouldn’t have looked out of place on John C. Reilly’s faux public access show, Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule. TYS is Progressive Rock for people who don’t like Prog and whimsically serious jams for people who don’t like Jam bands. (Brian Baker)

MUSIC EDITOR MIKE BREEN KNOWS MUSIC.

43

TAPROOM HOURS TUESDAY - THURSDAY: 3PM - 11PM FRIDAY - SATURDAY: 11AM - 12AM

TAPROOM ADDRESS 1727 LOGAN ST, CINCINNATI, OH 45202

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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J U N . 1 2 -18 , 2 0 19

©2019 THE BOSTON BEER COMPANY, BOSTON, MA SAVOR THE FLAVOR RESPONSIBLY.®

44

LISTINGS

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

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

WEDNESDAY 12

20TH CENTURY THEATER - BoDeans with .Trapper Schoepp. 8 p.m. Roots Rock. $30-$35.

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Todd Hepburn. 7 p.m. Piano/Various. Free.

H

BOGART’S - K. Flay with Moonbeau. 8 p.m.

Indie Pop. $22.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Blue Wisp Big Band. 8 p.m. Big Band Jazz. $10.

H

FOUNTAIN SQUARE Yabba Griffiths & Traxx.

7 p.m. Reggae. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Jim Connerley Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

KNOTTY PINE - Dallas Moore. 10 p.m. Country.

Free.

THE MAD FROG - Hip Hop Open Mic. 9 p.m. Hip Hop

H

MADISON LIVE Circles Around The Sun with Tyler Ramsey. 8 p.m.

Rock. $17, $20 day of show.

MOTR PUB - Season Ten with The Canvas People. 10 p.m. Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Steven King. 9 p.m. Rock.

Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Night Owl with Anna Applegate. 9 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB - Damage Therapy. 9 p.m. Metal. Cover.

H

TAFT THEATRE - Ibeyi with Sudan Archives. 8 p.m. Electronic/Soul. $22, $25 day of show (Ballroom).

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Julia Higgins & Brad Myers. 7:30 p.m.

Jazz. Cover.

COMMON ROOTS - Open Mic. 8 p.m. Various. Free.

FOUNTAIN SQUARE - Son Del Caribe with Reveal Your Love. 7 p.m. Salsa/Latin/ Dance. Free.

FRETBOARD BREWING COMPANY - Lindsay Beaver.

6 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

H

HIGHTAIL MT. ADAMS - The Lowdown with Mike Dow. 10 p.m. DJ/ Dance/EDM. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Nick Fryer Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

KNOTTY PINE - Kenny Cowden. 9 p.m. Acoustic.

Free.

H

MADISON LIVE - Wild Moccasins with kid ESP. 8 p.m. Indie Pop. $12, $15 day of show.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES Working Title Steam Band. 7 p.m. Various. Free.

H

MOERLEIN LAGER HOUSE - Rockin’ the Roebling with Marty Connor Band and Buffalo Wabs & the Price Hill Hustle. 6 p.m.

Americana. Free.

MOLLY MALONE’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT Missy Werner Band. 7:30 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.

H

MOTR PUB - The Tender Things with Garrett T. Capps. 9:30 p.m. Country.

Free.

NEWPORT ON THE LEVEE - Summer Music on the Levee with The Eagles Project. 7 p.m. Rock. Free.

AltRock group Charly Bliss plays Friday at Top Cats.

PHOTO: JACQUELINE HARRIET

STANLEY’S PUB - $pare Change, Mojo Power and Mike Beaty. 10 p.m. Jam/ Funk. Cover.

TOP CATS - Pretoria, Local Boy and Anonymous Phone Call. 8 p.m. AltRock. $8.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT Bombadil with Tooth Lures a Fang, Walrus and Aaron Collins. 9 p.m. Indie Rock. $5.

WASHINGTON PARK Comet Bluegrass All-Stars.

7 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - River City Roustabout. 8 p.m. Folk. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Scattered Hamlet with Hank Erwin. 8 p.m.

Rock. $12, $15 day of show.

BLUE NOTE HARRISON - Kottonmouth Kings with Flaw, Boondox and September Mourning. 7 p.m.

Rock. $25.

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Philip Paul Trio.

7:30 p.m. Jazz. Free.

BLUE NOTE HARRISON - Geoff Tate Operation Mindcrime. 6 p.m. Prog Metal. $33-$28.

PLAIN FOLK CAFE - Open Mic. 7 p.m. Various. Free.

FRIDAY 14

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH

H

FOUNTAIN SQUARE The Band of Heathens with Will Hoge. 7 p.m. Americana/Rock. Free.

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

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - The Sly Band. 9:30 p.m. Rock/Pop/Dance. $5.

JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Danny Frazier. 9 p.m. Country. Free.

KNOTTY PINE - Lt. Dan’s New Legs. 10 p.m. Pop/ Dance/Various. Cover.

LUDLOW BROMLEY YACHT CLUB - Trailer Park Floosies. 9:30 p.m. Rock/ Pop/Dance/Country/Various.

MADISON LIVE - Night Moves with The Ophelias. 8 p.m. Indie Pop/Various. $12, $15 day of show.

MANHATTAN HARBOUR MARINA - DJ Dave. 8 p.m.

DJ/Various. Free.

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Tickled Pink. 9 p.m. Blues.

Cover.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES Over Easy. 9 p.m. Soft Rock.

Free.

MT. HEALTHY CITY PARK - King Bee and the Stingers.

7:30 p.m. Blues. Free.

H

MOTR PUB - Blossom Hall with Arthur and Upstairs. 10 p.m. AltRock.

Free.

H

MVP BAR & GRILLE Ekoostik Hookah with Hunting Agnes and Moselle.

8 p.m. Rock/Jam/Various. $10, $13 day of show.

NORTHSIDE TAVERN - Hissing Tiles and MARR. 10 p.m. Rock/Indie/ Punk/Various. Free.

RADISSON CINCINNATI RIVERFRONT - Basic Truth.

8 p.m. R&B/Funk/Soul. Free (in the Fifth Lounge).

SCHWARTZ’S POINT George Simon Trio. 8:30 p.m.

Jazz. Cover.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Jim Burns Band. 9:30 p.m.

Country. Free.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Dallas Moore with Hellroys and Barnyard Stompers. 9 p.m. Country. $15, $20 day of show.

H

STANLEY’S PUB Honey & Houston and The Cloudbuilders. 10 p.m.

Americana/Country. Cover.

THOMPSON HOUSE - 10 Year Circus Anniversary Party with Doctor P and Hopsteady. 9 p.m. Dubstep/ Electronic. $25.

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

THURSDAY 13

SCHWARTZ’S POINT Commusications with Greg Chako & Lou Lausche. 8 p.m. Jazz. Cover.

U.S. BANK ARENA - Josh Groban with Jennifer Nettles. 7:30 p.m. Pop/ Various. $49.50-$210.50.

WIEDEMANN BREWERY AND TAPROOM - Ricky Nye. 7 p.m. Blues/Boogie Woogie.

H

THE COMET - Slutbomb, Dirty Junk, Optimal Crime and Slagdoll.

10 p.m. Punk. Free.

H

H

|

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Melodk Eye. 9 p.m. Psychedelic/Reggae/Rock. Free.

URBAN ARTIFACT Pro Teens, smut and DINGE. 9 p.m. Rock. $5.

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

Cover.

$5.

THE MAD FROG - DJ Icey.

9 p.m. Dance/DJ. Cover.

J U N . 1 2 -18 , 2 0 19

H H

LOUNGE - Mike Darrah Trio.

9 p.m. Jazz. Free.

45

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Jazz Brunch with Rob Allgeyer.

10:30 a.m. Jazz. Free.

KNOTTY PINE - Randy Peak. 10 p.m. Acoustic/Various. Free.

LATITUDES BAR & BISTRO - BlueBirds. 8 p.m.

Rock/R&B. Free.

MANHATTAN HARBOUR MARINA - Nichole Bezold. 1 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Open Jam with Deb Ohlinger. 6 p.m. Blues MOTR PUB - Brent Stroud & Cold Heat with 3ft. 8 p.m.

Rock. Free.

H H

NORTHSIDE TAVERN Dave McDonnell Group.

8 p.m. Jazz. Free.

PNC PAVILION AT RIVERBEND - Buddy Guy and The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. 7 p.m.

Blues. $23.50-$73.

Americana/Western Swing trio The Quebe Sisters play The Southgate House Revival Saturday.

PHOTO: MICHAEL J. MEDIA

H

TOP CATS - Charly Bliss. 9 p.m. Indie Rock.

$15.

URBAN ARTIFACT American Opera with Sarah Burton and The Midwestern.

9 p.m. Folk/Rock. $5.

WASHINGTON PARK Isaac Lee’s Teddy Pendergrass Review. 7 p.m. Soul.

Free.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Mandy Gaines. 9 p.m. Jazz. $10 (food/drink minimum).

C I T Y B E AT. C O M

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J U N . 1 2 -18 , 2 0 19

H

46

WOODWARD THEATER - Soften (EP release) with Kim Taylor, Son Step and Wilder Maker.

8 p.m. Indie Rock. $10, $12 day of show.

SATURDAY 15

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Modern Groove Jazz Band. 8 p.m. Jazz.

Free.

H

BOGART’S - Friday Giants (release party).

8 p.m. Rock. $5.

BROMWELL’S HÄRTH LOUNGE - Mike Darrah Trio.

9 p.m. Jazz. Free.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Ron

Enyard Quartet featuring David Tarbell. 8:30 p.m.

Jazz. Cover.

MANHATTAN HARBOUR MARINA - The Leftovers. 8 p.m. Rock. Free.

THE COMET - Pet Shark with Children of Mana. 10 p.m. Punk. Free.

MARTY’S HOPS & VINES - Two Blue. 9 p.m. Acoustic Rock. Free.

H H

H

FOUNTAIN SQUARE Erika Wennerstrom. 7 p.m. Rock. Free.

FRETBOARD BREWING COMPANY Peridoni. 8 p.m. Rock/Jam/ Various. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Ricky Nye Inc. 9 p.m. Jazz/Blues. Free.

JAG’S STEAK AND SEAFOOD - Gee Your Band Smells Terrific. 9:30 p.m. ’70s Pop/Rock/Dance. $5.

JIM AND JACK’S ON THE RIVER - Britney’s Lipstick. 9 p.m. Rock. Free.

JOCKO’S PUB - Saving Stimpy. 9:30 p.m. Rock.

Free.

KNOTTY PINE - Under the Sun. 10 p.m. AltRock. Cover.

MADISON LIVE - Rags and RIches with Saint Sterling. 8 p.m. Pop Rock. $8, $10 day of show.

MOTR PUB - King Kong with Sky Hank & The Heady Weed. 10 p.m.

Indie Rock. Free.

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Wicked Peace, The Last Troubadours and The Exit Strategy. 10 p.m. Rock. Free.

H

PNC PAVILION AT RIVERBEND - Vampire Weekend with Chicano Batman. 7:30 p.m. AltPop. Sold out.

RICK’S TAVERN - Whiskey Daze. 10 p.m. Rock. Cover.

SCHWARTZ’S POINT - Phil DeGreg Trio. 8:30 p.m. Jazz.

Cover.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Beth Lee & The Breakups. 9:30 p.m. Roots Rock. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Cincinnati Noir. 10 p.m. DJ/Dance/Goth/New

Wave/Punk/Industrial/Various. $5.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - The Quebe Sisters.

8 p.m. Progressive Western Swing. $22, $25 day of show.

STANLEY’S PUB - Moselle and deFrance. 10 p.m. Funk/ Rock. Cover.

H

URBAN ARTIFACT Lipstick Fiction (final show) with Lung , Go Go Buffalo and Dynamite Thunderpunch. 9 p.m. Alt/Indie/ Rock/Various

H

U.S. BANK ARENA Carrie Underwood with Maddie and Tae and Runaway June. 8 p.m. Country/ Pop. $48-$68.

WASHINGTON PLATFORM - Options Jazz Trio.

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

SUNDAY 16

THE COMET - The Comet Bluegrass All-Stars. 7:30 p.m. Bluegrass. Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (LOUNGE) - Adam Remnant and Matthew Milia (of Frontier Ruckus). 9:30 p.m. Rock.

Free.

H

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (SANCTUARY) - Thank You Scientist with Bent Knee. 7:30 p.m.

Alt/Prog/Rock. $15, $18 day of show.

STANLEY’S PUB - Open Jam. 9 p.m. Improv/Various.

Free.

WESTSIDE VENUE - Blues Jam with Jimmy D. Rodgers and Lil Al Thomas. 7 p.m.

Blues. Free.

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

MEMORIAL HALL - Jazz at the Memo presents Hard Boppin’ with The Five Little Bears. 7 p.m. Jazz. $8.

MOLLY MALONE’S IRISH PUB & RESTAURANT Open Bluegrass Jam. 8 p.m.

Bluegrass. Free.

H

NORTHSIDE YACHT CLUB - Teenage Bottlerocket with Ramona and The Dopamines. 8 p.m.

Rock. $13, $15 day of show.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Petal with Coping Skills. 7 p.m. Rock. $12, $15 day of show.

STANLEY’S PUB - Jazz Jam. 9 p.m. Jazz/Improv.

Free.

TUESDAY 18

ARNOLD’S BAR AND GRILL - Cheryl Renee. 7 p.m. Blues. Free.

BLIND LEMON - Nick Tuttle.

8:30 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

BREWRIVER CREOLE KITCHEN - The Twirlers. 7 p.m. R&B/Classic Pop/Standards. Free.

CAFFÈ VIVACE - Mandy Gaines & Steve Schmidt.

7:30 p.m. Jazz CROW’S NEST - Open Mic Night. 8 p.m. Various. Free.

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Patsy Myer Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz. Free.

H

MONDAY 17

PNC PAVILION AT RIVERBEND - Young The Giant and Fitz and The Tantrums with COIN. 7 p.m.

AltPop

HILTON NETHERLAND PALM COURT - Peter Gemus Trio. 6 p.m. Jazz.

Free.

SOUTHGATE HOUSE REVIVAL (REVIVAL ROOM) - Cade Foehner with Juna N Joey. 7 p.m.

Southern Rock. $20, $25 day of show.

BOGART’S - Chase Atlantic.

8 p.m. AltPop. $18.

KNOTTY PINE - Open Mic. 9 p.m. Various. Free.

MANSION HILL TAVERN - Open Acoustic Jam with John Redell & Friends. 8 p.m. Acoustic. Free.

STANLEY’S PUB - Highly Likely. 9 p.m. Bluegrass.

Cover.

SEE CITYBEAT.COM FOR FULL MUSIC LISTINGS AND ALL CLUB LOCATIONS.

PUZZLE AC R O S S

1. Award for those that think inside the box?

Clown World

CLASSIFIEDS

BY B R EN DA N E M M E T T Q U I G L E Y

9. FiveThirtyEight fodder

14. Like a troll, maybe

15. Sustainability subj.

16. Large things sold at Clown World?

HELP WANTED

CINCY BREW BUS

21. Weak at the knees

26. TV actress Paulson

42. Horse operas

22. Red curlyhaired “Peanuts� character 24. Bother 25. Sell a head covering second hand at Clown World?

31. Unprocessed oats 33. Penguin lookalikes 34. Big deal 35. Headscratching problem?

58. Press kit?

59. Nice girlfriend 60. Starts a family, say 61. “In Pursuit of Flavor� author ___ Lewis 62. X-Men telepath ___ Grey DOWN

36. Kinda cool and kinda pretentious

1. Sheet music letters

37. Hebrides island

2. Sid who created the game Civilization

38. 2019 Women’s World Cup favorite 39. Way off in the distance 40. Comes down hard?

41. Be an early adopter of a prop at Clown World?

45. Tough nut to crack 48. Guarantee will happen 51. Take a hike

57. “Never Have I ___� (sleepover game)

5. Genre for Lil Uzi Vert or XXXTentacion 6. Earth inheritors, of the Bible 7. Large number 8. Insect with a slender waist 9. Flies in the face of 10. Recreational drug sold in doses 11. Blabbed 12. Side man?

28. Alarm setting

43. State capital between Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks

29. Quaint poem

46. Obsession

30. Whizzes 31. Drinking sound

47. “Horae Canonicae� poet

32. Breads and cakes do it

48. Duck of crosswords

36. Old Spice rival

49. Gutter’s spot

37. Bollywood costume

50. Squeezed (out)

39. Comice alternative

52. Shortly

27. Rather strange

23. “Or ___ what?�

24. Covered with tattoos

55. Projectile at Clown World

40. Makes a noise of support for Clown World?

56. Mil. rank

L AST WEEK’S ANSWERS:

' 5 $ 7

( 8 5 2

3 ( 3 3 $

( 5 5 2 1

17. Showed talent 18. Green meanies

51. “I hear ya, dog�

7 + 2 2 * : $

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friendly customerservice; Demonstrate willingness to learn and share knowledge with others. Must learn the Beer Making Process and Local Brewing History.

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Please email your resume: info@ cincybrewbus.com.

No phone calls/texts please.

J U N . 1 2 -18 , 2 0 19

44. ___ Wilson (2018 WNBA Rookie of the Year)

Join our exciting team as Tour Guide and introduce people to local breweries, wineries, distilleries, donut shops and more across Greater Cincinnati! We seek team members to lead 1-2 tours each Saturday plus Weekday and Evening availability.

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Aronoff Center for the Arts / 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 / www.WestonArtGallery.com 2018-19 Season Sponsor: Dee and Tom Stegman The Alpaugh Foundation The LaBoiteaux Family Foundation

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Advertising Sales Executive

If the following sounds like you, we’d love to speak with you: You are energetic, outgoing and passionate You live with integrity You are fearless and welcome challenges You have a track record of getting to the decision maker You conduct yourself with professionalism in person, in writing and over the phone Compensation: Base salary + commission + Bonus Paid Vacation/PTO Insurance + 401(k) Spiffs and prizes around special events Visit CityBeat.com/Work-Here to learn more and submit your resume. *Online submissions including resumes only. No other inquiries will be considered*