CityBeat | August 21, 2024

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VOL. 28 | ISSUE 18 ON THE COVER: STEVE RALEIGH ILLUSTRATION: LILY OGBURN PUBLISHER TONY FRANK EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ASHLEY MOOR DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR KATHERINE BARRIER STAFF WRITER MADELINE FENING CREATIVE DIRECTOR HAIMANTI GERMAIN GRAPHIC DESIGNER ASPEN SMIT CONTRIBUTING CRITICS THEATER CRITIC: RICK PENDER DINING CRITIC: PAMA MITCHELL CONTRIBUTING WRITERS ANNE ARENSTEIN, BRIAN BAKER, BRIAN CROSS, JASON GARGANO, GREGORY GASTON, NICK GREVER, KELSEY GRAHAM, DEREK KALBACK, DEIRDRE KAYE, MACKENZIE MANLEY, JUDE NOEL, KATHY SCHWARTZ, MARIA SEDA-REEDER, LEYLA SHOKOOHE, SAMI STEWART, STEVEN ROSEN, P.F. WILSON STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER AIDAN MAHONEY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS HAILEY BOLLINGER RON VALLE CATIE VIOX

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NEWS

The council will start its new session on Sept. 3, starting with the Budget and Finance Committee. Their first regular council meeting will take place on Sept. 5.

P H O T O : LY D I A S C H E M B R E

Cincinnati City Council Talks Fall Priorities with CityBeat Looking ahead, CityBeat asked the Cincinnati councilmembers about their plans and priorities for the new session.

BY L I LY O G BU R N

C

incinnati City Council returned to City Hall on Aug. 7 for a mid-recess meeting in preparation for the upcoming session. Councilmembers met in their respective committees two days prior to prepare for this lone council meeting of the summer.

While meetings may have been paused over the past month, councilmembers and their staff have been working on current and upcoming projects.

Looking ahead, CityBeat asked the Cincinnati councilmembers about their plans and priorities for the new session.

The council will start its new session on Sept. 3, starting with the Budget and Finance Committee. Their first regular council meeting will take place on Sept. 5.

Anna Albi For councilmember Anna Albi, addressing gun violence remains the top priority. Albi, a communications consultant, has always been an advocate against gun violence as a leader for Moms Demand Action in Cincinnati.

“There is no magic wand solution to solving gun violence, which is why the City invests time, money and resources into a multifaceted approach ranging from increasing the availability of housing to addressing food security to promoting workforce development and youth

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programming,” Albi said in a statement to CityBeat.

One way Albi’s office is tackling gun violence is through firearm security, an initiative aimed at addressing accidental shootings and suicides.

Albi’s office partnered with Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, the Cincinnati Police Department and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office to offer free gun locks at libraries in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Albi is also focused on addressing food insecurity in relation to gun violence.

Research shows that food insecurity is closely tied with firearm injuries, especially in metropolitan cities.

“I’m working closely with the mayor to explore ways we can increase food access through home delivery,” Albi said in her statement. She said more information about the project will be coming soon.

Jeff Cramerding Councilmember Jeff Cramerding has long been focused on maintaining a balanced budget and growing Cincinnati as a city, and he’s heading into the new session with those goals at the forefront.

“The city’s budget has been unbalanced for many years and has been running on a $25 million yearly deficit,” Cramerding said in a statement to CityBeat. “This problem

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must be solved. It is an impediment to us growing as a world class city.”

Cramerding spent much of his career as a labor lawyer, and was a founding member of Price Hill Will, a nonprofit dedicated to community development in Price Hill.

Cramerding also wants to make sure the Connected Communities policy hits the ground running this fall. Connected Communities, a series of zoning and land use changes intended to make the city more accessible and diverse, was passed by the council earlier this summer.

“We must ensure that the housing and economic development that Connected Communities laid the foundation for can come to fruition,” Cramerding said in his statement. “This council maintains its commitment to providing more attainable housing options for all and promoting economic development in neighborhoods that want and need it most.”

Cramerding said he is also working with the city’s Parks and Recreation departments to plant more trees in Cincinnati, which will add more shade and positively impact areas affected by extreme heat in the city.

Meeka Owens Councilmember Meeka Owens wants to continue working to change the systems that aren’t serving Cincinnati as well as they could be.

Owens’ background is primarily in community outreach. She’s served on boards for organizations like Women Helping Women and the YWCA, and she’s worked professionally as a consultant and small business owner.

Owens is also a long-time advocate for tenants’ rights. She has dedicated herself to the Tenants Bill of Rights, “which provides meaningful funding and resources to the housing ecosystem in Cincinnati.”

“Many people don’t realize that Cincinnati is primarily made up of renters (over 60%), but about 70% of our city is zoned for single families,” Owens said in a statement to CityBeat.

Owens helped pass a program within the Tenants Bill of Rights called Access to Counsel, which provides eviction assistance funding and assistance from Owens’ office in eviction court. According to her statement, the program helped ensure that 52 families did not lose their housing in the first quarter of 2024. Her office plans to continue this work.

Owens also wants to continue to celebrate Cincinnati’s diversity at City Hall. In June, Owens brought drag queens and kings to City Hall for the final meeting before recess. As lawmakers at the Statehouse seek to limit drag performances in the state with House Bill 245, this is likely the first time drag performers have been in City Hall – an achievement Owens “could not be prouder” of.

“Every voice matters, and when I step into City Hall, I know I fight for every voice in our city,” Owens said in her statement.

Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney For Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, education and healthy neighborhoods are crucial projects to continue working on this fall.

Kearney has a background in law and journalism, and she helped start the multimedia publishing company that owns The Cincinnati Herald, The Northern Kentucky Herald and The Dayton Defender.

Kearney said she was “incredibly excited” about this week’s meetings, including the Healthy Neighborhoods committee meetings that highlighted student transportation on Metro buses and updates from the English as a Second Language community.

Kearney is also an advocate for literacy in Cincinnati. Kearney is supporting Cincy Reads, a new literacy challenge for children aimed at increasing awareness about the importance of reading.

“Literacy in our city is a top priority for my office, and I’m excited to share some preliminary information about [our literacy campaign]!” Kearney said in a statement to CityBeat.

Ethan Nichols, a spokesperson for Kearney, said her office is also focusing on continuing constituent outreach.

“We’ve assisted our residents with everything from property tax assistance to tenants issues to city services. We’ll continue working hard each and every day for the citizens of Cincinnati,” he said in a statement to CityBeat.

Victoria Parks Councilmember Victoria Parks told CityBeat in a statement that she’s “eager to continue her work on advancing equity in the city.”

Parks worked for companies like UPS and Mitsubishi Electric Manufacturing for 30 years before turning to community outreach, focusing on domestic violence and sexual assault outreach.

Now, Parks is working on increasing access to wheelchair accessible restrooms in the city, installing feminine product dispensers in city facilities, and helping secure funding for Cincinnati recovery housing.

Parks hopes to “[prioritize] equity in city contracts and [defend] the rights of people with disabilities” as well.

Reggie Harris Councilmember Reggie Harris wants to continue supporting Cincinnati’s economic growth while increasing inclusion and equity this fall.

As a councilmember, Harris is driven by his past experiences as a social worker, therapist and affordable housing practitioner.

He is also openly gay and a strong advocate for LGBTQIA+ issues, such as revising the city’s nondiscrimination policy.

As the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee, Harris is spearheading

the Carryover Budget process with city administration which occurs in the fall. This process allocates any excess budget above city estimates to capital projects.

“There is real impact in this work, and we see it every day,” Harris said in a statement to CityBeat. “The dollars we’ve spent on affordable housing means new homes for people who need it most. The organizations we fund each budget cycle help thousands of residents every year with crucial and at times life-saving interventions.”

Harris also wants to continue finding solutions to Cincinnati’s housing crisis.

“We are at a point where it is more important than ever to solidify our housing vision and the plan to execute it,” Harris said. “A major focus of the near future will be to continue to lay the groundwork towards tackling the housing crisis and use that to pass meaningful policy to stabilize housing costs and grow our population.”

Harris is also focused on the second annual Black Developers Conference, an initiative that Harris said works to “expand who participates and benefits from development in this city and offer the tools needed to increase capacity and create generational wealth.”

Last year, the conference brought together 500 people and 30 community organizations.

Note: CityBeat reached out to all council offices but did not receive statements from councilmembers Scotty Johnson, Mark Jeffreys and Seth Walsh at the time of publishing.

Metro is Considering New Locations for Government Square Bus Hub

BY LILY OGBURN

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incinnati City Council and Metro are commissioning a study from consultants to evaluate the best location for the city’s primary downtown bus stop.

One potential location is the Riverfront Transit Center (RTC), which is located in The Banks neighborhood near Paycor Stadium on Plum Street and West Third Street.

According to Metro, RTC can “accommodate large numbers of charter, school and transit buses serving riverfront venues and activities.” The center has a capacity of 20 buses at one time, and can transport up to 20,000 passengers per hour.

Metro is currently collecting bids from consultants for the study. In the study, Metro is hoping to assess the possibilities of relocating the transportation hub to RTC, choosing another new location or relocating only Stop D from Government Square. The study will compile data on ridership, pedestrian access, impacts to travel time and other important factors.

While it’s not stated in the project documents, the potential relocation may be linked to crime near the Government Square location.

A Metro bus at Government Square in downtown Cincinnati.

P H OTO : N I C K S WA RT S E L L

Ken Kober, president of the Federal Order of Police union, previously emphasized to CityBeat that serious illegal activity is a problem at Government Square.

“There were 103 arrests that occurred at Government Square in 2023: 10 guns recovered, 62 offense reports, two homicides, five felonious assaults, shootings, seven robberies,” Kober said.

“This has become a very, very violent area. Metro has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into paying for

outside employment for police officers to be there to combat these very crimes that are being committed.”

Kober’s comments came after the release of a viral arrest video at the Government Square bus stop. The video depicts a CPD officer tasing a man sitting at the bus stop, and another officer pointing a gun near the direction of the man recording, sparking backlash online.

As of now, the timeline and price tag for the project are unknown.

West Nile Virus Found in Delhi Township Mosquitoes

BY M A D E L I N E F E N I N G

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amilton County Public Health announced on Aug. 15 that mosquitoes in Delhi Township have tested positive for West Nile virus.

The mosquitoes were recently trapped and tested on Foley Road, returning positive for West Nile virus.

This comes after the two positive cases were collected in Springdale last month, near Glensprings Avenue and Springfield Pike. Cincinnati Health Department also reported positive cases of West Nile virus in mosquitoes found in Bond Hill and Madisonville in July. HCPH said the department will continue to monitor mosquito traps throughout Hamilton County during the summer to test for disease.

“Hamilton County Public Health staff will be conducting surveillance activities in the neighborhoods and commercial areas around where the mosquitoes were collected,” the news release reads. “They will be looking for areas of standing water, applying larvicide, making sure swimming pools

are operating properly and advising residents on precautions they can take to avoid mosquito bites.”

Greg Kesterman, Hamilton County Health Commissioner, said the department has been tracking West Nile virus in the county since it was first detected locally in 2001, but that it’s on everyone to take precautions.

“We can all take action to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and take precautions to avoid mosquito bites,” Kesterman said.

What is West Nile virus?

West Nile virus is a viral disease affecting the central nervous system that can be transmitted to humans by mosquitoes. HCPH said most people who are bitten by an infected mosquito will never become sick, but that everyone should be aware of the symptoms.

Symptoms may develop two to 14 days after someone is bitten by an infected mosquito. Mild symptoms include fever, headache, body aches,

nausea, vomiting and sometimes swollen lymph glands or a skin rash on the chest, stomach and back.

Serious symptoms, which appear in less than one percent of those infected, include high fever, headache, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, coma, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, vision loss, numbness and paralysis.

Preventing West Nile virus in your area HCPH advises all residents to “Drain, Dunk and Protect” to reduce the mosquito population and prevent West Nile Virus:

Drain: Look for and drain sources of standing water on your property – litter, tires, buckets, flowerpots, wading pools and similar items that could create standing water and become mosquito breeding sites.

Frequently change water in bird baths and pet bowls.

Drain small puddles after heavy rainstorms.

Dunk: Apply mosquito larvicide, sometimes called mosquito “dunks,” to areas of standing water that cannot be drained.

The “dunks” are environmentally safe and won’t harm pets. Purchase them at your local hardware store.

Protect: Cut your grass and trim shrubbery.

Make sure screens in windows and doors are tight-fitting and free from defect.

Wear long sleeves and pants during peak mosquito hours – dawn and dusk.

Use an EPA-registered insect repellent such as those containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon or eucalyptus.

Always follow the directions on the package.

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OPINION

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Xavier’s Response to its Campus Protest Was Not Jesuit

BY J U L I A L A N K I S C H

avier University’s administration must decide if it will live up to the school’s Jesuit values.

This will become clear when students step back onto campus in a few days with unanswered questions. On May 11, two hours before Xavier’s commencement ceremony, my friend Soup and I were arrested for protesting the institution’s investments in large-cap equity companies such as HP and Caterpillar, whose surveillance and demolition technologies, respectively, have been instrumental in the genocide and displacement of Palestinians. About $40 million of the university’s endowment is invested in corporations of this size, such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft.

These companies have colluded with and enabled Israel’s government on such weaponry and settlement efforts as Project Nimbus, which provides public cloud computing services to the Israeli Defense Forces and government. According to the Lancet, which is among the highest impact peerreviewed medical journals, a conservative estimate of the death toll in Gaza as of July 5, 2024, is 186,000 people.

Palestinian health, education and food production infrastructure are being deliberately destroyed, and the people are being intentionally subjected to preventable starvation and disease by the Israeli government.

I was shocked and deeply disappointed that the school from which I had received a minor in Peace and Justice Studies, the school that taught me to serve others and promote the common good, would detain me for attempting to live up to the very values it espouses. I learned in my Challenge of Peace course about activists who have sacrificed personal comfort and safety to make a positive impact in systems of oppression. I learned that one of the most impactful ways to vote is with your dollars. This protest was meant to hold the university I believed in accountable; to encourage ethical investing behavior from people who speak of peace and equity. To me, it feels as though there was never any intention to hear us out, but to be Jesuit is to commit to learning, educating and acting for justice, as Jesus would.

The protest itself lasted around two minutes. I answered a call to action I had seen on Instagram from a group called XU Free Palestine to respectfully display information about Xavier’s investments outside of commencement two hours before it began. The

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flyer was very explicit about not being disruptive or overly controversial, and asked attendees to wear medical masks due to the large volume of people that would be present. When I got there, I saw a friend I had met on a universitysponsored leadership immersion trip standing alone holding a Palestinian flag, already surrounded by police. He was out of the way, but visible to the people walking in the front doors of the Cintas Center. I ran over because I was concerned for my friend and picked up the flag with him. We were arrested for refusing to move to a “designated protest area” across campus.

There is a large amount of open space and several buildings between that area and the Cintas Center that would have prevented us from being seen or heard by commencement attendees.

It seems the administration is interested in pacification of criticism and the appearance of order, not genuine dialogue.

Xavier’s police department Chief Warfel had already made up his mind to arrest protesters who did not comply. He said so clearly in an email to administrators the night before: “They will be arrested and transported to the Hamilton County Justice Center for trespassing and other appropriate charges…the Sedler plaza is to remain an area designated for the graduates and their families without the presence of a protest, whether peaceful or not.”

He and his colleagues charged me with a felony, which would mar my public record and vastly reduce my career options.

That charge was based on a statute from the 1950s, called the Prohibition Against Conspiracy in Disguise Act. It was passed to deter the Klu Klux Klan from engaging in criminal activity with caps and masks on. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost made university administrators and police chiefs aware that this archaic law was still in place, but I had no idea it existed or that I was being charged under it until after I got out of jail. Thankfully, a grand jury chose to ignore the felony charge on the day I was arraigned, but I still spent several days in court on misdemeanor trespassing charges. Now when potential employers search my name on the web, they will find article upon article about my arrest and felony charge. Xavier also released several factually incorrect public and internal statements describing the events of the day and misrepresenting my intentions, going so far as to brand me as “unaffiliated” with the

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university.

This, from my alma mater whose mission is “to educate each student intellectually, morally and spiritually.” It also frequently declares its intention to foster “an inclusive environment of open and free inquiry.” Rather than support students and alumni who choose to live out these values, however, Xavier’s administration punished us. Soup and I spent 13 hours in jail cells without toilet paper, water or soap. I did not know what the felony charge being brought against me was, and no one would answer my questions. A judge ordered me to stay away from the campus I called home for four years until the issue was resolved. Xavier introduces the Jesuit idea of cura personalis, or caring for the whole person, during freshman orientation. I certainly did not feel as though my human dignity was recognized on May 11 as I was counting the minutes and scratching paint off of the freezing cold concrete in jail.

In a statement emailed to faculty and staff the day after I was arrested, President Colleen Hanycz accused university protesters across the nation of lacking interest in dialogue, diverse perspectives and a desire to build rational knowledge. When her students offered a silent and respectful, oneminute-long display of solidarity with an oppressed people, however, she sanctioned our arrest. Further, several members of administration were offered mediation and de-escalation aid before and during the protest by Xavier’s “Take It On” initiative, which aims to foster dialogue between people with differing political ideas, and they refused it.

Xavier’s new branding under Dr. Hanycz is full of references to the Jesuit notion of “Magis,” meaning “the more.”

Magis asks us to act more justly, more thoughtfully, more compassionately – to discern and follow a path that will create a more universal good. But when a peaceful protest calling for divestment from genocide finds its way onto campus, it seems the administration of my alma mater chose the easy option: to offend as few wealthy investors as possible. Is this “the more” that Xavier is striving for? Maybe so, given that its long-term debt total reached $181 million in 2022.

Living out Jesuit heritage requires service rooted in justice and love. It requires solidarity with those whose voices do not echo as loudly as ours across the world stage. The Jesuit thing to do when members of the Xavier

Julia Lankisc P R O V I D E D BY J U L I A L A N K I S C H

community encourage others to reflect on these facts is to reflect with them, not attempt to upend their futures with a felony charge in the name of “order.” A truly Jesuit institution would not, in the words of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “prefer a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice.”

I spent my time in jail and in court wondering how the institution that taught me the value of love, justice and advocacy could be so uncomfortable with activism in support of those tenets.

How the people who inspired me to feel radical empathy for those unjustly persecuted could so swiftly attempt to shut down efforts asking them to do the same. I know I am not alone in my concerns about the university’s financial and educational investments, never mind feeling abandoned and misrepresented by its administration. I have lost a support network and a home.

Dr. Hanycz, I wish you had meant what you said to us at graduation: “Go forth and set the world on fire… act as if all is up to you.”

Julia Lankisch is an alumna of Xavier University with degrees in environmental science and music. She is currently a student at Colorado State University working toward a master’s degree in conservation leadership.

Want to submit an opinion piece to CityBeat? Email amoor@citybeat.com.

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WCPO meteorologist Steve Raleigh is under scrunity following the release of a video showing his family’s alleged involvement in a violent assault.

I L L U S T R AT I O N : L I LY O G B U R N

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SHITSTORM Can Steve Raleigh outrun the storm of scandal?

BY LILY OGBURN

A

dark cloud with damaging effects has moved overhead of a beloved local weatherman, Steve Raleigh. No, this front is not hocking hail or twisting up wind tunnels, but a flood of scrutiny not even FEMA can fix. Steve Raleigh, chief meteorologist for WCPO 9 News, has been off air for over a month since a viral video depicting the aftermath of an alleged violent assault cast a dark spotlight on the Raleigh family. While news of the incident at Montgomery Inn’s Boathouse location prompted the Raleigh patriarch to batten down the hatches on his public image, it’s the details of the incident’s investigation that have left the victims’ family members calling out publicly for justice.

In Cincinnati, connections and power can determine the way the wind blows.

Steve Raleigh’s father-in-law is Simon “Si” Leis, Jr., a famous former Hamilton County law enforcement trifecta with experience and influence in Greater Cincinnati stretching over four decades.

Leis, a Republican, served as Hamilton County Prosecutor from 1971 to 1983, including as a special prosecutor in the Larry Flynt obscenity trial of 1977, resulting in the conviction of the Hustler magazine publisher. Sometimes called the “Moral Crusader of Cincinnati,” Leis went on to serve as a judge in the Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas

from 1983 to 1987, then as Hamilton County Sheriff for 25 consecutive years.

His tough-on-crime approach was dissected after his tenure when Jim Neil took on the role in January 2013. An audit conducted by Neil’s office found Leis’ office was “hostile to change” and ineffective as a result. The audit’s authors, former Cincinnati Police Chief Tom Streicher and civil rights attorney Scott Greenwood, defended their findings to the Cincinnati Enquirer at the time, saying Leis’ department was “shocking.”

“If you look at that agency and what it was, it was shocking,” Greenwood told the Enquirer. “It was held together with smoke, mirrors and absolute secrecy.”

Now, Leis shares connections with current Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers while Steve Raleigh is a local media icon – two red flags some in the community claim to see waving.

What happened?

It all started on June 22 when Carter Raleigh, Steve Raleigh’s 28-year-old son and the grandson of Leis, was driving his grandfather’s black Cadillac Escalade in the parking lot of the Montgomery Inn Boathouse on Riverside Drive.

That’s when a police report says he hit the Morrow family’s Ford F-150 pickup truck, and when the Morrows say chaos ensued.

According to a heavily-redacted incident report from the Cincinnati Police Department, 79-year-old Douglas Morrow was driving the Morrows’ truck that night. They had just picked up their son, 46-year-old Troy Morrow, from a shift at the restaurant. Troy Morrow was in the backseat with Allison Scales, 47, according to the report. Douglas Morrow’s wife, Lois Morrow, 76, was sitting in the passenger seat.

The CPD traffic crash report said that Carter Raleigh failed to yield to traffic outside of the restaurant. Carter Raleigh got out of Leis’ Escalade and began arguing with Douglas Morrow and his family, the Morrows allege. It wasn’t long before the Morrows say Steve Raleigh emerged from the direction of the restaurant, asking the Morrows not to call the police on his son.

Stacie Morrow-Stickrod, the Morrow’s daughter, was not at the scene of the incident but has been vocal online on behalf of her parents ever since. She said in a July 10 Facebook post that her father was insistent on calling the police, claiming her parents have “gotten burned by this in the past.” Morrow-Stickrod also said her father “suspected [the suspects] had been drinking (because of the smell of alcohol).” The police report also said “the offender” was suspected of using drugs or alcohol, but Morrow-Stickrod complains in a later Facebook post that “no sobriety test was done” at the scene.

Steve Raleigh allegedly became agitated when he learned the Morrows had called the police, the Morrow family’s attorney, Konrad Kircher, of Mainevillebased Kircher Law, told CityBeat.

“Steve Raleigh should have allowed the police to come and take a report,” he said.

“He insisted that the police not be called.

He got agitated when he learned police were coming and then that incited [his son] to resort to violence.”

The police report does not provide specific details about the alleged assault, and the names of suspects are redacted from the report. However, CPD officer Shawn Newman summarized witness testimonies in the report, saying, “suspect approached victim #1 striking him with a closed fist in the head knocking him to the ground causing listed injuries. Victim #2 and victim #3, while attempting to aid victim #1, was struck and shoved down to the ground by the suspect causing listed injuries.”

After that, details become less clear due to a lack of security footage. Cameras at the Montgomery Inn’s Boathouse location weren’t working, but it’s not their fault – CPD is in charge of their operation, according to a Montgomery Inn manager and Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police President Ken Kober. But in MorrowStickrod’s July 10 Facebook post, she included a now-viral video that captures the aftermath of the assault.

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The over-3-minute video launched this story into the national spotlight, depicting a chaotic scene involving Steve Raleigh.

The shaky, often blurry video shows an argument between several individuals, resulting in frantic camera shots of men pushing each other. As the person filming regains balance, Morrow-Stickrod’s mother and father are both seen lying on the pavement, with blood visible next to her mother’s head.

In the video, Kevin Youkilis, a former UC and Red Sox baseball player, is seen arguing with Steve Raleigh. He yells, “Are you serious? He hit a fucking woman!”

Youkilis addressed the viral video in a July 13 Facebook post, saying he was eating dinner with an agent when he saw the incident break out. He was in Cincinnati to broadcast the Red Sox game against the Reds.

“After having dinner with my agent at the Montgomery Inn boathouse, there were a group of people jawing at each other in the parking lot.” Youkilis writes.

“Unfortunately, I was a little too late and saw a horrible chain of events unfold.

My intentions after what I witnessed was to help the two individuals on the ground and to protect anyone else from being harmed. [...] To the individuals that were hurt, praying you have a speedy recovery.”

The police report states that Lois Morrow was struggling to get off the pavement, and began vomiting as she bled from the back of her head, but her family has shared more gruesome details about her injuries.

In her July 10 post, Morrow-Stickrod said her 76-year-old mother was knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, fractured skull, brain bleeding, a contusion on the back of her head that required staples, a detached eye lens and cuts and bruises to her arms and legs. Her father was also knocked unconscious and suffered a concussion, the post said.

Additionally, Morrow-Stickrod shared on July 23 that Lois Morrow was told on July 19 that she was showing signs of dementia as a result of the alleged attack.

Studies have shown that head injuries can increase the risk of dementia or worsen existing dementia.

“We are so heartbroken and terrified,” Morrow-Stickrod wrote in the post.

As of press time, no arrests have been made in relation to the incident.

The Morrow family is waiting to speak to media further until the investigation is complete, according to Kircher.

Social media zeros in on Steve Raleigh The first person to bring the incident to social media was Troy Morrow, just three days after the alleged assault.

“If anyone was at Montgomery InnThe Boathouse on Saturday night 6/22 and saw what happened in the parking

Konrad Kircher, an attorney representing members of the Morrow family, addresses reporters about the June incident 22 involving Steve Raleigh and members of his family.

P H O T O : LY D I A S C H E M B R E

lot and may possibly have video from it PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP,” Troy Morrow said on Facebook on June 25. “I can use all the help from the public I can get.”

But it wasn’t until Morrow-Stickrod posted on July 10 that the public really got wind of the story, more than two weeks after the incident. Raleigh’s quintessential broadcast voice, dark combedback hair and comic book-like chin are familiar to most people in the Greater Cincinnati area. That’s why it didn’t take long for commenters on Facebook, Reddit and X (formerly known as Twitter) to allege that Raleigh appeared in MorrowStickrod’s viral video, which has amassed more than 631,000 views as of press time.

Online comments quickly turned from a sprinkle to a flood, with most wondering how no one was arrested in the process of the initial investigation.

“Anyone else and charges would have been filed immediately, You or I would likely have spent a night in jail and had to post bond,” one Reddit user said in a comment about the incident. “It’s [sic] been several weeks and the corrupt police are slow walking this hoping it goes away.”

“I still don’t understand how his son wasn’t arrested that night. At the least he should have had a DUI and arrested for assault. Any other person in Cincinnati acting like that would have been.

It’s an obvious cover up. I hope that family owns the Raleigh’s when they are finished with them,” another commenter said on Reddit.

“Just a quick reminder. In virtually every case where a drunk person pushes or hits or gets in a fight with someone else and injures them, that drunk person is [thrown] in jail immediately pending charges. It’s been weeks now and there are still no charges in this case. It’s time to start firing corrupt

cops,” one Reddit user said.

“How on earth has there not been any arrest made?!?! This is chilling to watch,” one Facebook user commented on Morrow-Stickrod’s post.

The “chilling” front of attention creeping in, Steve Raleigh’s social media pages quickly disappeared. Hours later, he was notably absent from WCPO’s 5 p.m. newscast. He hasn’t returned to air since.

Instead, other weathercasters at the station appear to be rotating through Steve Raleigh’s usual prime-time spot in his absence.

“These were locally famous people and, in my opinion, believe they are above the law,” Morrow-Stickrod wrote in her initial post on July 10. “I feel like there has been so much time that has past [sic] with no arrest made and continuing to watch my mom struggle is hard to swallow.”

Who is Steve Raleigh?

Steve Raleigh is a local celebrity, and a staple to many Cincinnatians’ daily routines. He has appeared on WCPO for almost 20 years.

He’s been a meteorologist for around 40 years, working in other major cities like San Francisco, Charlotte and Memphis. He started at WCPO in 2005.

The meteorologist is not only well known, but also decorated. According to his WCPO biography, he earned an Emmy Award for Best News Talent while he covered tornadoes in Oklahoma.

Before WCPO 9, Raleigh spent nearly 20 years at KRON-TV in San Francisco as its chief meteorologist, where he worked on the country’s first instant weather information access, the California Weather Network.

Steve Raleigh is also the chief operating officer of Madi’s House, a charity

dedicated to his daughter, Madi Raleigh, who died by suicide in 2019. Madi’s House provides a safe space for young adults struggling with mental illness or addiction, providing “peaceful support and alternative activities to young adults healing from mental illness,” according to the nonprofit’s website.

Now, Steve Raleigh’s career and reputation are on the line after a night at Montgomery Inn took a violent turn.

Once the video of the incident went viral, WCPO released a statement implying there was more to the story and that Steve Raleigh hadn’t been charged with a crime. “[The incident] is still under investigation, and at this time no charges have been filed against anyone,” said Jeff Brogan, WCPO vice president and general manager in a July 12 statement.

“His account is consistent with the police report, which does not name him, and with what we have reviewed on video.

The video does not show the incident from start to finish.”

With his once-popular social media accounts deleted and his familiar presence off the air, Raleigh has gone silent amid the investigation.

A delayed investigation with no arrests Since Morrow-Stickrod posted the video of the incident on Facebook, more than six weeks have passed with no charges against any members of the Raleigh family.

Kircher and the Morrow family hosted an emotional press conference on July 15, where they shared their story with the media. There, Kircher told the public that the family wouldn’t be pursuing a lawsuit – or at least not until CPD finished their investigation. But now, the Morrow family still has no answers.

One of the biggest delays in the investigation stems from a camera malfunction.

Kober told CityBeat that this missing camera footage is crucial to the investigation.

“It becomes incredibly difficult to prosecute any kind of case when it’s not on video in Hamilton County,” Kober said. “In this case, where there is yet to be discovered any solid video that shows exactly what occurred, it makes it difficult for the police to investigate.”

Kober also acknowledged that technology is not foolproof, and it’s hard for CPD to constantly maintain and update cameras as technology evolves.

“Unfortunately, with technology, it does fail, and unfortunately this has become a problem all throughout downtown that they’re constantly working on,” Kober said. “Technology is always progressing. So all of a sudden, before you know it, cameras are outdated.”

But the cameras aren’t the only thing delaying police in this investigation.

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Kober also said that while he completely supports each family hiring attorneys, interviews become increasingly difficult to schedule in situations where both parties have to coordinate with lawyers.

Similarly, CPD’s Lt. Jonathan Cunningham has told CityBeat on several occasions that the investigation remains ongoing, partially due to the amount of interviews that CPD is conducting.

“The police get to the point where we’re now working on attorney schedules, and if they’re not available to do an interview, they’re certainly not going to allow their client to, and I completely understand and certainly respect that,” Kober said.

Kober encouraged patience with the investigation.

“In a case like this, while I feel for the victims, if the police don’t do a complete and thorough investigation and have enough evidence to sign criminal charges, they’re not doing that victim any justice,” Kober said.

However, Morrow-Stickrod took to social media again on July 23 to express her frustration with the speed of the investigation. Morrow-Stickrod said in the post that the family was told the week of July 15 that the investigation would take only one more week, which proved to be untrue.

“Here we are and still nothing has been done, nobody has been charged, no phone calls saying what the delay is, NOTHING!” she wrote in the post.

Morrow-Stickrod also said she disagrees with how Kircher is handling the situation. Kircher told the Cincinnati Enquirer on July 17 that the family was “satisfied with the progress of the police investigation,” which Morrow-Stickrod disagreed with in her post. “[Kircher] said we are happy with the way the investigation is being handled, I DO NOT AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT,” Morrow-Stickrod said in her post.

Former State Rep. and Democratic Hamilton County Prosecutor candidate Connie Pillich also became frustrated with the investigation.

Pillich criticized the inaction of her rival in the election for prosecutor this fall, current Republican Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers. Pillich released a statement questioning how the investigation was being handled on July 17, calling for Powers to speak out about the incident.

“Lois and Doug Morrow were violently assaulted in broad daylight, and Prosecutor Melissa Powers has failed to bring charges against their assailant for nearly a month and counting,” Pillich said in her statement. “Powers should have already done the right thing, and now it’s time to find out why she didn’t.”

Pillich sat down with CityBeat to talk about her understanding of the case and the investigation. To her, the delay in the investigation seems unusual.

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“We didn’t request [that Powers step down], but, I can understand why the prosecutor of Hamilton County would want to avoid an appearance of impropriety. So, you know, we welcome the decision,” Kircher said.

“I can’t tell you if an arrest should have been made right away, because I wasn’t there and didn’t conduct the investigation. But as someone who’s been in the criminal courtroom representing clients for years, I’m surprised [it’s taking] so long,” Pillich said.

Pillich, Morrow-Stickrod and much of the greater public on social media are feeling the presence of potential impropriety in this case, which may be delaying its conclusion.

‘An appearance of impropriety’ Now, weeks after the incident, a special prosecutor has been assigned to the case after Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers stepped back from the investigation.

According to court documents, the special prosecutor was appointed because “a conflict exists in this matter that makes it inappropriate for [Powers] to proceed.”

According to a July 31 announcement from Powers’ office, Clermont County Prosecutor Mark Tekulve has been appointed to investigate the incident.

“It is important that the public have confidence in equal application of the law,” Powers said in her statement. “No duty is more important for a Prosecutor.

With this appointment, the public can be assured that justice in this matter will be administrated fairly and impartially.”

Pillich told CityBeat that while she trusts the police to investigate thoroughly, Powers’ previous silence on the case had an “appearance of impropriety.”

“In law, in my opinion, we should avoid [appearing improper],” Pillich said.

“I think the rules of our profession teach us to avoid that, judges try to avoid that, lawyers should try to avoid that, no matter who they’re representing in the case.”

According to reporting from WCPO, the prosecutor’s office said that the conflict of interest had to do with Leis.

But Powers’ connections to this case run deeper than just an endorsement from Leis.

Leis donated a total of $800 in three separate contributions to Powers’ campaign over the past year, according to campaign finance reports.

Merlyn Shiverdecker of Carr & Shiverdecker, who is representing the Raleigh family, has also supported Powers’

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campaign financially over the past two years.

Shiverdecker contributed a total of $5,000 in two separate $2,500 donations to her campaign committee, Powers for Prosecutor, on April 10, 2023 and June 14, 2023, according to Powers’ 2023 semiannual campaign finance reports.

Additionally, Shiverdecker appears on a list of contributors on Powers’ host committee for a reception in support of Powers on June 4, 2024. Shiverdecker is listed on the document as an “Advocate,” a term indicating that he donated $1,000 to Powers’ committee.

However, Powers isn’t the only prosecutor Shiverdecker has supported financially. According to a 2019 annual campaign finance report, the Raleigh family’s lawyer also donated $250 to Tekulve’s campaign for Clermont County prosecutor back in 2019.

Tekulve is also connected to Powers. On April 10, just four months ago, Tekulve’s campaign committee donated $500 to Powers’ campaign committee, according to Tekulve’s 2024 post-primary campaign finance report.

Shiverdecker did not respond to CityBeat’s request for comment, but Kircher told CityBeat that Powers’ stepping down is an “appropriate move.”

“We didn’t request [that Powers step down], but, I can understand why the prosecutor of Hamilton County would want to avoid an appearance of impropriety. So, you know, we welcome the decision,” Kircher said.

CityBeat reached out to Powers’ office for comment on her decision to step back from the case and received the following statement: “Unfortunately, due to the fact that a special prosecutor has been appointed, we will not have further comment on the matter and will be deferring all questions to the special prosecutor. This is to protect the integrity and independence of the special prosecutor’s investigation.”

Pillich previously commented on Powers’ inaction in the case.

“When [Powers] ignores this broadly shared story on social media, I think her silence really speaks volumes. She should have talked about it quickly and acknowledged that there was an investigation going on,” Pillich said in an interview with CityBeat on July 24.

Pillich told CityBeat in a statement that the time it took for Powers to recognize

the conflict of interest “raises serious concerns.”

“Why did it take so long to recognize this conflict of interest? Was the endorsement by this prominent figure not considered a conflict five weeks ago?” Pillich said in her statement. “This delayed response undermines public trust and raises questions about the integrity of the office.”

The aftermath for the Morrows For the Morrows, the attack has completely turned their lives upside down, Morrow-Stickrod said.

According to Morrow-Stickrod’s initial Facebook post and the traffic accident report, both of her parents were treated at UC Medical Center after the incident.

Beyond her physical injuries, Kircher told CityBeat that Lois Morrow’s injuries are also psychological.

“She doesn’t want to leave the house, she’s frightened. Has a lot of nightmares and fears,” he said.

Morrow-Stickrod started a GoFundMe to support her parents’ medical and family needs on July 13, where she provided more details about the Morrows’ conditions and their living situation. As of press time, the GoFundMe has raised $3,622.

Morrow-Stickrod said Lois Morrow is now also suffering vertigo, migraines, nausea and fear.

“She is very unsteady on her feet and afraid someone is watching her and going to attack her again,” Morrow-Stickrod said in the description.

Lois and Douglas Morrow have been married for over 50 years, according to the GoFundMe description. They are also raising their three great-granddaughters.

Morrow-Stickrod said that 79-year-old Douglas Morrow has been working to support the family, but Lois Morrow’s condition has required him to stay home with her. The elderly couple does not receive child support to help them raise their great-grandchildren.

“They didn’t cause any of this and it’s so unfair that they are put in this position,” Morrow-Stickrod wrote. “This never should have happened to such sweet hard working people.”

What’s next?

Now that a special prosecutor has been appointed to take on the investigation, it’s unclear how much longer it will take.

The Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office told CityBeat they were unable to comment on the timeline of the investigation after the appointment of Tekulve because the investigation is ongoing.

The Morrow family will have to continue to wait for justice, and there’s no telling what’s in the forecast for Steve Raleigh.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati’s newest production, The Garbologists, tells the story of two New York City garbage truck workers.

P H O T O : R YA N K U R T Z

Trash that Gleams

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati opens its new season with a dramedy about trash and humanity, The Garbologists.

BY N OA H M O O R E

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rashy is the new classy. Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati kicks off its 2024-2025 season in a most interesting way – amidst a heap of trash. As the first show of its upcoming season, The Garbologists by Lindsay Joelle tells the story of two New York City garbage truck workers who make some notable discoveries among the discarded and among themselves. This two-person play, a tongue-in-cheek dramedy about the things that bind us together, will make its regional premiere in Cincinnati this September.

Chalk-full of metaphors on the value of what we discard, the play follows Danny and Marlowe on their daily trash route in New York City. Danny, a gruff sanitation worker with a loveable interior, couldn’t be more different than Marlowe, an Ivy League-educated newbie. Amidst their route, the two bicker as polar opposites tend to do, but find not only treasures among the trash but also a commonality that ties them together.

Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, home to several notable regional premieres over the years, brings this show to life.

The humor of beginning the season with a play about trash is not lost on director D. Lynne Meyers, who notes how drawn she is to the characters and the unique perspective within the piece.

“It’s a comedy until it isn’t. It’s more a parable of understanding…It’s about

people we deal with every single day, but sometimes don’t give a thought to, and maybe this will change that,” says Meyers, the producing artistic director of the company for over 25 years.

“It’s unexpected, and that’s the coolest thing about it. I was captivated by the title.”

She also noted how public perception of sanitation workers makes this show even more timely and necessary, as the play sheds light on the oftunderappreciated profession. This was notably displayed during the height of the pandemic, as sanitation workers became essential workers that kept the city clean.

“We have a tendency to take (sanitation workers’) jobs for granted. If you don’t have those people, the job doesn’t get done,” Meyers says. “I will never, ever look at a garbage truck the same way again.”

Playing the role of blue-collar worker Danny, actor Nathan Neorr is no stranger to the stage. Beyond acting in productions such as Burn This and The Diary of Anne Frank in Cincinnati, he was also recently featured in the film, The Bikeriders, which filmed in Cincinnati alongside stars Jodie Comer and Tom Hardy. Transitioning from a major film to an intimate trash-filled stage production is no easy task, but one that Neorr says he is up to.

“This is going to be my first time ever doing (a two-person show), and

it’s going to be an exciting time,” says Neorr. “(The characters) are from complete opposite sides of the spectrum, and through their journeys, they come to realize we have so much more in common than not.”

Actor and playwright Torie Wiggins, whose sharp play, Who All Over There? premiered last year at ETC, plays Marlowe. Her character is placed in a fishout-of-water scenario as a new worker learning the ropes. The two characters’ differences overlap within the duties of their job, which Wiggins says creates an intriguing and unique story.

“I love (this show) because it’s a beautiful opportunity to see two very clear journeys,” she says. “You can root for somebody different every scene. I think it’s going to make us think about how we perceive trash, and I don’t mean that metaphorically. I literally mean some of the things they discover about people’s worlds based on what they discard was mind-blowing for me.”

Even more timely, the play premieres on the heels of the tragic murder of Angel Flores, a Cincinnati Rumpke sanitation truck worker, this past March. His death highlights not only the need for a play that sheds light on the profession, but also one that shows the humanity and necessity of such a line of work, says Meyers.

“It was horrific. I wanted to do something that would honor him,” says Meyers. “So what if you could go

somewhere safe with a group of strangers and step into somebody else’s life and really experience it? I have this faith that the more we know about each other and our shared experiences, the more we can share.”

As for the resonance of the piece, Wiggins says to prepare to laugh and cry as the story unfolds in real time and the two polar opposites find common ground in their duties and lives. She also hopes that it will change audiences’ perspectives on the profession and the humanity within all of us.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen or read a play centered about trash. I love stories about everyday, run-of-the-mill people, steeped in realism” says Wiggins. “I think people are going to walk away learning so much about what we discard. I think the idea of ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’ is going to be a huge thing that people latch on to.”

Filled with the sights and sounds of trash, Meyers promises an emotionallyresonant piece that immerses audiences — but no worries, that doesn’t include the signature trash fragrance.

“There’s not going to be any smelly garbage, I want people to know that,” Meyers chuckles.

The Garbologists opens the next season at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati Sept. 14 and runs through Oct. 6. More info: ensemblecincinnati.org.

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VISUAL ARTS

Wave Pool Reimagines its Purpose in Camp Washington Through Innovative Initiatives

BY G I G I T WAC H T M A N

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s the summer concludes, Wave Pool, a contemporary art fulfillment center in Camp Washington, introduces new residencies focused on feminism and criminal justice, driving community engagement and artistic opportunity.

Wave Pool was founded in 2015 by Cincinnati-based artist Cal Cullen.

Wave Pool works to channel communal change through both artistic and civil support. Currently, Wave Pool hosts exhibitions and community spaces which provide residents with a free pantry, community meals and creative opportunities. Wave Pool hopes to continue hosting these shared events and plan to expand upon them throughout the remainder of their 2024 season.

On Aug. 10, Wave Pool opened a new exhibition as part of the Vance Waddell Artist in Residency program. The exhibition highlights Florida and Georgiabased visual artist Jessica Caldas. Caldas’ exhibition, Library of Birthing and Unbirthing, will be open until Sept. 14, and aims to build an archive of stories about the complexity of reproduction and motherhood. This exhibition and archive intends to highlight the ongoing fight for reproductive justice.

“For the Vance Waddell Residency, we always look for somebody who’s interested in subjects that involve feminist concerns; that could be gender identity, that could be sexual identity, that could be circumstances that only happen to a certain gender,” Maria Seda-Reeder, Director of Exhibitions and Artist Support Initiatives at Wave Pool, says.

“Art Space Is Your Space” is another Wave Pool residency that features local, national and international artists who want to incorporate aspects of Cincinnati culture into their artistic practice.

This residency typically centers around Camp Washington, but can concentrate on many aspects of the city’s lifestyle.

“This past year, [...] we had an artist in residence, Okyoung Noh, who is from Michigan. She came and specifically worked with [Cincinnati-based] massage therapists, hairdressers and nail tech artists; she captured their stories through documentary footage, creating artworks that held space for those conceptual ideas. It was a way for her to connect with Cincinnati specific communities,” Seda-Reeder says.

Olivia Nava is the Welcome Project Manager at Wave Pool. The Welcome Project (Welcome) is Wave Pool’s more public facing storefront, which includes a free pantry for the Camp Washington community, a teaching kitchen and an

Wave Pool is reimagining the impact of their contemporary art fulfillment center following the departure of founder Cal Cullen.

P H O T O : E M O RY D AV I S

informal gallery space, according to Seda-Reeder.

Welcome’s current exhibition is organized by the Returning Artists Guild (RAG), a group of formerly and currently incarcerated artists. The exhibition, entitled Imagining Abolition, pushes for an end to mass incarceration through the artists’ stories of lived experiences within the carceral system and their “dream about a free future.”

Beyond simply highlighting the voices of those incarcerated artists, Wave Pool is hosting a Yard Day event on Sept. 14 at the Camp Washington Playground. Yard Day is, according to a Wave Pool press release, “one day every summer, in every prison, that is something like a holiday.” Wave Pool’s Yard Day event celebrates summer, community and family, while remembering “those who are not yet free and long to join.” The event will include games, snacks, music, performances, dancing and pictures with friends.

Both Nava and Seda-Reeder have both seen firsthand how Wave Pool exhibitions and events resonate with community members.

“We had this gentleman [...] who said, ‘I get this. I was myself incarcerated,’ sharing with us that he’s a tattoo artist who lives in the neighborhood. I think if it’s just one person, a one-off experience of someone being witnessed by other artists, and seeing ‘this as possible. I can do this too.’ That’s ultimately a success story for us,” Seda-Reeder says.

Nava has similar stories of artists coming into Welcome and sharing their passion for art and their appreciation for the project. Seda-Reeder explains that they

are in a period of “heavy philosophical lifting” after Cullen left the organization last year. Despite that obstacle, both Seda-Reeder and Nava see new opportunities to prioritize community needs in upcoming exhibitions.

“I would say we’re really trying to include the community needs in the next phase of Welcome. With all of our proposals it really starts at the top, with the people that we are choosing to serve, who we can show up effectively and efficiently within our skill sets and resources,” Nava said.

Wave Pool is trying to expand preexisting projects such as Welcome, and implement more need-based projects such as additional affordable meal opportunities and driving school for the Camp Washington neighborhood. Nava and Seda-Reeder acknowledge that they are still learning exactly what their community needs. “[We can’t] pretend to know everything. We can have the best ideas, but if [Camp Washington residents] are not invested in it, it’s probably not going to do well,” Nava said.

Nava discussed the trial of a local farmers market event. She says that “the attendance was pretty low,” and realized a weekly farmers market may not have been the best approach for community needs.

“I quickly realized there was a lot of heart behind this particular program, but maybe not the knowledge that you grow into a weekly farmers market with the demand — with the enthusiasm and the participation from the community — and they will see you through, they will show up. So you just learn from it;

you pivot, you let it go. [...] I think in 2023 and 2022 we tried a lot of things. It was our experimental years just to see what worked and what didn’t work. Really sitting and reflecting on all the things we have done and seeing what we can take with us into the next phase,” Nava says.

Seda-Reeder also explains the importance of knowing Wave Pool’s limits in helping the local community and providing aid where they can as artists.

“Ultimately, we’re artists. Working with communities, you want to have the heavy lift. [...] Just the fact that we’ve all been trained in Narcan use and because there is a large captured audience in our neighborhood of folks who are experiencing addiction. And so, as artists and creatives, we want to show up, but there’s also the limits of our own skill sets. I think it’s [the future of Wave Pool] reexamining the resources and partnerships that we have. Partnerships and collaborators are a big part of that, and who we’re inviting to the table might have a better skill set than we’re able to. Yet also not acting as if these issues aren’t existing within our neighborhood. You can’t call yourself a community engaged gallery if you’re just trying to engage with the community that’s in New York City or OTR, or whatever, right? We exist in this neighborhood and so I think [the future is] thinking strategically about the ways we can efficiently do that,” Seda-Reeder said.

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To learn more about Wave Pool and its upcoming exhibitions and community initiatives, visit wavepoolgallery.org.

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FOOD & DRINK

Co-owner Brian Mack poses inside the Lakeside Inn bar in Middletown.

P H O T O : LY D I A S C H E M B R E

Light It Up

Following its feature in Jeff Nichol’s The Bikeriders, the historic Lakeside Inn reopens to the public.

BY SA M I ST E WA RT

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he Lakeside Inn in Middletown recently reopened under new ownership after being shuttered for eight years. The building clocks in at just over 100 years old, and has a storied past with outlaws, both real and fictional.

The Lakeside Inn has been recently revived by the Mack family, and ownership is split three ways between Brian Mack and his two children, Josh and Sierra Mack. The building was owned by a friend of Brian’s for years. They had been losing money on the building, and were looking to get out of their deal. Brian purchased the building with the intention of flipping it, a side hustle and hobby of his for years that complemented his full-time job as a real estate appraiser. He also knew if he didn’t purchase the building, the city had planned to raze it.

It would’ve been a shame to lose a building with so much history in its walls. Josh says The Lakeside Inn is reportedly one of the last places Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie and Clyde fame) patronized before he was locked up.

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And rumor has it that the infamous Midwest bank robber, John Dillinger, squirreled away cash in a boarded up stairwell in The Lakeside Inn. Most recently, the bar hosted the cast and crew of The Bikeriders, a film about a Midwestern motorcycle club turned biker gang, featuring Hollywood heartthrobs Tom Hardy and Austin Butler.

Not only did the film’s subject matter coincide perfectly with Lakeside’s history, but the timing also couldn’t have been better. The building was in bad shape when the Macks bought it. Just when Brian was staring down a laundry list of much-needed repairs, Hollywood called. They not only wanted to film a scene of The Bikeriders at the bar, but they wanted to set fire to it.

And set fire to it they did. The crew rented the space for a few months and made a handful of restorations prior to filming — electrical repairs, light fixture replacements and shelving on the back bar — all fixes that saved the Macks from footing the bill. In some ways, they left the bar better than they found it, cleaning up every bit of charred wood

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Since reopening in June, The Lakeside Inn has been serving up plenty of ambiance in Middletown.

PHOTO: LYDIA SCHEMBRE

and destroyed fixtures, like the awning out front. It was nearing the end of its life, so it wasn’t a bitter loss the day the film crew torched it in the fire scene.

Once they said yes to the filming, the Macks knew they had an opportunity to dovetail their marketing efforts surrounding The Lakeside Inn’s grand

opening with the release of The Bikeriders. The film was originally set to debut in December of 2023, but due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, the release was set back to June of this year.

“It was kind of unbelievable, the timing,” Josh says. “Our goal was to be open by the time the movie came out, and

The Lakeside Inn’s storied history now includes being set on fire by the cast of The Bikeriders.

P H O T O : LY D I A S C H E M B R E

[in December] we were still jumping through hoops to get our liquor license, still had some renovations, and about 50 other things to finish.” The movie’s release date was set back to June of 2024, and the Macks took a collective sigh of relief. Once they wrapped up repairs following filming and all the other renovations they needed to check off their list, they ended up beating the film to the punch and opening for business in April.

A few days before The Bikeriders premiered at the Mariemont Theater, Josh got a call from casting and they mentioned they had two extra tickets to the show. Josh and Sierra were able to attend the premier and reconnect with the film’s director, Jeff Nichols. When the film hit theaters, they bought out a theater and brought 40 of their closest friends and family with them to see the movie, then took it back to the bar for an afterparty.

They hosted their grand opening in June, and things have been running smoothly ever since. “We actually have been very lucky. We are in the black.

We’re making money every single week.

We’re seeing new customers, and — knock on wood — we haven’t had to call the police once,” Josh laughs.

The Lakeside Inn has steadily gained business after their grand opening, and Josh says he sees new faces almost every time the bar hosts live music, two to three times per week. Josh and his father are musicians and were adamant about making music a pillar of their business.

Prior to moving home to help get

the bar off the ground, Josh lived in Nashville for about seven years, where he made a career out of performing on Broadway. He still has a community in Music City, and regularly invites his friends to perform at The Lakeside Inn. Josh says that in a town full of sports bars, he wants The Lakeside Inn to be known for their music scene, and the makeup of the building bolsters Josh’s dream for the space.

“It’s something we couldn’t plan, but happened to be right on point. We have a really old PA system, but it just sounds so badass in this room,” Josh says, adding that the wooden interior of the bar is generous to the room’s acoustics. You can catch Josh performing at least once a week during open mic nights.

Beyond the music, The Lakeside Inn runs a happy hour special every day from 2-7 p.m.; $2 off bottles and $3 off drafts.

Though they don’t have food at the bar, they encourage their guests to patronize Starvin’ Marvin’s across the street, a relatively new neighbor who conveniently specializes in classic bar food.

“I think we have the coolest vibe, coolest aesthetic and good prices. We just want to be the best bar in town,” Josh says. It’s uncommon, he mentions, to have the owners belly up to the bar alongside patrons and ask about their families. “It’s important to us to keep that authentic, old-school vibe in the family. We’re like the Sopranos, but without the crime,” he laughs.

The Lakeside Inn, 2019 Tytus Ave., Middletown.

More info: Searchable on Facebook.

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EATS

Blanchester’s Harvester Farm to Table Restaurant is an Ode to Fresh and High-Quality Ingredients

BY LOGAN TURNER

H

ave you ever wondered where to get some of the freshest dishes in town? The newly-opened Harvester Farm to Table restaurant wants to put that question to bed. Cincinnati’s newest farm-to-table eatery is looking to serve up some of the most locally inspired meals around. They’re also hoping to leave a lasting positive impression on everyone that comes through their door.

Harvester Farm to Table opened in May in the small town of Blanchester, located just northeast of Cincinnati. The vision for the restaurant was to put locally grown and sourced food in the stomachs of hungry customers. Nearly all the food items coming out of the kitchen at Harvester are considered organic. The emphasis on fresh and locally sourced food highlights the restaurant’s mission of sustainability and community.

The vision for Harvester Farm to Table was crafted by two couples: Darci and Dwayne Davidson and Brad and Jessica Tucker. Darci and Jessica grew up and graduated from Blanchester High School, while their husbands grew up in nearby towns.

Blanchester itself is a small and rural area. The town plays hosts to the typical pizza places, chinese takeout and fast food.

The rural nature of Blanchester makes opening any new business venture a challenge. For co-owner Darci, however, this was more about a calling than a business plan.

“Although we have been here and love our small farm town and community and are so happy to bring this to our hometown, it’s not really the best business idea.

All of us just knew that this was right and said yes to the call,” Darci says. “I saw a slogan somewhere that says, ‘A place where it’s less about a transaction and more about a transformation,’ and I like that.”

Darci explained to CityBeat what farmto-table truly means and how it’s more than just healthy choices.

“It’s an old, simple way from back when we couldn’t ship in any food that we wanted from anywhere we wanted like we can now. The farm-to-table way is not an easier way by any stretch, but it is a more sustainable way. You know the farmer and their food standards align with yours and you partner together to bring the community the highest quality food — food that hasn’t gone through a store or a distributor.”

This means that patrons of Harvester can expect only high-quality food items coming from the restaurant’s kitchen.

Despite this reliance on fresh and locally sourced ingredients, the owners of Harvester have managed to construct a diverse and family-style menu that offers

The owners, (from left to right) Brad Tucker, Jessica Tucker, Darci Davidson and Dwayne Davidson, at Harvester Farm to Table Restaurant.

P H O T O : LY D I A S C H E M B R E

something for everyone. Items range from baked goods and breads to smashburgers and omelettes.

“Our food is best described in three words: fresh, local and organic,” Darci says. “We bake all our bread and baked goods in-house with freshly ground grains.

All our fryers are filled with 100% avocado oil. We have put together a menu everyone in the family loves. Our chef creates weekly specials using seasonal ingredients that our customers come back week after week for.”

The passion for all things fresh isn’t anything new to the owners. The Davidson and Tucker families also own The Greenhouse Bus Mercantile, a natural food store and organic coffee lounge. The store had been open for two years when the space for Harvester opened up. Darci says she knew that “the timing seemed right” to open Harvester. Now both businesses are Blanchester staples.

Harvester also leaves its mark on patrons aesthetically. The updates on the building, which formerly housed a bakery, have brought a certain modern farmhouse charm to the structure. The Davidsons and Tuckers have given the former bakery new life by incorporating a modern and homey touch. Harvester manages to balance rustic and down-to-earth with a sense of airiness quite well. The open dining area gives the space a unique, cafe-style quirk — it’s simple, inviting and easy to spend time in. All this without even mentioning the lovely outdoor seating space right next to the building where patrons can enjoy the good weather and food.

“The design came together piece by

Harvester Farm to Table’s decor is rustic and down-to-earth while also channeling modern ambiance.

P H O T O : LY D I A S C H E M B R E

piece with no real idea in mind other than to create a space for people to feel like they have a place to belong and feel loved,” Darci says. “The first space we designed was the back wall in the dining area that reads ‘Where Everyone Has A Seat At The Table.’ That’s the heart of the restaurant.”

With such a comforting message and atmosphere it’s clear why the reception to Harvester Farm to Table has been overwhelmingly positive. Darci shared the sentiments of others and how their support has been a blessing so far.

“In the three short months we have been open, we can’t get over all of the love, support and amazing feedback we received. It’s evident that a restaurant like

this was not only wanted but needed here in the community and beyond as many have made the country drive to visit from the surrounding areas.”

Patrons can now visit Harvester Farm to Table Wednesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Visitors can also take part in the “Pay it Forward” meal program, where you can purchase a token that can be handed out to someone in need. That person can then exchange the token for a warm meal.

AUGUST 21-SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

Harvester Farm to Table, 142 S. Broadway St., Blanchester. More info: Searchable on Facebook.

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MUSIC

DJ Boywife has become one of Cincinnati’s most popular DJs. P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY D J B OY W I F E

Cincinnati’s Brat Era DJ Boywife and others discuss the recent renaissance of Cincinnati’s club culture.

BY B R E N T ST RO U D

C

incinnati nightlife has seen a recent renaissance. New hotspots like Ghost Baby, Somerset and Alice all opened consecutively between early 2020 and 2022, adding a mystique and glamor to a night out in the city, in addition to established bars and spaces acting as dancefloors for a growing club culture. It’s not uncommon to find a line pouring out onto the street, wrapping down the sidewalk for a chance to get inside and experience all that a particular space or night has to offer.

The name DJ Boywife has become synonymous with that rise in Cincinnati club culture. On just about any given night, you can find him looking like a modern-day Warhol Factory-era glam model, at the center of or above a sea of enthusiastic clubgoers having the time of their lives. With his hands in motion, adjusting and perfecting the music, always moving, dancing in time to the variety of custom mixes and hits and a crowd singing along, it’s a picture of a perfect moment in time.

DJ Boywife has a regularly packed schedule of events at venues across the city like Alice, Mecca OTR and LGBTQ+ clubs like The Birdcage and Bloom OTR, in addition to DIY events like a recent

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rave titled “Sync” at DSGN CLLCTV. The local club scene didn’t come out of nowhere, though. Josh Heuser, founder and owner of Ghost Baby and co-founder of now-fabled early 2000s club, art experiment and celebrity hangout, Club Clau, weighs in on Cincinnati club history and club culture, in general.

Heuser lists former Covington nightspots like The Glass Menagerie and The Conservatory along with the downtown club, Caddy’s, as well as The Burgundy Room and Vertigo in Clifton as hotspots in the city over the years.

He recalls the ‘90s rave scene-era club The Warehouse and its impact. “But, then when the rave scene (hit), god, you had, where Ghost Baby is now, you had The Warehouse,” Heuser continues, “The Warehouse, you’d go at 18 years old on a Wednesday night and it was club culture.

It was just black holes that people went into and full of self-expression. It was in a dangerous part of town, and it was part of the experience.”

He mentions movements in broader club culture such as the Party Monsters and Candy Ravers and era-defining clubs like The Limelight in New York City that created a space for alternative worlds to come together.

“Club culture to me, is about where

AUGUST 21-SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

you’re going to lose your inhibitions but also to express yourself artistically,” Heuser says.

Club Clau, opened by Heuser and co-founder Scott Sheridan in 2003, “was really about just personal creative expression. Like, how can you express yourself for the greater good of the room, making it an experience,” Heuser says.

The ambitious club was only open 18 months but is remembered through photos taken by its art director Andrew VanSickle that captured snapshots of eccentric guests (costumes and characters were encouraged and written about in the club’s weekly blog) and celebrities like Snoop Dogg and Justin Timberlake out on the town in a still very undeveloped Over-the-Rhine.

“Clau [stands for] Change Lies Ahead of Us. I repeat to people all the time, we would sign 18-month leases downtown.”

Heuser explains that the city was at a turning point after the 2001 riots caused by the shooting of unarmed Black teen Timothy Thomas.

“It was labeled as this exclusive club,” he says, almost laughing. “Well, it’s exclusive because we were only open 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday night because the only people coming downtown were club kids. Your people

working 9 to 5 weren’t coming down to Over-the-Rhine at 10 p.m. on a Friday night. Culture happens from 9 to 5, it’s 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., not 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

Over-the-Rhine is now a much different place, and the current club culture is as vibrant as ever, with DJ Boywife at the center.

Originally from a small northern Ohio town, or in his words, “I grew up in Uniontown, heard of it? Probably not.” He found music and a subculture of his own through internet culture and being introduced to nightcore (sped-up reworkings of pop songs). He grew frustrated by small-town thinking and says, “I got on Soundcloud and found SOPHIE and then it was over. Then it was like every convention was thrown out.”

He moved to Cincinnati during the pandemic to be with his boyfriend and was soon invited by a longtime internet friend who happened to be a local DJ (DJ Cull) to his going-away party at Northside bar Good Judy’s where he would have a chance meeting.

“So, I went, and this is like 2022, and then that night, the owner pulled me aside and was like, ‘You look like you would be a DJ, you should do it.’ Which, I had never considered it. And so, I would use Spotify and a mixer and then

I would, like, fade myself in and out from Spotify (laughs) and it was cool,” he says.

He began, at first, under his name, Shane Brouman, DJing Good Judy’s and its sister bar MixWells with the makeshift setup that worked for a time.

“So, there was an event I thought of called ‘Throb.’ I kind of based it off a Berlin, kind of rave-y, foggy, dark boiler room kind of thing,” DJ Boywife says.

“That Throb (event), I was like, ‘I wanna try to be a real DJ.’” Soon after, he bought a more professional setup and two weeks later was booked to do a punk show at a Clifton house known as The Lawn. DJ Boywife cites those two events as a turning point.

He describes being a DJ as being a “conduit,” similar to his first creative love, film photography. “It is about seeing people in the best light, almost.

Where, it’s like, if you’re a good photographer and you show someone that picture, and you’re like, ‘Look how good you look. I did this, this is you and you look great,’ whatever. I feel like DJing is kind of the same thing. Where it’s like, I’m playing songs you like, you’re having these moments with your friends that you’ll remember, you know, brat summer. There’s just something about making good times for people and making memories for other people. That is kind of priceless, I feel like.”

In addition to a regularly packed schedule, he also made recent appearances at TQL Stadium for FC Cincinnati’s Pride Night, Heritage Bank Arena for a Cyclones Pride event, hosted a party at Bogart’s and will appear alongside current Saturday Night Live cast member Marcello Hernandez at Fifth Third Arena on Aug. 23 for University of Cincinnati’s Night of Comedy event.

“It feels like he has a spark of that creator,” Heuser says about DJ Boywife.

“I hate to use the word creator because I feel like it’s so overused, more that, I feel he has the desire to have a creative expression for the group, of the evening.

Anyone can sit up there and throw their hands in the air and bring sparklers out, but like, when your expression is yourself, and how you present that in a room and it comes through music, then that’s the art of a DJ.” DJ Boywife tells CityBeat another reward of being in his position. “I feel like there’s something about me that is, like, palatable for straight people but is still true to queer people. It’s not a power but something that I want to use for that group of people that are like, ‘Oh, I feel comfortable going out, I feel comfortable dressing this way or wearing a skirt the way you do,’ or whatever.

It’s a really special thing.”

While our local club culture is at a recent high, there is still room to grow.

“For Pride month, I had 30 gigs in the

30 days of June, right? None of those events were specifically for lesbians or for trans people or for whatever,” DJ Boywife says. He points to Instagram curator/event organizer Midwestern Lesbian and events like the recent Sapphic Swim at Ziegler Park Pool as moves in the right direction but feels there is still more to be done.

Heuser, relishing the former anonymity and experiential hallmarks of club culture says, “I think privacy is the ultimate luxury and I think people used to go out, as I said, to share their self-expressions for the greater good of the room, now people go out with self-expression, for the greater good of the ‘gram.”

Additionally, DJ Boywife, who was an event coordinator for Alice where he booked punk bands alongside club events, mixing two worlds, talks the importance of taking risks, trying new things and making space for new perspectives.

“I respect experience, and I respect people who have been around and, obviously, know more than I do but people should try more. You should try things and fail, and then recoup and see how to make it a better experience.”

Heuser, whose Ghost Baby was named one the best bars in America

by Esquire Magazine in 2022 says, “Because where I’m at in my life from a career standpoint and life, I look at a space as a creative piece of artwork that I want you to feel and resonate with the experience. So, I’m way ahead of DJ Boywife where I’m not in the room anymore but I want to create a room where you feel a sense when you go into it, that’s what drives me.”

Nick Keeling, organizer of recent multifaceted dance event “As Above, So Below” held in The Comet basement this month, describes the freedom The Comet allowed to host a heavenand-hell-themed event that featured a costume contest and décor from local visual artist Sam Jayne, in addition to multiple DJs (including DJ Boywife).

“This allows the audience to experience something unique and for the DJs to do whatever they want. It allows experimentation.”

“Our city is growing, which is good, we’re growing in resources, so I think it’s a good time to take a risk and get into a space,” Heuser says. “I think that’s why you’re seeing more and more things pop up because there’s more and more people, and more curiosity.

“Lightning in a bottle happens in some of these spaces.” With the ambition and drive for experience many people have in this city, who knows what the future could bring.

For more information about DJ Boywife, visit instagram.com/djboywife.

AUGUST 21-SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

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SOUND ADVICE

Built to Spill P H O T O : R A S E L I T T L E F I E L D, T R E E F O R T M U S I C F E S T

BUILT TO SPILL

Aug. 27 • Bogart’s Continuing to tour behind the 30th anniversary of their classic 1994 album There’s Nothing Wrong with Love, Boise, Idaho, natives Built to Spill will be playing Bogart’s in late August. The album will be performed in its entirety with the band accompanied by cellist John McMahon, who performed on classic songs like “Car” and “Stab.”

While perhaps slightly overshadowed by their follow-up record, 1997’s Perfect from Now On, There’s Nothing Wrong with Love contains plenty of wry, sweetly melancholic songs with Doug Martsch’s trademark plaintive vocals and unadorned Stratocaster guitar. Most songs are stripped down to the bare essentials of guitar, bass and drums, with simple melodies reminiscent of ‘70s power pop. The chords to “Fling” sound like something Supertramp’s Roger Hodgson might have stumbled upon while strumming his 12-string.

There’s Nothing Wrong with Love is a record primarily concerned with adolescence and how strange it feels to suddenly find yourself distanced from it, stepping unsteadily into adulthood.

It’s worth noting that Martsch became a first-time father during the recording of the album. So, it’s no wonder that so many of his lyrics look back to moments when you’re suddenly aware of your place in the world, how big it is, how little you are and where it is you fit in. “Cleo,” about Martsch’s son

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Benjamin, encapsulates what Built to Spill does so well: the first lines are the somewhat goofy “wiggly days, wiggly nights,” but the sincerity in which they’re sung sucks you in, and the slow, major seventh to minor chord progression is the perfect mix of light and dark.

Whether singing about seeing the constellations in a string of stars, rebelling against stepparents or simply marveling at the mind’s cognitive capabilities (“Ain’t it strange that I can dream?”), Martsch perfectly captures what it’s like to grow up — the earnest pleas to “make it real,” of feeling like an outsider, pushing the world away and wondering if it will “break (us) back.” You come away from a Built to Spill record feeling a little sad, a little silly, but most importantly, with a great indie pop song humming in your head.

And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Built to Spill performs at Bogart’s on Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. Info: bogarts.com.

(Derek Kalback)

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM Aug. 27 • Andrew J Brady Music Center Brian Fallon has an uncommonly expressive yet familiar voice, the sound of a guy well-versed in the trick of turning introspection into grandiose pronouncements. The Gaslight Anthem frontman’s affinity for those who came before him is evident in his

AUGUST 21-SEPTEMBER 3, 2024

The Gaslight Anthem P H OTO : CAS E Y M CA L L I ST E R

band’s earnest emotions and accessible songs.

Roaring out the gates with 2007’s Sink or Swim, the quartet released a series of records melding the righteous fury of The Clash with the classic-rock storytelling of Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty.

But in the aftermath of 2014’s Get Hurt, Fallon was ready for a new challenge. The Gaslight Anthem went on “indefinite hiatus” while he dropped four solo albums leaning more heavily into traditional singer/songwriter tropes. The band reunited in 2018 for a brief run of shows to celebrate the 10th anniversary of perhaps their best record, The ’59 Sound, but it wasn’t until 2022 that Fallon had the itch to write new material with The Gaslight Anthem.

“If you try to boil it down to the truest sense of who I feel I am as a writer, I’m a rock guy,” Fallon said in a 2023

interview with Uproxx. “I like songwriter stuff, and I like doing it, but the big thing that really closed the gap for me was that I realized there is nothing that I can do in The Gaslight Anthem that I would need to go and make a record solo.”

The resulting album, 2023’s History Books, mixes elements of Fallon’s solo work with the verve of Gaslight Anthem’s sonic muscle. The aptly titled “Positive Charge” opens with furious guitars and drums before giving way to Fallon’s weathered vocals as he nostalgically sings about that fact that “there were whispers in the vestibules.”

Then there’s the title track, a duet with Springsteen that does exactly what you’d expect — rouses emotions through words, voices and sounds as familiar as they are specific, closing with the repeated refrain, “But the time keeps rollin’ us on/rollin’ us on/rollin’ us on.” The Gaslight Anthem plays the

Cage the Elephant P H OTO : N E I L K RU G

Hawthorne Heights P H O T O : C O U R T N E Y K I A R A B OY E R

Andrew J Brady Music Center on Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. Info: bradymusiccenter. com. (Jason Gargano)

CAGE THE ELEPHANT Aug. 30 • Riverbend Music Center Guided by the restless visions of brothers Brad and Matt Shultz, Cage the Elephant has reached commercial and creative heights the now-fortysomething boys could barely fathom growing up via modest means in Bowling Green, Ky. Yet it’s been anything but a seamless glide to fame, fortune and Grammy wins — ceaseless touring, personal setbacks and internal band squabbles marked Cage the Elephant’s bumpy rise to prominence. Most prominently, there are the various, often precarious, travails of their dynamic frontman Matt, whose most recent dustups featured an

arrest for possession of loaded firearms and a hospital stay spurred by the significant side effects of a prescription drug he was taking to lessen his longrunning bouts of depression. Matt’s issues — which also included a divorce from his second wife before remarrying her late last year — delayed the writing, recording and release of their sixth studio album, Neon Pill, which finally dropped in January.

The new record largely picks up where Cage the Elephant’s last album, 2019’s excellent Social Cues, left off, employing the sleek sonics of ace producer John Hill to ear-wormy results. A mid-album trio of tunes highlights the band’s evolution from straight-ahead guitar rock to more diverse stylings: “Float Into the Sky,” a woozy psychpop rumination that culminates with a trippy fadeout; the driving, Strokes-like

drums and rhythm guitars of “Metaverse”; and the piano ballad “Out Loud,” which finds Matt addressing his fragile psyche via modest vocals that bely his usual Jagger-esque delivery: “Man, I really messed up now/Too afraid to say it out loud/I can barely breathe, who’m I tryin’ to be/I’m still tryin’ to figure it out.”

Personal demons aside, that’s not to say Matt has been surprised by Cage the Elephant’s longevity and success.

“From a really young age, I’d always imagined having a lifelong career,” Matt said in a recent interview with Spin.

“Dream big, right? And it’s been tenfold more fruitful and more special than I could have ever dreamed. In an odd way, having gone through so much, it’s really energized us as a band moving forward. Yeah, 18 years in and to still be captivating people’s imaginations is pretty amazing, honestly.”

Cage the Elephant plays Riverbend Music Center on Aug. 30 at 6:30 p.m.

Info: riverbend.org. (JG)

OHIO IS FOR LOVERS FESTIVAL Sept. 7 • Riverbend Music Center One of the biggest bands to come out of Ohio is once again gracing Cincinnati with an unforgettable night. Popular emo act Hawthorne Heights is hosting their now-annual Ohio Is For Lovers Festival at Riverbend Music Center on Sept. 7. The single-day event will host a plethora of acts in genres ranging all across the alternative music spectrum.

The host act may not be headlining, but the engine behind the festival is Hawthorne Heights. The group is native to the Dayton area, but multiple members once called the Cincinnati region home. Hawthorne Heights hit its

stride in 2004 with the release of their album The Silence in Black and White.

The album featured the namesake of the festival, the song “Ohio Is for Lovers.”

Since then, the group has sustained success with other tracks such as “Saying Sorry” and “Niki FM.” As a continuation of their legacy and a way to celebrate alternative rock music from the early 2000s, Hawthorne Heights established the festival in 2022.

The original festival only consisted of three cities, but since then the festival has expanded to multiple locations nationwide. The one thread between them? Cincinnati is always the grand finale to it all.

This year’s lineup includes other popular 2000s post-hardcore acts such as Silverstein and Senses Fail. Spectators can also watch energetic pop-punk acts like Knuckle Puck and Real Friends.

Ultimately, the show will be headlined by possibly one of the most notable emo act from the early 2010s, Hot Mulligan.

Aside from the national acts, the festival will feature multiple local acts.

Bands like Better Anyway, Touchdown Jesus and Glassworld will also perform for the hundreds in attendance. When asked what this opportunity means to them, Better Anyway’s guitarist Cody Eanes described how it feels to CityBeat.

“Hawthorne Heights was a band that I grew up with from my brother bringing home their CDs when I was in middle school/early high school and I couldn’t get enough. To me, they were the epitome of emo and highly regarded in that era. Them asking us to play this festival means so much because they’re inviting us into their world of playing with so many of their friends.”

The Ohio Is For Lovers Fest takes place Sept. 7 at 1:30 p.m. Info: riverbend.org. (Logan Turner)

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Cue Balls CROSSWORD

BY B R EN DA N E M M E T T Q U I G L E Y W W W. B R E N DA N E M M E T TQ U I G L E Y.C O M 39. “Genesis does what Nintendon’t” sloganeer

Across 1. Trips up and down the pool

40. “___, this is an Arby’s!”

5. Stream when no hits are coming

41. Bank holding

10. Score marking

42. Sheldon’s twin sister in “The Big Bang Theory”

14. Last story 15. Eagle’s home

Down

31. Final villain in a level

1. Suitable for losers

32. Actor La Salle

2. Put to shame

33. Indoor b-ball game

3. State of vexation

37. Tool for shredding

4. Paved ways: Abbr.

38. “Ya got me?”

5. Desert so big it can be seen from space

39. ___ Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” actor)

16. Hawaiian seaport

43. Vol. measurement of a lot of Häagen-Dazs?

17. What has all your answers about toy mogul Frederick?

47. Ram’s noise?

7. ___ Mountains (Europe/Asia border)

48. Finish next to

8. Filth

19. “Assuming that’s true ...”

6. More blue

44. Chests

10. 2015 Spike Lee movie

54. “Let’s keep in touch on socials!”

45. En fuego

11. Eternities, so to speak

56. Tokyo’s old name

21. Stew server

42. Movie character whose full name is Mabel Earlene Simmons

9. Skull candy?

52. Gender reveal party invitation image

20. Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication coll.

41. Sausage serving

46. Intertwine

22. Words from the devout

57. Art colony of New Mexico

12. “Or ___ what?”

23. “Just Like Heaven” band

58. Ground zero of where things are thrown?

13. What’s for dinner?

49. Jordan who runs Monkeypaw Productions

18. You’re looking at ‘em

50. Like some exploratory committees

60. Fair where 61-Acrosses are shown

22. Scratch output

51. Covering in the kitchen

61. See 60-Across

24. Nile queen, for short

52. Flute part

31. Friend of Seinfeld and Costanza

62. Felipe, Jesús, or Matty of baseball

25. “Vaccines contain microchips,” e.g.

53. Ride provider in a RideGuru search

34. Where it’s at

63. Swing and a ___

27. “Tearin’ Up My Heart” boy band

54. “Excuse me”

35. Leave an imperfection

64. 23-Across leader Robert

28. Pen name

55. Half: Pref.

36. Black-and-white cookie

65. Singer Peniston

29. Bothers nonstop

58. Bombs delivered by a Jet

30. Battleship color

59. Roomba’s cuz

25. Protection around a castle 26. Figure things out while excluding people from a game?

37. Subj. for those studying Skinner

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